title: A method to identify and isolate pluripotent human stem cells and mouse epiblast stem cells using lipid body-associated retinyl ester fluorescence.
abstract: We describe the use of a characteristic blue fluorescence to identify and isolate pluripotent human embryonic stem cells and human-induced pluripotent stem cells. The blue fluorescence emission (450-500 nm) is readily observed by fluorescence microscopy and correlates with the expression of pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG). It allows easy identification and isolation of undifferentiated human pluripotent stem cells, high-throughput fluorescence sorting and subsequent propagation. The fluorescence appears early during somatic reprogramming. We show that the blue fluorescence arises from the sequestration of retinyl esters in cytoplasmic lipid bodies. The retinoid-sequestering lipid bodies are specific to human and mouse pluripotent stem cells of the primed or epiblast-like state and absent in naive mouse embryonic stem cells. Retinol, present in widely used stem cell culture media, is sequestered as retinyl ester specifically by primed pluripotent cells and also can induce the formation of these lipid bodies.
authors: National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore 560065, India.
authors: Thangaselvam
authors: T
authors: Muthusamy
authors: National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore 560065, India.
authors: Odity
authors: O
authors: Mukherjee
authors: National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore 560065, India.
authors: Radhika
authors: R
authors: Menon
authors: National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore 560065, India.
authors: P B
authors: PB
authors: Megha
authors: National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore 560065, India.
authors: Mitradas M
authors: MM
authors: Panicker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005453:Fluorescence; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D066292:Lipid Droplets / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*