title: Role of MEF feeder cells in direct reprogramming of mousetail-tip fibroblasts.
abstract: Pluripotent stem cells can be induced from somatic cells by the transcription factors Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4 when co-cultured with mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder cells. To date, the role of the feeder cells in the reprogramming process remains unclear. In this study, using a comparative analysis, we demonstrated that MEF feeder cells did not accelerate reprogramming or increase the frequency of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell colonies. However, feeder conditions did improve the growth of primary iPS colonies and were necessary for passaging the primary colonies after reprogramming was achieved. We further developed a feeder-free culture system for supporting iPS growth and sustaining pluripotency by adding bFGF and activin A (bFA) to the medium. These data will facilitate the generation of human iPS cells without animal feeders for regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Mengfei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xuerong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ruzhang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xiufeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Bingqian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Andy Peng
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; C000715467:KLF4 protein, human; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; C422405:activin A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D028341:Activins