Differentiative potential of a mouse parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell line revealed by embryoid body formation in vitro.

The in vitro differentiative potential of mouse parthenogenetic (PG) embryonic stem (PGES) cells were investigated in the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs). EBs derived from PGES cells retarded in growth and showed restricted differentiation compared to their fertilized counterpart. In chimeric EBs from the aggregation of PGES and fertilized ES cells, morphological examination revealed that PGES cells were reduced in their population and distributed in endodermal layer as culture periods proceeded. These findings were comparable to those in aggregation chimeras of fertilized and PG embryos, and suggest that the differentiation of PGES cells in vitro is restricted in the formation of EBs.