Characterization of cytoskeleton features and maturation status of cultured human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes

Submitted: 20 December 2016
Accepted: 7 June 2017
Published: 21 June 2017
Abstract Views: 3421
PDF: 1476
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Authors

Recent innovations in stem cell technologies and the availability of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have opened new possibilities for studies and drug testing on human cardiomyocytes in vitro. Still, there are concerns about the precise nature of such ‘reprogrammed’ cells. We have performed an investigation using immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy on several cellular features using commercially available hiPSC-CMs. For some selected developmentally regulated or cardiac chamber-specific proteins, we have compared the results from hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes with freshly isolated, ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult rats. The results show that all typical cardiac proteins are expressed in these hiPSC-CMs. Furthermore, intercalated disc-like structures, calcium cycling proteins, and myofibrils are present. However, some of these proteins are only known from early developmental stages of the ventricular myocardium or the diseased adult heart. A heterogeneous expression pattern in the cell population was noted for some muscle proteins, such as for myosin light chains, or incomplete organization in sarcomeres, such as for telethonin. These observations indicate that hiPSC-CMs can be considered genuine human cardiomyocytes of an early developmental state. The here described marker proteins of maturation may become instrumental in future studies attempting the improvement of cardiomyocyte in vitro models. 

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Supporting Agencies

Swiss Heart Foundation
Christian Zuppinger, University Hospital Bern, Cardiology Department

University Hospital Bern, Department Heart and Vessels

Senior Scientist

George Gibbons, Axol Bioscience Ltd
Production manager
Priyanka Dutta-Passecker, Axol Bioscience Ltd
Regional Business Development Manager
Adrian Segiser, Bern University Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Lab technician, master of science
Henriette Most, Bern University Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Cardiac surgeon

How to Cite

Zuppinger, C., Gibbons, G., Dutta-Passecker, P., Segiser, A., Most, H., & Suter, T. M. (2017). Characterization of cytoskeleton features and maturation status of cultured human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. European Journal of Histochemistry, 61(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ejh.2017.2763