ESC & iPSC News Volume 10.27 | Jul 22 2015

Robust In Vitro Induction of Human Germ Cell Fate from Pluripotent Stem Cells
Scientists showed that human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiate into incipient mesoderm-like cells, which robustly generated human primordial germ cell-like cells that can be purified using the surface markers EpCAM and INTEGRINα6. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Generation of Stomach Tissue from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers established a method for stomach differentiation from embryonic stem cells by inducing mesenchymal Barx1, an essential gene for in vivo stomach specification from gut endoderm. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract

SetDB1 Modulates PRC2 Activity at Developmental Genes Independent of H3K9 Trimethylation in Mouse ES Cells
Researchers characterized genome-wide SETDB1 binding and H3K9 trimethylation profiles in mouse embryonic stem cells and uncovered two distinct classes of SETDB1 binding sites, termed solo and ensemble peaks. [Genome Res] Abstract

Jarid2 Coordinates Nanog Expression and PCP/Wnt Signaling Required for Efficient ESC Differentiation and Early Embryo Development
Scientists showed that Jarid2^−/− embryonic stem cells (ESCs) express constitutively high levels of Nanog but reduced PCP signaling components Wnt9a, Prickle1, and Fzd2 and lowered β-catenin activity. Depletion of Wnt9a/Prickle1/Fzd2 from wild-type ESCs or overexpression of Nanog largely phenocopies these cellular defects. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

Single-Step Generation of Conditional Knockout Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators developed a reporter system to enrich for cells with engineered nuclease-assisted homologous recombination events. Using this system in mouse embryonic stem cells, they achieved single-step biallelic and seamless integration of two loxP sites for Cre recombinase-mediated inducible gene knockout, as well as biallelic endogenous gene tagging with high efficiency. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Single Cell Analysis Reveals Concomitant Transcription of Pluripotent and Lineage Markers during the Early Steps of Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells
The author used immuno-staining and single molecule RNA FISH to assess changes in the expression of the well-known pluripotency-associated gene Pou5f1 (also known as Oct4) and early differentiation markers Sox1 and T-brachyury in single cells during the early steps of differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Uncovering the Role of Hypermethylation by CTG Expansion in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Using Mutant Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Using 14 different myotonic dystrophy type 1-affected human embryonic stem cell lines, scientists characterized a differentially methylated region near CTGs. [Stem Cell Reports]
Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Retinoic Acid Induces Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation by Altering Both Encoding RNA and MicroRNA Expression
Using mRNA microarray analysis, investigators showed that retinoic acid repressed pluripotency-associated genes while activating ectoderm markers in mouse embryonic stem cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

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Biochemists Launch Crowdsourcing Site to Combat Bad Data
Chemists looking to design and test new medicines are awash in a sea of bad data, according to a report released today by an international panel of experts. The panel, made up of researchers from 46 nonprofit institutions, universities, and biotech and pharmaceutical firms, say they are setting up a TripAdvisor-like crowdsourcing portal to disseminate up-to-date information about chemical probes that they see as the heart of the problem. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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Scientist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Fellow – Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (National Cancer Center Singapore)

Postdoctoral Positions – Human ES & iPS Cells and Heart Regenerative Medicine (University of Pittsburgh)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Niche Function (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

MICA Stem Cell Scientist (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Stem Cell Scientist (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neurology (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

Postdoctoral Position – Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency and Self-Renewal (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

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