title: Transforming growth factor-beta2 enhances differentiation of cardiac myocytes from embryonic stem cells.
abstract: Stem cell therapy holds great promise for the treatment of injured myocardium, but is challenged by a limited supply of appropriate cells. Three different isoforms of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) -beta1, -beta2, and -beta3 exhibit distinct regulatory effects on cell growth, differentiation, and migration during embryonic development. We compared the effects of these three different isoforms on cardiomyocyte differentiation from embryonic stem (ES) cells. In contrast to TGF-beta1, or -beta3, treatment of mouse ES cells with TGF-beta2 isoform significantly increased embryoid body (EB) proliferation as well as the extent of the EB outgrowth that beat rhythmically. At 17 days, 49% of the EBs treated with TGF-beta2 exhibited spontaneous beating compared with 15% in controls. Cardiac myocyte specific protein markers sarcomeric myosin and alpha-actin were demonstrated in beating EBs and cells isolated from EBs. In conclusion, TGF-beta2 but not TGF-beta1, or -beta3 promotes cardiac myocyte differentiation from ES cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05446, USA. Dinender.Kumar@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Dinender Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Singla
authors.forename: Dinender
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Baiming
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3
chemical_list: C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; C509045:Tgfb3 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3