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Updated: Oct 9, 2025

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics
Published on: September 28, 2019
Cell position within human pluripotent stem cell colonies determines apical specialization via an actin
Youngju Kim1, Hwanseok Jang2, Kyubin Seo1
1Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) grow as colonies with epithelial-like features including cell polarity and position-dependent features that contribute to symmetry breaking during development. Our study provides evidence that hPSC colonies exhibit position-dependent differences in apical structures and functions. With this apical difference, edge cells were preferentially labeled with amphipathic dyes, which enabled separation of edge and center cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Transcriptome comparison between center and edge cells showed differential expression of genes related to apicobasal polarization, cell migration, and endocytosis. Accordingly, different kinematics and mechanical dynamics were found between center and edge cells, and perturbed actin dynamics disrupted the position-dependent apical polarity. In addition, our dye-labeling approach could be utilized to sort out a certain cell population in differentiated micropatterned colonies. In summary, hPSC colonies have position-dependent differences in apical structures and properties, and actin dynamics appear to play an important role in the establishment of this position-dependent cell polarity.
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