Elevation of transforming growth factor beta 1 mRNA level in ES-D3 mouse embryonic stem cells cocultured with Balb/c3T3 A31 fibroblasts.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are a pluripotent cell line derived from the inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst. The mRNA levels of several growth-related genes were examined in ES cells by Northern blot analysis under several different growth conditions. In a coculture of ES cells with the mouse fibroblast cell line, Balb/c3T3 A31, the expression level of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA was elevated for 1 to 3 days. In a coculture of ES cells with primary embryonic fibroblasts, only slight accumulation of TGF-beta 1 mRNA was observed for 6 to 24 h and soon attenuated. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that TGF-beta 1 transcripts accumulated first in the masses of ES cells and subsequently in Balb/c3T3 A31 cells adjacent to ES cells' masses. The ability of ES cells to induce TGF-beta 1 in Balb/c3T3 A31 cells was not mediated by soluble factors and was lost upon differentiation. ES cells on primary embryonic fibroblasts grew in undifferentiated form, but those on Balb/c3T3 A31 cells stopped growing and formed embryoid cystic bodies. We suggest that TGF-beta 1 mRNA induction in a coculture is triggered by an interaction between differentiating ES cells and Balb/c3T3 A31, and that this activity is limited to undifferentiated ES cells.
Katsube
K
K
Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Shimizu
N
N
D016475:3T3 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta