Project description:We attempted to identify candidate genes that are expressed more highly in the ICM than in TE cells. Mouse ES cells are cultured from the ICM, whereas mouse TS cells are cultured from the TE. Although these cells have been cultured in vitro, they represent the in vitro equivalents of the ICM and TE. Therefore, genes which are expressed more highly in ES than TS in microarray studies were good candidates for genes predominantly expressed in the ICM in blastocysts. We attempted to identify candidate genes that are expressed more highly in the ICM than in TE cells. Mouse ES cells are cultured from the ICM, whereas mouse TS cells are cultured from the TE. Although these cells have been cultured in vitro, they represent the in vitro equivalents of the ICM and TE. Therefore, genes which are expressed more highly in ES than TS in microarray studies were good candidates for genes predominantly expressed in the ICM in blastocysts.
Project description:We attempted to identify candidate genes that are expressed more highly in the ICM than in TE cells. Mouse ES cells are cultured from the ICM, whereas mouse TS cells are cultured from the TE. Although these cells have been cultured in vitro, they represent the in vitro equivalents of the ICM and TE. Therefore, genes which are expressed more highly in ES than TS in microarray studies were good candidates for genes predominantly expressed in the ICM in blastocysts.
Project description:We attempted to identify candidate genes that are expressed more highly in the ICM than in TE cells. Mouse ES cells are cultured from the ICM, whereas mouse TS cells are cultured from the TE. Although these cells have been cultured in vitro, they represent the in vitro equivalents of the ICM and TE. Therefore, genes which are expressed more highly in ES than TS in microarray studies were good candidates for genes predominantly expressed in the ICM in blastocysts. Keywords: strain or line design
Project description:IL-6 has been shown to be required for somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, how the cytokine is regulated and if it plays a role during embryo development remains unknown. Here we describe that IL-6 is strictly necessary for C/EBPa-enhanced reprogramming of B cells into iPSCs but not for B cell to macrophage transdifferentiation. C/EBPa induces the expression of both Il6 and Il6ra genes in B cells and in PSCs. During preimplantation embryo development C/EBPa is expressed in blastocysts where it is required for the maintenance of Il6. The expression of Cebpa is enriched in trophectoderm together with Il6 whereas the receptor gene Il6ra is predominantly expressed in the inner cell mass (ICM), in both mouse and humans. Blastocysts secrete IL-6 and neutralization of the cytokine delays the morula to blastocyst transition. Our study indicates that the trophectoderm acts as a niche for the ICM through the secretion of C/EBPa-regulated IL-6, facilitating efficient blastocyst development.
Project description:IL-6 has been shown to be required for somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, how the cytokine is regulated and if it plays a role during embryo development remains unknown. Here we describe that IL-6 is strictly necessary for C/EBPa-enhanced reprogramming of B cells into iPSCs but not for B cell to macrophage transdifferentiation. C/EBPa induces the expression of both Il6 and Il6ra genes in B cells and in PSCs. During preimplantation embryo development C/EBPa is expressed in blastocysts where it is required for the maintenance of Il6. The expression of Cebpa is enriched in trophectoderm together with Il6 whereas the receptor gene Il6ra is predominantly expressed in the inner cell mass (ICM), in both mouse and humans. Blastocysts secrete IL-6 and neutralization of the cytokine delays the morula to blastocyst transition. Our study indicates that the trophectoderm acts as a niche for the ICM through the secretion of C/EBPa-regulated IL-6, facilitating efficient blastocyst development.
Project description:Genes and signaling pathways involved in pluripotency have been studied extensively in mouse and human pre-implantation embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. The unsuccessful attempts to generate ES cell lines from other species including cattle suggests that other genes and pathways are involved in maintaining pluripotency in these species. To investigate which genes are involved in bovine pluripotency, expression profiles were generated from morula, blastocyst, trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) samples using microarray analysis. As MAPK inhibition can increase the NANOG/GATA6 ratio in the inner cell mass, additionally blastocysts were cultured in the presence of a MAPK inhibitor and changes in gene expression in the inner cell mass were analyzed. Between morula and blastocyst 3,774 genes were differentially expressed and the largest differences were found in blastocyst up-regulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis shows lipid metabolic process as the term most enriched with genes expressed at higher levels in blastocysts. Genes with higher expression levels in morulae were enriched in the RNA processing GO term. Of the 497 differentially expressed genes comparing ICM and TE the expression of NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 was indeed increased in the ICM confirming their evolutionary preserved role in pluripotency. Several genes implicated to be involved in differentiation or fate determination were also expressed at higher levels in the ICM. Genes expressed at higher levels in the ICM were enriched in the RNA splicing and regulation of gene expression GO term. Although NANOG expression was elevated upon MAPK inhibition, SOX2 and POU5F1 expression showed little increase. Expression of other genes in the MAPK pathway including DUSP4 and SPRY4, or influenced by MAPK inhibition such as IFNT, was affected. The data obtained from the microarray studies provide further insight in gene expression during bovine embryonic development. They show an expression profile in pluripotent cells that indicates a pluripotent but epiblast-like state. These data indicate that MAPK inhibition alone is not sufficient to maintain a pluripotent character in bovine cells. Microarrays used were bovine whole genome gene expression microarrays V2 (Agilent Technologies) representing 43,653 Bos taurus 60-mer oligos in a 4x44K layout. RNA samples from ERK-inhibited ICM and control-treated ICM were compared in a common reference experiment design using 4 dual channel microarrays with each sample hybridized against an identical sample consisting of a pool of blastocysts total RNA. Within each group of two microarrays for each treatment, sample versus common reference hybridizations were performed in balanced dye-swap.
Project description:Genes and signaling pathways involved in pluripotency have been studied extensively in mouse and human pre-implantation embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. The unsuccessful attempts to generate ES cell lines from other species including cattle suggests that other genes and pathways are involved in maintaining pluripotency in these species. To investigate which genes are involved in bovine pluripotency, expression profiles were generated from morula, blastocyst, trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) samples using microarray analysis. As MAPK inhibition can increase the NANOG/GATA6 ratio in the inner cell mass, additionally blastocysts were cultured in the presence of a MAPK inhibitor and changes in gene expression in the inner cell mass were analyzed. Between morula and blastocyst 3,774 genes were differentially expressed and the largest differences were found in blastocyst up-regulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis shows lipid metabolic process as the term most enriched with genes expressed at higher levels in blastocysts. Genes with higher expression levels in morulae were enriched in the RNA processing GO term. Of the 497 differentially expressed genes comparing ICM and TE the expression of NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 was indeed increased in the ICM confirming their evolutionary preserved role in pluripotency. Several genes implicated to be involved in differentiation or fate determination were also expressed at higher levels in the ICM. Genes expressed at higher levels in the ICM were enriched in the RNA splicing and regulation of gene expression GO term. Although NANOG expression was elevated upon MAPK inhibition, SOX2 and POU5F1 expression showed little increase. Expression of other genes in the MAPK pathway including DUSP4 and SPRY4, or influenced by MAPK inhibition such as IFNT, was affected. The data obtained from the microarray studies provide further insight in gene expression during bovine embryonic development. They show an expression profile in pluripotent cells that indicates a pluripotent but epiblast-like state. These data indicate that MAPK inhibition alone is not sufficient to maintain a pluripotent character in bovine cells. Microarrays used were bovine whole genome gene expression microarrays V2 (Agilent Technologies) representing 43,653 Bos taurus 60-mer oligos in a 4x44K layout. RNA samples from morula, blastocyst and dissected inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) were compared in a common reference experiment design using 8 dual channel microarrays with each sample hybridized against an identical sample consisting of a pool of blastocysts total RNA. Within each group of two microarrays for each stage/tissue type, sample versus common reference hybridizations were performed in balanced dye-swap.
Project description:Implantation of the early embryo—the blastocyst—in the uterine wall to establish a pregnancy is remarkably inefficient in humans for reasons that remain largely unexplained1–3. In recent years, the volume of gene expression data from human preimplantation embryos has rapidly accumulated; however, prioritization of these data to discover specific genes that determine successful implantation is significantly hindered by ethical and experimental constraints. Here, we combine clinical morphologic grading with transcriptome analysis of matched trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) samples to identify specific genes and cell-cell interactions differentially activated in human blastocysts of high and low implantation potential genome-wide. This allowed us to develop the first prioritized list of genes and cell-cell interactions associated with successful implantation. Employing multiple machine learning approaches, we identified TE and ICM genes that distinguish embryos of high and low implantation potential and found that gene expression within the ICM best predicts implantation. Unexpectedly, we discovered that blastocysts of low implantation potential share defects in the formation of the extraembryonic primitive endoderm (PrE) and the PrE-associated extracellular matrix network. Our results support a model in which successful implantation is most strongly influenced by factors and signals from the ICM, and suggest that defective PrE development, in particular, is a common cause of failed implantation in humans.
Project description:Genes and signaling pathways involved in pluripotency have been studied extensively in mouse and human pre-implantation embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. The unsuccessful attempts to generate ES cell lines from other species including cattle suggests that other genes and pathways are involved in maintaining pluripotency in these species. To investigate which genes are involved in bovine pluripotency, expression profiles were generated from morula, blastocyst, trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) samples using microarray analysis. As MAPK inhibition can increase the NANOG/GATA6 ratio in the inner cell mass, additionally blastocysts were cultured in the presence of a MAPK inhibitor and changes in gene expression in the inner cell mass were analyzed. Between morula and blastocyst 3,774 genes were differentially expressed and the largest differences were found in blastocyst up-regulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis shows lipid metabolic process as the term most enriched with genes expressed at higher levels in blastocysts. Genes with higher expression levels in morulae were enriched in the RNA processing GO term. Of the 497 differentially expressed genes comparing ICM and TE the expression of NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 was indeed increased in the ICM confirming their evolutionary preserved role in pluripotency. Several genes implicated to be involved in differentiation or fate determination were also expressed at higher levels in the ICM. Genes expressed at higher levels in the ICM were enriched in the RNA splicing and regulation of gene expression GO term. Although NANOG expression was elevated upon MAPK inhibition, SOX2 and POU5F1 expression showed little increase. Expression of other genes in the MAPK pathway including DUSP4 and SPRY4, or influenced by MAPK inhibition such as IFNT, was affected. The data obtained from the microarray studies provide further insight in gene expression during bovine embryonic development. They show an expression profile in pluripotent cells that indicates a pluripotent but epiblast-like state. These data indicate that MAPK inhibition alone is not sufficient to maintain a pluripotent character in bovine cells.
Project description:Genes and signaling pathways involved in pluripotency have been studied extensively in mouse and human pre-implantation embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. The unsuccessful attempts to generate ES cell lines from other species including cattle suggests that other genes and pathways are involved in maintaining pluripotency in these species. To investigate which genes are involved in bovine pluripotency, expression profiles were generated from morula, blastocyst, trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) samples using microarray analysis. As MAPK inhibition can increase the NANOG/GATA6 ratio in the inner cell mass, additionally blastocysts were cultured in the presence of a MAPK inhibitor and changes in gene expression in the inner cell mass were analyzed. Between morula and blastocyst 3,774 genes were differentially expressed and the largest differences were found in blastocyst up-regulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis shows lipid metabolic process as the term most enriched with genes expressed at higher levels in blastocysts. Genes with higher expression levels in morulae were enriched in the RNA processing GO term. Of the 497 differentially expressed genes comparing ICM and TE the expression of NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 was indeed increased in the ICM confirming their evolutionary preserved role in pluripotency. Several genes implicated to be involved in differentiation or fate determination were also expressed at higher levels in the ICM. Genes expressed at higher levels in the ICM were enriched in the RNA splicing and regulation of gene expression GO term. Although NANOG expression was elevated upon MAPK inhibition, SOX2 and POU5F1 expression showed little increase. Expression of other genes in the MAPK pathway including DUSP4 and SPRY4, or influenced by MAPK inhibition such as IFNT, was affected. The data obtained from the microarray studies provide further insight in gene expression during bovine embryonic development. They show an expression profile in pluripotent cells that indicates a pluripotent but epiblast-like state. These data indicate that MAPK inhibition alone is not sufficient to maintain a pluripotent character in bovine cells.