Source
Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Abstract
The classification of embryonic and adult stem cells, including their derivatives, is still limited, and often these cells are best defined by their functional properties. Recent gene array studies have yielded contradictory results. Also, very little is known about the metabolic properties of these exciting cells. In this study, proton (1H) NMR spectroscopy was used to identify the major low-molecular-weight metabolites in murine embryonic stem cells (ESC) and their neural stem cell (NSC) derivatives. ESC are characterized by an unusually low number of NMR-detectable metabolites, high phosphocholine (PC) content, and nondetectable glycerophosphocholine (GPC). The metabolic profiles of NSC resemble glial cells and oligodendrocyte progenitors, but with considerably higher PC, GPC, and myo-inositol content. The results suggest that NMR spectroscopy in vitro can provide markers to study the effects of differentiation on cell metabolism, and potentially to assess stem cell preparations for differentiation status.
Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.