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Generation of eye field/optic vesicle-like structures from human embryonic stem cells under two-dimensional and chemically defined conditions

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Abstract

Despite the enormous progress in studying retinal cell differentiation from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), none of the reported protocols have produced a cost-effective eye field cells with the capability to further differentiate into retinal derivatives. In this study, by drawing chemicals on our four-step differentiation strategy, we demonstrated the ability of hESCs in assembling such qualifications to follow human retinogenesis in a serum- and feeder-free adherent condition. Two-dimensional (2D) populations of eye field cells arose within early forebrain progeny upon hESCs differentiation. Gene expression analysis showed that the treatment of hESCs with a combination of selected small molecules (SMs) gave rise to the higher expressions of eye field-specific genes, PAX6, RX, and SIX3. Thereafter, a subset of cells gained the transient features of advancing retinal differentiation, including optic vesicle (OV)-like structures, which expressed MITF and CHX10 in a manner imitated in vivo human retinal development. The competency of derived cells in differentiation to retinal derivatives was further investigated. The gene analysis of the cells showed more propensity for generating retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) than neural retina (NR). The generation of OV-like structures in 2D cultures can shed light on molecular events governing retinal specification. It can also facilitate the study of human retinal development.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by a grant provided by the Royan Institute and Iranian Council of Stem Cell Technology. We also express our appreciation to Miss Forough Sayyahpour and Miss Diba Rastegar because of their technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors indicate no potential conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Parvini & Fatemeh Safari

  2. Department of Biology, College of Basic Science, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Kazem Parivar

  3. Graduate Student in Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Mahdi Tondar

  4. Department of Biology, College of Basic Science, Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, Urmia, Iran

    Maryam Parvini

Authors
  1. Maryam Parvini
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  2. Kazem Parivar
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  3. Fatemeh Safari
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  4. Mahdi Tondar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryam Parvini.

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Editor: T. Okamoto

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Parvini, M., Parivar, K., Safari, F. et al. Generation of eye field/optic vesicle-like structures from human embryonic stem cells under two-dimensional and chemically defined conditions. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 51, 310–318 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-014-9835-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-014-9835-1

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