Abstract
ABSTRACTIn the present study, we showed that the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in the mouse embryo contains pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) that have developmental capacities equivalent to those of embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Mouse embryonic DRG cells expressed pluripotency-related transcription factors [octamer-binding transcription factor 4, SRY (sex determining region Y)-box containing gene (Sox) 2, and Nanog] that play essential roles in maintaining the pluripotency of ES cells. Furthermore, the DRG cells differentiated into ectoderm-, mesoderm- and endoderm-derived cells. In addition, these cells produced primordial germ cell-like cells and embryoid body-like spheres. We also showed that the combination of leukemia inhibitor factor/bone morphogenetic protein 2/fibroblast growth factor 2 effectively promoted maintenance of the pluripotency of the PSCs present in DRGs, as well as that of neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) in DRGs, which were previously shown to be present there. Furthermore, the expression of pluripotency-related transcription factors in the DRG cells was regulated by chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 7 and Sox10, which are indispensable for the formation of NCSCs, and vice versa. These findings support the possibility that PSCs in mouse embryonic DRGs are NCSCs.
Highlights
The neural crest is a transient embryonic structure that originates from the neural fold during vertebrate development
We investigated mouse embryonic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) to determine whether or not the DRGs contain pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), what conditions are essential for the maintenance of neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) and PSCs in the DRGs, and what correlation exists between PSCs and NCSCs in the DRGs
Expression of pluripotency-related transcription factors and stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA1) and activity of alkaline phosphatase in mouse embryonic DRGs We examined the expression of pluripotency-related transcription factors and SSEA1 and the activity of alkaline phosphatase in embryonic day (E)12 mouse DRGs
Summary
The neural crest is a transient embryonic structure that originates from the neural fold during vertebrate development. Some of the neural crest cells undergo developmental restrictions, some instead maintain their multipotency even after having entered target tissues (Motohashi et al, 2014) and form neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) (Shakhova and Sommer, 2010; Achilleos and Trainor, 2012; Dupin and Sommer, 2012; Sieber-Blum, 2012). It has been reported that NCSCs exist in late. Received 14 September 2016; Accepted 27 March 2017 embryonic and adult tissues such as dorsal root ganglion (DRG) (Hagedorn et al, 1999; Paratore et al, 2002; Li et al, 2007), sciatic nerve (Morrison et al, 1999; Joseph et al, 2004), gut (Kruger et al, 2002; Bixby et al, 2002), bone marrow (Nagoshi et al, 2008), cornea (Yoshida et al, 2006), heart (Tomita et al, 2005), and skin (Sieber-Blum et al, 2004; Wong et al, 2006)
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