Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.

<h4>Background</h4>Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells, which have the capacity to give rise to all tissue types in the body, show great promise as a versatile source of cells for regenerative therapy. However, the basic mechanisms of lineage specification of pluripotent stem cells are...

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Main Authors: Jijun Hao, Marie A Daleo, Clare K Murphy, Paul B Yu, Joshua N Ho, Jianyong Hu, Randall T Peterson, Antonis K Hatzopoulos, Charles C Hong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2008-08-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0002904&type=printable
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author Jijun Hao
Marie A Daleo
Clare K Murphy
Paul B Yu
Joshua N Ho
Jianyong Hu
Randall T Peterson
Antonis K Hatzopoulos
Charles C Hong
author_facet Jijun Hao
Marie A Daleo
Clare K Murphy
Paul B Yu
Joshua N Ho
Jianyong Hu
Randall T Peterson
Antonis K Hatzopoulos
Charles C Hong
author_sort Jijun Hao
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells, which have the capacity to give rise to all tissue types in the body, show great promise as a versatile source of cells for regenerative therapy. However, the basic mechanisms of lineage specification of pluripotent stem cells are largely unknown, and generating sufficient quantities of desired cell types remains a formidable challenge. Small molecules, particularly those that modulate key developmental pathways like the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling cascade, hold promise as tools to study in vitro lineage specification and to direct differentiation of stem cells toward particular cell types.<h4>Methodology/ principal findings</h4>We describe the use of dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, to induce myocardial differentiation in mouse ES cells. Cardiac induction is very robust, increasing the yield of spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes by at least 20 fold. Dorsomorphin, unlike the endogenous BMP antagonist Noggin, robustly induces cardiomyogenesis when treatment is limited to the initial 24-hours of ES cell differentiation. Quantitative-PCR analyses of differentiating ES cells indicate that pharmacological inhibition of BMP signaling during the early critical stage promotes the development of the cardiomyocyte lineage, but reduces the differentiation of endothelial, smooth muscle, and hematopoietic cells.<h4>Conclusions/ significance</h4>Administration of a selective small molecule BMP inhibitor during the initial stages of ES cell differentiation substantially promotes the differentiation of primitive pluripotent cells toward the cardiomyocytic lineage, apparently at the expense of other mesodermal lineages. Small molecule modulators of developmental pathways like dorsomorphin could become versatile pharmacological tools for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
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spelling doaj-art-df60dda0ae2844fb876b70e5faa87adb2025-08-20T02:17:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032008-08-0138e290410.1371/journal.pone.0002904Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.Jijun HaoMarie A DaleoClare K MurphyPaul B YuJoshua N HoJianyong HuRandall T PetersonAntonis K HatzopoulosCharles C Hong<h4>Background</h4>Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells, which have the capacity to give rise to all tissue types in the body, show great promise as a versatile source of cells for regenerative therapy. However, the basic mechanisms of lineage specification of pluripotent stem cells are largely unknown, and generating sufficient quantities of desired cell types remains a formidable challenge. Small molecules, particularly those that modulate key developmental pathways like the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling cascade, hold promise as tools to study in vitro lineage specification and to direct differentiation of stem cells toward particular cell types.<h4>Methodology/ principal findings</h4>We describe the use of dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, to induce myocardial differentiation in mouse ES cells. Cardiac induction is very robust, increasing the yield of spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes by at least 20 fold. Dorsomorphin, unlike the endogenous BMP antagonist Noggin, robustly induces cardiomyogenesis when treatment is limited to the initial 24-hours of ES cell differentiation. Quantitative-PCR analyses of differentiating ES cells indicate that pharmacological inhibition of BMP signaling during the early critical stage promotes the development of the cardiomyocyte lineage, but reduces the differentiation of endothelial, smooth muscle, and hematopoietic cells.<h4>Conclusions/ significance</h4>Administration of a selective small molecule BMP inhibitor during the initial stages of ES cell differentiation substantially promotes the differentiation of primitive pluripotent cells toward the cardiomyocytic lineage, apparently at the expense of other mesodermal lineages. Small molecule modulators of developmental pathways like dorsomorphin could become versatile pharmacological tools for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0002904&type=printable
spellingShingle Jijun Hao
Marie A Daleo
Clare K Murphy
Paul B Yu
Joshua N Ho
Jianyong Hu
Randall T Peterson
Antonis K Hatzopoulos
Charles C Hong
Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
PLoS ONE
title Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
title_full Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
title_fullStr Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
title_full_unstemmed Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
title_short Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.
title_sort dorsomorphin a selective small molecule inhibitor of bmp signaling promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0002904&type=printable
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