CXCR2 and its related ligands play a novel role in supporting the pluripotency and proliferation of human pluripotent stem cells.
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a crucial factor sustaining human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). We designed this study to search the substitutive factors other than bFGF for the maintenance of hPSCs by using human placenta-derived conditioned medium without exogenous bFGF (hPCCM-), containing chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) ligands, including interleukin (IL)-8 and growth-related oncogene α (GROα), which were developed on the basis of our previous studies. First, we confirmed that IL-8 and/or GROα play independent roles to preserve the phenotype of hPSCs. Then, we tried CXCR2 blockage of hPSCs in hPCCM- and verified the significant decrease of pluripotency-associated genes expression and the proliferation of hPSCs. Interestingly, CXCR2 suppression of hPSCs in mTeSR™1 containing exogenous bFGF decreased the proliferation of hPSCs while maintaining pluripotency characteristics. Lastly, we found that hPSCs proliferated robustly for more than 35 passages in hPCCM- on a gelatin substratum. Higher CXCR2 expression of hPSCs cultured in hPCCM- than those in mTeSR™1 was observable. Our findings suggest that CXCR2 and its related ligands might be novel factors comparable to bFGF supporting the characteristics of hPSCs and hPCCM- might be useful for the maintenance of hPSCs as well as for the accurate evaluation of CXCR2 role in hPSCs without the confounding influence of exogenous bFGF.
1 Institute of Stem Cell Research, Korea University , Seoul, Korea.
Ji-Hye
JH
Jung
Seung Jin
SJ
Lee
JiHea
J
Kim
SongHee
S
Lee
Hwa-Jung
HJ
Sung
Jungsuk
J
An
Yong
Y
Park
Byung Soo
BS
Kim
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D016209:Interleukin-8; D009842:Oligopeptides; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B; C588228:lysyl-arginyl-threonyl-glycyl-glutaminyl-tyrosyl-lysyl-leucyl-cysteine