scholarly journals Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4) Enhances the Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Limbal Progenitor Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 2124-2134
Author(s):  
Hyun Soo Lee ◽  
Jeewon Mok ◽  
Choun-Ki Joo

Corneal epithelium maintains visual acuity and is regenerated by the proliferation and differentiation of limbal progenitor cells. Transplantation of human limbal progenitor cells could restore the integrity and functionality of the corneal surface in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency. However, multiple protocols are employed to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into corneal epithelium or limbal progenitor cells. The aim of this study was to optimize a protocol that uses bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and limbal cell-specific medium. Human dermal fibroblast-derived iPS cells were differentiated into limbal progenitor cells using limbal cell-specific (PI) medium and varying doses (1, 10, and 50 ng/mL) and durations (1, 3, and 10 days) of BMP4 treatment. Differentiated human iPS cells were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunocytochemical studies at 2 or 4 weeks after BMP4 treatment. Culturing human dermal fibroblast-derived iPS cells in limbal cell-specific medium and BMP4 gave rise to limbal progenitor and corneal epithelial-like cells. The optimal protocol of 10 ng/mL and three days of BMP4 treatment elicited significantly higher limbal progenitor marker (ABCG2, ∆Np63α) expression and less corneal epithelial cell marker (CK3, CK12) expression than the other combinations of BMP4 dose and duration. In conclusion, this study identified a successful reprogramming strategy to induce limbal progenitor cells from human iPS cells using limbal cell-specific medium and BMP4. Additionally, our experiments indicate that the optimal BMP4 dose and duration favor limbal progenitor cell differentiation over corneal epithelial cells and maintain the phenotype of limbal stem cells. These findings contribute to the development of therapies for limbal stem cell deficiency disorders.

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahana Suresh Babu ◽  
Johnson Rajasingh ◽  
Wing Tak Wong ◽  
Prasanna Krishnamurthy

Background: The Hu family of RNA-binding proteins, HuR (also known as ELAVL1 or human embryonic lethal abnormal vision-like protein), binds to the 3’-untranslated region of mRNAs and regulates transcript stability and translation. Global deletion of HuR is embryonically lethal in mice and plays a critical role in progenitor cell survival and biology. Induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have distinct transcriptional machinery for the maintenance of pluripotency and achievement of differentiation. However, the exact role of HuR in pluripotency or differentiation of iPSC to cardiomyocytes (iCM) remains unclear. Methods: HuR knockdown in human dermal fibroblast-derived iPSCs was achieved by CRISPR/Cas9 or lentiviral shRNA transduction and subsequently differentiated into cardiomyocytes (iCM). Then, the expression of HuR, pluripotency and cardiomyocyte markers were evaluated on days 0, 1, 3, 6, 8 and 17 following the initiation of differentiation. Results: At basal level, HuR expression was higher in the iPSCs compared to dermal fibroblasts. Upon differentiation of iPSCs into iCM, HuR mRNA expression gradually reduced with significantly lower levels on day 17. As expected, pluripotency markers gradually reduced upon differentiation with significantly lower levels from day 6 onwards. We observed a corresponding increase in ISL1, MESP1 (mesoderm/cardiac progenitor markers) from day 3 through day 8 with a steep fall from day 8 to day 17. This was associated with Myosin light chain-2V and GATA4 expression increases from day 8 through day 17. Interestingly, knockdown of HuR resulted in clumps of colonies with differentiated cells and a corresponding increase in cardiac-troponin positive cells. However, as a general observation, HuR knockdown reduced beating intensity compared to wild type cells. Conclusions: Based on these data, we could speculate that HuR might be necessary for maintenance of pluripotency and loss of which renders cells to differentiate in culture. HuR knockdown yields higher number of c-troponin positive cells but its effect on functional maturity of iCM needs to be further evaluated.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (15) ◽  
pp. 4008-4011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Carpenter ◽  
Ram Malladi ◽  
Cheng-Tao Yang ◽  
Anna French ◽  
Katherine J. Pilkington ◽  
...  

Abstract Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells offer a unique potential for understanding the molecular basis of disease and development. Here we have generated several human iPS cell lines, and we describe their pluripotent phenotype and ability to differentiate into erythroid cells, monocytes, and endothelial cells. More significantly, however, when these iPS cells were differentiated under conditions that promote lympho-hematopoiesis from human embryonic stem cells, we observed the formation of pre-B cells. These cells were CD45+CD19+CD10+ and were positive for transcripts Pax5, IL7αR, λ-like, and VpreB receptor. Although they were negative for surface IgM and CD5 expression, iPS-derived CD45+CD19+ cells also exhibited multiple genomic D-JH rearrangements, which supports a pre–B-cell identity. We therefore have been able to demonstrate, for the first time, that human iPS cells are able to undergo hematopoiesis that contributes to the B-cell lymphoid lineage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 230 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sukparangsi ◽  
R. Bootsri ◽  
W. Sikeao ◽  
S. Karoon ◽  
A. Thongphakdee

Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) are wild felids, currently in vulnerable status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list (2017). Several measures in assisted reproductive technology (e.g. AI, embryo transfer) have been used by the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand (ZPO) to increase their offspring in captivity. Recently, the generation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cells) becomes popular and provides alternative way to preserve good genetics in the form of cell with diverse capacities. This great potential of iPS cells is unlimited self-renewal and pluripotency, similar to embryonic stem cells (ESC). Under the right cell culture conditions, pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into all cell types of the body. Here, we aimed to find the optimal condition to generate integration-free iPS cells from fishing cat and clouded leopard. At first, to obtain somatic cells for cellular reprogramming, adult dermal fibroblast cell lines from both species were established from belly skin tissues. Subsequently, several nucleofection programs of AmaxaTM 4D-nucleofectorTM (Lonza, Basel, Switzerland) were examined to introduce integration-free DNA vectors carrying reprogramming factors into the felid fibroblasts. The transfected cells were cultured under numerous conditions: (1) matrix/defined surface including irradiated mouse embryonic fibroblast, gelatin, vitronectin, and Geltrex® (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA); (2) ESC/iPS cell medium including Essential 8TM (Thermo Fisher Scientific) DMEM containing KnockOutTM Serum Replacement (KOSR; Thermo Fisher Scientific) and/or fetal bovine serum (FBS); and (3) supplement including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), l-ascorbic acid, nicotinamide, ALK5 inhibitor (A83-01) and RevitaCellTM (Thermo Fisher Scientific). We found that optimal nucleofection programs for human dermal fibroblast including FF-135 and EN-150 were able to transfer episomal vectors and excisable piggyBAC transposon carrying reprogramming factors into fishing cat and clouded leopard fibroblasts, respectively. The iPS-like colonies appeared around 26 to 30 days post-nucleofection. The culture of transfected cells on either Geltrex® or Vitronectin-coated surface supports the formation of iPS-like colonies with different derivation efficiency (0.01 and 0.005%, respectively). In addition, all colonies were formed under medium containing FBS, together with both bFGF and LIF supplements. Taken together, we have developed a platform to generate iPS cells from tissue collection to the establishment of iPS cell culture. This will further enable us to apply the technique to obtain iPS cells from other endangered and vulnerable felid species.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuhei Hayashi ◽  
Yuki Ishikawa ◽  
Ryousuke Katori ◽  
Yuzuru Sasamoto ◽  
Yuki Taniwaki ◽  
...  

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 743
Author(s):  
Naoki Yamamoto ◽  
Noriko Hiramatsu ◽  
Mahito Ohkuma ◽  
Natsuko Hatsusaka ◽  
Shun Takeda ◽  
...  

Regenerative medicine in ophthalmology that uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) cells has been described, but those studies used iPS cells derived from fibroblasts. Here, we generated iPS cells derived from iris cells that develop from the same inner layer of the optic cup as the retina, to regenerate retinal nerves. We first identified cells positive for p75NTR, a marker of retinal tissue stem and progenitor cells, in human iris tissue. We then reprogrammed the cultured p75NTR-positive iris tissue stem/progenitor (H-iris stem/progenitor) cells to create iris-derived iPS (H-iris iPS) cells for the first time. These cells were positive for iPS cell markers and showed pluripotency to differentiate into three germ layers. When H-iris iPS cells were pre-differentiated into neural stem/progenitor cells, not all cells became positive for neural stem/progenitor and nerve cell markers. When these cells were pre-differentiated into neural stem/progenitor cells, sorted with p75NTR, and used as a medium for differentiating into retinal nerve cells, the cells differentiated into Recoverin-positive cells with electrophysiological functions. In a different medium, H-iris iPS cells differentiated into retinal ganglion cell marker-positive cells with electrophysiological functions. This is the first demonstration of H-iris iPS cells differentiating into retinal neurons that function physiologically as neurons.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Xu ◽  
Masoud Nasri ◽  
Benjamin Dannenmann ◽  
Perihan Mir ◽  
Azadeh Zahabi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) regulates cellular functions through the protein deacetylation activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent sirtuins (SIRTs). SIRTs regulate functions of histones and none-histone proteins. The role of NAMPT/SIRT pathway in the regulation of maintenance and differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is not fully elucidated. Methods We evaluated the effects of specific inhibitors of NAMPT or SIRT2 on the pluripotency, proliferation, survival, and hematopoietic differentiation of human iPS cells. We also studied the molecular mechanism downstream of NAMPT/SIRTs in iPS cells. Results We demonstrated that NAMPT is indispensable for the maintenance, survival, and hematopoietic differentiation of iPS cells. We found that inhibition of NAMPT or SIRT2 in iPS cells induces p53 protein by promoting its lysine acetylation. This leads to activation of the p53 target, p21, with subsequent cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in iPS cells. NAMPT and SIRT2 inhibition also affect hematopoietic differentiation of iPS cells in an embryoid body (EB)-based cell culture system. Conclusions Our data demonstrate the essential role of the NAMPT/SIRT2/p53/p21 signaling axis in the maintenance and hematopoietic differentiation of iPS cells.


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