Thanks to Tim Doyle, PhD and the Stanford Center for In Vivo Imaging for assistance with bioluminescence imaging. Also thanks to Ngan Huang, PhD for sharing her technique on stem cell co-injection with matrix solution. Lastly, thanks to Steve Felt, Ph.D. for assistance with veterinary animal care.

<ol>
<li>Construction of Double Fusion Reporter Gene<ol>
<li>In order to perform bioluminescence imaging of human embryonic stem cells, you first need to obtain cells that stably express a luciferase reporter gene such as firefly luciferase driven by a constitutive promoter like Ubiquitin or EF1a.</li>
<li>The focus of this protocol is on reporter gene applications, so detailed procedures are not provided here. However, our lab's general strategy is to use a double fusion construct vector that contains firefly luciferase (fluc)...

<ol>
	<li>Passier, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Increased+cardiomyocyte+differentiation+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells+in+serum-free+cultures.">Increased cardiomyocyte differentiation from human embryonic stem cells in serum-free cultures.</a> Stem Cells. 23, 772-780 (2003).</li><li>Laflamme, M. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cardiomyocytes+derived+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells+in+pro-survival+factors+enhance+function+of+infarcted+rat+hearts.">Cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells in pro-survival factors enhance function of infarcted rat hearts.</a> Nature biotechnology. 25, 1015-1024 (2007).</li><li>Baharvand, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neural+differentiation+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells+in+a+defined+adherent+culture+conditi.">Neural differentiation from human embryonic stem cells in a defined adherent culture conditi.</a> Int J Dev Biol. 51, 371-378 (2007).</li><li>Schulz, T. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Directed+neuronal+differentiation+of+human+embryonic+stem+cells.">Directed neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.</a> BMC Neurosci. 4, (2007).</li><li>Jiang, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+Insulin-producing+Islet-like+Clusters+from+Human+Embryonic+Stem+Cells.">Generation of Insulin-producing Islet-like Clusters from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.</a> Stem Cells. 17, 17 (2007).</li><li>Swijnenburg, R. J., van der Bogt, K. E. A., Sheikh, A. Y., Cao, F., Wu, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Clinical+hurdles+for+the+transplantation+of+cardiomyocytes+derived+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells:+role+of+molecular+imaging.">Clinical hurdles for the transplantation of cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells: role of molecular imaging.</a> Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 18, 38-45 (2007).</li><li>Herschman, H. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+imaging:+looking+at+problems,+seeing+solutions.">Molecular imaging: looking at problems, seeing solutions.</a> Science. 302, 605-608 (2003).</li><li>Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Patterson, G. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+and+use+of+fluorescent+protein+markers+in+living+cells.">Development and use of fluorescent protein markers in living cells.</a> Science. 300, 87-91 (2003).</li><li>Contag, P. R., Olomu, I. N., Stevenson, D. K., Contag, C. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bioluminescent+indicators+in+living+mammals.">Bioluminescent indicators in living mammals.</a> Nature medicine. 4, 245-247 (1998).</li><li>Bhaumik, S., Gambhir, S. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optical+imaging+of+Renilla+luciferase+reporter+gene+expression+in+living+mice.">Optical imaging of Renilla luciferase reporter gene expression in living mice.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 99, 377-382 (2002).</li><li>Tisi, L. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+of+a+thermostable+firefly+luciferase.">Development of a thermostable firefly luciferase.</a> Analyica Chimica Acta. 457, 115-123 (2002).</li><li>Ray, P., Tsien, R., Gambhir, S. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Construction+and+validation+of+improved+triple+fusion+reporter+gene+vectors+for+molecular+imaging+of+living+subjects.">Construction and validation of improved triple fusion reporter gene vectors for molecular imaging of living subjects.</a> Cancer Res. 67, 3085-3093 (2007).</li><li>Cao, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vivo+visualization+of+embryonic+stem+cell+survival,+proliferation,+and+migration+after+cardiac+delivery.">In vivo visualization of embryonic stem cell survival, proliferation, and migration after cardiac delivery.</a> . Circulation. 113, 1005-1014 (2006).</li><li>Cao, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+Imaging+of+Embryonic+Stem+Cell+Misbehavior+and+Suicide+Gene+Ablation.">Molecular Imaging of Embryonic Stem Cell Misbehavior and Suicide Gene Ablation.</a> Cloning and Stem Cells. 9, 107-117 (2007).</li><li>Ray, P., De, A., Min, J. J., Tsien, R. Y., Gambhir, S. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imaging+tri-fusion+multimodality+reporter+gene+expression+in+living+subjects.">Imaging tri-fusion multimodality reporter gene expression in living subjects.</a> Cancer Res. 64, 1323-1330 (2004).</li><li>Wu, J. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Proteomic+analysis+of+reporter+genes+for+molecular+imaging+of+transplanted+embryonic+stem+cells.">Proteomic analysis of reporter genes for molecular imaging of transplanted embryonic stem cells.</a> Proteomics. 6, 6234-6249 (2006).</li><li>Eiges, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Establishment+of+human+embryonic+stem+cell-transfected+clones+carrying+a+marker+for+undifferentiated+cells.">Establishment of human embryonic stem cell-transfected clones carrying a marker for undifferentiated cells.</a> Curr Biol. 11, 514-518 (2001).</li><li>Mohr, J. C., de Pablo, J. J., Palecek, S. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electroporation+of+human+embryonic+stem+cells:+Small+and+macromolecule+loading+and+DNA+transfection.">Electroporation of human embryonic stem cells: Small and macromolecule loading and DNA transfection.</a> Biotechnol Prog. 22, 825-834 (2006).</li><li>Siemen, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nucleofection+of+human+embryonic+stem+cells.">Nucleofection of human embryonic stem cells.</a> Stem Cells Dev. 14, 378-383 (2005).</li><li>Lakshmipathy, U., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+transfection+of+embryonic+and+adult+stem+cells.">Efficient transfection of embryonic and adult stem cells.</a> Stem Cells. 22, 531-543 (2004).</li><li>Ma, Y., Ramezani, A., Lewis, R., Hawley, R. G., Thomson, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-Level+Sustained+Transgene+Expression+in+Human+Embryonic+Stem+Cells+Using+Lentiviral+Vectors.">High-Level Sustained Transgene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Using Lentiviral Vectors.</a> Stem Cells. 21, 111-117 (2003).</li><li>Menendez, P., Wang, L., Chadwick, K., Li, L., Bhatia, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Retroviral+transduction+of+hematopoietic+cells+differentiated+from+human+embryonic+stem+cell-derived+CD45(neg)PFV+hemogenic+precursors.">Retroviral transduction of hematopoietic cells differentiated from human embryonic stem cell-derived CD45(neg)PFV hemogenic precursors.</a> Molecular therapy. 10, 1109-1120 (2004).</li><li>Thyagarajan, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Creation+of+engineered+human+embryonic+stem+cell+lines+using+phiC31+integrase.">Creation of engineered human embryonic stem cell lines using phiC31 integrase.</a> Stem cells. 26, 119-126 (2008).</li><li>Liew, C. -. G., Draper, J. S., Walsh, J., Moore, H., Andrews, P. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Transient and Stable Transgene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cell. , .</li></ol>

Compared to other modalities such as PET and MRI, bioluminescence has limited spatial resolution and reduced tissue penetration due to the relatively weak energy of emitted photons (2-3 eV); for these reasons it has thus far not been applicable in large animals. However, bioluminescence has the advantage of being low-cost, high-throughput, and non-invasive, making it highly desirable for in vivo stem cell tracking in small animals. Non-bioluminescence reporter genes such as PET and fluorescence constructs may be used in ...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>HyClone</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>BD Matrigel&#x2122; Basement Membrane Matrix</td>
<td>Growth factor reduced (optional: phenol-red free)</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>mTeSR1 Maintenance Medium for Human Embryonic Stem Cells</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>D-Luciferin Firefly, potassium salt</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Biosynth AG</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Collagenase IV solution</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Dissolve 30 mg Collagenase Type IV in 30 mL DMEM-F12 media. Sterile filter and store at 4 degrees (Celsius).</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baked Pasteur pipets</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>6-well tissue culture-treated plates</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>TPP</td>
<td>92006</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

in vitro and in vivo bioluminescence reporter gene imaging of human embryonic stem cells

The discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has dramatically increased the tools available to medical scientists interested in regenerative medicine. However, direct injection of hESCs, and cells differentiated from hESCs, into living organisms has thus far been hampered by significant cell death, teratoma formation, and host immune rejection. Understanding the in vivo hESC behavior after transplantation requires novel imaging techniques to longitudinally monitor hESC localization, proliferation, and viability. Molecular imaging has given investigators a high-throughput, inexpensive, and sensitive means for tracking in vivo cell proliferation over days, weeks, and even months. This advancement has significantly increased the understanding of the spatio-temporal kinetics of hESC engraftment, proliferation, and teratoma-formation in living subjects.

A major advance in molecular imaging has been the extension of noninvasive reporter gene assays from molecular and cellular biology into in vivo multi-modality imaging platforms. These reporter genes, under control of engineered promoters and enhancers that take advantage of the host cell s transcriptional machinery, are introduced into cells using a variety of vector and non-vector methods. Once in the cell, reporter genes can be transcribed either constitutively or only under specific biological or cellular conditions, depending on the type of promoter used. Transcription and translation of reporter genes into bioactive proteins is then detected with sensitive, noninvasive instrumentation (e.g., CCD cameras) using signal-generating probes such as D-luciferin.

To avoid the need for excitatory light to track stem cells in vivo as is required for fluorescence imaging, bioluminescence reporter gene imaging systems require only an exogenously administered probe to induce light emission. Firefly luciferase, derived from the firefly Photinus pyralis, encodes an enzyme that catalyzes D-luciferin to the optically active metabolite, oxyluciferin. Optical activity can then be monitored with an external CCD camera. Stably transduced cells that carry the reporter construct within their chromosomal DNA will pass the reporter construct DNA to daughter cells, allowing for longitudinal monitoring of hESC survival and proliferation in vivo. Furthermore, because expression of the reporter gene product is required for signal generation, only viable parent and daughter cells will create bioluminescence signal; apoptotic or dead cells will not. 

In this video, the specific materials and methods needed for tracking stem cell proliferation and teratoma formation with bioluminescence imaging will be described.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In vitro and in vivo Bioluminescence Reporter Gene Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells at JoVE.com

In vitro and in vivo Bioluminescence Reporter Gene Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

With the growing interest in stem cell therapies, molecular imaging techniques are ideal for monitoring stem cell behavior after transplantation. Luciferase reporter genes have enabled non-invasive, repetitive assessment of cell survival, location, and proliferation in vivo. This video will demonstrate how to track hESC proliferation in a living mouse.

The discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has dramatically increased the tools available to medical scientists interested in regenerative ...

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21.7K ビュー.  Stanford University School of Medicine. 幹細胞治療への関心の高まりとともに、分子イメージング技術は、移植後の幹細胞の挙動のモニタリングに最適です。ルシフェラーゼレポーター遺伝子は、細胞の生存、場所、およびin vivoでの増殖の非侵襲的、反復的な評価を可能にした。このビデオでは、生きたマウスでのヒトES細胞の増殖を追跡する方法を説明します。

ビデオ: In vitro and in vivo Bioluminescence Reporter Gene Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

With the growing interest in stem cell therapies, molecular imaging techniques are ideal for monitoring stem cell behavior after transplantation. Luciferase reporter genes have enabled non-invasive, repetitive assessment of cell survival, location, and proliferation in vivo. This video will demonstrate how to track hESC proliferation in a living...

embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells for treatment of hindlimb ischemia

Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells for Treatment of Hindlimb Ischemia

The surgical procedure for delivery of embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells to the ischemic hindlimb is demonstrated, with non-invasive tracking by bioluminescence imaging.

bioluminescence imaging of heme oxygenase-1 upregulation in the gua sha procedure

Bioluminescence Imaging of Heme Oxygenase-1 Upregulation in the Gua Sha Procedure

Gua Sha, traditional Chinese therapeutic skin scraping, causes subcutaneous microvascular blood extravasation. We report a protocol of bioluminescence imaging of HO-1-luciferase transgenic mice to demonstrate that Gua Sha upregulates heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in multiple...

whole-animal imaging and flow cytometric techniques for analysis of antigen-specific cd8+ t cell responses after nanoparticle vaccination

Whole-animal Imaging and Flow Cytometric Techniques for Analysis of Antigen-specific CD8+ T Cell Responses after Nanoparticle Vaccination

We describe whole-animal imaging and flow cytometry-based techniques for monitoring expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in response to immunization with nanoparticles in a murine model of...

in vitro labeling of human embryonic stem cells for magnetic resonance imaging

In vitro Labeling of Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

In this video, we are showing how to label human embryonic stem cells (hESC) with manganese chloride (MnCl2) which can enter cells via voltage-gated calcium channels when the cells are biologically active. Additionally, we show the use of MnCl2 as cellular MRI contrast agent to determine the in vitro viability of hESC.

development, expansion, and in vivo monitoring of human nk cells from human embryonic stem cells (hescs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (ipscs)

Development, Expansion, and In vivo Monitoring of Human NK Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells hESCs and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells iPSCs

This protocol describes the development, expansion, and in vivo imaging of NK cells derived from hESCs and...

Development, Expansion, and In vivo Monitoring of Human NK Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

zinc-finger nuclease enhanced gene targeting in human embryonic stem cells

Zinc-finger Nuclease Enhanced Gene Targeting in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Reporter cell lines offer a means to visualize, track and isolate cells of interest from heterogeneous populations.&#160;However, gene-targeting using conventional homologous recombination in human embryonic stem cells is extremely inefficient. Herein, we describe targeting CNS midbrain specific transcription factor PITX3 locus with EGFP using zinc-finger nuclease enhanced homologous...

crispr-cas9 mediated gene deletion in human pluripotent stem cells cultured under feeder-free conditions

Lentiviral Infections and Single-Cell Clonal Propagation for Gene Targeting in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

The presented method describes the generation of a CRISPR-mediated gene knockout in the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line H9, which stably expresses sgRNAs targeting the L2HGDH gene using a highly efficient lentiviral-mediated gene delivery...

CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Gene Deletion in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Cultured Under Feeder-Free Conditions

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intracerebral transplantation and in vivo bioluminescence tracking of human neural progenitor cells in the mouse brain

Intracerebral Transplantation and In Vivo Bioluminescence Tracking of Human Neural Progenitor Cells in the Mouse Brain

We describe the intraparenchymal transplantation of human neural progenitor cells transduced with a dual reporter vector expressing luciferase-green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the mouse brain. After transplantation, the luciferase signal is repeatedly measured using in vivo bioluminescence and GFP-expressing grafted cells identified in brain sections using fluorescence microscopy.

Intracerebral Transplantation and In Vivo Bioluminescence Tracking of Human Neural Progenitor Cells in the Mouse Brain

derivation of t cells in vitro from mouse embryonic stem cells

Derivation of T Cells In Vitro from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Mouse embryonic stem cells can be differentiated to T cells in vitro using the OP9-DL1 co-culture system. Success in this procedure requires careful attention to reagent/cell maintenance, and key technique sensitive steps. Here we discuss these critical parameters and provide a detailed protocol to encourage adoption of this...

Derivation of T Cells In Vitro from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

neuronal differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells in vitro

Neuronal Differentiation from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells In vitro

Here, we established a low cost and easy to operate method that directs fast and efficient differentiation from embryonic stem cells into neurons. This method is suitable for popularization among laboratories and can be a useful tool for neurological...

bioluminescent optogenetics 2.0: harnessing bioluminescence to activate photosensory proteins in vitro and in vivo

Bioluminescent Optogenetics 2.0: Harnessing Bioluminescence to Activate Photosensory Proteins In Vitro and In Vivo

Bioluminescence-light emitted by a luciferase enzyme oxidizing a small-molecule substrate, a luciferin-can be harnessed to activate photosensory proteins, thereby adding another dimension to light stimulation and enabling the manipulation of a multitude of light-mediated functions in cells across temporal and spatial...

Bioluminescent Optogenetics 2.0: Harnessing Bioluminescence to Activate Photosensory Proteins In Vitro and In Vivo

monitoring circadian oscillations with a bioluminescence reporter in organoids

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Investigations of Circadian Rhythms in Multicellular Systems

Circadian rhythms, which exist in most organisms, regulate the temporal organization of biological processes. 3D organoids have recently emerged as a physiologically relevant in vitro model. This protocol describes the use of bioluminescent reporters to observe circadian rhythms in organoids, enabling in vitro investigations of circadian rhythms in multicellular...

Monitoring Circadian Oscillations with a Bioluminescence Reporter in Organoids

live cell imaging of the tgf-	&beta;/smad3 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo using an adenovirus reporter system

Live Cell Imaging of the TGF-	&amp;beta;/Smad3 Signaling Pathway &lt;em&gt;In Vitro&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;In Vivo&lt;/em&gt; Using an Adenovirus Reporter System

Here, we present a protocol for live cell imaging of TGF-&#946;/Smad3 signaling activity using an adenovirus reporter system. This system tracks transcriptional activity in real-time and can be applied to both single cells in vitro and in live animalmodels.

Live Cell Imaging of the TGF-	&beta;/Smad3 Signaling Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo Using an Adenovirus Reporter System

freezing and thawing human embryonic stem cells

Freezing and Thawing Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Since James Thomson et al developed a technique in 1998 to isolate and grow hES in culture, freezing cells for later use and thawing and expanding cells from a frozen stock have become important procedures performed in routine hES cell culture. Since hES cells are very sensitive to the stresses of freezing and thawing, special care must taken. Here we demonstrate the proper technique for rapidly thawing hES cells from liquid nitrogen stocks, plating them on mouse embryonic feeder cells, and...

stem cell-like xenopus embryonic explants to study early neural developmental features in vitro and in vivo

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo

In Xenopus embryos, cells from the roof of the blastocoel are pluripotent and can be programmed to generate various tissues. Here, we describe protocols to use amphibian blastocoel roof explants as an assay system to investigate key in vivo and in vitro features of early neural development.

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo

in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into trophoblastic cells

In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic Cells

Here, we present a protocol to efficiently generate human trophoblastic cells from human pluripotent stem cells using bone morphogenic protein 4 and inhibitors of the Activin/Nodal pathways. This method is suitable for the efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells and can generate large quantities of cells for genetic...

In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic Cells

culture and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells  

Culture and Maintenance of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

This protocol demonstrates how to maintain healthy, undifferentiated human embryonic stem (ES)...

Culture and Maintenance of Human Embryonic Stem Cells  

propagation of human embryonic stem (es) cells

Propagation of Human Embryonic Stem ES Cells

Propagation of Human Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells

in vitro bioluminescence assay to characterize circadian rhythm in mammary epithelial cells

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

An in vitro bioluminescence assay to determine cellular circadian rhythm in mammary epithelial cells is presented. This method utilizes mammalian cell reporter plasmids expressing destabilized luciferase under the control of the PERIOD 2 gene promoter. It can be adapted to other cell types to evaluate organ-specific effects on circadian...

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Immunosurgery

The ability of human embryonic stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into all cell types of 
the body suggests that they hold great promise for both medical applications and as a research 
tool for addressing fundamental questions in development and disease. Here, we provide a 
concise, step-by-step protocol for the derivation of human embryonic stem cells from embryos 
by immunosurgical isolation of the inner cell mass. 


The ability of human embryonic stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into all cell types of 
the body suggests that they hold great promise for both medical applications and as a research 
tool for addressing fundamental questions in development and disease. Here, we provide a 
concise, step-by-step protocol for the derivation of human embryonic stem cells from embryos 
by immunosurgical isolation of the inner cell mass.

The ability of human embryonic stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into all cell types of 
the body suggests that they hold great promise for both ...

Probing for Mitochondrial Complex Activity in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Mitochondria are cytoplasmic organelles that have a primary role in cellular metabolism and homeostasis, regulation of the cell signaling network, and programmed cell death. Mitochondria produce ATP, regulate the cytoplasmic redox state and Ca2+ balance, catabolize fatty acids, synthesize heme, nucleotides, steroid hormones, amino acids, and help assemble iron-sulfur clusters in proteins. Mitochondria also have an essential role in heat production. Mutations of the mitochondrial genome cause several types of human disorder. The accumulation of mtDNA mutations correlates with aging and is suspected to have an important role in the development of cancer. Due to their vitally important role in all cell types, the function of mitochondria must also be critical for stem cells. Key advances have been made in our understanding of stem cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation capacity. But the functional activity of stem cells, in particular their energy status, was not yet been studied in detail. Almost nothing is known about the mitochondrial properties of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated precursor progeny. One way to understand and evaluate the role of mitochondria in hESC function and developmental potential is to directly measure the activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes. Here, we describe high resolution clear native gel electrophoresis and subsequent in gel activity visualization as a method for analyzing the five respiratory chain complexes of hESCs.

In this video, we will show you how the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes of human embryonic stem cells can be analyzed using in gel activity assays.

Mitochondria are cytoplasmic organelles that have a primary role in cellular metabolism and homeostasis, regulation of the cell signaling network, and ...

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have demonstrated the ability to restore the injured myocardium. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as one of the predominant imaging modalities to assess the restoration of the injured myocardium. Furthermore, ex-vivo labeling agents, such as iron-oxide nanoparticles, have been employed to track and localize the transplanted stem cells. However, this method does not monitor a fundamental cellular biology property regarding the viability of transplanted cells. It has been known that manganese chloride (MnCl2) enters the cells via voltage-gated calcium (Ca2+) channels when the cells are biologically active, and accumulates intracellularly to generate T1 shortening effect. Therefore, we suggest that manganese-guided MRI can be useful to monitor cell viability after the transplantation of hESC into the myocardium.
In this video, we will show how to label hESC with MnCl2 and how those cells can be clearly seen by using MRI in vitro. At the same time, biological activity of Ca2+-channels will be modulated utilizing both Ca2+-channel agonist and antagonist to evaluate concomitant signal changes.

In this video, we are showing how to label human embryonic stem cells (hESC) with manganese chloride (MnCl2) which can enter cells via voltage-gated calcium channels when the cells are biologically active. Additionally, we show the use of MnCl2 as cellular MRI contrast agent to determine the in vitro viability of hESC.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have demonstrated the ability to restore the injured myocardium. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as one of ...

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells must be monitored and cared for in order to maintain healthy, undifferentiated cultures. At minimum, the cultures must be  fed  every day by performing a complete medium change to replenish lost nutrients and to keep the cultures free of unwanted differentiation factors. Although a small amount of differentiation is normal and expected in stem cell cultures, the culture should be routinely cleaned up by manually removing, or "picking" differentiated areas. Identifying and removing excess differentiation from hES cell cultures are essential techniques in the maintenance of a healthy population of cells.

This protocol demonstrates how to maintain healthy, undifferentiated human embryonic stem (ES) cells.

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells must be monitored and cared for in order to maintain healthy, undifferentiated cultures. At minimum, the cultures must be ...

Since James Thomson et al developed a technique in 1998 to isolate and grow hES in culture, freezing cells for later use and thawing and expanding cells from a frozen stock have become important procedures performed in routine hES cell culture. Since hES cells are very sensitive to the stresses of freezing and thawing, special care must taken. Here we demonstrate the proper technique for rapidly thawing hES cells from liquid nitrogen stocks, plating them on mouse embryonic feeder cells, and slowly freezing them for long-term storage.

Since James Thomson et al developed a technique in 1998 to isolate and grow hES in culture, freezing cells for later use and thawing and expanding cells from a frozen stock have become important procedures performed in routine hES cell culture. Since hES cells are very sensitive to the stresses of freezing and thawing, special care must taken. Here we demonstrate the proper technique for rapidly thawing hES cells from liquid nitrogen stocks, plating them on mouse embryonic feeder cells, and slowly freezing them for long-term storage.

Since James Thomson et al developed a technique in 1998 to isolate and grow hES in culture, freezing cells for later use and thawing and expanding cells ...

Video Bioinformatics Analysis of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colony Growth

Because video data are complex and are comprised of many images, mining information from video material is difficult to do without the aid of computer software.  Video bioinformatics is a powerful quantitative approach for extracting spatio-temporal data from video images using computer software to perform dating mining and analysis. In this article, we introduce a video bioinformatics method for quantifying the growth of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) by analyzing time-lapse videos collected in a Nikon BioStation CT incubator equipped with a camera for video imaging. In our experiments, hESC colonies that were attached to Matrigel were filmed for 48 hours in the BioStation CT.  To determine the rate of growth of these colonies, recipes were developed using CL-Quant software which enables users to extract various types of data from video images.  To accurately evaluate colony growth, three recipes were created. The first segmented the image into the colony and background, the second enhanced the image to define colonies throughout the video sequence accurately, and the third measured the number of pixels in the colony over time.  The three recipes were run in sequence on video data collected in a BioStation CT to analyze the rate of growth of individual hESC colonies over 48 hours. To verify the truthfulness of the CL-Quant recipes, the same data were analyzed manually using Adobe Photoshop software. When the data obtained using the CL-Quant recipes and Photoshop were compared, results were virtually identical, indicating the CL-Quant recipes were truthful. The method described here could be applied to any video data to measure growth rates of hESC or other cells that grow in colonies. In addition, other video bioinformatics recipes can be developed in the future for other cell processes such as migration, apoptosis, and cell adhesion.  

Video bioinformatics is the automated processing, analysis, understanding, and data mining of biological spatio-temporal data extracted from microscopic videos. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a method for measuring human embryonic stem cell colony growth using a video bioinformatics method.

Because video data are complex and are comprised of many images, mining information from video material is difficult to do without the aid of computer ...

Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells into Oligodendrocyte Precursors

Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. For regenerative cell therapy in demyelinating diseases, there is significant interest in deriving a pure population of lineage-committed oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) for transplantation. OPCs are characterized by the activity of the transcription factor Olig2 and surface expression of a proteoglycan NG2. Using the GFP-Olig2 (G-Olig2) mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) reporter line, we optimized conditions for the differentiation of mESCs into GFP+Olig2+NG2+ OPCs. In our protocol, we first describe the generation of embryoid bodies (EBs) from mESCs. Second, we describe treatment of mESC-derived EBs with small molecules: (1) retinoic acid (RA) and (2) a sonic hedgehog (Shh) agonist purmorphamine (Pur) under defined culture conditions to direct EB differentiation into the oligodendroglial lineage. By this approach, OPCs can be obtained with high efficiency (&gt;80%) in a time period of 30 days. Cells derived from mESCs in this protocol are phenotypically similar to OPCs derived from primary tissue culture. The mESC-derived OPCs do not show the spiking property described for a subpopulation of brain OPCs in situ. To study this electrophysiological property, we describe the generation of spiking mESC-derived OPCs by ectopically expressing NaV1.2 subunit. The spiking and nonspiking cells obtained from this protocol will help advance functional studies on the two subpopulations of OPCs.

We describe a small molecule-based protocol for differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). This protocol generates Olig2+NG2+ OPCs with high efficiency by 30 days of differentiation. We also describe a method to generate "spiking" OPCs that can fire action potentials.

Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. For regenerative cell therapy in demyelinating diseases, there is significant ...

Efficient Derivation of Human Cardiac Precursors and Cardiomyocytes from Pluripotent Human Embryonic Stem Cells with Small Molecule Induction

To date, the lack of a suitable human cardiac cell source has been the major setback in regenerating the human myocardium, either by cell-based transplantation or by cardiac tissue engineering1-3. Cardiomyocytes become terminally-differentiated soon after birth and lose their ability to proliferate. There is no evidence that stem/progenitor cells derived from other sources, such as the bone marrow or the cord blood, are able to give rise to the contractile heart muscle cells following transplantation into the heart1-3. The need to regenerate or repair the damaged heart muscle has not been met by adult stem cell therapy, either endogenous or via cell delivery1-3. The genetically stable human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have unlimited expansion ability and unrestricted plasticity, proffering a pluripotent reservoir for in vitro derivation of large supplies of human somatic cells that are restricted to the lineage in need of repair and regeneration4,5. Due to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease worldwide and acute shortage of donor organs, there is intense interest in developing hESC-based therapies as an alternative approach. However, how to channel the wide differentiation potential of pluripotent hESCs efficiently and predictably to a desired phenotype has been a major challenge for both developmental study and clinical translation. Conventional approaches rely on multi-lineage inclination of pluripotent cells through spontaneous germ layer differentiation, resulting in inefficient and uncontrollable lineage-commitment that is often followed by phenotypic heterogeneity and instability, hence, a high risk of tumorigenicity6-8 (see a schematic in Fig. 1A). In addition, undefined foreign/animal biological supplements and/or feeders that have typically been used for the isolation, expansion, and differentiation of hESCs may make direct use of such cell-specialized grafts in patients problematic9-11. To overcome these obstacles, we have resolved the elements of a defined culture system necessary and sufficient for sustaining the epiblast pluripotence of hESCs, serving as a platform for de novo derivation of clinically-suitable hESCs and effectively directing such hESCs uniformly towards clinically-relevant lineages by small molecules12 (see a schematic in Fig. 1B). After screening a variety of small molecules and growth factors, we found that such defined conditions rendered nicotinamide (NAM) sufficient to induce the specification of cardiomesoderm direct from pluripotent hESCs that further progressed to cardioblasts that generated human beating cardiomyocytes with high efficiency (Fig. 2). We defined conditions for induction of cardioblasts direct from pluripotent hESCs without an intervening multi-lineage embryoid body stage, enabling well-controlled efficient derivation of a large supply of human cardiac cells across the spectrum of developmental stages for cell-based therapeutics.

We have established a protocol for induction of cardioblasts direct from pluripotent human embryonic stem cells maintained under defined conditions with small molecules, which enables derivation of a large supply of human cardiac progenitors and functional cardiomyocytes for cardiovascular repair.

To date, the lack of a suitable human cardiac cell source has been the major setback in regenerating the human myocardium, either by cell-based ...

Reprogramming Human Somatic Cells into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) Using Retroviral Vector with GFP

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are pluripotent and an invaluable cellular sources for in vitro disease modeling and regenerative medicine1. It has been previously shown that human somatic cells can be reprogrammed to pluripotency by ectopic expression of four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and Myc) and become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)2-4 . Like hESCs, human iPSCs are pluripotent and a potential source for autologous cells. Here we describe the protocol to reprogram human fibroblast cells with the four reprogramming factors cloned into GFP-containing retroviral backbone4. Using the following protocol, we generate human iPSCs in 3-4 weeks under human ESC culture condition. Human iPSC colonies closely resemble hESCs in morphology and display the loss of GFP fluorescence as a result of retroviral transgene silencing. iPSC colonies isolated mechanically under a fluorescence microscope behave in a similar fashion as hESCs. In these cells, we detect the expression of multiple pluripotency genes and surface markers.

Reprogramming Human Somatic Cells into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells iPSCs Using Retroviral Vector with GFP

A method to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) via retrovirus-mediated ectopic expression of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and MYC is described. A practical way to identify human iPSC colonies based on GFP expression is also discussed.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are pluripotent and an invaluable cellular sources for in vitro disease modeling and regenerative medicine1. It has ...

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

The rate of translational elongation is non-uniform. mRNA secondary structure, codon usage and mRNA associated proteins may alter ribosome movement on the messagefor review see 1. However, it's now widely accepted that synonymous codon usage is the primary cause of non-uniform translational elongation rates1. Synonymous codons are not used with identical frequency. A bias exists in the use of synonymous codons with some codons used more frequently than others2. Codon bias is organism as well as tissue specific2,3. Moreover, frequency of codon usage is directly proportional to the concentrations of cognate tRNAs4. Thus, a frequently used codon will have higher multitude of corresponding tRNAs, which further implies that a frequent codon will be translated faster than an infrequent one. Thus, regions on mRNA enriched in rare codons (potential pause sites) will as a rule slow down ribosome movement on the message and cause accumulation of nascent peptides of the respective sizes5-8. These pause sites can have functional impact on the protein expression, mRNA stability and protein foldingfor review see 9. Indeed, it was shown that alleviation of such pause sites can alter ribosome movement on mRNA and subsequently may affect the efficiency of co-translational (in vivo) protein folding1,7,10,11. To understand the process of protein folding in vivo, in the cell, that is ultimately coupled to the process of protein synthesis it is essential to gain comprehensive insights into the impact of codon usage/tRNA content on the movement of ribosomes along mRNA during translational elongation.
Here we describe a simple technique that can be used to locate major translation pause sites for a given mRNA translated in various cell-free systems6-8. This procedure is based on isolation of nascent polypeptides accumulating on ribosomes during in vitro translation of a target mRNA. The rationale is that at low-frequency codons, the increase in the residence time of the ribosomes results in increased amounts of nascent peptides of the corresponding sizes. In vitro transcribed mRNA is used for in vitro translational reactions in the presence of radioactively labeled amino acids to allow the detection of the nascent chains. In order to isolate ribosome bound nascent polypeptide complexes the translation reaction is layered on top of 30% glycerol solution followed by centrifugation. Nascent polypeptides in polysomal pellet are further treated with ribonuclease A and resolved by SDS PAGE. This technique can be potentially used for any protein and allows analysis of ribosome movement along mRNA and the detection of the major pause sites. Additionally, this protocol can be adapted to study factors and conditions that can alter ribosome movement and thus potentially can also alter the function/conformation of the protein.

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

A technique to identify translational pause sites on mRNA is described. This procedure is based on isolation of nascent polypeptides accumulating on ribosomes during in vitro translation of a target mRNA, followed by the size analysis of the nascent chains using a denaturing gel electrophoresis.

The rate of translational elongation is non-uniform. mRNA secondary structure, codon usage and mRNA associated proteins may alter ribosome movement on the ...