Title
Human embryonic stem cells are pre-mitotically committed to self-renewal and acquire a lengthened G1 phase upon lineage programming
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Cell Biology
Date
1-24-2010
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Animals; Autocrine Communication; Cell Count; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; *Cell Lineage; Cell Proliferation; Culture Media, Conditioned; DNA; Embryonic Stem Cells; *G1 Phase; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Mice; Pluripotent Stem Cells; S Phase; Signal Transduction
Disciplines
Cell Biology
Abstract
Self-renewal of human embryonic stem (hES) cells proceeds by a unique abbreviated cell cycle with a shortened G1 phase and distinctions in molecular cell cycle regulatory parameters. In this study, we show that early lineage-commitment of pluripotent hES cells modifies cell cycle kinetics. Human ES cells acquire a lengthened G1 within 72 h after lineage-programming is initiated, as reflected by loss of the pluripotency factor Oct4 and alterations in nuclear morphology. In hES cells that maintain the pristine pluripotent state, we find that autocrine mechanisms contribute to sustaining the abbreviated cell cycle. Our data show that naive and mitotically synchronized pluripotent hES cells are competent to initiate two consecutive S phases in the absence of external growth factors. We conclude that short-term self-renewal of pluripotent hES cells occurs autonomously, in part due to secreted factors, and that pluripotency is functionally linked to the abbreviated hES cell cycle.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: J Cell Physiol. 2010 Jan;222(1):103-10. Link to article on publisher's site