Roles of gangliosides in mouse embryogenesis and embryonic stem cell differentiation

Abstract

Gangliosides have been suggested to play important roles in various functions such as adhesion, cell differentiation, growth control, and signaling. Mouse follicular development, ovulation, and luteinization during the estrous cycle are regulated by several hormones and cell-cell interactions. In addition, spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of adult testes is also regulated by several hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and cell-cell interactions. The regulation of these processes by hormones and cell-cell interactions provides evidence for the importance of surface membrane components, including gangliosides. During preimplantation embryo development, a mammalian embryo undergoes a series of cleavage divisions whereby a zygote is converted into a blastocyst that is sufficiently competent to be implanted in the maternal uterus and continue its development. Mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells are pluripotent cells derived from mouse embryo, specifically, from the inner cell mass of blastocysts. Differentiated neuronal cells are derived from mES cells through the formation of embryonic bodies (EBs). EBs recapitulate many aspects of lineage-specific differentiation and temporal and spatial gene expression patterns during early embryogenesis. Previous studies on ganglioside expression during mouse embryonic development (including during in vitro fertilization, ovulation, spermatogenesis, and embryogenesis) reported that gangliosides were expressed in both undifferentiated and differentiated (or differentiating) mES cells. In this review, we summarize some of the advances in our understanding of the functional roles of gangliosides during the stages of mouse embryonic development, including ovulation, spermatogenesis, and embryogenesis, focusing on undifferentiated and differentiated mES cells (neuronal cells).

Impaired Neural Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from a Mouse Model of Sandhoff Disease

“…The machinery of histone methylation/demethylation is regulated by cell signaling molecules such as Notch, bFGF, LIF, Shh, and Wnt [33], [34]. Several gangliosides play a pivotal role in embryonic development and neuronal differentiation [35]–[37], and regulate growth factor-mediated cell signaling pathways for neural development [38]. For example, GM3 ganglioside is a negative regulator of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) [39]–[41], a key negative regulator of Notch1 gene expression [42].…”

Regulation of Glycan Structures in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

“…Glycans also influence numerous cellular functions, such as modulating cell signals and regulating the balance between cell adhesion versus migration during embryogenesis (8,93,94). Cell movements during gastrulation are influenced by cell surface glycan structures, including glycoproteins (2,3,7,8), proteoglycans (95)(96)(97), and glycolipids (98,99). Glycoprotein and glycolipid modifications by polysialic acid or sulfation to form human natural killer-1 epitopes in neural crest cells regulate adhesion and neurite outgrowth from various neural cell types (100 -104).…”

Relationship between ganglioside expression and anti-cancer effects of the monoclonal antibody against epithelial cell adhesion molecule in colon cancer

“…Tumor-associated carbohydrate determinants have been utilized as tumor markers to diagnose colon cancer (Kannagi et al, 2004). GD1a and GM1 are the 2 main gangliosides in many cell types (Kwak et al, 2011). Developmental changes in ganglioside composition of the nervous system are characterized by an increase in GM1 and GD1a during the transition from fetal to postnatal life (Svennerholm et al, 1989).…”