Stepwise Clearance of Repressive Roadblocks Drives Cardiac Induction in Human ESCs Scientists showed that BMP and WNT signaling drive cardiac specification by removing sequential roadblocks that otherwise redirect human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) differentiation toward competing fates, rather than activating a cardiac program per se. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract Pluripotent Stem Cells Induced from Mouse Neural Stem Cells and Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells by Small Molecule Compounds Using lineage tracing, researchers verified the generation of chemically induced pluripotent stem cells from fibroblasts. They demonstrated that neural stem cells from the ectoderm and small intestinal epithelial cells from the endoderm can be chemically reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells. [Cell Res] Full Article Genetically Engineering Self-Organization of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into a Liver Bud-Like Tissue Using GATA6 Scientists present a novel approach for generating and then co-differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived progenitors. With a genetically engineered pulse of GATA-binding protein 6 (GATA6) expression, they initiated rapid emergence of all three germ layers as a complex function of GATA6 expression levels and tissue context. [Nat Commun] Full Article Micronucleus Formation Causes Perpetual Unilateral Chromosome Inheritance in Mouse Embryos Researchers uncovered a strikingly different consequence of micronuclei (MN) formation in preimplantation development. They found that chromosomes from within MN become damaged and fail to support a functional kinetochore. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release Generation and Characterization of a MYF5 Reporter Human iPS Cell Line Using CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Homologous Recombination Scientists aimed to generate a knock-in reporter human iPS cell line for MYF5, an early myogenic specification gene, to allow prospective identification and purification of myogenic progenitors from human iPS cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article BMP-SMAD Signaling Regulates Lineage Priming, but Is Dispensable for Self-Renewal in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells The authors showed transient activation of the BMP-SMAD signaling pathway in mouse embryonic stem cells containing a BMP-SMAD responsive reporter transgene. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Efficient Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Arterial and Venous Endothelial Cells under Feeder- and Serum-Free Conditions Investigators report a simple, rapid, and efficient protocol for directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into endothelial progenitor cells capable of differentiation to arterial and venous endothelial cells under feeder-free and serum-free conditions. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Plasticity Is Regulated through Klf5 and Maintained by Metalloproteinase MMP1 and Hypoxia By employing a leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-dependent ‘plasticity’ test, scientists showed that Klf5, but not JunB is a key LIF effector. [PLoS One] Full Article Collagen Type I Improves the Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells towards Definitive Endoderm Almost 500 different extracellular matrix protein combinations were screened to systemically identify extracellular matrix proteins that influence differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to the definitive endoderm lineage. The percentage of definitive endoderm cells after differentiation on collagen I and fibronectin was >85% and 65%, respectively. [PLoS One] Full Article |