Tracing Synaptic Connectivity onto Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Researchers report the generation of a novel mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell line that harbors the genetic elements to allow Rabies virus-mediated transsynaptic circuit tracing in ES cell-derived neurons and their synaptic networks. [Stem Cells] Abstract Characterization of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes: Bioenergetics and Utilization in Safety Screening Functional analyses demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are capable of utilizing anaerobic or aerobic respiration depending upon the available carbon substrate, are bioenergetically closest to adult heart tissue cells when cultured in galactose or galactose supplemented with fatty acids, and show a dose dependent toxicity profile to a variety of kinase inhibitors with known clinical cardiac liabilities. [Toxicol Sci] Abstract Mechanism of Folate Deficiency-Induced Apoptosis in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells: Cell Cycle Arrest/Apoptosis in G1/G0 Mediated by MicroRNA-302a and Tumor Suppressor Gene Lats2 The authors investigated whether and how folate deprivation alters the properties of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) in culture. For this purpose, mESCs were cultured in folate-deficient or complete culture medium. [Int J Biochem Cell Biol] Abstract Lengthened G1 Phase Indicates Differentiation Status in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Scientists report the first use of real-time cell cycle reporters in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). They co-expressed the chromatin-decorating H2B-GFP fusion protein and the FUCCI-G1 fusion protein, a G1 phase-specific reporter, in hESCs to measure cell cycle status in live cells. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Microcarrier Suspension Cultures for High Density Expansion and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Neural Progenitor Cells To generate large numbers of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs), researchers introduced a microcarrier system for the expansion of a hiPSC line and its subsequent differentiation to NPC, using iPS (IMR90) as a model cell line. [Tissue Eng Part C Methods] Abstract Normalized Median Fluorescence: An Alternative Flow Cytometry Analysis Method for Tracking Human Embryonic Stem Cell States during Differentiation Investigators demonstrated that the normalized median fluorescence intensity is a more sensitive measure of pluripotent and differentiation marker expression changes during human embryonic stem cell differentiation into three germ layer lineages. [Tissue Eng Part C Methods] Abstract Anti-Aging Effects of Vitamin C on Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes Results suggest that human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes can be used as a unique human cardiomyocyte aging model in vitro and that vitamin C shows anti-aging effects in this model. [Age] Abstract Creation of Human Cardiac Cell Sheets Using Pluripotent Stem Cells Investigators developed a bioreactor to expand and induce cardiac differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). After cardiac differentiation, cardiomyocytes were cultured on temperature-responsive culture dishes and showed spontaneous and synchronous beating, even after cell sheets were detached from culture dishes. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract Comparison of Gene-Trapping Efficiency Between Retroviral and Lentiviral Vectors in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Researchers constructed both lentiviral and retroviral gene-trap vectors and analyzed integration sites in mouse embryonic stem cells. The trapping efficiency of unique genes was significantly higher for the lentiviral vector than for the retroviral vector. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract β1-Adrenoceptor Stimulation Enhances the Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Neural Progenitor Cells Scientists examined the involvement of β-adrenoceptor signaling on the differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into neural progenitor cells. [Neurosci Lett] Abstract |