Skip to main content
Log in

Culture and differentiation of embryonic stem cells

  • Published:
Journal of tissue culture methods

Summary

Techniques are described for the culture of murine embryonic stem cells in the absence of heterologous feeder cells and for the induction of differentiation programs. The regulatory factor differentiation inhibiting activity/ leukaemia inhibitory factor (DIA/LIF) is produced at high concentration by transient expression in Cos cells and is used to suppress stem cell differentiation by addition to the culture medium. Differentiation is then induced in a controlled manner either by withdrawal of DIA/LIF or by exposure to the chemical inducers retinoic acid or 3-methoxybenzamide.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

V. References

  1. Bradley, A.; Evans, M.; Kaufman, M. H., et al. Formation of germ-line chimaeras from embryo-derived teratocarcinoma cell lines. Nature 309:255–256; 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Chen, C.; Okayama, H. High-efficiency transformation of mammalian cells by plasmid DNA. Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:2745–2752; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Doetschman, T. C.; Eistetter, H.; Katz, M., et al. The in vitro development of blastocyst-derived embryonic stem cell lines: formation of visceral yolk sac, blood islands and myocardium. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol. 87:27–45; 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Evans, M. J.; Kaufman, M. Establishment in culture of pluripotential cells from mouse embryos. Nature 292:154–156; 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Giguere, V.; Ong, E. S.; Segui, P., et al. Identification of a receptor for the morphogen retinoic acid. Nature 330:624–629; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Heath, J. K.; Smith, A. G. Regulatory factors of embryonic stem cells. J. Cell Sci. Suppl. 10:257–266; 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Heath, J. K.; Smith, A. G. Growth factors in embryogenesis. Br. Med. Bull. 45:319–336; 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Heath, J. K.; Smith, A. G.; Wills, A. J., et al. Growth and differentiation factors of embryonic stem cells. In: de Laat, S. W.; Mummery, C.; Bluemink, J. eds. Cell to cell signals in mammalian development. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1989:219–229.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hooper, M.; Hardy, K.; Handyside, A., et al. HPRT-deficient (Lesch-Nyhan) mouse embryos derived from germline colonization by cultured cells. Nature 326:292–295; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Maniatis, T.; Fritsch, E. F.; Sambrook, J. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Martin, G. R. Isolation of a pluripotent cell line from early mouse embryos cultured in medium conditioned by teratocarcinoma stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:7634–7638; 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Martin, G. R.; Evans, M. J. Differentiation of clonal teratocarcinoma cells: formation of embryoid bodies in vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 72:1441–1445; 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Moreau, J-F.; Donaldson, D. D.; Bennett, F., et al. Leukaemia inhibitory factor is identical to the myeloid growth factor human interleukin for DA cells. Nature 336:690–692; 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nichols, J.; Evans, E. P.; Smith, A. G. Establishment of germ-line competent embryonic stem (ES) cells using differentiation inhibiting activity (DIA). Development. In press; 1990.

  15. Ohashi, Y.; Ueda, K.; Hayaishi, O., et al. Induction of murine teratocarcinoma differentiation by suppression of poly (ADP-ribose) synthesis. Proc. Natl. Sci. USA 81:7132–7136; 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Petkovich, M.; Brand, N. J.; Krust, A., et al. A human retinoic acid receptor which belongs to the family of nuclear receptors. Nature 330:444–450; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rathjen, P. D.; Toth. S.; Willis, A., et al. Differentiation inhibiting activity is produced in matrix-associated and diffusible forms that are generated by alternate promoter usage. Cell 62:1104–1115; 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Rathjen, P. D.; Nichols, J. N.; Toth, S., et al. Developmentally programmed induction of differentiation inhibiting activity and the control of stem cell populations. Genes and Development. In press.

  19. Robertson, E. J. Pluripotential stem cell lines as a route into the mouse germ line. Trends Genet. 2:9–13; 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Robertson, E. J. Embryo-derived stem cell lines. In: Robertson, E. J., ed. Teratocarcinomas and embryonic stem cells: a practical approach. Oxford: IRL Press; 1987:71–112.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Smith, A. G.; Heath, J. K.; Donaldson, D. D., et al. Inhibition of pluripotential embryonic stem cell differentiation by purified polypeptides. Nature 336:688–690; 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Smith, A. G.; Hooper, M. L. Buffalo rat liver cells produce a diffusible activity which inhibits the differentiation of murine embryonal carcinoma and embryonic stem cells. Dev. Biol. 121:1–9; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Strickland, S.; Mahdavi, V. The induction of differentiation in teratocarcinoma cells by retinoic acid. Cell 15:393–403; 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Thomas, K. R.; Capecchi, M. R. Site-directed mutagenesis by gene targeting in mouse embryo-derived stem cells. Cell 51:503–512; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tsui, L. C.; Breitman, M. L.; Siminovitch, L., et al. Persistence of freely replicating SV40 recombinant molecules carrying a selectable marker in permissive simian cells. Cell 30:499–508; 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Williams, R. L.; Hilton, D. J.; Pease, S., et al. Myeloid leukaemia inhibitory factor maintains the developmental potential of embryonic stem cells. Nature 336:684–687; 1988.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, A.G. Culture and differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Journal of Tissue Culture Methods 13, 89–94 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666137

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666137

Key words

Navigation