Preimplantation Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cells Show Comparable Expression of Stage‐Specific Embryonic Antigens

Abstract

Cell-surface antigens provide invaluable tools for the identification of cells and for the analysis of cell differentiation. In particular, stage-specific embryonic antigens that are developmentally regulated during early embryogenesis are widely used as markers to monitor the differentiation of both mouse and human embryonic stem (ES) cells and their malignant counterparts, embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells. However, there are notable differences in the expression patterns of some such markers between human and mouse ES/EC cells, and hitherto it has been unclear whether this indicates significant differences between human and mouse embryos, or whether ES/EC cells correspond to distinct cell types within the early embryos of each species. We now show that human ES cells are characterized by the expression of the cell-surface antigens, SSEA3, SSEA4, TRA-1-60, and TRA-1-81, and by the lack of SSEA1, and that inner cell mass cells of the human blastocyst express a similar antigen profile, in contrast to the corresponding cells of the mouse embryo.

Epithelial Colonies Cultured from Human Explanted Liver in Subacute Hepatic Failure Exhibit Hepatocyte, Biliary Epithelial, and Stem Cell Phenotypic Markers

“…Assady et al showed, in human ES cells differentiated to produce insulin, that the high Oct-4 expression seen in the undifferentiated cells diminished over 3 weeks after the stimulus to differentiation was given but was still identifiable at the time of insulin production [34]. Henderson et al, comparing mouse and human ES cell characteristics, found that Oct-4 expression was less tightly regulated in primates than in the mouse [13], which supports our observation that this stem cell transcription factor is expressed while the cells are also expressing markers of fully differentiated cells. Interestingly, Oct-4 expression was not apparently associated with Rex-1.…”

Cultivation and Biological Characterization of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells

“…Human ES express cell-surface antigens SSEA-3, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81, while mouse ES cells express SSEA-1 (Henderson et al 2002). The three passages of PGCs expressed stage-specific surface makers SSEA-1, SSEA-3, BLIMP1 and stem cell makers Oct4, Sox2 (Fig.…”

Clonogenic analysis reveals reserve stem cells in postnatal mammals. II. Pluripotent epiblastic‐like stem cells

“…Undifferentiated human ES cells express stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3) and SSEA-4, while differentiating human ES cells express SSEA-1. In contrast, undifferentiated mouse ES cells express SSEA-1, while differentiating mouse ES cells express SSEA-3 and SSEA-4 Henderson et al, 2002;Cheng et al, 2003). In serum-free medium without inhibitory agents, Scl-40␤ demonstrated SSEA-4 and CEA-CAM-1 expression (Figs.…”

“…They have been isolated from the blastocyst, inner cell mass, and gonadal ridges of rodents and primates, including humans (Evans and Kaufman, 1981;Martin, 1981;Thomson et al, 1995Thomson et al, , 1998Shamblott et al, 1998;Pera et al, 2000). After isolation and growth in vitro with inhibitory agents (i.e., leukemia inhibitory factor, ESGRO, and/or fibroblast feeder layers), these cells exhibit immunological and molecular markers for undifferentiated embryonic cells (Niwa et al, 2000;Pera et al, 2000;Pesce and Scholer, 2001;Henderson et al, 2002;Cheng et al, 2003). They exhibit telomerase activity, which is consistent with their extended capability for self-renewal (Liu, 2000;Pera et al, 2000;Lin et al, 2003).…”