Summary + practice exam- Trends in Stem Cell Biology
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Course
Trends in Stem Cell Biology
Institution
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (RU)
First periode compulsory course for the master Medical Biology at the Radboud University.
This document helped me to highlight the key aspects of the 5 articles necessary for the final exam. I also included practise exam questions at the bottom of the document. Good luck!
Paper 1: Prolonged Mek1/2 suppression impairs the developmental
potential of embryonic stem cells Embryonic stem cells
Why do researchers like to culture mESCs in media containing 2i+LIF? –
1. Researchers like to culture mESCs in media containing 2i+LIF because it
induces a naïve state in the cells that resembles the inner cell mass of the
pre-implantation embryo. This state is characterized by high pluripotency
and low differentiation potential, making it ideal for studying the molecular
mechanisms of pluripotency and differentiation 7.
What is imprinting and why is it important? –
2. Imprinting is a process by which certain genes are expressed in a parent-
of-origin-specific manner. It is important for normal development and is
regulated by DNA methylation and histone modifications. Dysregulation of
imprinting can lead to developmental disorders and cancer 2.
What is the reason that the authors perform blastocyst injections with cultured
mESCs?
3. The authors perform blastocyst injections with cultured mESCs to assess
the developmental potential of the cells. This involves injecting the cells
into a blastocyst, which is then implanted into a surrogate mother. If the
injected cells contribute to the development of the resulting embryo, it
indicates that they have the ability to differentiate into various cell types
and can be used for regenerative medicine applications 2.
How do the researchers show that developmental potential is
compromised/decreasing after long time culture of mESCs in 2i?
4. The researchers show that developmental potential is compromised after
long time culture of mESCs in 2i by performing blastocyst injections with
cultured mESCs. They injected the cells into 2n and 4n blastocysts and
assessed the chimerism and coat color of the resulting pups. They found
that the contribution of 2i/L-cultured male ESCs to the development of the
resulting embryos was significantly reduced compared to control ESCs
cultured in serum/LIF media. This indicates that prolonged culture of
mESCs in 2i/L impairs their developmental potential 2 32.
, What is the role of Mek1/2 in embryonic stem cells?
Answer: Mek1/2 signaling is necessary for maintaining pluripotency and preventing premature
differentiation in embryonic stem cells .
What are the consequences of prolonged Mek1/2 suppression in embryonic stem cells?
Answer: Prolonged Mek1/2 suppression leads to a loss of pluripotency and impaired ability of the
cells to differentiate into various cell types. It also results in specific chromosomal aberrations .
What is the significance of Wnt/Mapk signaling and DNA methylation in embryonic stem cells?
Answer: Dysregulation of Wnt/Mapk signaling and DNA methylation have been linked to cellular
transformation and chromosomal instability in embryonic stem cells .
How were the reads assigned and counted in the RNA sequencing analysis?
Answer: The reads were assigned to mm10-annotated genes and counted using the Bioconductor
package Rsubread. The gene counts were normalized to generate the cpm values using the negative
binomial distribution model implemented by edgeR .
What is the purpose of dot blot analysis for 5mC?
Answer: Dot blot analysis for 5mC is used to detect the quantity of DNA loaded and to determine the
level of DNA methylation in genomic DNA samples .
What is the developmental potential of embryonic stem cells?
Answer: Embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into any cell type in the body,
making them a valuable tool for research and regenerative medicine .
What is the difference between short-term and prolonged Mek1/2 suppression in embryonic stem
cells?
Answer: Short-term suppression of Mek1/2 helps maintain an ICM-like epigenetic state, while
prolonged suppression results in irreversible changes that compromise the developmental potential
of the cells .
What is the significance of the chromosomal aberrations observed in embryonic stem cells with
prolonged Mek1/2 suppression?
Answer: The chromosomal aberrations suggest that prolonged Mek1/2 suppression can lead to
genomic instability and compromise the developmental potential of embryonic stem cells .
What is the role of edgeR in the RNA sequencing analysis?
Answer: edgeR is used to normalize gene counts and generate cpm values from RNA sequencing
data .
More questions on techniques
1. Why was LIF used in the 2i/L culture of embryonic stem cells?
Answer: LIF was used to maintain the pluripotent state of the embryonic stem cells during the 2i/L
culture .
Why were male ESC lines used in the study?
Answer: Three isogenic male ESC lines were used to investigate the effects of prolonged 2i/L culture
on the stability and functionality of embryonic stem cells .
Why were female ESCs cultured in conventional serum/LIF media?
Answer: Female ESCs were cultured in conventional serum/LIF media to investigate whether they
would phenocopy male ESCs cultured in 2i/L .
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