title: Kinetic expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31) during embryonic stem cell differentiation.
abstract: Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31) is widely used as a marker during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis from embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, the expression of PECAM-1 isoforms in ES cells has not been determined. The present study was designed to determine the role of PECAM-1 isoforms during in vitro endothelial differentiation of ES cells. It was found that undifferentiated ES cells expressed high level of PECAM-1, which primarily located at cell-cell junction, but the expression of PECAM-1 was sharply down-regulated during early ES cell differentiation. In addition, undifferentiated ES cells were found the expressed all eight known alternatively spliced PECAM-1 isoforms, among them the expression of PECAM-1 isoforms lacking exon 15 or 14&15 was predominant. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant increase in the expression of PECAM-1 isoform lacking exon 12&14&15 as vascular development of ES cells. These results indicate a constitutive expression of PECAM-1 in undifferentiated murine ES cells and suggest a developmental role of PECAM-1 isoform changes during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Research Center for Stem Cell Engineering and Technology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Tianjin 300020, PR China.
authors.forename: Zong Jin
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zack Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ren Chi
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Scadden
authors.forename: Zhong Chao
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D020033:Protein Isoforms