Timely stimulation of early embryo promotes the acquisition of pluripotency. Issue 8 (25th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Fengying; Pang, Changmiao; Zhu, Haoyun; Chen, Yanglin
• Other Names: Su Xuantao guestEditor.; Tárnok Attila guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Cytometry. Volume 101:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: 682
• Page End: 691
• Publication Date: 2022-03-25
• Subjects: 2i/LIF -- Activin A -- bFGF -- new approach -- pluripotent stem cells; Flow cytometry -- Periodicals; Imaging systems in biology -- Periodicals; Imaging systems in medicine -- Periodicals; Diagnostic imaging -- Periodicals; 571.605
• DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24551
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-4922

Abstract

Abstract: Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) are both pluripotent stem cells from early embryos. Another type of pluripotent s tem c ells, which are similar with EpiSCs and derive from pre‐implantation embryos in feeder‐free and chemically defined medium containing A ctivin A and basic fibroblast growth factors (b F GF), is termed as AFSCs. The pluripotency and self‐renewal maintenance of ESCs rely on Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)/STAT/BMP4/SMAD signaling, while the pluripotency and self‐renewal maintenance of EpiSCs and AFSCs rely on bFGF and Activin/Nodal signaling. However, the establishment efficiency of AFSCs lines is low. In this study, we stimulated early embryos by 2i/LIF (CHIR99021 + PD0325901 + LIF) and Activin A + bFGF respectively, to change the cell fate in inner cell mass (ICM). The "fate changed embryos" by 2i/LIF can efficiently produce AFSCs in feeder‐free and chemically defined medium, but the efficiency of embryos treated with Activin A + bFGF were poor. The AFSCs from fate‐changed embryos share similar molecular characteristics with conventional AFSCs and EpiSCs. Our results suggest that the advanced stimulation of 2i/LIF and the premature stimulation of Activin A + bFGF contribute to capturing the pluripotent stem cells in early embryos, and the FGF/MAPK signaling dominate early embryo development. Our study provides a new approach to capturing pluripotency from pre‐implantation embryos.