Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic Cells
Published on: March 16, 2017
Protein Kinase C Modulation Determines the Mesoderm/Extraembryonic Fate Under BMP4 Induction From Human Pluripotent
Carlos Godoy-Parejo1, Chunhao Deng1,2, Jiaqi Xu1
1Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
The interplay among mitogenic signaling pathways is crucial for proper embryogenesis. These pathways collaboratively act through intracellular master regulators to determine specific cell fates. Identifying the master regulators is critical to understanding embryogenesis and to developing new applications of pluripotent stem cells. In this report, we demonstrate protein kinase C (PKC) as an intrinsic master switch between embryonic and extraembryonic cell fates in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). PKCs are essential to induce the extraembryonic lineage downstream of BMP4 and other mitogenic modulators. PKC-alpha (PKCα) suppresses BMP4-induced mesoderm differentiation, and PKC-delta (PKCδ) is required for trophoblast cell fate. PKC activation overrides mesoderm induction conditions and leads to extraembryonic fate. In contrast, PKC inhibition leads to β-catenin (CTNNB1) activation, switching cell fate from trophoblast to mesoderm lineages. This study establishes PKC as a signaling boundary directing the segregation of extraembryonic and embryonic lineages. The manipulation of intrinsic PKC activity could greatly enhance cell differentiation under mitogenic regulation in stem cell applications.
Related Concept Videos
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Somatic...
Maintenance of the ES Cell State

