Figure 3.

Hormone Production in Reprogrammed USCs

(A) LC-MS/MS analyses of steroid in the media of reprogrammed versus control USCs after eight days. N.D., non-detected.

(B) RT-PCR showing MC2R and MRAP expression in controls and reprogrammed USCs after eight days.

(C) Cortisol production in control and hiSCs treated with 1 μM ACTH or 100 μM 8-br-cAMP for eight days.

(D) qRT-PCR analyses of STAR, CYP11B1, and CYP11B2 expression in controls and reprogrammed USCs treated with LH and WNT4 for eight days. Cortisol secretion is reported in the right panel.

(E) qRT-PCR analyses of STAR expression in USCs treated with LHRH, bombesin, and ACTH. Effect of [D-Trp6]-LHRH and bombesin on cortisol production (left) and in cell viability using CC8 assay.

(F) Schematic illustrating the final protocol employed to generate hiSCs.

Data in (A) and (C)–(E) are represented as mean ± SEM, n ≥ 3. See also Figure S4.