技术资料

Potential teratogenic effects of alcohol on fetal development have been documented. Especially studies have demonstrated deleterious effect of ethanol exposure on neuronal development in animal models and on the maintenance and differentiation of neuronal precursor cells derived from stem cells. To better understand the molecular effect of alcohol on the process of neural differentiation,we have performed gene expression microarray analysis on human embryonic stem cells being directed to neural rosettes and neural precursor cells in the presence of ethanol treatment. Here we provide detailed experimental methods,analysis and information associated with our data deposited into Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under GSE56906. Our data provide scientific insight on potential molecular effects of fetal alcohol exposure on neural differentiation of early embryo development. View Publication

THAP1 encodes a transcription factor but its regulation is largely elusive. TOR1A was shown to be repressed by THAP1 in vitro. Notably,mutations in both of these genes lead to dystonia (DYT6 or DYT1). Surprisingly,expressional changes of TOR1A in THAP1 mutation carriers have not been detected indicating additional levels of regulation. Here,we investigated whether THAP1 is able to autoregulate its own expression. Using in-silico prediction,luciferase reporter gene assays,and (quantitative) chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP),we defined the THAP1 minimal promoter to a 480. bp-fragment and demonstrated specific binding of THAP1 to this region which resulted in repression of the THAP1 promoter. This autoregulation was disturbed by different DYT6-causing mutations. Two mutants (Ser6Phe,Arg13His) were shown to be less stable than wildtype THAP1 adding to the effect of reduced binding to the THAP1 promoter. Overexpressed THAP1 is preferably degraded through the proteasome. Notably,endogenous THAP1 expression was significantly reduced in cells overexpressing wildtype THAP1 as demonstrated by quantitative PCR. In contrast,higher THAP1 levels were detected in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived neurons from THAP1 mutation carriers. Thus,we identified a feedback-loop in the regulation of THAP1 expression and demonstrated that mutant THAP1 leads to higher THAP1 expression levels. This compensatory autoregulation may contribute to the mean age at onset in the late teen years or even reduced penetrance in some THAP1 mutation carriers. View Publication

Despite major progress in the management of human liver disease,the only cure for a critically failing organ is liver transplantation. While a highly successful approach,the use of cadaveric organs as a routine treatment option is severely limited by organ availability. Therefore,the use of cell-based therapies has been explored to provide support for the failing liver. In addition to developing new treatments,there is also an imperative to develop better human models 'in a dish'. Such approaches will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of the disease process,offering new treatment or preventative strategies. With both approaches in mind,we have developed robust hepatocyte differentiation methodologies for use with pluripotent stem cells. Importantly,our procedure is highly efficient (∼ 90%) and delivers active,drug-inducible,and predictive human hepatocyte populations. View Publication

mAbs constitute an important biological tool for influenza virus haemagglutinin (HA) epitope mapping through the generation of escape mutants,which could provide insights into immune evasion mechanisms and may benefit the future development of vaccines. Several influenza A (H1N1) pandemic 2009 (pdm09) HA escape mutants have been recently described. However,the HA antigenic sites of the previous seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) (Bris07) virus remain poorly documented. Here,we produced mAbs against pdm09 and Bris07 HA proteins expressed in human HEK293 cells. Escape mutants were generated using mAbs that exhibited HA inhibition and neutralizing activities. The resulting epitope mapping of the pdm09 HA protein revealed 11 escape mutations including three that were previously described (G172E,N173D and K256E) and eight novel ones (T89R,F128L,G157E,K180E,A212E,R269K,N311T and G478E). Among the six HA mutations that were part of predicted antigenic sites (Ca1,Ca2,Cb,Sa or Sb),three (G172E,N173D and K180E) were within the Sa site. Eight escape mutations (H54N,N55D,N55K,L60H,N203D,A231T,V314I and K464E) were obtained for Bris07 HA,and all but one (N203D,Sb site) were outside the predicted antigenic sites. Our results suggest that the Sa antigenic site is immunodominant in pdm09 HA,whereas the N203D mutation (Sb site),present in three different Bris07 escape mutants,appears as the immunodominant epitope in that strain. The fact that some mutations were not part of predicted antigenic sites reinforces the necessity of further characterizing the HA of additional H1N1 strains. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine and biopharmaceutical applications. Currently,optimal culture and efficient expansion of large amounts of clinical-grade hPSCs are critical issues in hPSC-based therapies. Conventionally,hPSCs are propagated as colonies on both feeder and feeder-free culture systems. However,these methods have several major limitations,including low cell yields and generation of heterogeneously differentiated cells. To improve current hPSC culture methods,we have recently developed a new method,which is based on non-colony type monolayer (NCM) culture of dissociated single cells. Here,we present detailed NCM protocols based on the Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632. We also provide new information regarding NCM culture with different small molecules such as Y-39983 (ROCK I inhibitor),phenylbenzodioxane (ROCK II inhibitor),and thiazovivin (a novel ROCK inhibitor). We further extend our basic protocol to cultivate hPSCs on defined extracellular proteins such as the laminin isoform 521 (LN-521) without the use of ROCK inhibitors. Moreover,based on NCM,we have demonstrated efficient transfection or transduction of plasmid DNAs,lentiviral particles,and oligonucleotide-based microRNAs into hPSCs in order to genetically modify these cells for molecular analyses and drug discovery. The NCM-based methods overcome the major shortcomings of colony-type culture,and thus may be suitable for producing large amounts of homogeneous hPSCs for future clinical therapies,stem cell research,and drug discovery. View Publication

Adaptive immunity to self-antigens causes autoimmune disorders,such as multiple sclerosis,psoriasis and type 1 diabetes; paradoxically,T- and B-cell responses to amyloid-$\$(A$\$) reduce Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated pathology and cognitive impairment in mouse models of the disease. The manipulation of adaptive immunity has been a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of AD,although vaccine and anti-A$\$ approaches have proven difficult in patients,thus far. CD4(+) T cells have a central role in regulating adaptive immune responses to antigens,and A$\$-specific CD4(+) T cells have been shown to reduce AD pathology in mouse models. As these cells may facilitate endogenous mechanisms that counter AD,an evaluation of their abundance before and during AD could provide important insights. A$\$-CD4see is a new assay developed to quantify A$\$-specific CD4(+) T cells in human blood,using dendritic cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. In tests of textgreater50 human subjects A$\$-CD4see showed an age-dependent decline of A$\$-specific CD4(+) T cells,which occurs earlier in women than men. In aggregate,men showed a 50% decline in these cells by the age of 70 years,but women reached the same level before the age of 60 years. Notably,women who carried the AD risk marker apolipoproteinE-ɛ4 (ApoE4) showed the earliest decline,with a precipitous drop between 45 and 52 years,when menopause typically begins. A$\$-CD4see requires a standard blood draw and provides a minimally invasive approach for assessing changes in A$\$ that may reveal AD-related changes in physiology by a decade. Furthermore,CD4see probes can be modified to target any peptide,providing a powerful new tool to isolate antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells from human subjects. View Publication

Many protocols have been designed to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into neurons. Despite the relevance of electrophysiological properties for proper neuronal function,little is known about the evolution over time of important neuronal electrophysiological parameters in iPSC-derived neurons. Yet,understanding the development of basic electrophysiological characteristics of iPSC-derived neurons is critical for evaluating their usefulness in basic and translational research. Therefore,we analyzed the basic electrophysiological parameters of forebrain neurons differentiated from human iPSCs,from day 31 to day 55 after the initiation of neuronal differentiation. We assayed the developmental progression of various properties,including resting membrane potential,action potential,sodium and potassium channel currents,somatic calcium transients and synaptic activity. During the maturation of iPSC-derived neurons,the resting membrane potential became more negative,the expression of voltage-gated sodium channels increased,the membrane became capable of generating action potentials following adequate depolarization and,at day 48-55,50% of the cells were capable of firing action potentials in response to a prolonged depolarizing current step,of which 30% produced multiple action potentials. The percentage of cells exhibiting miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents increased over time with a significant increase in their frequency and amplitude. These changes were associated with an increase of Ca2+ transient frequency. Co-culturing iPSC-derived neurons with mouse glial cells enhanced the development of electrophysiological parameters as compared to pure iPSC-derived neuronal cultures. This study demonstrates the importance of properly evaluating the electrophysiological status of the newly generated neurons when using stem cell technology,as electrophysiological properties of iPSC-derived neurons mature over time. View Publication

The anisotropic alignment of cardiomyocytes in native myocardium tissue is a functional feature that is absent in traditional in vitro cardiac cell culture. Microenvironmental factors cue structural organization of the myocardium,which promotes the mechanical contractile properties and electrophysiological patterns seen in mature cardiomyocytes. Current nano- and microfabrication techniques,such as photolithography,generate simplified cell culture topographies that are not truly representative of the multifaceted and multi-scale fibrils of the cardiac extracellular matrix. In addition,such technologies are costly and require a clean room for fabrication. This chapter offers an easy,fast,robust,and inexpensive fabrication of biomimetic multi-scale wrinkled surfaces through the process of plasma treating and shrinking prestressed thermoplastic. Additionally,this chapter includes techniques for culturing stem cells and their cardiac derivatives on these substrates. Importantly,this wrinkled cell culture platform is compatible with both fluorescence and bright-field imaging; real-time physiological monitoring of CM action potential propagation and contraction properties can elucidate cardiotoxicity drug effects. View Publication

In this study,human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatocytes (hESC-Heps) were investigated for their ability to support hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and replication. hESC-Heps were capable of supporting the full viral life cycle,including the release of infectious virions. Although supportive,hESC-Hep viral infection levels were not as great as those observed in Huh7 cells. We reasoned that innate immune responses in hESC-Heps may lead to the low level of infection and replication. Upon further investigation,we identified a strong type III interferon response in hESC-Heps that was triggered by HCV. Interestingly,specific inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway led to an increase in HCV infection and replication in hESC-Heps. Of note,the interferon response was not evident in Huh7 cells. In summary,we have established a robust cell-based system that allows the in-depth study of virus-host interactions in vitro. ?? 2014 The Authors. View Publication

Using time-lapse imaging,we have identified a series of bottlenecks that restrict growth of early-passage human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and that are relieved by karyotypically abnormal variants that are selected by prolonged culture. Only a minority of karyotypically normal cells divided after plating,and these were mainly cells in the later stages of cell cycle at the time of plating. Furthermore,the daughter cells showed a continued pattern of cell death after division,so that few formed long-term proliferating colonies. These colony-forming cells showed distinct patterns of cell movement. Increasing cell density enhanced cell movement facilitating cell:cell contact,which resulted in increased proportion of dividing cells and improved survival postplating of normal hESCs. In contrast,most of the karyotypically abnormal cells reentered the cell cycle on plating and gave rise to healthy progeny,without the need for cell:cell contacts and independent of their motility patterns. ?? 2014 The Authors. View Publication

The balance of self-renewal and differentiation in long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSC) must be strictly controlled to maintain blood homeostasis and to prevent leukemogenesis. Hematopoietic cytokines can induce differentiation in LT-HSCs; however,the molecular mechanism orchestrating this delicate balance requires further elucidation. We identified the tumor suppressor GADD45G as an instructor of LT-HSC differentiation under the control of differentiation-promoting cytokine receptor signaling. GADD45G immediately induces and accelerates differentiation in LT-HSCs and overrides the self-renewal program by specifically activating MAP3K4-mediated MAPK p38. Conversely,the absence of GADD45G enhances the self-renewal potential of LT-HSCs. Videomicroscopy-based tracking of single LT-HSCs revealed that,once GADD45G is expressed,the development of LT-HSCs into lineage-committed progeny occurred within 36 hr and uncovered a selective lineage choice with a severe reduction in megakaryocytic-erythroid cells. Here,we report an unrecognized role of GADD45G as a central molecular linker of extrinsic cytokine differentiation and lineage choice control in hematopoiesis. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs),a multipotent cell population that is capable of near indefinite expansion and subsequent differentiation into the various cell types that comprise the central nervous system (CNS),could provide an unlimited source of cells for neural-related cell-based therapies and disease modeling. However,the use of NPCs for the study and treatment of a variety of debilitating neurological diseases requires the development of scalable and reproducible protocols for their generation,expansion,characterization,and neuronal differentiation. Here,we describe a serum-free method for the stepwise generation of NPCs from hPSCs through the sequential formation of embryoid bodies (EBs) and neuro-epithelial-like rosettes. NPCs isolated from neural rosette cultures can be homogenously expanded while maintaining high expression of pan-neural markers such as SOX1,SOX2,and Nestin. Finally,this protocol allows for the robust differentiation of NPCs into microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and β-Tubulin-III (β3T) positive neurons. View Publication