Embryonic stem (ES) cells can self-renew and differentiate to various cells depending on the culture condition. Although ES cells are a good model for cell type specification and can be useful for application in clinics in the future, studies on ES cells have many experimental restraints including low transfection efficiency and transgene expression. Here, we observed that transgene expression after transfection was enhanced by treatment with histone deacetylse (HDAC) inhibitors such as trichostatin A, sodium butyrate, and valproic acid. Transfection was performed using conventional transfection reagents with a retroviral vector encoding GFP under the control of CMV promoter as a reporter. Treatment of ES cells with HDAC inhibitors after transfection increased population of GFP positive cells up to 180% compared with untreated control. ES cells showed normal expression of stem cell markers after treatment with HDAC inhibitors. Transgene expression was further enhanced by modifying transfection procedure. GFP positive cells selected after transfection were proved to have the stem cell properties. Our improved protocol for enhanced gene delivery and expression in mouse ES cells without hampering ES cell properties will be useful for study and application of ES cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as a key regulator of diverse cellular functions. To find out novel miRNAs that promote the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we compared the miRNAs expression profiles of mESCs under self-renewal vs. differentiation states. We noticed that miR-222 was highly expressed during the differentiation of mESCs. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of miR-222 was up-regulated during the embryonic bodies formation and retinoic acid -dependent differentiation. When miR-222 was suppressed by antogomiR-222, the differentiation of mESCs was delayed compared to control. Self-renewal marker expression or cell proliferation was not affected but the expression of lineage specific marker was suppressed by the treatment of miR-222 inhibitor during the differentiation of mESCs. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-222 functions to promote the differentiation of mESCs by regulating expression of differentiation related genes.

DNA 메틸화 (DNA methylation)는 유전자의 발현을 조절하는 대표적인 후생학적 조절기작 (epigenetic regulation) 중에 하나이다. DNA 메틸화 양상은 생식세포 형성과정 및 배 발생단계에서 탈메틸화 (demethylation)와 de novo 메틸화의 드라마틱한 변화가 일어난다. 또한 이러한 DNA 메틸화는 배아줄기세포 (embryonic stem cells, ESCs)에서 특징적인 양상을 보이는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 생쥐 수정란 유래 배아줄기세포와 체세포핵이식 배아줄기세포 (nuclear transplanted ESCs)를 이용해서 대표적 각인유전자 (imprinting genes)로 알려진 Snrpn, Igf2r, H19 유전자들에 대한 메틸화 양상을 알아보고자 하였다. 연구 결과 H19 유전자에 대해서는 DNA 메틸화 양상은 수정란 유래 배아줄기세포와 체세포핵이식 배아줄기세포에서 비슷한 경향을 보였으나, Snrpn과 Igf2r의 경우에는 체세포핵이식 배아줄기세포에서 과메틸화 (hypermethylation) 경향을 보였다.

It has been reported that ganglioside GT1b is expressed during neuronal cell differentiation from undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which suggests that ganglioside GT1b has a direct effect on neuronal cell differentiation. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of exogenous addition of ganglioside GT1b to an in vitro model of neuronal cell differentiation from undifferentiated mESCs. The results revealed that a significant increase in the expression of ganglioside GT1b occurred during neuronal differentiation of undifferentiated mESCs. Next, we evaluated the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on GT1b-treated undifferentiated mESCs, which was found to lead to increased neuronal differentiation. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that ganglioside GT1b plays a crucial role in neuronal differentiation of mESCs.

배아 줄기세포는 세포 치료 목적을 위한 재료로써 매우 큰 잠재력을 가지고 있으며, 이러한 잠재력의 실현을 위해서 세포의 운명에 결정적인 역할을 하는 요소들을 확인하고 특정 세포의 대량 생산을 위한 방법을 개발하여야 한다. 조혈과정은 폭넓게 연구되어 왔으며, 배아 줄기세포로부터 조혈세포의 분화는 lineage commitment에 관한 연구에 좋은 모델이 된다. 본 연구에서는, 두 종류의 마우스 배아 줄기세포주 TC-1과 B6-1를 이용하여 그 특성과 조

배반포 단계의 난자에서 차이 나게 발현하는 유전자의 발굴을 통해 초기 동물 발생과 분화에 관한 기전을 알 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 새로운 차별발현 역전사효소중합법, 이름하여 에닐링 콘트롤 프라이머(ACP) 방법에 의해 생쥐 배반포에서 차이 나게 발현하는 유전자를 줄기세포와 비교하여 발굴하였다. 총 100개의 ACP를 사용하여 26개의 유전자 단편을 확인하였고, BLAST 탐색에 의해 유전자 정보 은행(GeneBank/EMBL)에 저장된 유전자와 동일하다

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate spontaneously into beating cardiomyocytes via embryo-like aggregates. We describe the use of mouse embryonic stem (mES03) cells as a reproducible differentiation system for cardiomyocyte. To induce cardiomyocytic differentiation, mES03 cells were dissociated and allowed to aggregate (EB formation) at the presence of 0 75% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 4 days and then another 4 days without DMSO (4+/4-). Thus treated EBs were plated onto gelatin-coated dish for differentiation. Spontaneously contracting colonies which appeared in approximately 4-5 days upon differentiation. Expression of cardiac-specific genes were determined by RT-PCR. Rebust expression of myosin light chain (MLC-2V), cardiac myosin heavy chain , cardiac muscle heavy polypeptide 7 -MHC), cardiac transcription factor GATA4 and skeletal muscle-specific -subunit of the L-type calcium channel () were detected as early as 8 days after EB formation, but message of cardiac muscle-specific -subunit of the L-type calcium channel (CaCh) were revealed at a low level. Strikingly, the expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was not detected. When spontaneous contracting cell masses were examined their electrophysiological features by patch-clamp technique, it showed ventricle-like action potential 17 days after the EB formation. This study indicates that mES03 cell-derived cardiomyocytes displayed biochemical and electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes and DMSO enhanced development of cardiomyocytes in 4+/4- method.

배아줄기세포(embryonic stem cell, ESC)는 미분화상태로 지속적인 계대가 가능하며, 정상 핵형과 전 분화능(pluripotency)을 가져 생체내-외에서 분화 유도시 삼배엽성의 모든 세포로 분화 가능하다. ESC를 feeder 세포 없이 부유배양하면 배아체(embryoid body, EB)를 형성하고, 초기 배아 발생과 유사한 분화 양상을 갖는다. ESC의 분화 유도가 초기배아 발생처럼 생식호르몬(GTH: FSH, LH; steroids