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Signals from the Surface to Control Cell Fate Decisions
Author(s) -
Kiessling Laura L
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.213.3
Subject(s) - induced pluripotent stem cell , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell , biology , extracellular matrix , cellular differentiation , cell type , cell , signal transduction , genetics , gene
Human pluripotent stem cells (human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) have the ability to self‐renew indefinitely and differentiate into all cell types. The repertoire of signals that have been used to date to direct their propagation or differentiation is limited. Additionally, undefined culture conditions are typically used, which complicates determining the critical signaling pathways for expansion or differentiation. Our goal is to identify chemically defined conditions to control signaling pathways to elicit human pluripotent stem (hPS) cell selfrenewal or differentiation. In physiological settings, the microenvironment of the niche transmits information through three types of components: soluble molecules, neighboring cells, and the extracellular matrix. While the focus has been on identifying soluble components that influence cell decisions, insoluble components are likely to have critical roles in orchestrating signaling. To mine this molecular space, we devised arrays of chemically defined surfaces composed of self‐assembled monolayers. From these arrays, we identified surfaces with surprising assets: They not only permit human pluripotent stem cells to differentiate to specific lineages but even instruct them to do so. Our findings highlight the dramatic effects of insoluble cues on stem cell pluripotency and differentiation. Moreover, they underscore the utility of defined surfaces to dissect critical signaling pathways. This research was supported by the NIH (R01‐ GM049975 and R01‐AI055258).