Exposure of vertebrate stem cell line to insect juvenile hormone-like compounds

Pluripotent vertebrate stem cells can be induced to differentiation by exposure to ligand for the nuclear hormone receptor RAR, which heterodimerizes with the nuclear hormone receptor RXR. In some transcriptional and developmental assays, ligand specific for RXR can also direct gene transcription and cellular development. Previous concern was raised when methoprene acid (a metabolite of the commercial insect growth regulator methoprene) was observed to bind to and transcriptionally activate vertebrate RXR. Unknown at this time is the extent to which methoprene acid might disregulate genetic programming of vertebrate stem cells. The results of a study on this question will be presented. Supported in part by NIH.