stem cells Flashcards
what three criteria does a stem cell need to satisfy
- Undifferentiated or unspecified.
- Have the ability to self-renew.
- Mature and differentiate.
what are the three modes of stem cell division
asymmetric self renewing division - producing one differentiate cell and one stem cell
symmetric differentiating division
symmetric self renewing division
what are the three types of potency that stem cells can possess
totipotency
pluripotency
multipotency
what is totipotency
the ability of a single cell to divide and produce all the differentiated cells in an organism, including extraembryonic tissues.
what cells have totipotency and when does it remain until
the single cell zygotes and (remains until) the 4-8 cells embryo generates the embryo and the extraembryonic tissue (protective membrane that surrounds amnion.
what is pluripotency
the capacity of individual cells to initiate all lineages of the mature organism in response to signals from the embryo or cell culture environment
what is multipotency
cells that have the capacity to self-renew by dividing and to develop into multiple specialised cell types present in a specific tissue or organ.
what cells are multipotent
Most adult stem cells are multipotent stem cells. adult or somatic (resident) stem cells. seen in developing brain.
already acquired specific abilities.
what are the cell stages of progressive differentiation of neurons
zygote embryonic stem cell multipotent stem cells neuronal progenitor differentiating neuronal precursor differentiated cells
what molecular influences are in the stem cell niche
- Paracrine Signalling
- ECM adhesion (eg integrins)
- Juxtacrine signalling
- Endocrine signalling
- Neurotransmitter release
- Asymmetric localisation of cytoplasmic determinant
different combinations of these signals lead to epigenetic and transcriptional regulation
what are features of embryonic stem cells
- Undifferentiated/non-committed
- Self-renewal (immortal)
- Pluripotency: derive from ICM (at blastocyst stage)
- Very tiny, small number, 12 cells in human, give rise to all cell/tissue that make adult human
who won the Nobel prize for physiology and medicines 2007 and for what?
M. evans, M. Capecchi, O. Smithies -
• Reliably incorporate ES cells into embryos, resulting in chimeric animals, carrying genetic mutations
what is the key initiating events of ICM establishment
asymmetric cell divisions
what division leads to expansion of trophectoderm
symmetrical division parallel to apicobasal axis - equal segregation of fate determinants
what division leads to the creation of the ICM
asymmetric division perpendicular to the apicobasal axis - unequal segregation of fate determinants
what are the two things that maintain pluripotency in ICM cells
Pluripotency factors: Nanog, Sox2, Oct4 Hippo signalling (cell density and cell-cell adhesion mediated)
what is the molecular background causing trophectoderm differentiation
(few cell to cell contacts = hippo signaling inactive)
apical polarity proteins in the outer cells recruit AMOT causing suppression of Lat kinase proteins
so Yap is not phosphorylated and is able to enter the nucleus and form a Yap-Tead-Taz transcriptional complex mediating gene expression of CDX2
what is the molecular background of inner cell mass establishment
(apolarity/increased cell to cell contacts = hippo signalling active)
So Lats1/2 phosphorylates AMOT localising it to adherence junctions
AMOT binding of Lats promotes its kinase activity causing phosphorylation of Yap so that it is unable to enter the nucleus and form the transcriptional complex
meaning that CDX2 remains repressed so that Oct4 is continually expressed - promoting pluripotency
when were human embryonic stem cells first isolated
1998
where do hES come from
embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro. (never those fertilised inside a woman’s body)
what are the differences between mES and hES
- mES cells are the most immature, undifferentiated with greatest potential for pluripotency. mES cells are naïve.
- hES cells display some maturation towards the epiblast lineage. hES cells are primed or ready for differentiation. pluripotent
what is matrigel and why is it used in stem eclls
prepared from an extract of Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm mouse tumors. It has been used as a model of basement membrane, which contacts with the basal layer of epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and fat and smooth muscle cells.
commonly used as a basement membrane matrix for stem cells because it retains the stem cells in an undifferentiated state.
hES can provide matched cells for customised tissue repair of which degenerative diseases
- Alzheimer’ – Forebrain neurons
- Parkinson’s – Midbrain neurons
- ALS – Motor neurons
- Cardiovascular diseases – Cardiac muscle cells
- Type I diabetes – Pancreatic β cells
what are the therapeutic limitations of hES cells
- Difficult to differentiate uniformly and homogeneously into a target tissue.
- Immunogenic – embryonic stem cells from a random embryo donor are likely to be rejected after transplantation.
- Tumorigenic – capable of forming tumors or promoting tumor formation.
- Degenerative diseases are complex genetic disorders involving interactions of many genes with environmental factors.