Differentiation of pharyngeal endoderm from mouse embryonic stem cell.
Embryonic stem cells are considered to be a good in vitro tool to study the induction of various cell types including cardiomyocytes; however, induction of the pharyngeal endoderm (PE), the underlying heart-forming region, in vivo has been scarcely reported. In the present study, we found that many PE-related genes, such as Paxl, Pax9, Sixl, and Tbxl, were up-regulated in cardiomyocyte-rich embryoid bodies (EBs). The third pouch-related genes including Hoxa3, Foxn1, and Aire, which are crucial for thymus development and function, were also detected in later stages. Nkx2.5, a cardiac transcription factor gene, is known to be transiently expressed in the PE. By crossing Nkx2.5-Cre mice with Cre-dependent EGFP reporter mice, we found that Nkx2.5(+) lineage exclusively contributed to thymic epithelial cell development, followed by thymus development. Gene expression analysis using Nkx2.5-EGFP ES cells also revealed that PE-related mRNAs were specifically enriched in the transiently appearing E-cadherin(+)Nkx2.5(+) cell fraction. Interestingly, the EB-derived cells were found capable of supporting T-cell differentiation to CD4 or CD8 double-positive cells in a reaggregation organ culture in vitro. Our results suggest that EBs contain cells that resemble third pharyngeal pouch endoderm and confer a thymus-like microenvironment.
Department of Bioscience, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Kyoko
K
Hidaka
Takeshi
T
Nitta
Ryo
R
Sugawa
Manabu
M
Shirai
Robert J
RJ
Schwartz
Takashi
T
Amagai
Sachiko
S
Nitta
Yousuke
Y
Takahama
Takayuki
T
Morisaki
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D058732:Embryoid Bodies / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004707:Endoderm / Q000196:embryology*; D000072576:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000072576:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C484469:Nkx2-5 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors