Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Suppression of Pro-fibrotic Signaling Potentiates Factor-mediated Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts into Induced Cardiomyocytes
09:16

Suppression of Pro-fibrotic Signaling Potentiates Factor-mediated Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts into Induced Cardiomyocytes

Published on: June 3, 2018

Excessive O-GlcNAcylation of proteins suppresses spontaneous cardiogenesis in ES cells

Hoe-Suk Kim1, Sang Yoon Park, Yu Rim Choi

  • 1Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. hoeskim@hotmail.com

FEBS Letters
|July 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Excessive O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification impairs cardiac cell differentiation. This study shows that altering O-GlcNAcylation levels in embryonic stem cells affects cardiomyocyte development.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cardiovascular Research

Background:

  • Aberrant protein O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification is linked to diabetic cardiomyopathy.
  • Embryonic stem (ES) cells offer a model to study early developmental processes, including cardiac differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of O-GlcNAcylation in cardiomyocyte development using Nkx2.5GFP knock-in ES cells.
  • To determine how modulating O-GlcNAcylation impacts cardiac differentiation and gene expression.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Nkx2.5GFP knock-in ES cells to track cardiomyocyte differentiation.
  • Manipulated O-GlcNAcylation levels using glucosamine, streptozotocin, PUGNAc, and 6-diazo-5-oxo-norleucine.
  • Assessed cardiomyocyte precursor numbers and cardiac-specific gene expression.

Main Results:

  • O-GlcNAcylation and O-GlcNAc transferase expression decreased during ES cell differentiation.
  • Increased O-GlcNAcylation reduced cardiomyocyte precursor numbers and cardiac gene expression.
  • Decreased O-GlcNAcylation enhanced cardiomyocyte precursor formation.

Conclusions:

  • Excessive O-GlcNAcylation negatively impacts cardiac cell differentiation in ES cells.
  • O-GlcNAcylation is a critical regulator of early cardiac development.
  • Findings suggest a potential therapeutic target for conditions involving impaired cardiac development.

More Related Videos

Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues13:03

Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues

Published on: June 3, 2016

Derivation of Highly Purified Cardiomyocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Small Molecule-modulated Differentiation and Subsequent Glucose Starvation11:53

Derivation of Highly Purified Cardiomyocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Small Molecule-modulated Differentiation and Subsequent Glucose Starvation

Published on: March 18, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity01:09

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of cells.
Two...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...
Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...