Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms

Alcohol exposure, as a widespread environmental factor, is highly toxic and teratogenic. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent and key to development, and their gene expression is tightly regulated, allowing the cells to differentiate without self-renewal. Numerous studies showed that alcohol...

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Main Authors: Jing GAO, Bingchun LIU, Hong CHEN, Peixin XU, Xin GUO, Jianlong YUAN, Yang LIU
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Editorial Committee of Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025-05-01
Series:环境与职业医学
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Online Access:http://www.jeom.org/article/cn/10.11836/JEOM24434
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author Jing GAO
Bingchun LIU
Hong CHEN
Peixin XU
Xin GUO
Jianlong YUAN
Yang LIU
author_facet Jing GAO
Bingchun LIU
Hong CHEN
Peixin XU
Xin GUO
Jianlong YUAN
Yang LIU
author_sort Jing GAO
collection DOAJ
description Alcohol exposure, as a widespread environmental factor, is highly toxic and teratogenic. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent and key to development, and their gene expression is tightly regulated, allowing the cells to differentiate without self-renewal. Numerous studies showed that alcohol is an important factor affecting the differentiation of ESCs. In this paper, we systematically summarized four major molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol associated differentiation of ESCs: (1) inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway; (2) restriction of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway; (3) alteration of the expression of pluripotent transcription factors; and (4) activation of the nuclear transcriptional program. Through the above mechanisms, alcohol induces aberrant expression of differentiation-related genes and alters the direction of cellular differentiation towards specific lineages, thereby affecting normal embryonic development. Based on the studies on ESCs modeling and other in vitro and in vivo differentiation experiments, the molecular basis of how alcohol affects differentiation by interfering with signaling networks and transcriptional regulation was elucidated, and the results of current research in this field were also summarized, which is crucial for understanding alcohol-mediated toxic effects.
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series 环境与职业医学
spelling doaj-art-b5f05b52967f4214be7a02edd08e1af32025-08-20T03:22:01ZengEditorial Committee of Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine环境与职业医学2095-99822025-05-0142563764310.11836/JEOM2443424434Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanismsJing GAO0Bingchun LIU1Hong CHEN2Peixin XU3Xin GUO4Jianlong YUAN5Yang LIU6The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Organ Transplantation Center Laboratory/Stem Cell Laboratory/Tumor Cell Gene Detection Application and Research Engineering Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010050, ChinaThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineThe Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Department of Laboratory MedicineAlcohol exposure, as a widespread environmental factor, is highly toxic and teratogenic. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent and key to development, and their gene expression is tightly regulated, allowing the cells to differentiate without self-renewal. Numerous studies showed that alcohol is an important factor affecting the differentiation of ESCs. In this paper, we systematically summarized four major molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol associated differentiation of ESCs: (1) inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway; (2) restriction of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway; (3) alteration of the expression of pluripotent transcription factors; and (4) activation of the nuclear transcriptional program. Through the above mechanisms, alcohol induces aberrant expression of differentiation-related genes and alters the direction of cellular differentiation towards specific lineages, thereby affecting normal embryonic development. Based on the studies on ESCs modeling and other in vitro and in vivo differentiation experiments, the molecular basis of how alcohol affects differentiation by interfering with signaling networks and transcriptional regulation was elucidated, and the results of current research in this field were also summarized, which is crucial for understanding alcohol-mediated toxic effects.http://www.jeom.org/article/cn/10.11836/JEOM24434alcohol exposureembryonic stem celldifferentiationtoxic effect
spellingShingle Jing GAO
Bingchun LIU
Hong CHEN
Peixin XU
Xin GUO
Jianlong YUAN
Yang LIU
Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
环境与职业医学
alcohol exposure
embryonic stem cell
differentiation
toxic effect
title Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
title_full Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
title_fullStr Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
title_full_unstemmed Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
title_short Review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
title_sort review on alcohol exposure associated embryonic stem cell differentiation mechanisms
topic alcohol exposure
embryonic stem cell
differentiation
toxic effect
url http://www.jeom.org/article/cn/10.11836/JEOM24434
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AT hongchen reviewonalcoholexposureassociatedembryonicstemcelldifferentiationmechanisms
AT peixinxu reviewonalcoholexposureassociatedembryonicstemcelldifferentiationmechanisms
AT xinguo reviewonalcoholexposureassociatedembryonicstemcelldifferentiationmechanisms
AT jianlongyuan reviewonalcoholexposureassociatedembryonicstemcelldifferentiationmechanisms
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