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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Preparation of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cells Suitable for Culturing Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: June 21, 2012
Cdh2 stabilizes FGFR1 and contributes to primed-state pluripotency in mouse epiblast stem cells
Toshiyuki Takehara1, Takeshi Teramura1, Yuta Onodera1
1Division of Cell Biology for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka, Japan 5898511.
Abstract:
The cell adhesion molecule Cadherin 2 (Cdh2) plays important roles in somatic cell adhesion, proliferation and migration. Cdh2 is also highly expressed in mouse epiblast stem cells (mEpiSCs), but its function in these cells is unknown. To understand the function of Cdh2 in mEpiSCs, we compared the expression of pluripotency-related genes in mEpiSCs and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) after either Cdh2 knockdown or Cdh2 over-expression. Introduction of specific siRNA against Cdh2 led to attenuation of pluripotency-related genes. Pluripotent gene expression was not recovered by over-expression of Cdh1 following Cdh2 knockdown. Western blot analysis and co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Cdh2 stabilizes FGFR1 in mEpiSCs. Furthermore, stable transfection of mESCs with Cdh2 cDNA followed by FGF2 supplementation accelerated cell differentiation. Thus, Cdh2 contributes to the establishment and maintenance of FGF signaling-dependent self-renewal in mEpiSCs through stabilization of FGFR1.
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