技术资料

Femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy offers several advantages over spontaneous Raman spectroscopy due to the inherently high sensitivity and low average power deposition in the sample. Femtosecond CARS can be implemented in a collinear pump/probe beam configuration for microspectroscopy applications and has emerged as a powerful technique for chemical imaging of biological specimens. However,one serious limitation of this approach is the presence of a high nonresonant background component that often obscures the resonant signals of interest. We report here an innovative pulse-shaping method based on Lorentzian amplitude and phase spectral modulation of a broadband femtosecond probe pulse that yields spectra with both high spectral resolution and no nonresonant background. No further mathematical analysis is needed to extract Raman spectra. The utility of the proposed method for CARS microscopy is demonstrated using a mixture of polystyrene and latex beads,as well as dry-fixed embryonic stem cells. View Publication

Self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are balanced by the concerted activities of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF),Wnt,and Notch pathways,which are tuned by enzyme-mediated remodeling of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). Sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1) activates the Sulf1 and Sulf2 sulfatases that remodel the HSPGs,and is mutated in patients with multiple sulfatase deficiency. Here,we show that the FGF signaling pathway is constitutively activated in Sumf1(-/-) HSCs and hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs). These cells show increased p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase levels,which in turn promote beta-catenin accumulation. Constitutive activation of FGF signaling results in a block in erythroid differentiation at the chromatophilic erythroblast stage,and of B lymphocyte differentiation at the pro-B cell stage. A reduction in mature myeloid cells and an aberrant development of T lymphocytes are also seen. These defects are rescued in vivo by blocking the FGF pathway in Sumf1(-/-) mice. Transplantation of Sumf1(-/-) HSPCs into wild-type mice reconstituted the phenotype of the donors,suggesting a cell autonomous defect. These data indicate that Sumf1 controls HSPC differentiation and hematopoietic lineage development through FGF and Wnt signaling. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are expected to provide revolutionary therapeutic applications and drug discovery technologies. In order for this to be achieved a reproducible,defined animal component free culture system is required for the scale-up production of undifferentiated hESC. In this work we have investigated the applicability of a recombinantly produced domain of human vitronectin as an extracellular matrix alternative to the common standards Geltrex or Matrigel. In addition we have validated an ascorbate free media capable of supporting CD30(low) populations of hESC through a multi-factorial analysis of bFGF and Activin A. The recombinant vitronectin domain combined with the ascorbate free media were capable of supporting 3 cell lines,MEL1,MEL2 and hES3 for 10 or more passages while maintaining hESC pluripotency markers and differentiation capacity. The culture method outlined here provides a platform for future investigation into growth factor and extracellular matrix effects on hESC maintenance prior to bioreactor scale-up. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide new possibilities for regenerative therapies. In order for this potential to be achieved,it is critical to efficiently monitor the differentiation of these hiPSCs into specific lineages. Here,we describe a lentiviral reporter vector sensitive to specific microRNAs (miRNA) to show that a single vector bearing multiple miRNA target sequences conjugated to different reporters can be used to monitor hiPSC formation and subsequent differentiation from human fetal fibroblasts (HFFs). The reporter vector encodes EGFP conjugated to the targets of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) specific miRNAs (miR-302a and miR-302d) and mCherry conjugated to the targets of differentiated cells specific miRNAs (miR-142-3p,miR-155,and miR-223). The vector was used to track reprogramming of HFF to iPSC. HFFs co-transduced with this reporter vector and vectors encoding 4 reprogramming factors (OCT4,SOX2,KLF4 and cMYC) were mostly positive for EGFP (67%) at an early stage of hiPSC formation. EGFP expression gradually disappeared and mCherry expression increased indicating less miRNAs specific to differentiated cells and expression of miRNAs specific to hESCs. Upon differentiation of the hiPSC into embryoid bodies,a large fraction of these hiPSCs regained EGFP expression and some of those cells became single positive for EGFP. Further differentiation into neural lineages showed distinct structures demarcated by either EGFP or mCherry expression. These findings demonstrate that a miRNA dependent reporter vector can be a useful tool to monitor living cells during reprogramming of hiPSC and subsequent differentiation to lineage specific cells. View Publication

Human ESCs are the pluripotent precursor of the three embryonic germ layers. Human ESCs exhibit basal-apical polarity,junctional complexes,integrin-dependent matrix adhesion,and E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion,all characteristics shared by the epiblast epithelium of the intact mammalian embryo. After disruption of epithelial structures,programmed cell death is commonly observed. If individualized human ESCs are prevented from reattaching and forming colonies,their viability is significantly reduced. Here,we show that actin-myosin contraction is a critical effector of the cell death response to human ESC dissociation. Inhibition of myosin heavy chain ATPase,downregulation of myosin heavy chain,and downregulation of myosin light chain all increase survival and cloning efficiency of individualized human ESCs. ROCK inhibition decreases phosphorylation of myosin light chain,suggesting that inhibition of actin-myosin contraction is also the mechanism through which ROCK inhibitors increase cloning efficiency of human ESCs. View Publication

This study aimed to determine the mechanisms responsible for long-term tissue damage following radiation injury. We irradiated p21-knockout (p21(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) mice and determined the long-term deleterious effects of this intervention on mesenchyme-derived tissues. In addition,we explored the mechanisms of radiation-induced mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) dysfunction in isolated bone marrow-derived cells. p21 expression was chronically elevated textgreater200-fold in irradiated tissues. Loss of p21 function resulted in a textgreater4-fold increase in the number of skin MSCs remaining after radiation. p21(-/-) mice had significantly less radiation damage,including 6-fold less scarring,40% increased growth potential,and 4-fold more hypertrophic chondrocytes in the epiphyseal plate (Ptextless0.01). Irradiated p21(-/-) MSCs had 4-fold increased potential for bone or fat differentiation,4-fold greater proliferation rate,and nearly 7-fold lower senescence as compared to WT MSCs (Ptextless0.01). Ectopic expression of p21 in knockout cells decreased proliferation and differentiation potential and recapitulated the WT phenotype. Loss of p21 function markedly decreases the deleterious effects of radiation injury in mesenchyme-derived tissues and preserves tissue-derived MSCs. In addition,p21 is a critical regulator of MSC proliferation,differentiation,and senescence both at baseline and in response to radiation. View Publication

Both human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew indefinitely in culture; however,present methods to clonally grow them are inefficient and poorly defined for genetic manipulation and therapeutic purposes. Here we develop the first chemically defined,xeno-free,feeder-free synthetic substrates to support robust self-renewal of fully dissociated human embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem cells. Material properties including wettability,surface topography,surface chemistry and indentation elastic modulus of all polymeric substrates were quantified using high-throughput methods to develop structure-function relationships between material properties and biological performance. These analyses show that optimal human embryonic stem cell substrates are generated from monomers with high acrylate content,have a moderate wettability and employ integrin alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(5) engagement with adsorbed vitronectin to promote colony formation. The structure-function methodology employed herein provides a general framework for the combinatorial development of synthetic substrates for stem cell culture. View Publication

The ability of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to differentiate into essentially all somatic cell types has made them a valuable tool for studying human development and has positioned them for broad applications in toxicology,regenerative medicine,and drug discovery. This unit describes a protocol for the large-scale expansion and maintenance of hESCs in vitro. hESC cultures must maintain a balance between the cellular states of pluripotency and differentiation; thus,researchers must use care when growing these technically demanding cells. The culture system is based largely on the use of a proprietary serum-replacement product and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF),with mouse embryonic fibroblasts as a feeder layer. These conditions provide the basis for relatively inexpensive maintenance and expansion of hESCs,as well as their engineered counterparts,human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). View Publication

FOXM1 is an important cell cycle regulator and regulates cell proliferation. In addition,FOXM1 has been reported to contribute to oncogenesis in various cancers. However,it is not clearly understood how FOXM1 contributes to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell proliferation. In this study,we investigated the cellular and molecular function of FOXM1 in AML cells. The FOXM1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expressed in AML cell lines was predominantly the FOXM1B isoform,and its levels were significantly higher than in normal high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (ALDH(hi)) cells. Reduction of FOXM1 expression in AML cells inhibited cell proliferation compared with control cells,through induction of G(2)/M cell cycle arrest,a decrease in the protein expression of Aurora kinase B,Survivin,Cyclin B1,S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 and Cdc25B and an increase in the protein expression of p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1). FOXM1 messenger RNA (mRNA) was overexpressed in all 127 AML clinical specimens tested (n = 21,56,32 and 18 for M1,M2,M4 and M5 subtypes,respectively). Compared with normal ALDH(hi) cells,FOXM1 gene expression was 1.65- to 2.26-fold higher in AML cells. Moreover,the FOXM1 protein was more strongly expressed in AML-derived ALDH(hi) cells compared with normal ALDH(hi) cells. In addition,depletion of FOXM1 reduced colony formation of AML-derived ALDH(hi) cells due to inhibition of Cdc25B and Cyclin B1 expression. In summary,we found that FOXM1B mRNA is predominantly expressed in AML cells and that aberrant expression of FOXM1 induces AML cell proliferation through modulation of cell cycle progression. Thus,inhibition of FOXM1 expression represents an attractive target for AML therapy. View Publication

Pluripotency and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is mediated by a complex interplay between extra- and intracellular signaling pathways,which regulate the expression of pluripotency-specific transcription factors. The homeodomain transcription factor NANOG plays a central role in maintaining hESC pluripotency,but the precise role and regulation of NANOG are not well defined. View Publication

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an often fatal demyelinating disease caused by lytic infection of oligodendrocytes with JC virus (JCV). The development of PML in non-immunosuppressed individuals is a growing concern with reports of mortality in patients treated with mAb therapies. JCV can persist in the kidneys,lymphoid tissue and bone marrow. JCV gene expression is restricted by non-coding viral regulatory region sequence variation and cellular transcription factors. Because JCV latency has been associated with cells undergoing haematopoietic development,transcription factors previously reported as lymphoid specific may regulate JCV gene expression. This study demonstrates that one such transcription factor,Spi-B,binds to sequences present in the JCV promoter/enhancer and may affect early virus gene expression in cells obtained from human brain tissue. We identified four potential Spi-B-binding sites present in the promoter/enhancer elements of JCV sequences from PML variants and the non-pathogenic archetype. Spi-B sites present in the promoter/enhancers of PML variants alone bound protein expressed in JCV susceptible brain and lymphoid-derived cell lines by electromobility shift assays. Expression of exogenous Spi-B in semi- and non-permissive cells increased early viral gene expression. Strikingly,mutation of the Spi-B core in a binding site unique to the Mad-4 variant was sufficient to abrogate viral activity in progenitor-derived astrocytes. These results suggest that Spi-B could regulate JCV gene expression in susceptible cells,and may play an important role in JCV activity in the immune and nervous systems. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem (hPS) cells such as human embryonic stem (hES) and induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells are vulnerable under single cell conditions,which hampers practical applications; yet,the mechanisms underlying this cell death remain elusive. In this paper,we demonstrate that treatment with a specific inhibitor of non-muscle myosin II (NMII),blebbistatin,enhances the survival of hPS cells under clonal density and suspension conditions,and,in combination with a synthetic matrix,supports a fully defined environment for self-renewal. Consistent with this,genetically engineered mouse embryonic stem cells lacking an isoform of NMII heavy chain (NMHCII),or hES cells expressing a short hairpin RNA to knock down NMHCII,show greater viability than controls. Moreover,NMII inhibition increases the expression of self-renewal regulators Oct3/4 and Nanog,suggesting a mechanistic connection between NMII and self-renewal. These results underscore the importance of the molecular motor,NMII,as a novel target for chemically engineering the survival and self-renewal of hPS cells. View Publication