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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Simple Method to Identify Kinases That Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by High-throughput Inhibitor Screening
07:18

A Simple Method to Identify Kinases That Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by High-throughput Inhibitor Screening

Published on: May 12, 2017

Optimal suppression of protein phosphatase 2A activity is critical for maintenance of human embryonic stem cell

Byung Sun Yoon1, Eun Kyoung Jun, Gyuman Park

  • 1Laboratories of Cell Function Regulation, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea.

Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)
|March 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Protein serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulates human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal. Suppressing PP2A activity with okadaic acid (OA) maintains hESC pluripotency and enables feeder-free, xeno-free culture.

Area of Science:

  • Stem cell biology
  • Cell signaling
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal is regulated by complex intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
  • Protein serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is implicated in cellular signaling pathways.
  • The precise role of PP2A in hESC self-renewal and differentiation remains to be fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of PP2A in regulating hESC self-renewal and differentiation.
  • To explore the potential of modulating PP2A activity for improved hESC culture conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical analyses of PP2A activity and protein levels during hESC differentiation.
  • Manipulation of PP2A activity using PP2A activators (C2-ceramide) and inhibitors (okadaic acid).
  • Assessment of hESC pluripotency markers, telomerase activity, karyotype, and differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

  • PP2A activity and levels (PP2A/C, PP2A/A) increase during hESC differentiation.
  • Overexpression of PP2A/C or C2-ceramide treatment promotes hESC differentiation.
  • Okadaic acid (OA) treatment maintains hESC self-renewal, pluripotency markers, telomerase activity, and normal karyotypes.
  • OA-treated hESCs retain differentiation capacity into three germ layers.
  • OA enables feeder-free, xeno-free hESC culture in defined media, even without basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

Conclusions:

  • PP2A plays a critical role in regulating hESC differentiation.
  • Suppression of PP2A activity is a viable strategy for maintaining hESC self-renewal.
  • This study presents a novel method for xeno-free, feeder-free hESC culture by modulating PP2A activity with OA.

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