Rex1/Zfp42 is dispensable for pluripotency in mouse ES cells

Shinji Masui¹^,5 , Satoshi Ohtsuka¹^,6 , Rika Yagi¹ , Kadue Takahashi¹ , Minoru SH Ko⁴ and Hitoshi Niwa¹^,2^,3

¹Laboratory for Pluripotent Cell Studies, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan

²CREST (Core research for Evolutional Science and Technology), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan

³Laboratory for Development and Regenerative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunokicho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan

⁴Developmental Genomics and Aging Section, Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Suite 3000, Baltimore, MD 21224-6820, USA

⁵Division of Molecular Biology and Cell Engineering, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

⁶Division for Animal Resources and Development, Life Science Research Center, Toyama University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan

author email corresponding author email

BMC Developmental Biology 2008, 8:45doi:10.1186/1471-213X-8-45


Published:	24 April 2008

Abstract

Background

Rex1/Zfp42 has been extensively used as a marker for the undifferentiated state of pluripotent stem cells. However, its function in pluripotent stem cells including embryonic stem (ES) cells remained unclear although its involvement in visceral endoderm differentiation in F9 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells was reported.

Results

We showed the function of Rex1 in mouse ES cells as well as in embryos using the conventional gene targeting strategy. Our results clearly indicated that Rex1 function is dispensable for both the maintenance of pluripotency in ES cells and the development of embryos. However, Rex1-/- ES cells showed the defect to induce a subset of the marker genes of visceral endoderm, when differentiated as embryoid body, as found in EC cells.

Conclusion

Rex1 should be regarded just as a marker of pluripotency without functional significance like the activity of alkaline phosphatase.