FGF2 sustains NANOG and switches the outcome of BMP4 induced human embryonic stem cell differentiation
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: NANOG has emerged as a central gatekeeper of pluripotency. Here we show that as human embryonic stem (ES) cells exit the pluripotent state, NANOG can play a key role in determining lineage outcome. It has previously been reported that BMPs can induce differentiation of human ES cells into extraembryonic lineages. Here we report that FGF2 switches BMP4 induced differentiation outcome to mesendoderm, characterized by the uniform expression of T (brachyury) and other primitive streak markers. Blocking the MEK-ERK pathway either by chemical inhibitors or by an ERK-specific phosphatase (DUSP6) blocks the FGF2-mediated lineage switch. Active MEK-ERK signaling prolongs NANOG expression during BMP-induced differentiation. Forced NANOG expression results in FGF independent BMP4 induction of mesendoderm, and knockdown of NANOG greatly reduces T induction. Together, our results demonstrate that FGF2 signaling switches the outcome of BMP4 induced differentiation of human ES cells by maintaining NANOG levels through the MEK-ERK pathway. There are three sets of expression data. Set 1 (14 samples) is 5day human ES cells (H1) differentiated with different concentrations of BMP4, in the presence or absence of FGF2. Set 2 (14 samples) is 50ng/mL of BMP4 induced H1 cells differentiation time course, with or without FGF2. Set 3 (22 samples) is 5ng/mL of BMP4 induced H1 cells differentiation time course, with or without FGF2.
Project description:NANOG has emerged as a central gatekeeper of pluripotency. Here we show that as human embryonic stem (ES) cells exit the pluripotent state, NANOG can play a key role in determining lineage outcome. It has previously been reported that BMPs can induce differentiation of human ES cells into extraembryonic lineages. Here we report that FGF2 switches BMP4 induced differentiation outcome to mesendoderm, characterized by the uniform expression of T (brachyury) and other primitive streak markers. Blocking the MEK-ERK pathway either by chemical inhibitors or by an ERK-specific phosphatase (DUSP6) blocks the FGF2-mediated lineage switch. Active MEK-ERK signaling prolongs NANOG expression during BMP-induced differentiation. Forced NANOG expression results in FGF independent BMP4 induction of mesendoderm, and knockdown of NANOG greatly reduces T induction. Together, our results demonstrate that FGF2 signaling switches the outcome of BMP4 induced differentiation of human ES cells by maintaining NANOG levels through the MEK-ERK pathway.
Project description:Trophoblast differentiation from human ESC has been achieved by exposing the cells to BMP4 with or without supplementation of ALK4/5/7 inhibitor (A83-01) and FGF2 signaling inhibitor (PD173074) (BAP). Here the two differentiation conditions, BMP4 and BAP were applied to two sets of human PSC lines, H1 ESC and iPSC that latter was generated by DOX-inducible lentiviral (V) transductions of umbilical cord mesenchymal cells. The V-iPSC showed residual transgene expressions from the viral vectors in DOX-free culture condition. When the both ESC and iPSC lines were differentiated simultaneously, similar time dependent morphological changes were observed but BMP4 treated V-iPSC showed a minor yet consistent lag in the differentiation progression compared to BMP4 treated hESC. Although both differentiated ESC and V-iPSC showed dominant trophoblast phenotypes, the BMP4 treated V-iPSC also expressed gene markers consistent with the presence of mesoendoderm. The BAP condition provided more efficient differentiation than BMP4 alone, and the BAP-differentiated iPSC and ESC never expressed mesoendoderm markers. Five samples, one control of undifferentiated V-iPSC (FGF2) and four differentiated samples included two H1 ESC (treated with BMP4 or BMP4+A83-01) and similarly treated two V-iPSC were analyzed. Trophoblast differentiation was conducted with BMP4 (10 ng/ml) with or without supplementation of ALK4/5/7 inhibitor (A83-01; 1 μM) to H1 ESC and V-iPSC, respective reagents were added to FGF2-free MEF-CM from the second day culture of following passages for up to six additional days.
Project description:Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is known to support differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into mesoderm and extraembryonic lineages, whereas other signaling pathways can largely influence this lineage specification. Here, we set out to reinvestigate the influence of ACTIVIN/NODAL and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways on the lineage choices made by hESCs during BMP4-driven differentiation. We show that BMP activation, coupled with inhibition of both ACTIVIN/NODAL and FGF signaling, induces differentiation of hESCs, specifically to M-NM-2hCG hormone-secreting multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast and does not support induction of embryonic and extraembryonic lineages, extravillous trophoblast, and primitive endoderm. It has been previously reported that FGF2 can switch BMP4-induced hESC differentiation outcome to mesendoderm. Here, we show that FGF inhibition alone, or in combination with either ACTIVIN/NODAL inhibition or BMP activation, supports hESC differentiation to hCG-secreting syncytiotrophoblast. We show that the inhibition of the FGF pathway acts as a key in directing BMP4-mediated hESC differentiation to syncytiotrophoblast. Human embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) were treated under defined conditions (N2B27) with BMP4 (B), SB431542 (SB) (ACTIVIN/NODAL inhibitor), SU5402 (SU) (FGFR1 inhibitor), FGF2 (F) either alone or in various combinations as mentioned, followed by isolation of total RNA.
Project description:The transcription factors Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2 are the master regulators of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), however, their functions in human ESCs (hESCs) have not been rigorously defined. Here we show that the requirements for NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2 in hESCs differ from those in mESCs. Both NANOG and OCT4 are required for self-renewal and repress differentiation. OCT4 controls both extraembryonic and epiblast-derived cell fates in a BMP4-dependent manner. OCT4-depleted hESCs commit to trophectoderm and primitive endoderm in the presence of BMP4, but undergo neuroectoderm differentiation in the absence of BMP4. NANOG represses neuroectoderm and neural crest commitment, but has little or no effect on the other lineages. We find that SOX2 is not required for self-renewal because it is redundant with SOX3, which is induced in SOX2-depleted hESCs. Simultaneous depletion of both SOX2 and SOX3 induces differentiation into the primitive streak. Unexpectedly, we identify significant variability in the usage of pluripotency factors by individual hESC lines, suggesting that the pluripotency network is remodelled to support a continuum of developmental states. Our study revises the general view of how NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2 orchestrate self-renewal in hESCs. Total RNA obtained from hESCs with or without BMP4 treatment for 8 days time course.
Project description:This study aimed to examine gene expression in human ES cells (the RUNX1C GFP reporter line) differentiated towrads hameatopoietic mesoderm in a defined serum free medium. At day 7 of differentiation, the cells were sorted into fractions based on CD34 and CD41 expression and the four fractions analysed by microarray. The total number of samples analysed was 13. Undifferentiated hESC (RUNX1C GFP/w, based on the HES3 cell line) plus samples from d1 to d8 of differentiation comprised one experiment (9 samples) and four flow sorted fractions from d7 differentiated cells (CD34-CD41-, CD34lo CD41-, CD34hi CD41- and CD34lo CD41lo) comprised the second experiment. The parent cell line was maintained on mouse feeder cells in KOSR containing medium supplemented with 10 ng/ml FGF2. Differentiation was performed as spin EBs in APEL medium (Ng et al Nature Protocols 2008). For the first 4 days, medium was supplemented with BMP4, VEGF, SCF and Activin. Medium was changed at d4 to fresh APEL medium supplemented with BMP4, VEGF, SCF, FGF2 and IGF2.
Project description:Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types forming connective tissue and skeleton, and are essential participants in the development of all organs. However, MSC precursors remain largely unknown. In human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) directed to mesendodermal differentiation through coculture with OP9 stromal cells, we identified a population of mesodermal cells by surface expression of apelin receptor (APLNR1). APLNR+ cells were enriched with precursors generating compact spheroid colonies in semisolid suspension culture. Being formed by single cells, these colonies consisted of a uniform population of mesenchymal cells with a transcriptional profile representative of embryonic mesenchyme originating from lateral plate/extraembryonic mesoderm. Mesenchymal colony formation required serum-free medium and FGF2 as a colony-forming factor, could be significantly enhanced by PDGF-BB, but suppressed by VEGF. When transferred to the adherent cultures in serum-free medium with FGF2, individual colonies gave rise to multipotential mesenchymal cell lines with typical phenotype (CD146+CD105+CD73+CD31-CD43-CD45-), differentiation (chondro-, osteo-, and adipogenesis) and proliferation (>80 doublings) potentials. Consistent with lineage-restricted differentiation pattern, neither endothelial nor hematopoietic cells could be produced from adherent mesenchymal cultures, however endothelial cells could be derived from mesenchymal colonies in the early days of colony-forming culture suggesting that mesenchymal cells arose from cells with primary angiogenic potential (mesangioblasts). Together these studies identified mesangioblasts as the earliest clonogenic mesenchymal precursors at this stage of their specification from mesoderm. This set (11 samples) of expression data is sequential stages of MSC development from hESCs (H1), namely ALPNR+ mesodermal precursors isolated on day 2 and day 3 differentiation, mesangioblast (MB) cores (Day 2 H1-derived cores), hemangioblast (HB) cores (day 3 H1-derived cores), mesangioblast (MB) and hemangioblast (HB) colonies, and colony-derived MSC lines at passage 1 and 5.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of H9 hESCs (wild type and BRACHYURY shRNA knockdown) differentiated for 36h or 72h in chemically-defined culture media supplemented with FGF2, LY294002 and either BMP4 or ActivinA.
Project description:Global gene expression analysis of human embryoid body (hEB) differentiations during differentiation in serum free conditions in the presence of BMP4, VEGF, and FGF2 growth factors A total of 5 samples are analyzed. Each sample is taken at each time point. There is no replicate. H1_hESC_day0 sample is used as control to compare to other samples Keywords: Cell differentiation Cell differentiation compares to undifferentiated status in a time-course of 3-, 5-, 7- and 10-day without replicates.
Project description:Trophoblast differentiation from human ESC has been achieved by exposing the cells to BMP4 with or without supplementation of ALK4/5/7 inhibitor (A83-01) and FGF2 signaling inhibitor (PD173074) (BAP). Here the two differentiation conditions, BMP4 and BAP were applied to two sets of human PSC lines, H1 ESC and iPSC that latter was generated by DOX-inducible lentiviral (V) transductions of umbilical cord mesenchymal cells. The V-iPSC showed residual transgene expressions from the viral vectors in DOX-free culture condition. When the both ESC and iPSC lines were differentiated simultaneously, similar time dependent morphological changes were observed but BMP4 treated V-iPSC showed a minor yet consistent lag in the differentiation progression compared to BMP4 treated hESC. Although both differentiated ESC and V-iPSC showed dominant trophoblast phenotypes, the BMP4 treated V-iPSC also expressed gene markers consistent with the presence of mesoendoderm. The BAP condition provided more efficient differentiation than BMP4 alone, and the BAP-differentiated iPSC and ESC never expressed mesoendoderm markers.
Project description:In this work we investigated the molecular mechanisms that sustain the endothelial differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ES). When ES cells are co-cultured with the stromal PA6 cells in serum-free medium they differentiate mainly into neurons, thanks to the neural inducing activity exerted by the stroma. The addition of exogenous FGF2 allows also the differentiation of endothelial cells whereas, in presence of exogenous BMP4, ES cells differentiate exclusively into endothelium. The purpose of the gene expression analysis of FGF2 and BMP4 treated co-cultures versus the untreated ones was to profile the transcriptomes of FGF2 and BMP4-driven endothelial differentiation in order to detect molecules and pathways involved upon each of the two exogenous signals. In parallel we also performed transcriptome analysis of single monocultures of stromal PA6 cells to investigate the signals released by the stroma in response to FGF2 and BMP4. We found that TGFb1 is involved in the differentiation of ES cells into endothelium in response to FGF2 while Wnt6 and Wnt pathway sustain the endothelial differentiation of ES cells in response to BMP4. In this work we investigated the molecular mechanisms that sustain the endothelial differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ES). When ES cells are co-cultured with the stromal PA6 cells in serum-free medium they differentiate mainly into neurons, thanks to the neural inducing activity exerted by the stroma. The addition of exogenous FGF2 allows also the differentiation of endothelial cells whereas, in presence of exogenous BMP4, ES cells differentiate exclusively into endothelium. The purpose of the gene expression analysis of FGF2 and BMP4 treated co-cultures versus the untreated ones was to profile the transcriptomes of FGF2 and BMP4-driven endothelial differentiation in order to detect molecules and pathways involved upon each of the two exogenous signals. In parallel we also performed transcriptome analysis of single monocultures of stromal PA6 cells to investigate the signals released by the stroma in response to FGF2 and BMP4. We found that TGFb1 is involved in the differentiation of ES cells into endothelium in response to FGF2 while Wnt6 and Wnt pathway sustain the endothelial differentiation of ES cells in response to BMP4.