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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C

An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C

Published on: June 1, 2018

PDCD2 is essential for inner cell mass development and embryonic stem cell maintenance.

Weipeng Mu¹, Robert J Munroe, Anna K Barker

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.

Developmental Biology

|September 4, 2010

Summary

Programmed cell death 2 (PDCD2) is essential for early embryonic development and maintaining the undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Loss of PDCD2 prevents blastocyst development and ESC self-renewal, highlighting its critical role in cell cycle regulation.

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Derivation of Cardiac Progenitor Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells

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Published on: January 12, 2015

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Programmed cell death 2 (PDCD2) is a conserved eukaryotic protein involved in cell cycle regulation.
PDCD2 interacts with HCFC1 and the NCOR1/SIN3A corepressor complex.
PDCD2 transcripts are abundant in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and somatic stem cells.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the physiological functions of mammalian PDCD2 in vivo.
To determine the role of PDCD2 in early embryonic development and ESC maintenance.

Main Methods:

Generation of a PDCD2 disruption allele in mice (Pdcd2-/-).
Assessment of embryonic development and blastocyst implantation.
In vitro culture and analysis of inner cell masses (ICMs) and ESCs.
Generation of Pdcd2-/- ESCs with and without an ectopic transgene.
Analysis of PDCD2 levels during ESC differentiation induced by retinoic acid or LIF deprivation.

Main Results:

Pdcd2-/- embryos implanted but failed to develop further.
ICMs from Pdcd2-/- blastocysts could not be cultured in vitro.
Generation of Pdcd2-/- ESCs was not possible without a rescue transgene.
PDCD2 levels decreased during ESC differentiation.

Conclusions:

PDCD2 is indispensable for early mammalian embryonic development.
PDCD2 is crucial for the maintenance and self-renewal of ESCs.
PDCD2 regulates gene expression to preserve the undifferentiated state of stem cells.