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Sphingosine-1-Phosphate pp 153–171Cite as

Ceramide and S1P Signaling in Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1697))

Abstract

Bioactive sphingolipids are important regulators for stem cell survival and differentiation. Most recently, we have coined the term “morphogenetic lipids” for sphingolipids that regulate stem cells during embryonic and postnatal development. The sphingolipid ceramide and its derivative, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), can act synergistically as well as antagonistically on embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. We show here simple as well as state-of-the-art methods to analyze sphingolipids in differentiating ES cells and discuss new protocols to use ceramide and S1P analogs for the guided differentiation of mouse ES cells toward neuronal and glial lineage.

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Acknowledgement

This study was in part supported by the grants R01NS046835, R01AG034389, R01NS095215, and NSF grant 1615874.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Guanghu Wang & Erhard Bieberich

  2. Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Medical Health Sciences Center, Bryan, TX, USA

    Stefka D. Spassieva

  3. Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1120 15th Street Room CA4012, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    Erhard Bieberich

Authors
  1. Guanghu Wang
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  2. Stefka D. Spassieva
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  3. Erhard Bieberich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erhard Bieberich .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Alice Pébay

  2. Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Kursad Turksen

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Wang, G., Spassieva, S.D., Bieberich, E. (2017). Ceramide and S1P Signaling in Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation. In: Pébay, A., Turksen, K. (eds) Sphingosine-1-Phosphate. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1697. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2017_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2017_43

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7412-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7413-9

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