敲除Pofut1不影响胚胎干细胞向神经元分化

蛋白O-连接岩藻糖基转移酶1 (Pofut1)基因缺失可导致Notch分子无法与配体结合并启动信号传递. 为研究Pofut1基因对哺乳动物胚胎干细胞（ESC）向神经分化的影响,利用Pofut1基因敲除的胚胎干细胞与野生型胚胎干细胞,经体外培养诱导拟胚体（EB）分化为神经细胞,计数分化为神经细胞的比例,采用细胞免疫组化染色和real-time PCR等方法,分析神经细胞特异性标志分子的表达. 结果显示,Pofut1基因缺失后,对EBC生长没有明显影响,分化过程中形成的拟胚体数量明显增多,分化的神经样细胞以及神经标志物分子的表达也明显多于对照组;Notch信号缺失对小鼠胚胎干细胞生长无明显影响,但可以促进ES细胞向神经细胞分化.     

Forced Expression of the Homeobox-Containing Gene Pem Blocks Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

Similarities in the differentiation of mouse embryos and ES cell embryoid bodies suggest that aspects of early mammalian embryogenesis can be studied in ES cell embryoid bodies. In an effort to understand the regulation of cellular differentiation during early mouse embryogenesis, we altered the expression of the Pem homeobox-containing gene in ES cells. Pem is normally expressed in the preimplantation embryo and expressed in a lineage-restricted fashion following implantation, suggesting a role for Pem in regulating cellular differentiation in the early embryo. Here, we show that the forced expression of Pem from the mouse Pgk-1 promoter in ES cells blocks the in vitro and in vivo differentiation of the cells. In particular, embryoid bodies produced from these Pgk-Pem ES cells do not differentiate into primitive endoderm or embryonic ectoderm, which are prominent features of early embryoid bodies from normal ES cells. This Pgk-Pem phenotype is also different from the null phenotype, as embryoid bodies derived from ES cells in which endogenous Pem gene expression has been blocked show a pattern of differentiation similar to that of normal ES cells. When the Pgk-Pem ES cells were introduced into subcutaneous sites of nude mice, only undifferentiated EC-like cells were found in the teratomas derived from the injected cells. The Pem-dependent block of ES cell differentiation appears to be cell autonomous;Pgk-Pem ES cells did not differentiate when mixed with normal, differentiating ES cells. A block to ES cell differentiation, resulting from the forced expression of Pem, can also be produced by the forced expression of the nonhomeodomain region of Pem. These studies are consistent with a role for Pem in regulating the transition between undifferentiated and differentiated cells of the early mouse embryo.     

胚胎干细胞向肝细胞诱导分化

胚胎干细胞具有分化成三胚层细胞的潜能。它已被视为治疗多种疾痛的一种新兴策略。在现阶段,通过不同的诱导途径可将胚胎干细胞诱导成为肝细胞：体外诱导、体内诱导以及体外和体内相结合诱导分化。然而从体内实验结果来看,其嵌合率及分化率不高,这是一个亟需解决的问题,否则就无法成功地将其应用于临床治疗。     

人诱导多能干细胞与人胚胎干细胞分化过程中Oct4/Nanog基因表达的比较

目的：比较通过慢病毒方法获得的人诱导多能性干细胞（iPSCs）与人胚胎干细胞（hESCs）分化过程中全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达变化。方法：收集分化不同时间点的拟胚体（EBs）,检测三胚层分化基因以及全能性基因Oct4/Nanog的表达,并通过畸胎瘤组织切片的荧光染色分析Oct4的表达。结果：iPSCs获得的EB中内外三胚层分化基因表达的出现明显晚于hESCs来源的EB。不同于hESCs,iPSCs悬浮培养获得的EBs在体外培养18天未见内源性Oct4、Nanog基因表达的下调。未分化的iPSCs注射严重联合免疫缺陷（SCID）小鼠培养10周后获得的畸胎瘤中仍存在Oct4阳性的细胞,但iPS-#2中明显少于iPS-#5。结论：通过慢病毒方法获得的iPSCs虽然具有向三胚层分化的能力,但在分化过程中仍维持较高水平的全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达。     

人诱导多能干细胞与人胚胎干细胞分化过程中Oct4/Nanog 基因 表达的比较

目的:比较通过慢病毒方法获得的人诱导多能性干细胞(iPSCs)与人胚胎干细胞(hESCs)分化过程中全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达变化。方法:收集分化不同时间点的拟胚体(EBs),检测三胚层分化基因以及全能性基因Oct4/Nanog的表达,并通过畸胎瘤组织切片的荧光染色分析Oct4的表达。结果:iPSCs获得的EB中内外三胚层分化基因表达的出现明显晚于hESCs来源的EB。不同于hESCs,iPSCs悬浮培养获得的EBs在体外培养18天未见内源性Oct4、Nanog基因表达的下调。未分化的iPSCs注射严重联合免疫缺陷(SCID)小鼠培养10周后获得的畸胎瘤中仍存在Oct4阳性的细胞,但iPS-#2中明显少于iPS-#5。结论:通过慢病毒方法获得的iPSCs虽然具有向三胚层分化的能力,但在分化过程中仍维持较高水平的全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达。     

胚胎干细胞的基因转录调控

胚胎干细胞作为一种具有多潜能性和自我更新能力的细胞,在人类等高等生物发育中占有重要地位;基于这一特性,胚胎干细胞在临床上具有极其广阔的应用前景。转录因子OCT4、SOX2和NANOG通过调节胚胎干细胞的基因转录,对其多潜能性和自我更新能力具有关键性的调控作用。对这一作用机制的研究,将对人类早期发育的了解和胚胎干细胞的临床应用具有积极意义。     

Selective MicroRNA-Offset RNA Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Small RNA molecules, including microRNAs (miRNAs), play critical roles in regulating pluripotency, proliferation and differentiation of embryonic stem cells. miRNA-offset RNAs (moRNAs) are similar in length to miRNAs, align to miRNA precursor (pre-miRNA) loci and are therefore believed to derive from processing of the pre-miRNA hairpin sequence. Recent next generation sequencing (NGS) studies have reported the presence of moRNAs in human neurons and cancer cells and in several tissues in mouse, including pluripotent stem cells. In order to gain additional knowledge about human moRNAs and their putative development-related expression, we applied NGS of small RNAs in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and fibroblasts. We found that certain moRNA isoforms are notably expressed in hESCs from loci coding for stem cell-selective or cancer-related miRNA clusters. In contrast, we observed only sparse moRNAs in fibroblasts. Consistent with earlier findings, most of the observed moRNAs derived from conserved loci and their expression did not appear to correlate with the expression of the adjacent miRNAs. We provide here the first report of moRNAs in hESCs, and their expression profile in comparison to fibroblasts. Moreover, we expand the repertoire of hESC miRNAs. These findings provide an expansion on the known repertoire of small non-coding RNA contents in hESCs.     

人胚胎干细胞和拟胚体基因表达谱的初步分析

利用人类全基因组Affymetrix芯片检测人胚胎干细胞与其自发分化7d的拟胚体之间的差异表达基因.结果显示:与未分化的人胚胎干细胞相比.在分化7d的拟胚体中表达下调2倍及以上的已知和未知基因共有1100个,表达上调2倍及以上的已知或未知基因共有2283个.利用Gostat对这些差异表达基因进行功能分析,发现它们分别与细胞的生物代谢过程、信号传导通路、系统发育、细胞分化、分子功能及亚细胞组分相关.胚胎干细胞具有自我更新能力,是研究早期胚胎发育理想的细胞模型,因此对差异表达基因的功能研究有助于了解维持人胚胎干细胞自我更新的分子机制以及胚胎发育早期的分子事件.     

小鼠胚胎干细胞hprt基因的定位致变

利用DNA的同源重组原理,通过基因打靶技术,在小鼠胚胎干细胞(ES细胞）中将pMC1-neo导人hprt座位,实现了基因组内指定基因的定位致变．通过电穿孔导人质粒pRV4.0线性化D^A,分别用G418与6-TG筛选HPRT^-突变子．经抗性检验及DNA印迹分析,证明得到了一株预期的定位转化细胞,转化效率为1.32 x10^-8载体的非同源序列对定位致变的效率和整合方式没有影响,由于采取了有效的措施,所获HPRT^- ES细胞株仍维持了未分化和二倍体状态,保留了胚胎干细胞的特性．     

Moesin Is Not a Receptor for Measles Virus Entry into Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The involvement of moesin in measles virus (MV) entry was investigated with moesin-positive and -negative mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. MV infection of these cells was very ineffective and was independent of moesin expression. Furthermore, when these cells were transfected to express human CD46, a 100-fold increase in syncytium formation was observed with these cells and was independent of the expression of moesin. The only obvious difference between moesin-positive and -negative ES cells was the shape of the syncytia formed. Moesin-negative ES cells expressing or not expressing human CD46 formed separate pieces of fragmented syncytia which were torn apart during spreading, whereas ES cells expressing moesin exhibited typical syncytia. In addition, moesin was not detected on the surface of any murine cells or cell lines that we have tested by a flow cytometric assay with moesin-specific antibodies. These findings indicate that murine moesin is neither a receptor nor a CD46 coreceptor for MV entry into mouse ES cells. Moesin is involved in actin filament-plasma membrane interactions as a cross-linker, and it affects only the spreading and shape of MV-mediated syncytia.     

Zinc-finger Nuclease Enhanced Gene Targeting in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

One major limitation with current human embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation protocols is the generation of heterogeneous cell populations. These cultures contain the cells of interest, but are also contaminated with undifferentiated ESCs, non-neural derivatives and other neuronal subtypes.  This limits their use in in vitro and in vivo applications, such as in vitro modeling for drug discovery or cell replacement therapy. To help overcome this, reporter cell lines, which offer a means to visualize, track and isolate cells of interest, can be engineered. However, to achieve this in human embryonic stem cells via conventional homologous recombination is extremely inefficient. This protocol describes targeting of the Pituitary homeobox 3 (PITX3) locus in human embryonic stem cells using custom designed zinc-finger nucleases, which introduce site-specific double-strand DNA breaks, together with a PITX3-EGFP-specific DNA donor vector. Following the generation of the PITX3 reporter cell line, it can then be differentiated using published protocols for use in studies such as in vitro Parkinson’s disease modeling or cell replacement therapy.     

小鼠胚胎干细胞在单层粘附培养中向神经细胞的分化

目的 :探讨小鼠胚胎干 (ES)细胞在无血清培养基中以单层粘附培养方式向神经分化的方法。方法 :比较ES细胞在不同培养基中的生长情况 ,分析ES细胞在不同时间分化形成神经细胞的比例。结果 :( 1 )DMEM F1 2和Neurobasal B2 7的 1∶1混合培养基最适合ES的生长。 ( 2 )单层粘附的ES细胞表达神经细胞粘附分子 (NCAM)的比例随时间增长而增加 ,而nestin的表达先增加后下降。 ( 3)ES细胞可在两周分化为神经胶质及神经元 ,形成神经网络。结论 :小鼠ES细胞可在单层粘附培养中获得向神经的高效分化。