title: Differences between karyotypically normal and abnormal human embryonic stem cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare different biological characteristics of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) between those with normal and those with abnormal karyotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Culture-adapted HESCs (chHES-3) with abnormal karyotype were compared with karyotypically normal cells, with regard to pluripotency and differentiation capacity, ultrastructure, growth characteristics, gene expression profiles and signalling pathways.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a new abnormal karyotype of HESCs. We observed that chHES-3 cells with normal and abnormal karyotypes shared similarities in expression markers of pluripotency; however, karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had a tendency for differentiation towards ectoderm lineages and were easily maintained in suboptimal culturing conditions. Abnormal chHES-3 cells displayed relatively mature cell organelles compared to normal cells, and karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had increased survival and population growth. Genes related to cell proliferation and apoptosis were up-regulated, but genes associated with genetic instability (p53, Rb, BRCA1) were down-regulated in the karyotypically abnormal cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had a more developed capacity for proliferation, resistance to apoptosis and less genetic stability compared to normal chHES-3 cells and may be an excellent model for studying and characterizing initial stages that determine transition of embryonic stem cells into cancer stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Central South University, National Engineering Research Center of Human Stem Cells, Changsha, P. R. China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y-Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: L-Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: G-X
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D043171:Chromosomal Instability / Q000235:genetics; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins