バイオテクノロジーとバイオマテリアル

抽象的な

Control of Singular Cell Cycle Synchronization of Mouse ES Cells for Hepatocyte Differentiation on E-Cadherin Substratum

Dragomirka Jovic, Amranul Haque, Bayar Hexig, Masato Nagaoka and Toshihiro Akaike

Stem cells have enormous potential for therapeutic applications due to their ability to differentiate into diverse cell types. However, preparation of specific lineages at high purity from embryonic stem cells remains a challenge. We have previously reported that embryonic stem (ES) cells on E-cadherin substratum form single-cell scattering morphology. In this study, we report the effect of the hydroxyurea on singular ES cell cycle synchronization to achieve homogeneous population of differentiated cells on E-cadherin substratum. ES cells were successfully arrested in G1 phase with the administration of hydroxyurea and subsequently induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells. The homogeneous population of cells on E-cadherin substratum from synchronized ES cells have higher capability to differentiate into hepatocytes-like cells than unsynchronized ES cells. Moreover, synchronized cells re-enter into the normal cell cycle with the elimination of hydroxyurea for differentiation. Our strategy for ES cell cycle synchronization before differentiation induction possibly helps to increase the yield of hepatocyte-like cells under homogeneous culture condition.