Comparison of ES cells with relevant compartments of early embryos

ABSTRACT: Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are pluripotent stem cells that can contribute to all lineages of the embryo proper and were first isolated in 1981 in this laboratory (Evans and Kaufmann, 1981). They have contributed immeasurably to biology, both in terms of studying pluripotent stem cell maintenance in culture and in vitro differentiation, and because they can be easily genetically manipulated in culture, allowing for the production of mice with designed specific mutations (targeted mice), via homologous recombination. The recent isolation of human ES cell lines is promising in terms of stem cell therapy development. Mouse ES cell lines are isolated from the inner cell masses of mouse blastocysts between days 3.5 and 5.0 post coitum, or from the inner cell masses of delayed blastocysts. However, it has been suggested that some aspects of their biology may be more similar to embryonic ectoderm from early post implantation embryos, than to pre-implantation blastocysts. It has also been suggested that human embryonic stem cells are more similar to mouse stem cells derived from early embryonic ectoderm, than to mouse ES cells. Until recently, however, it has been difficult to answer these questions definitively, as the quantity of tissue available from early embryos is extremely limiting. However, we have used two rounds of RNA amplification on early embryonic samples and individual colonies picked from ES cell culture to compare the transcriptomic profiles of mouse ES cells with the embryonic tissues from with these cells are commonly derived, and with slightly later embryonic stages. We have found that ES cells are notably most similar in profile to embryonic ectoderm at day 5.5 (EE5.5) . ES cells cannot be derived from this post implantation embryonic tissue, so this result is in some ways surprising. However, ES cells show key differences from EE5.5, including the expression of markers of pluripotency such as Oct4 and Nanog (see gene lists acompanying this record), which explain how their ability to contribute to all tissues of the embryo proper is retained. Keywords: cell type comparison

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE8881 | GEO | 2008/07/22

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA102257

REPOSITORIES: GEO