Human embryonic stem cells have enhanced repair of multiple forms of DNA damage.
Embryonic stem cells need to maintain genomic integrity so that they can retain the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types without propagating DNA errors. Previous studies have suggested that mechanisms of genome surveillance, including DNA repair, are superior in mouse embryonic stem cells compared with various differentiated murine cells. Using single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) we found that human embryonic stem cells (BG01, I6) have more efficient repair of different types of DNA damage (generated from H2O2, UV-C, ionizing radiation, or psoralen) than human primary fibroblasts (WI-38, hs27) and, with the exception of UV-C damage, HeLa cells. Microarray gene expression analysis showed that mRNA levels of several DNA repair genes are elevated in human embryonic stem cells compared with their differentiated forms (embryoid bodies). These data suggest that genomic maintenance pathways are enhanced in human embryonic stem cells, relative to differentiated human cells.
Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Box 1, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-6825, USA.
Scott
S
Maynard
Anna Maria
AM
Swistowska
Jae Wan
JW
Lee
Ying
Y
Liu
Su-Ting
ST
Liu
Alexandre Bettencourt
AB
Da Cruz
Mahendra
M
Rao
Nadja C
NC
de Souza-Pinto
Xianmin
X
Zeng
Vilhelm A
VA
Bohr
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D005363:Ficusin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005363:Ficusin