title: Cyclopamine treatment of human embryonic stem cells followed by culture in human astrocyte medium promotes differentiation into nestin- and GFAP-expressing astrocytic lineage.
abstract: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are able to differentiate into various cell types, including neuronal cells and glial cells. However, little information is available regarding astrocyte differentiation. This report describes the differentiation of hESCs into nestin- and GFAP-expressing astrocytes following treatment with cyclopamine, which is an inhibitor of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, and culturing in human astrocyte medium (HAM). In hESCs, cyclopamine treatment suppressed the expression of Hh signaling molecules, the Hh signaling target gene, and ESC-specific markers. Clyclopamine also induced the differentiation of the cells at the edges of the hESC colonies, and these cells stained positively for the early neural marker nestin. Subsequent culturing in HAM promoted the expression of the astrocyte-specific marker GFAP, and these cells were also nestin-positive. These findings indicate that treatment with cyclopamine followed by culturing in HAM leads to the differentiation of hESCs into nestin- and GFAP-expressing astrocytic lineage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 300-303, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Seok
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kweon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jeung-Yon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: Eunyoung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jee-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Deog-Bon
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Yee Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Janghwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung-Kwang
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yong-Mahn
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects*; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D064231:Nestin; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; C000541:cyclopamine