Abstract
The signals that direct pluripotent stem cell differentiation into lineage-specific cells remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the roles of BMP on vascular progenitor development from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). In a serum-free condition, hESCs sequentially differentiated into CD34+CD31-, CD34+CD31+, and then CD34-CD31+ cells during vascular cell development. CD34+CD31+ cells contained vascular progenitor population that gives rise to endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. BMP4 promoted hESC differentiation into CD34+CD31+ cells at an early stage. In contrast, TGFβ suppressed BMP4-induced CD34+CD31+ cell development, and promoted CD34+CD31- cells that failed to give rise to either endothelial or smooth muscle cells. The BMP-Smad inhibitor, dorsomorphin, inhibited phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, and blocked hESC differentiation to CD34+CD31+ progenitor cells, suggesting that BMP Smad-dependent signaling is critical for CD34+CD31+ vascular progenitor development. Our findings provide new insight into how pluripotent hESCs differentiate into vascular cells.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 363-374 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of cellular biochemistry |
Volume | 109 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- BMP4
- Endothelial cells
- Human embryonic stem cells
- Smooth muscle cells
- TGFβ
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology