Telomere elongation in parthenogenetic stem cells

Renpeng Guo,Fang Wang,Xiaoying Ye,Na Liu,Jie Hao,Yu Yin,Lin Liu

doi:10.1007/s13238-013-0006-z

Abstract

Telomere elongation in parthenogenetic stem cells

Highlights

Dear Editor, Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells, generated from oocytes by artificial activation without involvement of fertilization, show differentiation and pluripotency as evidenced by their capacity to generate germline chimeras and all pES pups by tetraploid embryo complementation, indicating the ability of pES cells to form all cell types in the body (Chen et al, 2009; Liu et al, 2011)
We thought to analyze the telomere lengths of pES cells, characteristic of ES cells in morphology (Fig. 1A), in comparison with those of ES cells at similar passages
ES and pES cells were depleted off mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) as feeder prior to harvest for analysis in subsequent experiments

Summary

Telomere elongation in parthenogenetic stem cells

Dear Editor, Parthenogenetic embryonic stem (pES) cells, generated from oocytes by artificial activation without involvement of fertilization, show differentiation and pluripotency as evidenced by their capacity to generate germline chimeras and all pES pups by tetraploid embryo complementation, indicating the ability of pES cells to form all cell types in the body (Chen et al, 2009; Liu et al, 2011). Telomere length maintenance is critical for genomic stability, unlimited self-renewal, and developmental pluripotency of ES cells It remains elusive whether telomeres are sufficiently reprogrammed in pES cells. Two other pES cell lines generated from oocytes of inbred young C57BL/6 mice displayed telomere maintenance or elongation during passages, like fES cells (N33) (Fig. 1E). To investigate the molecular bases of differential telomere elongation, we performed global gene expression analysis of pES cells, compared with fES cells by microarray. The microarray data were validated by qPCR analysis of selected genes, the fold in relative expression levels showed some differences for a few genes (Fig. 1G). The protein levels of Zscan were higher in pES cells than in ES cells, and highest in pES cell C3 (Fig. 2D), consistent with flow cytometry and immunofluorescence quantification data.

Relative expression level

Findings

Methods