Butyric and retinoic mixed ester of hyaluronan. A novel differentiating glycoconjugate affording a high throughput of cardiogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into specialized cells, including cardiac myocytes, but the efficiency is typically low and the process is incompletely understood. Achieving a high throughput of cardiogenesis from pluripotent cells is therefore a major requirement for future approaches in cardiac cell therapy. Here, we developed a novel ester of hyaluronan linked to both butyric and retinoic acid (HBR), coaxing pluripotent ES cells into a cardiogenic decision. In mouse ES cells, HBR remarkably increased the expression of GATA-4 and Nkx-2.5, acting as cardiac lineage-promoting genes in different animal species, including humans. HBR also enhanced prodynorphin gene expression and the synthesis and secretion of dynorphin B, an endorphin playing a major role in ES cell cardiogenesis. These effects occurred at the transcriptional level. HBR also primed the expression of cardiac-specific transcripts and highly enhanced the yield of spontaneously beating ES-derived cardiomyocytes. These results demonstrate the potential for chemically modifying the gene program of cardiac differentiation in ES cells without the aid of gene transfer technologies and may pave the way for novel approaches in tissue engineering and myocardial regeneration.
Ventura
Carlo
C
Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, University of Bologna, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. cvent@libero.it
Maioli
Margherita
M
Asara
Yolande
Y
Santoni
Daniela
D
Scarlata
Ignazio
I
Cantoni
Silvia
S
Perbellini
Alberto
A
D000818:Animals; D020148:Butyric Acid; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004952:Esters / Q000494:pharmacology; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D000072576:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004952:Esters; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D000072576:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C484469:Nkx2-5 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020148:Butyric Acid; D014212:Tretinoin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid