Effects of bone morphogenetic protein 4 on differentiation of embryonic stem cells into myosin VIIa-positive cells.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that myosin VIIa-positive cells are generated from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) co-cultured with PA6 cells; however, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) may not be a key molecule for induction of myosin VIIa-positive cells from the ESCs.


BACKGROUND
ESCs have been considered as a basis for cell therapy in a range of organs, because of their potential for self-renewal and pluripotency. Co-culture with PA6 stromal cells can induce differentiation of ESCs into various types of ectodermal cells including sensory progenitors. BMP4 plays an essential role in the development of sensory hair cells in the inner ear.


METHODS
We examined effects of BMP4 on differentiation of ESCs into the hair cell immunophenotype. BMP4 was supplemented at different time points to ESCs co-cultured on PA6 stromal cells. The ESCs were then collected and examined for the expression of myosin VIIa, a hair cell marker, and betaIII-tubulin, a neural marker. The expression of myosin VIIa and betaIII-tubulin was identified.


RESULTS
Quantitative assessments revealed that exogenous BMP4 has significant effects on the expression of betaIII-tubulin, but not of myosin VIIa.
Higashi
Toru
T
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Nakagawa
Takayuki
T
Kita
Tomoko
T
Kim
Tae-Soo
TS
Sakamoto
Tatsunori
T
Ito
Juichi
J
D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004398:Dyneins / Q000187:drug effects*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D000081412:Myosin VIIa; D009218:Myosins / Q000187:drug effects*; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000187:drug effects; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects
C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C000631456:Myo7a protein, mouse; D000081412:Myosin VIIa; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C110218:Pax4 protein, mouse; D009218:Myosins; D004398:Dyneins