技术资料

The key regulators of endothelial differentiation that is induced by shear stress are mostly unclear. Human atonal homolog 6 (Hath6 or ATOH8) is an endothelial-selective and shear-stress-responsive transcription factor. In this study,we sought to elucidate the role of Hath6 in the endothelial specification of embryonic stem cells. In a stepwise human embryonic stem cell to endothelial cell (hESC-EC) induction system,Hath6 mRNA was upregulated synchronously with endothelial determination. Subsequently,gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies of Hath6 were performed using the hESC-EC induction model and endothelial cell lines. The overexpression of Hath6,which mimics shear stress treatment,resulted in an increased CD45(-)CD31(+)KDR(+) population,a higher tubular-structure-formation capacity and increased endothelial-specific gene expression. By contrast,the knockdown of Hath6 mRNA markedly decreased endothelial differentiation. Hath6 also facilitated the maturation of endothelial cells in terms of endothelial gene expression,tubular-structure formation and cell migration. We further demonstrated that the gene encoding eNOS is a direct target of Hath6 through a reporter system assay and western blot analysis,and that the inhibition of eNOS diminishes hESC-EC differentiation. These results suggest that eNOS plays a key role in linking Hath6 to the endothelial phenotype. Further in situ hybridization studies in zebrafish and mouse embryos indicated that homologs of Hath6 are involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. This study provides the first confirmation of the positive impact of Hath6 on human embryonic endothelial differentiation and function. Moreover,we present a potential signaling pathway through which shear stress stimulates endothelial differentiation. View Publication

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) models are often used to investigate BBB function and screen brain-penetrating therapeutics,but it has been difficult to construct a human model that possesses an optimal BBB phenotype and is readily scalable. To address this challenge,we developed a human in vitro BBB model comprising brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs),pericytes,astrocytes and neurons derived from renewable cell sources. First,retinoic acid (RA) was used to substantially enhance BBB phenotypes in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived BMECs,particularly through adherens junction,tight junction,and multidrug resistance protein regulation. RA-treated hPSC-derived BMECs were subsequently co-cultured with primary human brain pericytes and human astrocytes and neurons derived from human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to yield a fully human BBB model that possessed significant tightness as measured by transendothelial electrical resistance (˜5,000 $\$(2)). Overall,this scalable human BBB model may enable a wide range of neuroscience studies. View Publication

Reprogramming somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) eliminates many epigenetic modifications that characterize differentiated cells. In this study,we tested whether functional differences between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-COPD fibroblasts could be reduced utilizing this approach. Primary fibroblasts from non-COPD and COPD patients were reprogrammed to iPSCs. Reprogrammed iPSCs were positive for oct3/4,nanog,and sox2,formed embryoid bodies in vitro,and induced teratomas in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. Reprogrammed iPSCs were then differentiated into fibroblasts (non-COPD-i and COPD-i) and were assessed either functionally by chemotaxis and gel contraction or for gene expression by microarrays and compared with their corresponding primary fibroblasts. Primary COPD fibroblasts contracted three-dimensional collagen gels and migrated toward fibronectin less robustly than non-COPD fibroblasts. In contrast,redifferentiated fibroblasts from iPSCs derived from the non-COPD and COPD fibroblasts were similar in response in both functional assays. Microarray analysis identified 1,881 genes that were differentially expressed between primary COPD and non-COPD fibroblasts,with 605 genes differing by more than twofold. After redifferentiation,112 genes were differentially expressed between COPD-i and non-COPD-i with only three genes by more than twofold. Similar findings were observed with microRNA (miRNA) expression: 56 miRNAs were differentially expressed between non-COPD and COPD primary cells; after redifferentiation,only 3 miRNAs were differentially expressed between non-COPD-i and COPD-i fibroblasts. Interestingly,of the 605 genes that were differentially expressed between COPD and non-COPD fibroblasts,293 genes were changed toward control after redifferentiation. In conclusion,functional and epigenetic alterations of COPD fibroblasts can be reprogrammed through formation of iPSCs. View Publication

Many different culture systems have been developed for expanding human pluripotent stem cells (hESCs and hiPSCs). In general,4-10 ng/ml of bFGF is supplemented in culture media in feeder-dependent systems regardless of feeder cell types,whereas in feeder-free systems,up to 100 ng/ml of bFGF is required for maintaining long-term culture on various substrates. The amount of bFGF required in native hESCs growth niche is unclear. Here we report using inactivated adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells as feeder cells to examine long-term parallel cultures of two hESCs lines (H1 and H9) and one hiPSCs line (DF19-9-7T) in media supplemented with 0,0.4 or 4 ng/ml of bFGF for up to 23 passages,as well as parallel cultures of H9 and DF19 in media supplemented with 4,20 or 100 ng/ml bFGF for up to 13 passages for comparison. Across all cell lines tested,bFGF supplement demonstrated inhibitory effect over growth expansion,single cell colonization and recovery from freezing in a dosage dependent manner. In addition,bFGF exerted differential effects on different cell lines,inducing H1 and DF19 differentiation at 4 ng/ml or higher,while permitting long-term culture of H9 at the same concentrations with no apparent dosage effect. Pluripotency was confirmed for all cell lines cultured in 0,0.4 or 4 ng/ml bFGF excluding H1-4 ng,as well as H9 cultured in 4,20 and 100 ng/ml bFGF. However,DF19 demonstrated similar karyotypic abnormality in both 0 and 4 ng/ml bFGF media while H1 and H9 were karyotypically normal in 0 ng/ml bFGF after long-term culture. Our results indicate that exogenous bFGF exerts dosage and cell line dependent effect on human pluripotent stem cells cultured on mesenchymal stem cells,and implies optimal use of bFGF in hESCs/hiPSCs culture should be based on specific cell line and its culture system. View Publication

Self-renewable human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) serve as a potential unlimited ex vivo source of human cardiomyocytes (CMs) for cell-based disease modeling and therapies. Although recent advances in directed differentiation protocols have enabled more efficient derivation of hPSC-derived CMs with an efficiency of ∼50%-80% CMs and a final yield of ∼1-20 CMs per starting undifferentiated hPSC,these protocols are often not readily transferrable across lines without first optimizing multiple parameters. Further,the resultant populations are undefined for chamber specificity or heterogeneous containing mixtures of atrial,ventricular (V),and pacemaker derivatives. Here we report a highly cost-effective and reproducibly efficient system for deriving hPSC-ventricular cardiomyocytes (VCMs) from all five human embryonic stem cell (HES2,H7,and H9) and human induced PSC (hiPSC) (reprogrammed from human adult peripheral blood CD34(+) cells using nonintegrating episomal vectors) lines tested. Cardiogenic embryoid bodies could be formed by the sequential addition of BMP4,Rho kinase inhibitor,activin-A,and IWR-1. Spontaneously contracting clusters appeared as early as day 8. At day 16,up to 95% of cells were cTnT(+). Of which,93%,94%,100%,92%,and 92% of cardiac derivatives from HES2,H7,H9,and two iPSC lines,respectively,were VCMs as gauged by signature ventricular action potential and ionic currents (INa(+)/ICa,L(+)/IKr(+)/IKATP(+)); Ca(2+) transients showed positive chronotropic responses to $\$-adrenergic stimulation. Our simple,cost-effective protocol required the least amounts of reagents and time compared with others. While the purity and percentage of PSC-VCMs were comparable to a recently published protocol,the present yield and efficiency with a final output of up to 70 hPSC-VCMs per hPSC was up to 5-fold higher and without the need of performing line-specific optimization. These differences were discussed. The results may lead to mass production of hPSC-VCMs in bioreactors. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation typically yields heterogeneous populations. Knowledge of signals controlling embryonic lineage bifurcations could efficiently yield desired cell types through exclusion of alternate fates. Therefore,we revisited signals driving induction and anterior-posterior patterning of definitive endoderm to generate a coherent roadmap for endoderm differentiation. With striking temporal dynamics,BMP and Wnt initially specified anterior primitive streak (progenitor to endoderm),yet,24 hr later,suppressed endoderm and induced mesoderm. At lineage bifurcations,cross-repressive signals separated mutually exclusive fates; TGF-?? and BMP/MAPK respectively induced pancreas versus liver from endoderm by suppressing the alternate lineage. We systematically blockaded alternate fates throughout multiple consecutive bifurcations,thereby efficiently differentiating multiple hPSC lines exclusively into endoderm and its derivatives. Comprehensive transcriptional and chromatin mapping of highly pure endodermal populations revealed that endodermal enhancers existed in a surprising diversity of pre-enhancer" states before activation� View Publication

Background Proteoglycans are found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix,and serve as prime sites for interaction with signaling molecules. Proteoglycans help regulate pathways that control stem cell fate,and therefore represent an excellent tool to manipulate these pathways. Despite their importance,there is a dearth of data linking glycosaminoglycan structure within proteoglycans with stem cell differentiation. Methods Human embryonic stem cell line WA09 (H9) was differentiated into early mesoderm and endoderm lineages,and the glycosaminoglycanomic changes accompanying these transitions were studied using transcript analysis,immunoblotting,immunofluorescence and disaccharide analysis. Results Pluripotent H9 cell lumican had no glycosaminoglycan chains whereas in splanchnic mesoderm lumican was glycosaminoglycanated. H9 cells have primarily non-sulfated heparan sulfate chains. On differentiation towards splanchnic mesoderm and hepatic lineages N-sulfo group content increases. Differences in transcript expression of NDST1,HS6ST2 and HS6ST3,three heparan sulfate biosynthetic enzymes,within splanchnic mesoderm cells compared to H9 cells correlate to changes in glycosaminoglycan structure. Conclusions Differentiation of embryonic stem cells markedly changes the proteoglycanome. General significance The glycosaminoglycan biosynthetic pathway is complex and highly regulated,and therefore,understanding the details of this pathway should enable better control with the aim of directing stem cell differentiation. ?? 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. View Publication