Generation of multidrug resistant human tissues by overexpression of the ABCG2 multidrug transporter in embryonic stem cells

PLoS One. 2018 Apr 12;13(4):e0194925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194925. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The ABCG2 multidrug transporter provides resistance against various endo- and xenobiotics, and protects the stem cells against toxins and stress conditions. We have shown earlier that a GFP-tagged version of ABCG2 is fully functional and may be used to follow the expression, localization and function of this transporter in living cells. In the present work we have overexpressed GFP-ABCG2, driven by a constitutive (CAG) promoter, in HUES9 human embryonic stem cells. Stem cell clones were generated to express the wild-type and a substrate-mutant (R482G) GFP-ABCG2 variant, by using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system. We found that the stable overexpression of these transgenes did not change the pluripotency and growth properties of the stem cells, nor their differentiation capacity to hepatocytes or cardiomyocytes. ABCG2 overexpression provided increased toxin resistance in the stem cells, and protected the derived cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin toxicity. These studies document the potential of a stable ABCG2 expression for engineering toxin-resistant human pluripotent stem cells and selected stem cell derived tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2 / genetics*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Doxorubicin / chemistry
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple*
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Mitoxantrone / chemistry
  • Mutation
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • ABCG2 protein, human
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Doxorubicin
  • Mitoxantrone

Associated data

  • figshare/6061484

Grants and funding

This research has been supported by National Research, Development and Innovation Office (http://nkfih.gov.hu/english) grants KTIA AIK 12-1-2012-0025 (LH) and OTKA K115375 (BS), PD121287 (AS), K112112 (TIO) (Hungary). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.