A defined glycosaminoglycan‐binding surface facilitates endoderm differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Abstract

To utilize the full potential of human embryonic stem (hES) cells, defined, reproducible culture and differentiation conditions need to be developed. In previous work, we showed a defined glycosaminoglycan (GAG)‐binding surface can be used for the long‐term culture of hES cells. Here, we show that surfaces presenting the peptide GKKQRFRHRNRKG support efficient differentiation of hES cells to definitive endoderm. The conditions using this synthetic peptide‐modified surface are an improvement over current methods, not only because the surfaces are defined, but also because the efficiency of differentiation is enhanced. Specifically, hES cells cultured on the GAG‐binding surface express significantly more Sox17+ (a transcription factor that serves as a marker of definitive endoderm) than do hES cells differentiated on the undefined surface Matrigel. The superiority of the GAG‐binding surfaces for endoderm differentiation underscores that substrata that engage cell‐surface polysaccharides can be highly effective for hES cell expansion and differentiation. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Wisconsin Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship.