title: In vitro neuronal differentiation of cultured human embryonic germ cells.
abstract: Human embryonic germ (hEG) cells, which have been advanced as one of the most important sources of pluripotent stem cells [the other one being human embryonic stem cells], can be propagated in vitro indefinitely in the primitive undifferentiated state while being capable of developing into all three germ layer derivatives, hence have become anticipated developing novel strategies of tissue regeneration and transplantation in the treatment of degenerative diseases. In the experiments here, we derived hEG cells from cultured human primordial germ cells (PGCs) of 6- to 9-week-post-fertilization embryos. They satisfied the criteria previously used to define hEG cells, including the expression of markers characteristic of pluripotent cells-abundant alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, stage specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-1(+), SSEA-3(-), SSEA-4(+), TRA-1-60(+), TRA-1-81(+), Oct-4(+), and hTERT(+), the retention of normal karyotypes, and possessing pluripotency by forming embryoid bodies (EBs) in vitro. Furthermore, these derived cells tended to neurally differentiate in vitro, especially under high-density culture conditions. We successfully isolated neural progenitor cells from differentiating hEG cultures and about 10% cells induced by 2microM all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) or 0.1mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP)/1mM forskolin to mature neurons expressing microtubule-associated protein 2ab (MAP2ab), synaptophysin, beta-tubulin III, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but no glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and choline acetyl transferase (ChAT). The data suggested that hEG cells may provide a potential source of cells for use in transplantation therapy for neurological degenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Yuqiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shuling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shufa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xiaochun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lingsong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007621:Karyotyping; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger