1. Media composition modulates human embryonic stem cell morphology and may influence preferential lineage differentiation potential
- Author
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Linda Harkness, Anthony Davies, Marianne Gillard, Xiaoli Chen, and Peter Paul Gray
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Embryology ,Transcription, Genetic ,Cellular differentiation ,Human Embryonic Stem Cells ,Cell Culture Techniques ,Gene Expression ,Ectoderm ,Embryoid body ,Mesoderm ,0302 clinical medicine ,Animal Cells ,Cluster Analysis ,Cytoskeleton ,Staining ,Multidisciplinary ,Stem Cells ,Endoderm ,Cell Staining ,Cell Differentiation ,Cell biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,embryonic structures ,Medicine ,Cellular Structures and Organelles ,Cellular Types ,Research Article ,Pluripotent Stem Cells ,Pluripotency ,Lineage (genetic) ,Adhesion Molecules ,Science ,Cell Potency ,Biology ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Cell Line ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine ,Genetics ,Humans ,Cell Lineage ,Embryoid Bodies ,Focal Adhesions ,Lineage markers ,Gene Expression Profiling ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Cell Biology ,Molecular Development ,Embryonic stem cell ,Culture Media ,030104 developmental biology ,Microscopy, Fluorescence ,Specimen Preparation and Treatment ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
Undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells have a distinct morphology (hESC). Changes in cell morphology during culture can be indicative of differentiation. hESC, maintained in diverse medias, demonstrated alterations in morphological parameters and subsequent alterations in underlying transcript expression and lineage differentiation. Analysis of morphological parameters showed distinct and significant differences between the undefined, less defined and Xeno-free medias while still maintaining pluripotency markers. This suggested that the less defined media may be creating dynamic instability in the cytoskeleton, with the cytoskeleton becoming more stabilised in the Xeno-free media as demonstrated by smaller and rounder cells. Examination of early lineage markers during undirected differentiation using d5 embryoid bodies demonstrated increased mesodermal lineage preference as compared to endodermal or ectoderm in cells originally cultured in Xeno-free media. Undefined media showed preference for mesoderm and ectoderm lineages, while less defined media (BSA present) demonstrated no preference. These data reveal that culture media may produce fundamental changes in cell morphology which are reflected in early lineage differentiation choice.
- Published
- 2018