Search results for " embryonic stem cells"
showing 10 items of 18 documents
Conversion of Nonproliferating Astrocytes into Neurogenic Neural Stem Cells: Control by FGF2 and Interferon-gamma
2016
Abstract Conversion of astrocytes to neurons, via de-differentiation to neural stem cells (NSC), may be a new approach to treat neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries. The signaling factors affecting such a cell conversion are poorly understood, and they are hard to identify in complex disease models or conventional cell cultures. To address this question, we developed a serum-free, strictly controlled culture system of pure and homogeneous “astrocytes generated from murine embryonic stem cells (ESC).” These stem cell derived astrocytes (mAGES), as well as standard primary astrocytes resumed proliferation upon addition of FGF. The signaling of FGF receptor tyrosine kinase converted G…
Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues.
2016
International audience; Specific gene transcription is a key biological process that underlies cell fate decision during embryonic development. The biological process is mediated by transcription factors which bind genomic regulatory regions including enhancers and promoters of cardiac constitutive genes. DNA is wrapped around histones that are subjected to chemical modifications. Modifications of histones further lead to repressed, activated or poised gene transcription, thus bringing another level of fine tuning regulation of gene transcription. Embryonic Stem cells (ES cells) recapitulate within embryoid bodies (i.e., cell aggregates) or in 2D culture the early steps of cardiac developme…
Bifunctional Hydrogels Containing the Laminin Motif IKVAV Promote Neurogenesis
2017
Summary Engineering of biomaterials with specific biological properties has gained momentum as a means to control stem cell behavior. Here, we address the effect of bifunctionalized hydrogels comprising polylysine (PL) and a 19-mer peptide containing the laminin motif IKVAV (IKVAV) on embryonic and adult neuronal progenitor cells under different stiffness regimes. Neuronal differentiation of embryonic and adult neural progenitors was accelerated by adjusting the gel stiffness to 2 kPa and 20 kPa, respectively. While gels containing IKVAV or PL alone failed to support long-term cell adhesion, in bifunctional gels, IKVAV synergized with PL to promote differentiation and formation of focal adh…
Identification of a classic nuclear localization signal at the N terminus that regulates the subcellular localization of Rbfox2 isoforms during diffe…
2016
Nuclear localization of the alternative splicing factor Rbfox2 is achieved by a C-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS) which can be excluded from some Rbfox2 isoforms by alternative splicing. While this predicts nuclear and cytoplasmic localization, Rbfox2 is exclusively nuclear in some cell types. Here, we identify a second NLS in the N terminus of Rbfox2 isoform 1A that is not included in Rbfox2 isoform 1F. Rbfox2 1A isoforms lacking the C-terminal NLS are nuclear, whereas equivalent 1F isoforms are cytoplasmic. A shift in Rbfox2 expression toward cytoplasmic 1F isoforms occurs during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and could be important in regulating the activity and fu…
Inducible knockdown of procollagen I protects mice from liver fibrosis and leads to dysregulated matrix genes and attenuated inflammation.
2017
Organ fibrosis is characterized by a chronic wound-healing response, with excess deposition of extracellular matrix components. Here, collagen type I represents the most abundant scar component and a primary target for antifibrotic therapies. Liver fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis and primary liver cancer, which are the major causes of liver related morbidity and mortality. However, a (pro-)collagen type I specific therapy remains difficult and its therapeutic abrogation may incur unwanted side effects. We therefore designed tetracycline-regulated procollagen alpha1(I) short hairpin (sh)RNA expressing mice that permit a highly efficient inducible knockdown of the procollagen alpha1(I) gen…
m6A RNA methylation of major satellite repeat transcripts facilitates chromatin association and RNA:DNA hybrid formation in mouse heterochromatin
2021
Abstract Heterochromatin has essential functions in maintaining chromosome structure, in protecting genome integrity and in stabilizing gene expression programs. Heterochromatin is often nucleated by underlying DNA repeat sequences, such as major satellite repeats (MSR) and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE). In order to establish heterochromatin, MSR and LINE elements need to be transcriptionally competent and generate non-coding repeat RNA that remain chromatin associated. We explored whether these heterochromatic RNA, similar to DNA and histones, may be methylated, particularly for 5-methylcytosine (5mC) or methyl-6-adenosine (m6A). Our analysis in mouse ES cells identifies only b…
Beyond islet trasplantation in diabetes cell terapy:from embryonic stem cells to transdifferentation of adult cells
2013
Exogenous insulin is, at the moment, the therapy of choice of diabetes, but does not allow tight regulation of glucose leading to long-term complications. Recently, pancreatic islet transplantation to reconstitute insulin-producing cells, has emerged as an alternative promising therapeutic approach. Unfortunately, the number of donor islets is too low compared with the high number of patients needing a transplantation leading to a search for renewable sources of high-quality -cells. This review, summarizes more recent promising approaches to the generation of new -cells from embryonic stem cells for transdifferentiation of adult cells, particularly a critical examination of the seminal work…
Burst analysis tool for developing neuronal networks exhibiting highly varying action potential dynamics
2012
In this paper we propose a firing statistics based neuronal network burst detection algorithm for neuronal networks exhibiting highly variable action potential dynamics. Electrical activity of neuronal networks is generally analyzed by the occurrences of spikes and bursts both in time and space. Commonly accepted analysis tools employ burst detection algorithms based on predefined criteria. However, maturing neuronal networks, such as those originating from human embryonic stem cells (hESC), exhibit highly variable network structure and time-varying dynamics. To explore the developing burst/spike activities of such networks, we propose a burst detection algorithm which utilizes the firing s…
Disruption of apical-basal polarity of human embryonic stem cells enhances hematoendothelial differentiation
2007
Abstract During murine development, the formation of tight junctions and acquisition of polarity are associated with allocation of the blastomeres on the outer surface of the embryo to the trophoblast lineage, whereas the absence of polarization directs cells to the inner cell mass. Here, we report the results of ultrastructural analyses that suggest a similar link between polarization and cell fate in human embryos. In contrast, the five human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines displayed apical-basal, epithelial-type polarity with electron-dense tight junctions, apical microvilli, and asymmetric distribution of organelles. Consistent with these findings, molecules that are components of tigh…
Arsenic trioxide alters the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell into cardiomyocytes
2015
AbstractChronic arsenic exposure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular diseases. Arsenic increases myocardial infarction mortality in young adulthood, suggesting that exposure during foetal life correlates with cardiac alterations emerging later. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of arsenic trioxide (ATO) cardiomyocytes disruption during their differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells. Throughout 15 days of differentiation in the presence of ATO (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 μM) we analysed: the expression of i) marker genes of mesoderm (day 4), myofibrillogenic commitment (day 7) and post-natal-like cardiomyocytes (day 15); ii) sarcomeric proteins and their orga…