Transcriptional profiling of reporter genes used for molecular imaging of embryonic stem cell transplantation.
Stem cell therapy offers exciting promise for treatment of ischemic heart disease. Recent advances in molecular imaging techniques now allow investigators to monitor cell fate noninvasively and repetitively. Here we examine the effects of a triple-fusion reporter gene on embryonic stem (ES) cell transcriptional profiles. Murine ES cells were stably transfected with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector carrying a triple-fusion (TF) construct consisting of fluorescence, bioluminescence, and positron emission tomography (PET) reporter genes. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis allowed isolation of stably transfected populations. Microarray studies comparing gene expression in nontransduced control ES cells vs. stably transduced ES cells expressing triple fusion (ES-TF) revealed some increases in transcriptional variability. Annotation analysis showed that ES-TF cells downregulated cell cycling, cell death, and protein and nucleic acid metabolism genes while upregulating homeostatic and anti-apoptosis genes. Despite these transcriptional changes, expression of the TF reporter gene had no significant effects on ES cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation capability. Importantly, transplantation studies in murine myocardium demonstrated the feasibility of tracking ES-TF cells in living subjects using bioluminescence and PET imaging. Taken together, this is the first study to analyze in detail the effects of reporter genes on molecular imaging of ES cells.
Wu
Joseph C
JC
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA. joewu@stanford.edu
Spin
Joshua M
JM
Cao
Feng
F
Lin
Shuan
S
Xie
Xiaoyan
X
Gheysens
Olivier
O
Chen
Ian Y
IY
Sheikh
Ahmad Y
AY
Robbins
Robert C
RC
Tsalenko
Anya
A
Gambhir
Sanjiv S
SS
Quertermous
Tom
T
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000235:genetics; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
D049409:Luciferases, Firefly; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein