Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Activin A can induce definitive endoderm differentiation from human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Biotechnology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

As activin/nodal signaling plays a key role in definitive endoderm (DE) differentiation, we have explored activin A-induced differentiation of DE from human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (hPESCs).

Results

Administration of 5 ng activin A/ml had no effect on the expression of markers of DE differentiation. However, higher concentrations of activin A (50 and 100 ng/ml) upregulated Sox17 and Cxcr4, as well upregulating the mesendodermal precursor marker, Brachyury.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that low dose activin A can maintain the undifferentiated potency of hPESCs, whereas higher doses induce DE differentiation; 50 ng/ml is the optimal concentration for inducing DE from hPESCs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • D’Amour KA, Agulnick AD, Eliazer S et al (2005) Efficient differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to definitive endoderm. Nat Biotechnol 23:1534–1541

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Daughtry B, Mitalipov S (2014) Concise review: parthenote stem cells for regenerative medicine: genetic, epigenetic, and developmental features. Stem Cells Transl Med 3:290–298

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eiselleova L, Peterkova I, Neradil J et al (2008) Comparative study of mouse and human feeder cells for human embryonic stem cells. Int J Dev Biol 52:353–363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fei T, Zhu S, Xia K et al (2010) Smad2 mediates activin/Nodal signaling in mesendoderm differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Res 20:1306–1318

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo S, Mao X, He F, Liu H, Ming L (2014) Activin A supplement in the hESCs culture enhances the endoderm differentiation efficiency. Cell Biol Int 38:849–856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hao J, Zhu W, Sheng C, Yu Y, Zhou Q (2009) Human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells: one potential resource for cell therapy. Sci China Ser C 52:599–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaur J, Tilkins ML (2013) Methods for culturing human embryonic stem cells on feeders. Methods Mol Biol 997:93–113

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim PT, Ong CJ (2012) Differentiation of definitive endoderm from mouse embryonic stem cells. Results Probl Cell Differ 55:303–319

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kopper O, Benvenisty N (2012) Stepwise differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into early endoderm derivatives and their molecular characterization. Stem Cell Res 8:335–345

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus MR, Grapin-Botton A (2012) Patterning and shaping the endoderm in vivo and in culture. Curr Opin Genet Dev 22:347–353

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kubo A, Shinozaki K, Shannon JM et al (2004) Development of definitive endoderm from embryonic stem cells in culture. Development 131:1651–1662

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin G, OuYang Q, Zhou X et al (2007) A highly homozygous and parthenogenetic human embryonic stem cell line derived from a one-pronuclear oocyte following in vitro fertilization procedure. Cell Res 17:999–1007

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Z, Zhu W, Yu Y et al (2010) Derivation and long-term culture of human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells using human foreskin feeders. J Assist Reprod Genet 27:285–291

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Payne C, King J, Hay D (2011) The role of activin/nodal and Wnt signaling in endoderm formation. Vitam Horm 85:207–216

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taupin P (2011) Parthenogenetically activated human oocytes and parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells: US20100233143. Expert Opin Ther Pat 21:1281–1283

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomizawa M, Shinozaki F, Sugiyama T et al (2011) Activin A maintains pluripotency markers and proliferative potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells. Exp Ther Med 2:405–408

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turovets N, Fair J, West R et al (2012) Derivation of high-purity definitive endoderm from human parthenogenetic stem cells using an in vitro analog of the primitive streak. Cell Transplant 21:217–234

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao L, Yuan X, Sharkis SJ (2006) Activin A maintains self-renewal and regulates fibroblast growth factor, Wnt, and bone morphogenic protein pathways in human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 24:1476–1486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grants from the Applied Basic Research Project of Yunnan Province (2013FZ179, 2014FB040).

Supporting information

Supplementary Table 1—Primer sequences and annealing temperatures.

Supplementary Fig. 1—Histological analysis of teratomas formed from injected hPESCs maintained in culture using an hFF feeder layer.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiqiang Wang, Wenliang Li, Jun Yang & Zhengqi Wen

  2. Department of Pathology, The First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650032, People’s Republic of China

    Tianxing Chen & Rui Liang

  3. Institute of Basic Medicine of the First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, Center of Clinical Molecular Biology of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650032, People’s Republic of China

    Xinmin Yan & Tao Shen

Authors
  1. Zhiqiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wenliang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tianxing Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jun Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhengqi Wen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xinmin Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Tao Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Rui Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rui Liang.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Z., Li, W., Chen, T. et al. Activin A can induce definitive endoderm differentiation from human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells. Biotechnol Lett 37, 1711–1717 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-015-1829-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-015-1829-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation