NOTCH signaling is inactive but inducible in human embryonic stem cells

¹ Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia
² BresaGen, Inc., Athens, Georgia
³ Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bcondie{at}uga.edu.

	Abstract

The NOTCH signaling pathway performs a wide range of critical functions in a number of different cell types during development and differentiation. The role of NOTCH signals in human embryonic stem cells (hESC) has not been tested. We measured the activity of canonical NOTCH signaling in undifferentiated ES cells and tested the requirement for NOTCH activity in hESC self renewal or differentiation by growing hESC in the presence of -secretase inhibitors. Our results suggest that NOTCH signaling is not required for the propagation of undifferentiated human ES cells but instead is required for the maintenance of the differentiating cell types that accumulate in human ES cell cultures. Our studies suggest that NOTCH signaling is not required in human embryonic differentiation until the formation of extraembryonic, germ layer or tissue specific stem cells and progenitors.

Key Words. differentiation, -secretase, hESC, human development, NICD, Hes

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Jang, S. Y. Ku, J. E. Kim, K. Choi, Y. Y. Kim, H. S. Kim, S. K. Oh, E. J. Lee, H.-J. Cho, Y. H. Song, et al. Notch Inhibition Promotes Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Mesoderm Differentiation Stem Cells, November 1, 2008; 26(11): 2782 - 2790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Fox, P. J. Gokhale, J. R. Walsh, M. Matin, M. Jones, and P. W. Andrews Cell-Cell Signaling Through NOTCH Regulates Human Embryonic Stem Cell Proliferation Stem Cells, March 1, 2008; 26(3): 715 - 723. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]