Project description:Extraembryonic endoderm stem (XEN) cells are isolated from PrE (primitive endoderm) of blastocysts. We directly obtained cell lines with XEN characteristics from porcine embryos for the first time. the RNA-seq data indicated highly reproducible gene expression patterns among piPSCs or pXEN-like cell.the gene expression patterns of pXEN-like cells were significantly different from those of piPSCs
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) cells are isolated from primitive endoderm (PrE) of blastocysts. Just like PrE, XEN cells have the ability to differentiate into parietal endoderm (PE) and visceral endoderm (VE), and therefore, they are useful tools for studying mechanisms of PrE cells development and differentiation. Pig is an ideal model for studying human cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and a potential organ source for allotransplantation, while no XEN cell has been obtained from porcine embryos. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Using a serum-free culture system, we directly derived porcine extraembryonic endoderm-like cells (pXEN-like cells) from day 6-7 blastocysts, which could maintain self-renewal for at least 30 passages. RESULTS:The pXEN-like cells resembled mouse XEN cells with large and flat clone morphology and expressed XEN marker genes but not pluripotent genes. Upon in vitro induction, the cells could differentiate into VE and PE. FGF/MEK signalling was not only essential for the maintenance of pXEN-like cells, but also the induction of pXEN-like cells from porcine embryonic stem (pES) cells. CONCLUSIONS:We directly obtained cell lines with XEN characteristics from porcine embryos for the first time. The cells will be helpful tools for studying embryonic development and cell differentiation, which also represent promising cell sources for human regenerative medicine.
Project description:We report for the first time, the derivation and characterization of extra-embryonic endoderm (XEN) cells from primitive endoderm (PrE) of porcine (p) embryos. The pXEN cells can be reliably and reproducibly generated from parthenogenic, in vitro or in vivo derived embryos, and express canonical PrE or XEN cell genes (GATA4, GATA6, SOX17, SALL4, FOXA2, and HNF4A). Transcriptome analysis of pXEN cells revealed close resemblance to yolk sac than any other embryonic or extraembryonic tissue. When introduced into blastocyst stage embryo, the pXEN cells contributed to wide-spread chimerism including visceral yolk sac, chorion, as well as embryonic gut and liver primordium in the fetus. The pXEN cells were shown to be an efficient nuclear donor for generating cloned offspring. Taken together, pXEN cells fulfil a longstanding need for a stable, chimera-competent, and nuclear transfer-compatible porcine embryonic cells with applications for genome editing in livestock.
Project description:We detected the gene expression differences between porcine extra-embryonic endoderm cells and naïve like and primed porcine ESCs. Gene expression of porcine extra-embryonic endoderm cells was distinct with porcine naïve like and primed embryonic stem cells. Pearson correlation analysis confirmed that porcine naïve like and primed ESCs have stronger correlation than the correlation between either pXEN cells and porcine naïve like ESCs or primed ESCs. Porcine extra-embryonic endoderm cells have a distinct identity, clustering neither with porcine naïve like ESCs nor with primed ESCs. We confirmed that porcine extra-embryonic endoderm cells lack the expression of key pluripotency genes, such as Sox2, Pou5f1 and Klf4, but they expressed other pluripotency genes, such as Sall4, Lin28a and Klf5. Furthermore, porcine extra-embryonic endoderm cells robustly express Gata4, Gata6 and Sox17 as well as genes encoding ExEn-associated cell surface proteins or basement membrane components Pdgfra, Col4a2, Lama1, Lamb1, Sparc, Ihh, Hnf4a and Dab2, which is in contrast to porcine naïve like ESCs that express these genes at a low level or lack expression altogether
Project description:XEN cells are derived from the primitive endoderm of mouse blastocysts. In culture and in chimeras they exhibit properties of parietal endoderm. However, BMP signaling promotes XEN cells to form an epithelium and differentiate into visceral endoderm (VE). Of the several different subtypes of VE described, BMP induces a subtype that is most similar to the VE adjacent to the trophoblast-derived extraembryonic ectoderm. The experiment was performed to gain insight into genes regulated by BMP and activin in XEN cells, and also to more precisely define the VE subtypes formed in culture. IM8A1 XEN cells were treated for 6 days with BMP2 (20 ng/ml, R&D Systems), activin A (30 ng/ml, Peprotech), both, or neither in GMEM + 10% fetal bovine serum.
Project description:XEN cells are derived from the primitive endoderm of mouse blastocysts. In culture and in chimeras they exhibit properties of parietal endoderm. However, BMP signaling promotes XEN cells to form an epithelium and differentiate into visceral endoderm (VE). Of the several different subtypes of VE described, BMP induces a subtype that is most similar to the VE adjacent to the trophoblast-derived extraembryonic ectoderm. The experiment was performed to gain insight into genes regulated by BMP and activin in XEN cells, and also to more precisely define the VE subtypes formed in culture.
Project description:Extraembryonic mesoderm (ExM) is one of the first cell types that emerges during embryogenesis and constitutes essential supportive tissues for the pregnancy. Primate ExM is known to form prior to gastrulation, unlike its murine counterpart which is derived from the primitive streak. Based on the embryonic morphology and the proximity of ExM to the extraembryonic endoderm (hypoblast), we hypothesised that ExM can be derived in vitro from the naïve extraembryonic endoderm (nEnd) cell line. We applied a mesoderm differentiation protocol, which has been reported to induce ExM from mouse epiblast stem cells, on human nEnd and analysed the transcriptome on day 0, 1, 2, 8 and 15.
Project description:The mammalian blastocyst consists of three distinct cell types: epiblast, trophoblast (TB), and primitive endoderm (PrE). Although embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) retain the functional properties of Epi and TB, the currently available extraembryonic endoderm cells (XENC) do not fully recapitulate the developmental potential of PrE. Here we report derivation of primitive endoderm stem cells (PrESCs) in mice. PrESCs express both PrE and pluripotency marker genes like founder PrE. These cells are efficiently incorporated into PrE upon blastocyst injection, generate functionally competent PrE-derived tissues, and support fetal development of PrE-depleted blastocysts in chimeras. Establishment of PrESCs therefore represents a significant step-forward in elucidating the mechanisms for PrE specification and subsequent pre- and post-implantation development.
Project description:The visceral endoderm (VE) is an epithelial tissue in the early postimplantation mouse embryo that encapsulates the pluripotent epiblast distally and the extraembryonic ectoderm proximally. In addition to facilitating nutrient exchange before the establishment of a circulation, the VE is critical for patterning the epiblast. Since VE is derived from the primitive endoderm (PrE) of the blastocyst, and PrE-derived eXtraembryonic ENdoderm (XEN) cells can be propagated in vitro, XEN cells should provide an important tool for identifying factors that direct VE differentiation. In this study, we demonstrated that BMP4 signalling induces the formation of a polarized epithelium in XEN cells. This morphological transition was reversible, and was associated with the acquisition of a molecular signature comparable to extraembryonic (ex) VE. Resembling exVE which will form the endoderm of the visceral yolk sac, BMP4-treated XEN cells regulated hematopoiesis by stimulating the expansion of primitive erythroid progenitors. We also observed that LIF exerted an antagonistic effect on BMP4-induced XEN cell differentiation, thereby impacting the extrinsic conditions used for the isolation and maintenance of XEN cells in an undifferentiated state. Taken together, our data suggest that XEN cells can be differentiated towards an exVE identity upon BMP4 stimulation, and therefore represent a valuable tool for investigating PrE lineage differentiation. Total RNA isolated in triplicate from XEN stem cell cultures that were untreated (samples 1-3) or treated with BMP4 growth factor (samples 4-6). Total RNA isolated in triplicate from XEN stem cells that were treated with BMP4 and were flow sorted as Afp::GFP-positive (samples 7-9) or Afp::GFP-negative (samples 10-12).