Title | Gene expression signatures of extracellular matrix and growth factors during embryonic stem cell differentiation. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Nair, R, Ngangan, AV, Kemp, ML, McDevitt, TC |
Journal | PLOS One |
Date Published | 2012 |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Keywords | Analysis of Variance, Cell Differentiation, Cluster Analysis, Embryonic Stem Cells, Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Gene Expression Profiling, Humans, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction |
Abstract | Pluripotent stem cells are uniquely capable of differentiating into somatic cell derivatives of all three germ lineages, therefore holding tremendous promise for developmental biology studies and regenerative medicine therapies. Although temporal patterns of phenotypic gene expression have been relatively well characterized during the course of differentiation, coincident patterns of endogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) and growth factor expression that accompany pluripotent stem cell differentiation remain much less well-defined. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the global dynamic profiles of ECM and growth factor genes associated with early stages of pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation. Gene expression analysis of ECM and growth factors by ESCs differentiating as embryoid bodies for up to 14 days was assessed using PCR arrays (172 unique genes total), and the results were examined using a variety of data mining methods. As expected, decreases in the expression of genes regulating pluripotent stem cell fate preceded subsequent increases in morphogen expression associated with differentiation. Pathway analysis generated solely from ECM and growth factor gene expression highlighted morphogenic cell processes within the embryoid bodies, such as cell growth, migration, and intercellular signaling, that are required for primitive tissue and organ developmental events. In addition, systems analysis of ECM and growth factor gene expression alone identified intracellular molecules and signaling pathways involved in the progression of pluripotent stem cell differentiation that were not contained within the array data set. Overall, these studies represent a novel framework to dissect the complex, dynamic nature of the extracellular biochemical milieu of stem cell microenvironments that regulate pluripotent cell fate decisions and morphogenesis. |
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0042580 |
Alternate Journal | PLoS ONE |
PubMed ID | 23077480 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC3471908 |
Grant List | T32 GM008433 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States EB007316 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States |