title: Differentiation of serum-free mouse embryo cells into an astrocytic lineage is associated with the asymmetric production of early neural, neuronal and glial markers.
abstract: Serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cells, the astrocyte progenitor cells in the central nervous system (CNS), were exposed to 10 ng/ml leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and 10 ng/ml bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) to induce differentiation, and expression of cell-type specific markers. Nestin, a marker of early neural lineage, betaIII-tubulin, a marker of neuronal lineage, oligodendrocyte marker O4 (O4), a marker of oligodendrocytic lineage and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of astrocytic lineage, were analyzed. Characteristics of SFME cells, as a CNS progenitor, were identified and a possible mechanism, underlying SFME cell specification into an astrocytic lineage upon differentiation, was investigated. These markers were present, both at the initial proliferative phase and after induction of differentiation. GFAP expression increased strongly upon differentiation, while expression of the other markers changed very little. These results indicate that astrocytic differentiation is associated with the asymmetric production of these markers, rather than through induction of astrocytic markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aomori University, Aomori University; 2-3-1 Kobata, Aomori 030-0943, Japan. yamaguch@aomori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kidachi
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umetsu
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ryoyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000166:cytology*; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D064231:Nestin; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D014404:Tubulin