Project description:Trophoblast is the primary epithelial cell type in the placenta, a transient organ required for proper fetal growth and development. We have identified a CDX2+/p63+ cytotrophoblast (CTB) subpopulation in the early post-implantation human placenta, which is significantly reduced later in gestation. CTB differentiate into different trophoblast subtypes, which are responsible for gas/nutrient exchange (syncytiotrophoblast/STB) and invasion and maternal vascular remodeling (extravillous trophoblast/EVT). Study of early human placental development is severely hampered by lack of a representative trophoblast stem cell (TSC) model, with the capacity for self-renewal and the ability to differentiate into both STB and EVT. We describe a reproducible protocol, using defined media containing BMP4, by which human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can be differentiated into CDX2+/p63+ CTB-like cells. These cells can be replated to further differentiate into STB- and EVT-like cells, based on marker expression, hormone secretion and invasive ability. Differentiation of hPSC-derived CTB in hypoxia leads to reduced hCG secretion and STB-associated gene expression, instead inducing EVT differentiation in a hypoxia-inducible factor-dependent manner. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) (WA09/H9) were maintained on Geltrex-coated plates (BD Biosciences ) in StemPro (Thermo Fisher) + bFGF (12 ng/ml). Undifferentiated hESC (D-2) were switched to minimal media (EMIM (Erb et al., 2011) containing KO DMEM/F12 (Gibco), 1% Insulin-Transferrin-Selenium Mix (Sigma-Aldrich), 1% NEAA (Gibco), 2mM L-Glutamine (Corning), 0.1mM 2-mercaptoethanol (Gibo), and 2% BSA (Gemini Bio Products)) for 2 days then treated with BMP4 (StemRD, 10ng/ml) for 3 days in minimal media+BMP4 (D3). At D3, cells were replated onto Geltrex in Feeder Conditioned Media +BMP4 and cultured in normoxia (20% O2) or hypoxia (2% O2) for 2 days (D3+2) to assess the effect of hypoxia. Cells were infected with lentiviral shRNA for shScramble (control) or shARNT, the beta subunit of the Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) complex to assess the effect of ARNT knockdown. Each sample includes biological triplicates.

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.

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BMP4 initiates human ES cell differentiation

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