Effects of fibroblast growth factors on the differentiation of the pulmonary progenitors from murine embryonic stem cells

The fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play an important role in the development of embryonic lung. In this study, we investigated the effects of mainly FGF 1, 2, and 10 at concentrations selected on the basis of data obtained from previous in vitro culture on the derivation of the pulmonary progenitors from murine embryonic stem cells cultured on gelatin or Matrigel-coated plates. For cells cultured on a gelatin-coated plate, high concentrations of FGF1 were found to enhance the expression of mRNAs for SPC and CC10, markers of distal airway epithelium, while high levels of FGF2 decreased the expression of RNAs for not only SPC, CC10 but also for the additional markers SPD and aquaporin 5. FGF10 at all tested concentrations was found to have no effect on the differentiation of pneumocytes when ESCs were grown on gelatin-coated plates. However, when differentiation was performed on Matrigel-coated plates, the addition of 60 ng/ml FGF10 enhanced the expression of pneumocyte markers, suggesting a synergic effect of FGF10 and extracellular matrix. In conclusion, growth factors were proven to be effective in the differentiation of pulmonary progenitors from mESCs. The need of signals from extracellular matrix proteins depends on the growth factors supplemented.