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Fig. 3. Stimulation of endogenous ß-catenin signaling overcomes the inhibitory
effects of high density on RA-treated cultures. Stimulation of endogenous
signaling was mediated by treatment with Wnt3a-conditioned media and by
overexpression of H2kd-E-cadherin. (A) HEK293 cells were transfected with
TCF/LEF-luciferase and tested for luciferase activity after treatment with
Wnt3a-conditioned media or after cotransfection of H2kd-E-cadherin with
TCF/LEF-luc. H2kd-E-cadherin was able to increase luciferase activity,
although Wnt3a treatment had a greater effect. (B) Changes in ß-catenin
degradation were analyzed in ES cells after Wnt3a treatment. ES cells were
induced by EB formation in high density and were either treated with
control-conditioned media or with Wnt3a-conditioned media. Total cell lysates
were extracted on day 2 of the differentiation (2 days Wnt3a treatment) and
analyzed by western blotting (B). Treatment with Wnt3a-conditioned media
reduced the amount of phospho-ß-catenin while not significantly altering
the levels of total ß-catenin. Wnt3a treatment resulted in a decrease in
the levels of phopshorylated ß-catenin signaling. ES cells were induced
by EB formation at high density in either control-conditioned media (C) or
Wnt3a-conditioned media (D), and differentiated by the 4-/4+ protocol. Wnt3a
treatment resulted in many ß-tubulin 3-positive cells (D), whereas
control media did not (C). Cells were stably transfected with an empty vector
(E), H2kd-E-cadherin (F) or full-length ß-catenin (G), and induced by EB
formation at high density using the 4-/4+ protocol. Overexpression of
H2kd-E-cadherin and ß-catenin resulted in neuronal differentiation in
high-density cultures, but transfection with empty vector did not. (C-G) All
cells were fixed 3-4 days post-plating, and stained with anti-ß-tubulin 3
antibodies (green) and counterstained with Hoechst (blue).