Methods for PTEN in stem cells and cancer stem cells

Abstract

PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue) is the first tumor suppressor identified to have phosphatase activity and its gene is the second most frequently deleted or mutated tumor-suppressor gene associated with human cancers. Germline PTEN mutations are the cause of three inherited autosomal dominant disorders. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5,-triphosphate (PIP3), the product of the PI3 kinase, is one of the key intracellular targets of PTEN’s phosphatase activity, although PTEN’s phosphatase-independent activities have also been identified. PTEN is critical for stem cell maintenance, which contributes to its controlled tumorigenesis. PTEN loss leads the development of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that share properties with somatic stem cells, including the capacity for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Methods to isolate and functionally test stem cells and CSCs are important for understanding PTEN functions and the development of therapeutic approaches to target CSCs without having adverse effects on normal stem cells. Here, we describe protocols for the isolation and functional analysis of PTEN deficient embryonic stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells and leukemia-initiating cells (LICs), neural stem cells, and prostate stem cells and CSCs.