title: B-box and SPRY domain containing protein (BSPRY) is associated with the maintenance of mouse embryonic stem cell pluripotency and early embryonic development.
abstract: Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells consist of heterogeneous populations with differing abilities to proliferate and differentiate. We previously demonstrated that the expression level of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM1)/CD31 was positively correlated with the undifferentiated state of mouse ES cells. In order to screen for a novel gene(s) involved in ES cell pluripotency, we performed an oligo microarray analysis and identified that B-box and SPRY domain containing protein (BSPRY) was expressed at high levels in PECAM1-positive cells. Two splice isoforms of BSPRY, BSPRY-1 and BSPRY-2, were expressed in undifferentiated ES cells and in blastocysts. Knockdown of BSPRY-1/2 in ES cells significantly reduced the number of undifferentiated colonies and caused increased expression of primitive ectoderm marker gene Fgf5. The overexpression of BSPRY-2 reciprocally increased the number of undifferentiated ES cells in the presence of LIF. Similarly, injection of BSPRY-1/2 siRNAs into 2-cell embryos caused developmental retardation and degeneration of embryos, and a significant decrease in the number of cells, especially in the inner cell mass (ICM), was observed at the blastocyst stage. Furthermore, microinjection of a BSPRY-1 expression vector into pronuclear stage embryos resulted in an increase in the hatching blastocysts rate after 120 h of culture. These results suggest that BSPRY-1 and BSPRY-2 are associated with both ES cell pluripotency and early embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: Animal Development and Differentiation Research Unit, Division of Animal Sciences, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Fukashi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohkoshi
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tatemizo
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furusawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004285:Dogs; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C581331:BSPRY protein, mouse; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011506:Proteins