[Expression of TGFbeta family factors and FGF2 in mouse and human embryonic stem cells maintained in different culture systems].

Mouse and human embryonic stem cells are in different states of pluripotency (naive/ground and primed states). Mechanisms of signaling regulation in cells with ground and primed states of pluripotency are considerably different. In order to understand the contribution of endogenous and exogenous factors in the maintenance of a metastable state of the cells in different phases ofpluripotency, we examined the expression of TGFbeta family factors (ActivinA, Nodal, Leftyl, TGFbeta1, GDF3, BMP4) and FGF2 initiating the appropriate signaling pathways in mouse and human embryonic stem cells (mESCs, hESCs) and supporting feeder cells. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of gene expression showed that the expression patterns of endogenous factors studied were considerably different in mESCs and hESCs. The most significant differences were found in the levels of endogenous expression of TGFbeta1, BMP4 and ActivinA. The sources of exogenous factors ActivnA, TGFbeta1, and FGF2 for hESCs are feeder cells (mouse and human embryonic fibroblasts) expressing high levels of these factors, as well as low levels of BMP4. Thus, our data demonstrated that the in vitro maintenance of metastable state of undifferentiated pluripotent cells is achieved in mESCs and hESCs using different schemes of the regulations of ActivinA/Nodal/Lefty/Smad2/3BMP/Smad1/5/8 endogenous branches of TGFbeta signaling. The requirement for exogenous stimulation or inhibition of these signaling pathways is due to different patterns of endogenous expression of TGFbeta family factors and FGF2 in the mESCs and hESCs. For the hESCs, enhanced activity of ActivinA/Nodal/Lefty/Smad2/3 signaling by exogenous factor stimulation is necessary to mitigate the effects of BMP/Smadl/5/8 signaling pathways that promote cell differentiation into the extraembryonic structures. Significant differences in endogenous FGF2 expression in the cells in the ground and primary states of pluripotency demonstrate diverse involvement of this factor in the regulation of the pluripotent cell self-renewal.

[The influence of substrate from extracellular matrix proteins on karyotypic variability of the Indian muntjac skin fibroblast two cell lines].

The effect of cell culture conditions on numerical and structural karyotypic variability was investigated in two Indian muntjac skin fibroblast "markerless" cell lines, M and MT. The cells cultivated on the substrate consisting of extracellular matrix proteins (ECM), synthesized by human mesenchymal stem cells (SC5-MSC). The character of cell distribution for chromosome number of cell line M changed after cultivation for 1 and 4 days as compared to control cells, which were cultured on hydrophilic surface without ECM-coating. These changes involve a significant decrease in frequency of cells with modal numbers of chromosomes and an increase in frequency of cells with lower chromosome numbers. Many new types of additional structural variants of the karyotype (SVK) appear. MT cell line, differing from M line in the number of homologous chromosomes, demonstrated similar with M line the character of cell distribution for chromosome number only for 1 day after cultivating on the ECM-substrate, but not after 4 days in the same culture conditions, no difference from the control cells was observed. The observed alterations seem to be due to disturbances in correct chromosome segregation process, which were caused by abrupt shift in the cell culture conditions. The analysis of the structural karyotypic variability revealed significant increase in frequency of chromosomal aberrations in M cell line for 1 and 4 days in culture on the ECM-substrate as compared to the control cells. The frequency of dicentric chromosomes (telomeric associations) was increased and constituted more than 50% of all chromosome aberrations. No increase in frequency of chromosome aberrations was observed for MT cells cultured in the same conditions. The obtained results show that the cell lines of the same origin but of different karyotypic structure react to substrate in a different way. In contrast to M line, in MT line a fast normalization of numerical karyotypic characteristics and no enhancement of structural karyotypic variability takes place. This provides a possibility to cultivate MT cell on the given protein substrate maintaining a balanced karyotypic structure characteristic of MT cell line.

[Developing of a new feeder-free system and characterization of human embryonic stem cell sublines derived in this system under autogenic and allogenic culturing].

A new feeder-free culture system for human embryonic stem cells (hESC) was developed. It consist of extracellular matrix proteins synthesized by feeder cells--mesenchymal stem cell line SC5-MSC, which was derived from initial hESC line SC5. The major ECM proteins--fibronectin and laminin--that maintain hESC growth in feeder-free system were identified. An essential component of this system is a SC5-MSC-conditioned medium. Two hESC sublines were derived. The subline SC5-FF was cultured in autogenic and subline SC7-FF in allogenic system. Sublines SC5-FF and SC7-FF passed through more than 300 and 115 cell population doublings, retained normal diploid karyotype and an ability of in vitro differentiation into derivates of three germ layers. These sublines express markers of undifferentiated hESC: alkaline phosphatase, Oct-4, SSEA-4, TRA-1-81 and multidrug resistance transporter--ABCG2. The RT-PCR analysis revealed that undifferentiated cells SC5-FF subline, like cells of initial feeder-maintained hESC line SC5, expressed genes OCT4 and NANOG, and germ line specific genes such as DPPA3/STELLA and DAZL. An expression of OCT4, NANOG, DPPA3/STELLA ans DAZL was down-regulated during embryonic bodies differentiation, whereas expression of somatic lineages specific genes like GATA4 and AFP (extra embryonic and embryonic endoderm), PAX6 (neuroectoderm) and BRY (mesoderm) was up-regulated. The comparative analysis of some typical features (karyotype structure, the average population doubling time and the number of undifferentiated cells in populations) did not reveal essential differences between initial SC5 and SC7 lines and their sublines SC5-FF and SC7-FF. This shows that feeder-free culture systems, which are much more stable than any feeder systems, do not break main hESC features during long cultivation and can be recommended for fundamental, biomedicine and pharmacological investigations, using hESCs.

[Comparative characteristics of new mesenchymal stem cell lines derived from human embryonic stem cells, bone marrow and foreskin].

New nonimmortalized fibroblast-like cell lines SC5-MSC and SC3a-MSC, FetMSC, FRSN were obtained from human embryonic stem cells (ESC), bone marrow of a 5-6-days embryo and foreskin of a 3-years-old boy, respectively. All the lines are successfully used as the feeder at human ESC cultivation. It is determined that the average cell population doublings time varies from 25.5 h for ISC5-MSC to 38.8 h for SC3a-MSC. Active proliferation of all the lines is also shown by the corresponding growth curves. Numerical and structural karyotypic analysis showed that these lines had normal karyotype: 46,XX (SC5-MSC and SC3a-MSC) and 46,XY (FetMSC and FRSN). To determine the status of the lines, their cell surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. This analysis revealed the presence of surface antigens CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105 and HLA-ABC, characteristic of human MSC, and the absence of CD34 and HLA-DR. Different lines were found to express CD117(c-kit) to a different level. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis did not detect TRA-1-60 and Oct-4, characteristic of human embryonic stem cells, and revealed interlinear variations in the level of SSEA, which did not depend on the cell origin. It is not clear yet whether these interlinear variations affect functional MSC status. In all the lines, immunofluorescence analysis showed the presence of the markers of early differentiation in the derivates of three germ layers which may allow MSC to be useful, in corresponding microenvironments, for reparation of tissue injures. Adipogenic and osteogenic differentiatiation of all cell lines has been shown.

[Comparative characteristics of new human embryonic stem cell lines SC5, SC6, SC7, and SC3a].

Numerous human embryonic stem cell lines with different genetic background are widely used as cell models for fundamental, biomedical and pharmacological research. New hES cell lines SC5, SC6, SC7, and SC3a are derived from the blastocysts and maintained on mitotically inactivated human feeder cells. All derived hES cell lines passed through more than 120 cell population doublings, retained normal diploid karyotype and ability of in vitro differentiation in the derivates of three germ layers. These lines express the markers of undifferentiated hES cells: Oct-4, Nanog, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, and alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, undifferentiated cells of SC5, SC6, and SC7 lines expressed germ line specific genes DPPA3/STELLA and DAZL and did not express somatic lineages specific genes. In contrast, undifferentiated cells of SC3a line did not express DPPA3/STELLA and DAZL but expressed extra embryonic endoderm cell markers GATA4 and AFP. Double staining of SC5 and SC3a colonies by antibodies against transcription factors Oct-4 and GATA4 has demonstrated that most SC3a cells in colonies were positive for both factors. Furthermore, the cells of SC5, SC6, SC7 lines but not of SC3a line formed teratomas containing the derivates of the three germ layers. These results indicate that, in contrast to the other cell lines, the cells in the SC3a colonies represent an early committed cell population. Moreover, expression of the multidrug resistance transporter gene ABCG2 was detected in undifferentiated cells and differentiating embryonic bodies during 10 days of all lines by immunofluorescent and RT-PCR analyses, whereas RT-PCR analysis has revealed up-regulation of the ABCB1 transporter gene expression in differentiating embryoid bodies of SC5, SC6, and SC7 cells only. Thus, these findings demonstrate different characteristics and differentiation potential of SC5, SC6, SC7, and SC3a hES cell lines which were derived in different conditions.

[The characters and specific features of new human embryonic stem cells lines].

Four continuous human embryonic stem cell lines (SC1, SC2, SC3 and SC4), derived from the blastocysts has been described. The cell lines were cultivated on mitotically inactivated human feeder cells. The cell lines SC1 and SC2 have passed through 150 population doublings and the cell lines SC3 and SC4 -- near 120 populations doublings, which exceeds Hayflick limit sufficiently. These cell lines maintain high activity of alkaline phosphatase, expression of transcription factor OCT-4 and cell surface antigens (SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81), confirming their ESC status and human specificity. Immunofluorescent detection of antigens, characteristic of ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm confirms the ability of these cells to retain their pluripotency under in vitro condition. PCR analysis revealed expression of six genes specific for pluripotent cells (OCT-4, NANOG, DPPA3/STELLA, TDGF/CRIPTO and LEFTYA). Correlation between the level of proliferative activity and the character of DNA-bound fluorescent staining was found. Fluorescent dyes, Hoechst 33342 and PI, produced diffuse staining of the nuclei in slowly proliferating cells of the SC1 and SC2 lines. In contrast, in actively proliferating cells of the SC3 and SC4 lines, the clear staining of the nuclei was observed. Upon changing the cultivation condition, proliferative activity of SC3 and SC4 lines decreased and became similar to that of SC1 and SC2 lines. The character of the fluorescent staining of all these lines was also shown to be similar. These results show that quality of the fluorescent staining with Hoechst 33342 and PI reflects the level of proliferation. Possible causes and mechanisms of this feature of human ESC are discussed.