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Human Embryonic Stem Cells Have Enhanced Repair of Multiple Forms of DNA Damage

  1. Scott Maynard1,
  2. Anna Maria Swistowska2,
  3. Jae Wan Lee3,
  4. Ying Liu4,
  5. Su-Ting Liu1,
  6. Alexandre Bettencourt Da Cruz2,
  7. Mahendra Rao4,
  8. Nadja C. de Souza-Pinto1,
  9. Xianmin Zeng2,
  10. Vilhelm A. Bohr M.D., Ph.D.1,*

Article first published online: 19 JUN 2008

DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-1041

Issue

STEM CELLS

STEM CELLS

Volume 26, Issue 9, pages 2266–2274, September 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Maynard, S., Swistowska, A. M., Lee, J. W., Liu, Y., Liu, S.-T., Da Cruz, A. B., Rao, M., de Souza-Pinto, N. C., Zeng, X. and Bohr, V. A. (2008), Human Embryonic Stem Cells Have Enhanced Repair of Multiple Forms of DNA Damage. STEM CELLS, 26: 2266–2274. doi: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-1041

Author Information

  1. 1

    Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

  2. 2

    Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, California, USA

  3. 3

    Crystallography and Recombinant Enzyme Art Unit, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Alexandria, Virginia, USA

  4. 4

    Invitrogen Corporation, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Carlsbad, California, USA

*Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Box 1, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-6825, USA. Telephone: 410-558-8162; Fax: 410-558-8157

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 2 JAN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 19 JUN 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 8 JUN 2008
  4. Manuscript Received: 8 DEC 2007

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Keywords:

  • Human embryonic stem cells;
  • DNA repair;
  • Genomic maintenance;
  • Comet assay;
  • Microarray

Abstract

Embryonic stem cells need to maintain genomic integrity so that they can retain the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types without propagating DNA errors. Previous studies have suggested that mechanisms of genome surveillance, including DNA repair, are superior in mouse embryonic stem cells compared with various differentiated murine cells. Using single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) we found that human embryonic stem cells (BG01, I6) have more efficient repair of different types of DNA damage (generated from H2O2, UV-C, ionizing radiation, or psoralen) than human primary fibroblasts (WI-38, hs27) and, with the exception of UV-C damage, HeLa cells. Microarray gene expression analysis showed that mRNA levels of several DNA repair genes are elevated in human embryonic stem cells compared with their differentiated forms (embryoid bodies). These data suggest that genomic maintenance pathways are enhanced in human embryonic stem cells, relative to differentiated human cells.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

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