title: Involvement of Oct3/4 in the enhancement of neuronal differentiation of ES cells in neurogenesis-inducing cultures.
abstract: Oct3/4 plays a critical role in maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency. Regulatable transgene-mediated sustained Oct3/4 expression in ES cells cultured in serum-free LIF-deficient medium caused accelerated differentiation to neuroectoderm-like cells that expressed Sox2, Otx1 and Emx2 and subsequently differentiated into neurons. Neurogenesis of ES cells is promoted by SDIA (stromal cell-derived inducing activity), which accumulates on the PA6 stromal cell surface. Oct3/4 expression in ES cells was maintained by SDIA whereas without it expression was promptly downregulated. Suppression of Oct3/4 abolished neuronal differentiation even after stimulation by SDIA. In contrast, sustained upregulated Oct3/4 expression enhanced SDIA-mediated neurogenesis of ES cells. Therefore, Oct3/4 appears to promote neuroectoderm formation and subsequent neuronal differentiation from ES cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Fate Modulation, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimozaki
authors.forename: Kinichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors