技术资料

Brain-derived microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs),which play a central role in blood brain barrier (BBB),can be used for the evaluation of drug transport into the brain. Although human BMEC cell lines have already been reported,they lack original properties such as barrier integrity. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be used for various applications such as regenerative therapy,drug screening,and pathological study. In the recent study,an induction method of BMECs from PSCs has been established,making it possible to more precisely study the in vitro human BBB function. Here,using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived BMECs,we examined the effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and OGD/reoxygenation (OGD/R) on BBB permeability. OGD disrupted the barrier function,and the dysfunction was rapidly restored by re-supply of the oxygen and glucose. Interestingly,TNF-α,which is known to be secreted from astrocytes and microglia in the cerebral ischemia,prevented the restoration of OGD-induced barrier dysfunction in an apoptosis-independent manner. Thus,we could establish the in vitro BBB disease model that mimics the cerebral ischemia by using iPS cell-derived BMECs. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) exist in naive and primed states and provide important models to investigate the earliest stages of human development. Naive cells can be obtained through primed-to-naive resetting,but there are no reliable methods to prospectively isolate unmodified naive cells during this process. Here we report comprehensive profiling of cell surface proteins by flow cytometry in naive and primed human PSCs. Several naive-specific,but not primed-specific,proteins were also expressed by pluripotent cells in the human preimplantation embryo. The upregulation of naive-specific cell surface proteins during primed-to-naive resetting enabled the isolation and characterization of live naive cells and intermediate cell populations. This analysis revealed distinct transcriptional and X chromosome inactivation changes associated with the early and late stages of naive cell formation. Thus,identification of state-specific proteins provides a robust set of molecular markers to define the human PSC state and allows new insights into the molecular events leading to naive cell resetting. View Publication

To better understand transcriptional regulation during human oogenesis and preimplantation development,we defined stage-specific transcription,which highlighted the cleavage stage as being highly distinctive. Here,we present multiple lines of evidence that a eutherian-specific multicopy retrogene,DUX4,encodes a transcription factor that activates hundreds of endogenous genes (for example,ZSCAN4,KDM4E and PRAMEF-family genes) and retroviral elements (MERVL/HERVL family) that define the cleavage-specific transcriptional programs in humans and mice. Remarkably,mouse Dux expression is both necessary and sufficient to convert mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into 2-cell-embryo-like ('2C-like') cells,measured here by the reactivation of '2C' genes and repeat elements,the loss of POU5F1 (also known as OCT4) protein and chromocenters,and the conversion of the chromatin landscape (as assessed by transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq)) to a state strongly resembling that of mouse 2C embryos. Thus,we propose mouse DUX and human DUX4 as major drivers of the cleavage or 2C state. View Publication

Mutations in WD40-repeat protein 62 (WDR62) are commonly associated with primary microcephaly and other developmental cortical malformations. We used human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) to examine WDR62 function during human neural differentiation and model early stages of human corticogenesis. Neurospheres lacking WDR62 expression showed decreased expression of intermediate progenitor marker,TBR2,and also glial marker,S100β. In contrast,inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling during hPSC neural differentiation induced upregulation of WDR62 with a corresponding increase in neural and glial progenitor markers,PAX6 and EAAT1,respectively. These findings may signify a role of WDR62 in specifying intermediate neural and glial progenitors during human pluripotent stem cell differentiation. View Publication

We report that embryonic stem cells efficiently undergo differentiation in vitro to mesoderm and hematopoietic cells and that this in vitro system recapitulates days 6.5 to 7.5 of mouse hematopoietic development. Embryonic stem cells differentiated as embryoid bodies (EBs) develop erythroid precursors by day 4 of differentiation,and by day 6,more than 85% of EBs contain such cells. A comparative reverse transcriptase-mediated polymerase chain reaction profile of marker genes for primitive endoderm (collagen alpha IV) and mesoderm (Brachyury) indicates that both cell types are present in the developing EBs as well in normal embryos prior to the onset of hematopoiesis. GATA-1,GATA-3,and vav are expressed in both the EBs and embryos just prior to and/or during the early onset of hematopoiesis,indicating that they could play a role in the early stages of hematopoietic development both in vivo and in vitro. The initial stages of hematopoietic development within the EBs occur in the absence of added growth factors and are not significantly influenced by the addition of a broad spectrum of factors,including interleukin-3 (IL-3),IL-1,IL-6,IL-11,erythropoietin,and Kit ligand. At days 10 and 14 of differentiation,EB hematopoiesis is significantly enhanced by the addition of both Kit ligand and IL-11 to the cultures. Kinetic analysis indicates that hematopoietic precursors develop within the EBs in an ordered pattern. Precursors of the primitive erythroid lineage appear first,approximately 24 h before precursors of the macrophage and definitive erythroid lineages. Bipotential neutrophil/macrophage and multilineage precursors appear next,and precursors of the mast cell lineage develop last. The kinetics of precursor development,as well as the growth factor responsiveness of these early cells,is similar to that found in the yolk sac and early fetal liver,indicating that the onset of hematopoiesis within the EBs parallels that found in the embryo. View Publication

The mechanisms involved in the regulation of vasculogenesis still remain unclear in mammals. Totipotent embryonic stem (ES) cells may represent a suitable in vitro model to study molecular events involved in vascular development. In this study,we followed the expression kinetics of a relatively large set of endothelial-specific markers in ES-derived embryoid bodies (EBs). Results of both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and/or immunofluorescence analysis show that a spontaneous endothelial differentiation occurs during EBs development. ES-derived endothelial cells express a full range of cell lineage-specific markers: platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM),Flk-1,tie-1,tie-2,vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin,MECA-32,and MEC-14.7. Analysis of the kinetics of endothelial marker expression allows the distinction of successive maturation steps. Flk-1 was the first to be detected; its mRNA is apparent from day 3 of differentiation. PECAM and tie-2 mRNAs were found to be expressed only from day 4,whereas VE-cadherin and tie-1 mRNAs cannot be detected before day 5. Immunofluorescence stainings of EBs with antibodies directed against Flk-1,PECAM,VE-cadherin,MECA-32,and MEC-14.7 confirmed that the expression of these antigens occurs at different steps of endothelial cell differentiation. The addition of an angiogenic growth factor mixture including erythropoietin,interleukin-6,fibroblast growth factor 2,and vascular endothelial growth factor in the EB culture medium significantly increased the development of primitive vascular-like structures within EBs. These results indicate that this in vitro system contains a large part of the endothelial cell differentiation program and constitutes a suitable model to study the molecular mechanisms involved in vasculogenesis. View Publication

Human blastocyst-derived,pluripotent cell lines are described that have normal karyotypes,express high levels of telomerase activity,and express cell surface markers that characterize primate embryonic stem cells but do not characterize other early lineages. After undifferentiated proliferation in vitro for 4 to 5 months,these cells still maintained the developmental potential to form trophoblast and derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers,including gut epithelium (endoderm); cartilage,bone,smooth muscle,and striated muscle (mesoderm); and neural epithelium,embryonic ganglia,and stratified squamous epithelium (ectoderm). These cell lines should be useful in human developmental biology,drug discovery,and transplantation medicine. View Publication

To study molecular events involved in B lymphocyte development and V(D)J rearrangement,we have established an efficient system for the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into mature Ig-secreting B lymphocytes. Here,we show that B lineage cells generated in vitro from ES cells are functionally analogous to normal fetal liver-derived or bone marrow-derived B lineage cells at three important developmental stages: first,they respond to Flt-3 ligand during an early lymphopoietic progenitor stage; second,they become targets for Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) infection at a pre-B cell stage; third,they secrete Ig upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide at a mature mitogen-responsive stage. Moreover,the ES cell-derived A-MuLV-transformed pre-B (EAB) cells are phenotypically and functionally indistinguishable from standard A-MuLV-transformed pre-B cells derived from infection of mouse fetal liver or bone marrow. Notably,EAB cells possess functional V(D)J recombinase activity. In particular,the generation of A-MuLV transformants from ES cells will provide an advantageous system to investigate genetic modifications that will help to elucidate molecular mechanisms in V(D)J recombination and in A-MuLV-mediated transformation. View Publication

The Mediator complex forms the bridge between transcriptional activators and the RNA polymerase II. Med1 (also known as PBP or TRAP220) is a key component of Mediator that interacts with nuclear hormone receptors and GATA transcription factors. Here,we show dynamic recruitment of GATA-1,TFIIB,Mediator,and RNA polymerase II to the β-globin locus in induced mouse erythroid leukemia cells and in an erythropoietin-inducible hematopoietic progenitor cell line. Using Med1 conditional knockout mice,we demonstrate a specific block in erythroid development but not in myeloid or lymphoid development,highlighted by the complete absence of β-globin gene expression. Thus,Mediator subunit Med1 plays a pivotal role in erythroid development and in β-globin gene activation. View Publication

The ectopic expression of transcription factors can reprogram differentiated tissue cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. However,this is a slow and inefficient process,depending on the simultaneous delivery of multiple genes encoding essential reprogramming factors and on their sustained expression in target cells. Moreover,once cell reprogramming is accomplished,these exogenous reprogramming factors should be replaced with their endogenous counterparts for establishing autoregulated pluripotency. Complete and designed removal of the exogenous genes from the reprogrammed cells would be an ideal option for satisfying this latter requisite as well as for minimizing the risk of malignant cell transformation. However,no single gene delivery/expression system has ever been equipped with these contradictory characteristics. Here we report the development of a novel replication-defective and persistent Sendai virus (SeVdp) vector based on a noncytopathic variant virus,which fulfills all of these requirements for cell reprogramming. The SeVdp vector could accommodate up to four exogenous genes,deliver them efficiently into various mammalian cells (including primary tissue cells and human hematopoietic stem cells) and express them stably in the cytoplasm at a prefixed balance. Furthermore,interfering with viral transcription/replication using siRNA could erase the genomic RNA of SeVdp vector from the target cells quickly and thoroughly. A SeVdp vector installed with Oct4/Sox2/Klf4/c-Myc could reprogram mouse primary fibroblasts quite efficiently; ∼1% of the cells were reprogrammed to Nanog-positive induced pluripotent stem cells without chromosomal gene integration. Thus,this SeVdp vector has potential as a tool for advanced cell reprogramming and for stem cell research. View Publication

Studies in embryonic development have guided successful efforts to direct the differentiation of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into specific organ cell types in vitro. For example,human PSCs have been differentiated into monolayer cultures of liver hepatocytes and pancreatic endocrine cells that have therapeutic efficacy in animal models of liver disease and diabetes,respectively. However,the generation of complex three-dimensional organ tissues in vitro remains a major challenge for translational studies. Here we establish a robust and efficient process to direct the differentiation of human PSCs into intestinal tissue in vitro using a temporal series of growth factor manipulations to mimic embryonic intestinal development. This involved activin-induced definitive endoderm formation,FGF/Wnt-induced posterior endoderm pattering,hindgut specification and morphogenesis,and a pro-intestinal culture system to promote intestinal growth,morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation. The resulting three-dimensional intestinal 'organoids' consisted of a polarized,columnar epithelium that was patterned into villus-like structures and crypt-like proliferative zones that expressed intestinal stem cell markers. The epithelium contained functional enterocytes,as well as goblet,Paneth and enteroendocrine cells. Using this culture system as a model to study human intestinal development,we identified that the combined activity of WNT3A and FGF4 is required for hindgut specification whereas FGF4 alone is sufficient to promote hindgut morphogenesis. Our data indicate that human intestinal stem cells form de novo during development. We also determined that NEUROG3,a pro-endocrine transcription factor that is mutated in enteric anendocrinosis,is both necessary and sufficient for human enteroendocrine cell development in vitro. PSC-derived human intestinal tissue should allow for unprecedented studies of human intestinal development and disease. View Publication

The generation of hematopoietic cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) has raised the possibility of using hESC as an alternative donor source for transplantation. However,functional defects identified in hESC-derived cells limit their use for full lymphohematopoietic reconstitution. The purpose of the present study was to define and quantitate key functional and molecular differences between CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor subsets derived from hESC and CD34(+) subsets from umbilical cord blood (UCB) representing definitive hematopoiesis. Two distinct sub-populations were generated following mesodermal differentiation from hESC,a CD34(bright) (hematoendothelial) and CD34(dim) (hematopoietic-restricted) subset. Limiting dilution analysis revealed profound defects in clonal proliferation relative to UCB particularly in B lymphoid conditions. Transcription factors normally expressed at specific commitment stages during B lymphoid development from UCB-CD34(+) cells were aberrantly expressed in hESC-derived CD34(+) cells. Moreover,strong negative regulators of lymphopoiesis such as the adaptor protein LNK and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEBPα),were exclusively expressed in hESC-CD34(+) subsets. Knockdown of LNK lead to an increase in hematopoietic progenitors generated from hESCs. The aberrant molecular profile seen in hESC-CD34(+) cells represents persistence of transcripts first expressed in undifferentiated hESC and/or CD326-CD56(+) mesoderm progenitors,and may contribute to the block in definitive hematopoiesis from hESC. View Publication