Multipotent differentiation of the EGFP gene transgenic stem cells derived from amniotic fluid of goat at terminal gestational age.

We have isolated stem cells from amniotic fluid of goat at terminal gestational age and transferred the EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) gene into the stem cells previously. The aim of this study was to determine whether the transgenic stem cells have the capability of multipotent differentiation. The transgenic stem cells were induced to differentiate into neurogenic, adipogenic, osteogenic and endothelial cells in vitro. Markers associated with AFS (amniotic fluid-derived stem) cells and the differentiated cells were tested by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR). The results demonstrated that the transgenic AFS cells were capable of self-renewal, a defining property of stem cells. AFS cells were positive for the undifferentiated cell markers, Oct4, Nanog, Sox2 and Hes1, while following differentiation cells expressed markers for neurogenic cells such as astrocyte [GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein)] and NSE (neuron-specific enolase), adipogenic cells [LPL+ (lipoprotein lipase+)], osteogenic cells (osteocalcin+ and osteonectin+) and endothelium [CD34+ and eNOS+ (endothelial nitric oxide synthase)]. The results demonstrated that the EGFP gene transgenic AFS cells have the capability of multipotent differentiation, which means that the transgenic AFS cells may be useful in cell-transplantation studies in future.