Generation of human pluripotent stem cell lines with suppressed expression of the Notch ligand DLL4 using short hairpin RNAs

Abstract

Studies with different animal models have shown that the Notch ligand DLL4 has a key role in the development of the embryonic vasculature. Here we describe the generation and characterization of a human embryonic stem cell line and an induced pluripotent stem cell line that constitutively express short hairpin RNAs targeting DLL4 mRNA. These cells present reduced DLL4 expression at both protein and mRNA level, as well as a reduced induction of DLL4 target genes. They represent an ideal tool to study the role of DLL4 in human embryonic vascular and hematopoietic development.