Cell Cycle-Dependent Turnover of 5-Hydroxymethyl Cytosine in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Hydroxymethylcytosine in the genome is reported to be an intermediate of demethylation. In the present study, we demonstrated that maintenance methyltransferase Dnmt1 scarcely catalyzed hemi-hydroxymethylated DNA and that the hemi-hydroxymethylated DNA was not selectively recognized by the SRA domain of Uhrf1, indicating that hydroxymethylcytosine is diluted in a replication-dependent manner. A high level of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in mouse embryonic stem cells was produced from the methylcytosine supplied mainly by de novo-type DNA methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b. The promoter regions of the HoxA gene cluster showed a high hydroxymethylation level whilst the methylcytosine level was quite low, suggesting that methylated CpG is actively hydroxylated during proliferation. All the results indicate that removal and production of hydroxymethylcytosine are regulated in replication-dependent manners in mouse embryonic stem cells.     

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Disturbs Nanog Expression through miR-490-3p in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) poses potential risks to reproduction and development. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are ideal models for developmental toxicity testing of environmental contaminants in vitro. However, the mechanism by which PFOS affects early embryonic development is still unclear. In this study, mESCs were exposed to PFOS for 24 h, and then general cytotoxicity and pluripotency were evaluated. MTT assay showed that neither PFOS (0.2 µM, 2 µM, 20 µM, and 200 µM) nor control medium (0.1% DMSO) treatments affected cell viability. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in cell cycle and apoptosis between the PFOS treatment and control groups. However, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of pluripotency markers (Sox2, Nanog) in mESCs were significantly decreased following exposure to PFOS for 24 h, while there were no significant changes in the mRNA and protein levels of Oct4. Accordingly, the expression levels of miR-145 and miR-490-3p, which can regulate Sox2 and Nanog expressions were significantly increased. Chrm2, the host gene of miR-490-3p, was positively associated with miR-490-3p expression after PFOS exposure. Dual luciferase reporter assay suggests that miR-490-3p directly targets Nanog. These results suggest that PFOS can disturb the expression of pluripotency factors in mESCs, while miR-145 and miR-490-3p play key roles in modulating this effect.     

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。     

小鼠胚胎干细胞向生殖细胞分化的研究

小鼠胚胎干细胞(ESC)在体外可以分化为多种细胞类型,其中包括各阶段的生殖细胞,甚至精细胞和成熟卵母细胞。ESC向生殖细胞分化的效率受到包括生长因子、激素和体细胞等多种因素的影响,在体外形成的是雌性配子还是雄性配子与ESC是XX型还是XY型没有必然联系。简要综述了小鼠生殖细胞在体内外的分化发育、性别决定和增殖等,并总结和展望了ESC向生殖细胞分化研究面临的问题和应用前景。     

pINC－lacZ逆转录病毒载体的构建及其在小鼠胚胎干细胞中的表达

小鼠胚胎干细胞系（ＥＳ）是从囊胚的内细胞团中建立起来的多潜能胚胎干细胞系。ＥＳ细胞系目前正广泛用于将基因打靶后的突变和其它遗传变化导入小鼠的种系中。其中,嵌合鼠的获得是非常必要的一步。这就需要用一个可以广泛表达的基因对ＥＳ细胞进行标记。大肠杆菌β－半乳糖苷酶（β－ｇａｌ）基因的表达在细胞水平就能很容易地观察到,而且对哺乳动物细胞没有任何毒害作用,因而是一个被广泛地用于各种细胞基因表达研究中的报导基因。猿类巨细胞病毒早期（ＳｉＣＭＶＩＥ）启动子是一个广泛用于转基因小鼠研究中的强启动子。然而,该启动子在ＥＳ细胞方面应用的报道尚未见到。本研究用ＢａｍＨＩ和ＨｉｎｄⅢ双酶切,从ｐｓｖ－β－ｇａｌａｃｔｏｓｉｄａｓｅ中得到３．７Ｋｂ的ｌａｃＺ基因片断,将其插入到ｐＩＮＣ载体上（Ｆｉｇ．１）,得到ｐＩＮＣ－ｌａｃＺ（Ｆｉｇ．２）。用ＮｏｔⅠ线性化ｐＩＮＣ－ｌａｃＺ后,电击导入ＭＥＳＰＵ－１３细胞中。ＭＥＳＰＵ－１３为本实验室从１２９／Ｔｅｒ品系小鼠的囊胚中建立的一个ＥＳ细胞系。转化细胞在含有２５０μｇ／ｍｌＧ４１８的培养基上培养两周,进行ＭＥＳＰＵ－１３细胞稳定转化子的筛选。在一次转化实验中,从１ｘ１０７个转化的ＭＥＳ     

Zc3h13 Regulates Nuclear RNA m6A Methylation and Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal

1. Download high-res image (200KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

小鼠胚胎干细胞分化形成拟胚体过程中的细胞程序性死亡

为了检测小鼠胚胎干细胞 (embryonicstemcell ,ES细胞 )体外分化的拟胚体 (embryoidbodies ,EBs)形成过程中细胞程序性死亡 (programmedcelldeath ,PCD)的发生 ,通过悬滴、悬浮培养技术定向诱导未分化的ES细胞分化为拟胚体 ,并用RT PCR检测原始内胚层、原始外胚层、中胚层、内脏内胚层 4种分子标记物在EBs中的表达 .通过TUNEL染色、电镜、激光共聚焦显微镜及Western印迹以确定凋亡发生 .结果表明 :ES细胞体外分化为拟胚体并且表达各胚层相应的分子标记物 ;在拟胚体的发育过程中出现明显的空腔化过程 ,TUNEL染色及电镜观察到凋亡生成 ,同时线粒体膜电位 (ΔΨm)在拟胚体发育过程中降低 ,通过Western印迹检测到caspase3、caspase8的激活 .表明小鼠ES细胞所分化的拟胚体可以作为研究早期胚胎发育的实验模型 ,线粒体在拟胚体的细胞程序性死亡过程中发挥重要的作用 .为进一步利用拟胚体研究细胞程序性死亡及相关信号分子在小鼠胚胎发育早期的作用奠定了基础     

在小鼠胚胎干细胞进行基因打靶的策略

基因打靶技术是一种通过同源重组按预期方式改变生物活体的遗传信息的实验手段,与小鼠胚胎干细胞培养系统相结合,使得人们可以方便地将各种突变引入小鼠体内,得以从生物整体水平上研究高等真核生物基因的表达、调控及其生理功能.扼要介绍了近年来在小鼠胚胎干细胞进行基因打靶的研究进展.     

Early Cell Fate Decisions of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Mouse Epiblast Stem Cells Are Controlled by the Same Signalling Pathways

Human embryonic stem cells have unique value for regenerative medicine, as they are capable of differentiating into a broad variety of cell types. Therefore, defining the signalling pathways that control early cell fate decisions of pluripotent stem cells represents a major task. Moreover, modelling the early steps of embryonic development in vitro may provide the best approach to produce cell types with native properties. Here, we analysed the function of key developmental growth factors such as Activin, FGF and BMP in the control of early cell fate decisions of human pluripotent stem cells. This analysis resulted in the development and validation of chemically defined culture conditions for achieving specification of human embryonic stem cells into neuroectoderm, mesendoderm and into extra-embryonic tissues. Importantly, these defined culture conditions are devoid of factors that could obscure analysis of developmental mechanisms or render the resulting tissues incompatible with future clinical applications. Importantly, the growth factor roles defined using these culture conditions similarly drove differentiation of mouse epiblast stem cells derived from post implantation embryos, thereby reinforcing the hypothesis that epiblast stem cells share a common embryonic identity with human pluripotent stem cells. Therefore the defined growth factor conditions described here represent an essential step toward the production of mature cell types from pluripotent stem cells in conditions fully compatible with clinical use ant also provide a general approach for modelling the early steps of mammalian embryonic development.     

Wnt3a诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞向心肌细胞分化的研究

目的：研究Wnt3a在诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞心肌细胞分化中的作用和原理。方法：设计不同浓度,不同成分的Wnt3a条件培养基对小鼠胚胎干细胞诱导分化,对分化细胞进行形态学鉴定,通过免疫细胞化学检测心肌肌钙蛋白-T（cTnT）的表达,通过RT．PCR检测肌球蛋白重链（ot．MHC）和肌球蛋白轻链（MLC．2v）的表达。结果：Wnt3a诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞分化为心肌样细胞,分化细胞具有自动收缩性,免疫细胞化学检测心肌肌钙蛋白．T（cTllT）表达阳性,RT．PCR检测肌球蛋白重链（d—MHC）和肌球蛋白轻链（MLC-2v）表达阳性。经典Wnt信号途径的抑制剂Frizzled一8／Fc,能够抑制Wnt3a的诱导分化作用。结论：Wnt3a通过经典Wnt信号途径诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞向心肌细胞分化。