Identification and characterization of cancer stem cells in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Jing; Fujisawa, Toshio; Husain, Syed R; Puri, Raj K

2014-01-01

Current evidence suggests that initiation, growth, and invasion of cancer are driven by a small population of cancer stem cells (CSC). Previous studies have identified CD44+ cells as cancer stem cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, CD44 is widely expressed in most cells in HNSCC tumor samples and several cell lines tested. We previously identified a small population of CD24+/CD44+ cells in HNSCC. In this study, we examined whether this population of cells may represent CSC in HNSCC. CD24+/CD44+ cells from HNSCC cell lines were sorted by flow cytometry, and their phenotype was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Their self-renewal and differentiation properties, clonogenicity in collagen gels, and response to anticancer drugs were tested in vitro. The tumorigenicity potential of CD24+/CD44+ cells was tested in athymic nude mice in vivo. Our results show that CD24+/CD44+ cells possessed stemness characteristics of self-renewal and differentiation. CD24+/CD44+ cells showed higher cell invasion in vitro and made higher number of colonies in collagen gels compared to CD24-/CD44+ HNSCC cells. In addition, the CD24+/CD44+ cells were more chemo-resistant to gemcitabine and cisplatin compared to CD24-/CD44+ cells. In vivo, CD24+/CD44+ cells showed a tendency to generate larger tumors in nude mice compared to CD24-/CD44+ cell population. Our study clearly demonstrates that a distinct small population of CD24+/CD44+ cells is present in HNSCC that shows stem cell-like properties. This distinct small population of cells should be further characterized and may provide an opportunity to target HNSCC CSC for therapy

The CD4+CD26-T-cell population in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma displays a distinctive regulatory T-cell profile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ma, Yue; Visser, Lydia; Blokzijl, Tjasso; Harms, Geert; Atayar, Cigdem; Poppema, Sibrand; van den Berg, Anke

Little is known about the gene expression profile and significance of the rosetting CD4+CD26- T cells in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL). To characterize these T cells, CD4+CD26- and CD4+CD26+ T-cell populations were sorted from lymph node (LN) cell suspensions from nodular sclerosis HL (NSHL)

Awakened by cellular stress: isolation and characterization of a novel population of pluripotent stem cells derived from human adipose tissue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleh Heneidi

Full Text Available Advances in stem cell therapy face major clinical limitations, particularly challenged by low rates of post-transplant cell survival. Hostile host factors of the engraftment microenvironment such as hypoxia, nutrition deprivation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reactive oxygen species can each contribute to unwanted differentiation or apoptosis. In this report, we describe the isolation and characterization of a new population of adipose tissue (AT derived pluripotent stem cells, termed Multilineage Differentiating Stress-Enduring (Muse Cells, which are isolated using severe cellular stress conditions, including long-term exposure to the proteolytic enzyme collagenase, serum deprivation, low temperatures and hypoxia. Under these conditions, a highly purified population of Muse-AT cells is isolated without the utilization of cell sorting methods. Muse-AT cells grow in suspension as cell spheres reminiscent of embryonic stem cell clusters. Muse-AT cells are positive for the pluripotency markers SSEA3, TR-1-60, Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2, and can spontaneously differentiate into mesenchymal, endodermal and ectodermal cell lineages with an efficiency of 23%, 20% and 22%, respectively. When using specific differentiation media, differentiation efficiency is greatly enhanced in Muse-AT cells (82% for mesenchymal, 75% for endodermal and 78% for ectodermal. When compared to adipose stem cells (ASCs, microarray data indicate a substantial up-regulation of Sox2, Oct3/4, and Rex1. Muse-ATs also exhibit gene expression patterns associated with the down-regulation of genes involved in cell death and survival, embryonic development, DNA replication and repair, cell cycle and potential factors related to oncogenecity. Gene expression analysis indicates that Muse-ATs and ASCs are mesenchymal in origin; however, Muse-ATs also express numerous lymphocytic and hematopoietic genes, such as CCR1 and CXCL2, encoding chemokine receptors and ligands involved in stem cell

Characterization of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 high ovarian cancer cells: Towards targeted stem cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharrow, Allison C; Perkins, Brandy; Collector, Michael I; Yu, Wayne; Simons, Brian W; Jones, Richard J

2016-08-01

The cancer stem cell (CSC) paradigm hypothesizes that successful clinical eradication of CSCs may lead to durable remission for patients with ovarian cancer. Despite mounting evidence in support of ovarian CSCs, their phenotype and clinical relevance remain unclear. We and others have found high aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH(high)) expression in a variety of normal and malignant stem cells, and sought to better characterize ALDH(high) cells in ovarian cancer. We compared ALDH(high) to ALDH(low) cells in two ovarian cancer models representing distinct subtypes: FNAR-C1 cells, derived from a spontaneous rat endometrioid carcinoma, and the human SKOV3 cell line (described as both serous and clear cell subtypes). We assessed these populations for stem cell features then analyzed expression by microarray and qPCR. ALDH(high) cells displayed CSC properties, including: smaller size, quiescence, regenerating the phenotypic diversity of the cell lines in vitro, lack of contact inhibition, nonadherent growth, multi-drug resistance, and in vivo tumorigenicity. Microarray and qPCR analysis of the expression of markers reported by others to enrich for ovarian CSCs revealed that ALDH(high) cells of both models showed downregulation of CD24, but inconsistent expression of CD44, KIT and CD133. However, the following druggable targets were consistently expressed in the ALDH(high) cells from both models: mTOR signaling, her-2/neu, CD47 and FGF18/FGFR3. Based on functional characterization, ALDH(high) ovarian cancer cells represent an ovarian CSC population. Differential gene expression identified druggable targets that have the potential for therapeutic efficacy against ovarian CSCs from multiple subtypes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isolation, separation, and characterization of epithelial and connective cells from rat palate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terranova, Victor Paul [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

1979-01-01

Epithelial and connective tissue cells were isolated from rat palate by sequential collagenase, hyaluronidase and trypsin digestion of the extracellular matrix. Differences between the two populations were noted with respect to total cell protein, total cell water, proline uptake and incorporation, percent collagen synthesized, effects of parathyroid hormone, metabolism of D-valine and cell density. Basal epithelial cells were subsequently separated from the heterogeneous epithelial cell population on shallow linear density gradients by velocity centrifugation. The type of collagen synthesized by the basal epithelial cells was compared to the type of collagen synthesized by the connective tissue cells by means of labeled amino acid incorporation ratios. Cells isolated from the epithelial and connective tissue were compared. From these studies it can be concluded that epithelial and connective tissue cells can be isolated from rat palate as viable and distinct populations with respect to the biochemical parameters examined. Furthermore, subpopulations can be separated and biochemically characterized.

Cell population structure prior to bifurcation predicts efficiency of directed differentiation in human induced pluripotent cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bargaje, Rhishikesh; Trachana, Kalliopi; Shelton, Martin N; McGinnis, Christopher S; Zhou, Joseph X; Chadick, Cora; Cook, Savannah; Cavanaugh, Christopher; Huang, Sui; Hood, Leroy

2017-02-28

Steering the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) toward specific cell types is crucial for patient-specific disease modeling and drug testing. This effort requires the capacity to predict and control when and how multipotent progenitor cells commit to the desired cell fate. Cell fate commitment represents a critical state transition or "tipping point" at which complex systems undergo a sudden qualitative shift. To characterize such transitions during iPSC to cardiomyocyte differentiation, we analyzed the gene expression patterns of 96 developmental genes at single-cell resolution. We identified a bifurcation event early in the trajectory when a primitive streak-like cell population segregated into the mesodermal and endodermal lineages. Before this branching point, we could detect the signature of an imminent critical transition: increase in cell heterogeneity and coordination of gene expression. Correlation analysis of gene expression profiles at the tipping point indicates transcription factors that drive the state transition toward each alternative cell fate and their relationships with specific phenotypic readouts. The latter helps us to facilitate small molecule screening for differentiation efficiency. To this end, we set up an analysis of cell population structure at the tipping point after systematic variation of the protocol to bias the differentiation toward mesodermal or endodermal cell lineage. We were able to predict the proportion of cardiomyocytes many days before cells manifest the differentiated phenotype. The analysis of cell populations undergoing a critical state transition thus affords a tool to forecast cell fate outcomes and can be used to optimize differentiation protocols to obtain desired cell populations.

Characterization of distinct mesenchymal-like cell populations from human skeletal muscle in situ and in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lecourt, Severine, E-mail: severine.lecourt@sls.aphp.fr [UPMC/AIM UMR S 974, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); INSERM U974, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); CNRS UMR 7215, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); Laboratoire de Therapie Cellulaire, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris (France); Marolleau, Jean-Pierre, E-mail: Marolleau.Jean-Pierre@chu-amiens.fr [Laboratoire de Therapie Cellulaire, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris (France); CHU Amiens Hopital Sud, Service d' Hematologie Clinique, UPJV, Amiens (France); Fromigue, Olivia, E-mail: olivia.fromigue@larib.inserm.fr [INSERM U606, Universite Paris 07, Hopital Lariboisiere, Paris (France); Vauchez, Karine, E-mail: k.vauchez@institut-myologie.org [UPMC/AIM UMR S 974, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); INSERM U974, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); CNRS UMR 7215, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris (France); Genzyme S.A.S., Saint-Germain en Laye (France); Andriamanalijaona, Rina, E-mail: rinandria@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie des Tissus Conjonctifs, Faculte de Medecine, Caen (France); Ternaux, Brigitte, E-mail: brigitte.ternaux@orange.fr [Laboratoire de Therapie Cellulaire, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris (France); Lacassagne, Marie-Noelle, E-mail: mnlacassagne@free.fr [Laboratoire de Therapie Cellulaire, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris (France); Robert, Isabelle, E-mail: isa-robert@hotmail.fr [Laboratoire de Therapie Cellulaire, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris (France); Boumediene, Karim, E-mail: karim.boumediene@unicaen.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie des Tissus Conjonctifs, Faculte de Medecine, Caen (France); Chereau, Frederic, E-mail: fchereau@pervasistx.com [Myosix S.A., Saint-Germain en Laye (France); Marie, Pierre, E-mail: pierre.marie@larib.inserm.fr [INSERM U606, Universite Paris 07, Hopital Lariboisiere, Paris (France); and others

2010-09-10

Human skeletal muscle is an essential source of various cellular progenitors with potential therapeutic perspectives. We first used extracellular markers to identify in situ the main cell types located in a satellite position or in the endomysium of the skeletal muscle. Immunohistology revealed labeling of cells by markers of mesenchymal (CD13, CD29, CD44, CD47, CD49, CD62, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146, and CD15 in this study), myogenic (CD56), angiogenic (CD31, CD34, CD106, CD146), hematopoietic (CD10, CD15, CD34) lineages. We then analysed cell phenotypes and fates in short- and long-term cultures of dissociated muscle biopsies in a proliferation medium favouring the expansion of myogenic cells. While CD56{sup +} cells grew rapidly, a population of CD15{sup +} cells emerged, partly from CD56{sup +} cells, and became individualized. Both populations expressed mesenchymal markers similar to that harboured by human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. In differentiation media, both CD56{sup +} and CD15{sup +} cells shared osteogenic and chondrogenic abilities, while CD56{sup +} cells presented a myogenic capacity and CD15{sup +} cells presented an adipogenic capacity. An important proportion of cells expressed the CD34 antigen in situ and immediately after muscle dissociation. However, CD34 antigen did not persist in culture and this initial population gave rise to adipogenic cells. These results underline the diversity of human muscle cells, and the shared or restricted commitment abilities of the main lineages under defined conditions.

Derivation of keratinocytes from chicken embryonic stem cells: Establishment and characterization of differentiated proliferative cell populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathilde Couteaudier

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A common challenge in avian cell biology is the generation of differentiated cell-lines, especially in the keratinocyte lineage. Only a few avian cell-lines are available and very few of them show an interesting differentiation profile. During the last decade, mammalian embryonic stem cell-lines were shown to differentiate into almost all lineages, including keratinocytes. Although chicken embryonic stem cells had been obtained in the 1990s, few differentiation studies toward the ectodermal lineage were reported. Consequently, we explored the differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells toward the keratinocyte lineage by using a combination of stromal induction, ascorbic acid, BMP4 and chicken serum. During the induction period, we observed a downregulation of pluripotency markers and an upregulation of epidermal markers. Three homogenous cell populations were derived, which were morphologically similar to chicken primary keratinocytes, displaying intracellular lipid droplets in almost every pavimentous cell. These cells could be serially passaged without alteration of their morphology and showed gene and protein expression profiles of epidermal markers similar to chicken primary keratinocytes. These cells represent an alternative to the isolation of chicken primary keratinocytes, being less cumbersome to handle and reducing the number of experimental animals used for the preparation of primary cells.

Therapeutic implications of an enriched cancer stem-like cell population in a human osteosarcoma cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins-Neves, Sara R; Lopes, Áurio O; Carmo, Anália do; Paiva, Artur A; Simões, Paulo C; Abrunhosa, Antero J; Gomes, Célia MF

2012-01-01

Osteosarcoma is a bone-forming tumor of mesenchymal origin that presents a clinical pattern that is consistent with the cancer stem cell model. Cells with stem-like properties (CSCs) have been identified in several tumors and hypothesized as the responsible for the relative resistance to therapy and tumor relapses. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize CSCs populations in a human osteosarcoma cell line and to explore their role in the responsiveness to conventional therapies. CSCs were isolated from the human MNNG/HOS cell line using the sphere formation assay and characterized in terms of self-renewal, mesenchymal stem cell properties, expression of pluripotency markers and ABC transporters, metabolic activity and tumorigenicity. Cell's sensitivity to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and to irradiation was analyzed and related with cell cycle-induced alterations and apoptosis. The isolated CSCs were found to possess self-renewal and multipotential differentiation capabilities, express markers of pluripotent embryonic stem cells Oct4 and Nanog and the ABC transporters P-glycoprotein and BCRP, exhibit low metabolic activity and induce tumors in athymic mice. Compared with parental MNNG/HOS cells, CSCs were relatively more resistant to both chemotherapy and irradiation. None of the treatments have induced significant cell-cycle alterations and apoptosis in CSCs. MNNG/HOS osteosarcoma cells contain a stem-like cell population relatively resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation. This resistant phenotype appears to be related with some stem features, namely the high expression of the drug efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and BCRP and their quiescent nature, which may provide a biological basis for resistance to therapy and recurrence commonly observed in osteosarcoma

Therapeutic implications of an enriched cancer stem-like cell population in a human osteosarcoma cell line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martins-Neves Sara R

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Osteosarcoma is a bone-forming tumor of mesenchymal origin that presents a clinical pattern that is consistent with the cancer stem cell model. Cells with stem-like properties (CSCs have been identified in several tumors and hypothesized as the responsible for the relative resistance to therapy and tumor relapses. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize CSCs populations in a human osteosarcoma cell line and to explore their role in the responsiveness to conventional therapies. Methods CSCs were isolated from the human MNNG/HOS cell line using the sphere formation assay and characterized in terms of self-renewal, mesenchymal stem cell properties, expression of pluripotency markers and ABC transporters, metabolic activity and tumorigenicity. Cell's sensitivity to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and to irradiation was analyzed and related with cell cycle-induced alterations and apoptosis. Results The isolated CSCs were found to possess self-renewal and multipotential differentiation capabilities, express markers of pluripotent embryonic stem cells Oct4 and Nanog and the ABC transporters P-glycoprotein and BCRP, exhibit low metabolic activity and induce tumors in athymic mice. Compared with parental MNNG/HOS cells, CSCs were relatively more resistant to both chemotherapy and irradiation. None of the treatments have induced significant cell-cycle alterations and apoptosis in CSCs. Conclusions MNNG/HOS osteosarcoma cells contain a stem-like cell population relatively resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation. This resistant phenotype appears to be related with some stem features, namely the high expression of the drug efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and BCRP and their quiescent nature, which may provide a biological basis for resistance to therapy and recurrence commonly observed in osteosarcoma.

A distinct hematopoietic stem cell population for rapid multilineage engraftment in nonhuman primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Radtke, Stefan; Adair, Jennifer E; Giese, Morgan A; Chan, Yan-Yi; Norgaard, Zachary K; Enstrom, Mark; Haworth, Kevin G; Schefter, Lauren E; Kiem, Hans-Peter

2017-11-01

Hematopoietic reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation is thought to be driven by committed multipotent progenitor cells followed by long-term engrafting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We observed a population of early-engrafting cells displaying HSC-like behavior, which persisted long-term in vivo in an autologous myeloablative transplant model in nonhuman primates. To identify this population, we characterized the phenotype and function of defined nonhuman primate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) subsets and compared these to human HSPCs. We demonstrated that the CD34 + CD45RA - CD90 + cell phenotype is highly enriched for HSCs. This population fully supported rapid short-term recovery and robust multilineage hematopoiesis in the nonhuman primate transplant model and quantitatively predicted transplant success and time to neutrophil and platelet recovery. Application of this cell population has potential in the setting of HSC transplantation and gene therapy/editing approaches. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Isolation and characterization of node/notochord-like cells from mouse embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winzi, Maria K.; Hyttel, Poul; Dale, Jacqueline Kim

2011-01-01

The homeobox gene Noto is expressed in the node and its derivative the notochord. Here we use a targeted Noto-GFP reporter to isolate and characterize node/notochord-like cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells. We find very few Noto-expressing cells after spontaneous differentiation. However......, the number of Noto-expressing cells was increased when using Activin A to induce a Foxa2- and Brachyury-expressing progenitor population, whose further differentiation into Noto-expressing cells was improved by simultaneous inhibition of BMP, Wnt, and retinoic acid signaling. Noto-GFP(+) cells expressed...... the node/notochord markers Noto, Foxa2, Shh, Noggin, Chordin, Foxj1, and Brachyury; showed a vacuolarization characteristic of notochord cells; and can integrate into midline structures when grafted into Hensen's node of gastrulating chicken embryos. The ability to generate node/notochord-like cells...

Microarray Dot Electrodes Utilizing Dielectrophoresis for Cell Characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatimah Ibrahim

2013-07-01

Full Text Available During the last three decades; dielectrophoresis (DEP has become a vital tool for cell manipulation and characterization due to its non-invasiveness. It is very useful in the trend towards point-of-care systems. Currently, most efforts are focused on using DEP in biomedical applications, such as the spatial manipulation of cells, the selective separation or enrichment of target cells, high-throughput molecular screening, biosensors and immunoassays. A significant amount of research on DEP has produced a wide range of microelectrode configurations. In this paper; we describe the microarray dot electrode, a promising electrode geometry to characterize and manipulate cells via DEP. The advantages offered by this type of microelectrode are also reviewed. The protocol for fabricating planar microelectrodes using photolithography is documented to demonstrate the fast and cost-effective fabrication process. Additionally; different state-of-the-art Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC devices that have been proposed for DEP applications in the literature are reviewed. We also present our recently designed LOC device, which uses an improved microarray dot electrode configuration to address the challenges facing other devices. This type of LOC system has the capability to boost the implementation of DEP technology in practical settings such as clinical cell sorting, infection diagnosis, and enrichment of particle populations for drug development.

Detection and Characterization of Circulating Tumour Cells in Multiple Myeloma

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Liangxuan Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple myeloma (MM remains an incurable disease despite recent therapeutic improvements. The ability to detect and characterize MM circulating tumour cells (CTCs in peripheral blood provides an alternative to replace or augment invasive bone marrow (BM biopsies with a simple blood draw, providing real-time, clinically relevant information leading to improved disease management and therapy selection. Here we have developed and qualified an enrichment-free, cell-based immunofluorescence MM CTC assay that utilizes an automated digital pathology algorithm to distinguish MM CTCs from white blood cells (WBCs on the basis of CD138 and CD45 expression levels, as well as a number of morphological parameters. These MM CTCs were further characterized for expression of phospho-ribosomal protein S6 (pS6 as a readout for PI3K/AKT pathway activation. Clinical feasibility of the assay was established by testing blood samples from a small cohort of patients, where we detected populations of both CD138 pos and CD138 neg MM CTCs. In this study, we developed an immunofluorescent cell-based assay to detect and characterize CTCs in MM.

Emergence of cytotoxic resistance in cancer cell populations: Single-cell mechanisms and population-level consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzi, Tommaso; Chisholm, Rebecca H.; Lorz, Alexander; Neves de Almeida, Luís; Clairambault, Jean; Larsen, Annette K.; Escargueil, Alexandre

2016-01-01

We formulate an individual-based model and a population model of phenotypic evolution, under cytotoxic drugs, in a cancer cell population structured by the expression levels of survival-potential and proliferation-potential. We apply these models to a recently studied experimental system. Our results suggest that mechanisms based on fundamental laws of biology can reversibly push an actively-proliferating, and drug-sensitive, cell population to transition into a weakly-proliferative and drug-tolerant state, which will eventually facilitate the emergence of more potent, proliferating and drug-tolerant cells.

Emergence of cytotoxic resistance in cancer cell populations: Single-cell mechanisms and population-level consequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenzi, Tommaso [Centre de Mathématiques et de Leurs Applications, ENS Cachan, CNRS, Cachan 94230 Cedex, France & INRIA-Paris-Rocquencourt, MAMBA Team, Domaine de Voluceau, BP105, 78153 Le Chesnay Cedex (France); Chisholm, Rebecca H. [School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052 (Australia); Lorz, Alexander; Neves de Almeida, Luís; Clairambault, Jean [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7598, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions, F-75005, Paris (France); CNRS, UMR 7598, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions, F-75005, Paris (France); INRIA-Paris-Rocquencourt, MAMBA Team, Domaine de Voluceau, BP105, 78153 Le Chesnay Cedex (France); Larsen, Annette K.; Escargueil, Alexandre [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, F-75005, Paris (France); INSERM, UMR-S 938, Laboratory of “Cancer Biology and Therapeutics”, F-75012, Paris (France)

2016-06-08

We formulate an individual-based model and a population model of phenotypic evolution, under cytotoxic drugs, in a cancer cell population structured by the expression levels of survival-potential and proliferation-potential. We apply these models to a recently studied experimental system. Our results suggest that mechanisms based on fundamental laws of biology can reversibly push an actively-proliferating, and drug-sensitive, cell population to transition into a weakly-proliferative and drug-tolerant state, which will eventually facilitate the emergence of more potent, proliferating and drug-tolerant cells.

Phenotypic characterization of the bone marrow stem cells used in regenerative cellular therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macias Abraham, Consuelo; Valle Perez, Lazaro O del; Baganet Cobas, Aymara

2011-01-01

Regenerative medicine is a novel therapeutic method with broad potential for the treatment of various illnesses, based on the use of bone marrow (BM) stem cells, whose phenotypic characterization is limited. The paper deals with the expression of different cell membrane markers in mononuclear BM cells from 14 patients who underwent autologous cell therapy, obtained by medullary puncture and mobilization to peripheral blood, with the purpose of characterizing the different types of cells present in that heterogeneous cellular population and identifying the adhesion molecules involved in their adhesion. A greater presence was observed of adherent stem cells from the marrow stroma in mononuclear cells obtained directly from the BM; a larger population of CD90 +c ells in mononuclear cells from CD34 -/ CD45 -p eripheral blood with a high expression of molecules CD44 and CD62L, which suggests a greater presence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in mobilized cells from the marrow stroma. The higher levels of CD34 +c ells in peripheral blood stem cells with a low expression of molecules CD117 -a nd DR -s uggests the presence of hematopoietic stem cells, hemangioblasts and progenitor endothelial cells mobilized to peripheral circulation. It was found that mononuclear cells from both the BM and peripheral blood show a high presence of stem cells with expression of adhesion molecule CD44 (MMC marker), probably involved in their migration, settling and differentiation

HOX and TALE signatures specify human stromal stem cell populations from different sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Picchi, Jacopo; Trombi, Luisa; Spugnesi, Laura; Barachini, Serena; Maroni, Giorgia; Brodano, Giovanni Barbanti; Boriani, Stefano; Valtieri, Mauro; Petrini, Mario; Magli, Maria Cristina

2013-04-01

Human stromal stem cell populations reside in different tissues and anatomical sites, however a critical question related to their efficient use in regenerative medicine is whether they exhibit equivalent biological properties. Here, we compared cellular and molecular characteristics of stromal stem cells derived from the bone marrow, at different body sites (iliac crest, sternum, and vertebrae) and other tissues (dental pulp and colon). In particular, we investigated whether homeobox genes of the HOX and TALE subfamilies might provide suitable markers to identify distinct stromal cell populations, as HOX proteins control cell positional identity and, together with their co-factors TALE, are involved in orchestrating differentiation of adult tissues. Our results show that stromal populations from different sources, although immunophenotypically similar, display distinct HOX and TALE signatures, as well as different growth and differentiation abilities. Stromal stem cells from different tissues are characterized by specific HOX profiles, differing in the number and type of active genes, as well as in their level of expression. Conversely, bone marrow-derived cell populations can be essentially distinguished for the expression levels of specific HOX members, strongly suggesting that quantitative differences in HOX activity may be crucial. Taken together, our data indicate that the HOX and TALE profiles provide positional, embryological and hierarchical identity of human stromal stem cells. Furthermore, our data suggest that cell populations derived from different body sites may not represent equivalent cell sources for cell-based therapeutical strategies for regeneration and repair of specific tissues. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterization of Lgr6+ Cells as an Enriched Population of Hair Cell Progenitors Compared to Lgr5+ Cells for Hair Cell Generation in the Neonatal Mouse Cochlea

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Yanping Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Hair cell (HC loss is irreversible because only very limited HC regeneration has been observed in the adult mammalian cochlea. Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates prosensory cell proliferation and differentiation during cochlear development, and Wnt activation promotes the proliferation of Lgr5+ cochlear HC progenitors in newborn mice. Similar to Lgr5, Lgr6 is also a Wnt downstream target gene. Lgr6 is reported to be present in adult stem cells in the skin, nail, tongue, lung, and mammary gland, and this protein is very important for adult stem cell maintenance in rapidly proliferating organs. Our previous studies showed that Lgr6+ cells are a subpopulation of Lgr5+ progenitor cells and that both Lgr6+ and Lgr5+ progenitors can generate Myosin7a+ HCs in vitro. Thus we hypothesized that Lgr6+ cells are an enriched population of cochlear progenitor cells. However, the detailed distinctions between the Lgr5+ and Lgr6+ progenitors are unclear. Here, we systematically compared the proliferation, HC differentiation, and detailed transcriptome expression profiles of these two progenitor populations. We found that the same number of isolated Lgr6+ progenitors generated significantly more Myosin7a+ HCs compared to Lgr5+ progenitors; however, Lgr5+ progenitors formed more epithelial colonies and more spheres than Lgr6+ progenitors in vitro. Using RNA-Seq, we compared the transcriptome differences between Lgr5+ and Lgr6+ progenitors and identified a list of significantly differential expressed genes that might regulate the proliferation and differentiation of these HC progenitors, including 4 cell cycle genes, 9 cell signaling pathway genes, and 54 transcription factors. In conclusion, we demonstrate that Lgr6+ progenitors are an enriched population of inner ear progenitors that generate more HCs compared to Lgr5+ progenitors in the newborn mouse cochlea, and the our research provides a series of genes that might regulate the proliferation of progenitors

Characterization Of Robot Work Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Ronald R.; Paternoster, Vincent Y.; Guthmiller, Wayne A.

1990-01-01

Iterative process of measurement and computation used to characterize work cell of robot, increasing accuracy of mathematical model of work cell. Characterization needed because model used in off-line programming (OLP) to compute paths to control motion of robot. Increases accuracies of model and paths.

Novel microchip-based tools facilitating live cell imaging and assessment of functional heterogeneity within NK cell populations

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Elin eForslund

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Each individual has a heterogeneous pool of NK cells consisting of cells that may be specialized towards specific functional responses such as secretion of cytokines or killing of tumor cells. Many conventional methods are not fit to characterize heterogeneous populations as they measure the average response of all cells. Thus, there is a need for experimental platforms that provide single cell resolution. In addition, there are also transient and stochastic variations in functional responses at the single cell level, calling for methods that allow studies of many events over extended times. This paper presents a versatile microchip platform enabling long-term microscopic studies of individual NK cells interacting with target cells. Each microchip contains an array of microwells, optimized for medium or high-resolution time-lapse imaging of single or multiple NK and target cells, or for screening of thousands of isolated NK-target cell interactions. Individual NK cells confined with target cells in small microwells is a suitable setup for high-content screening and rapid assessment of heterogeneity within populations, while microwells of larger dimensions are appropriate for studies of NK cell migration and sequential interactions with multiple target cells. By combining the chip technology with ultrasonic manipulation, NK and target cells can be forced to interact and positioned with high spatial accuracy within individual microwells. This setup effectively and synchronously creates NK-target conjugates at hundreds of parallel positions in the microchip. Thus, this facilitates assessment of temporal aspects of NK-target cell interactions, e.g. conjugation, immune synapse formation and cytotoxic events. The microchip platform presented here can be used to effectively address questions related to fundamental functions of NK cells that can lead to better understanding of how the behavior of individual cells add up to give a functional response at

Population transcriptomics with single-cell resolution: a new field made possible by microfluidics: a technology for high throughput transcript counting and data-driven definition of cell types.

Science.gov (United States)

Plessy, Charles; Desbois, Linda; Fujii, Teruo; Carninci, Piero

2013-02-01

Tissues contain complex populations of cells. Like countries, which are comprised of mixed populations of people, tissues are not homogeneous. Gene expression studies that analyze entire populations of cells from tissues as a mixture are blind to this diversity. Thus, critical information is lost when studying samples rich in specialized but diverse cells such as tumors, iPS colonies, or brain tissue. High throughput methods are needed to address, model and understand the constitutive and stochastic differences between individual cells. Here, we describe microfluidics technologies that utilize a combination of molecular biology and miniaturized labs on chips to study gene expression at the single cell level. We discuss how the characterization of the transcriptome of each cell in a sample will open a new field in gene expression analysis, population transcriptomics, that will change the academic and biomedical analysis of complex samples by defining them as quantified populations of single cells. Copyright © 2013 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Controlling the diversity of cell populations in a stem cell culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heo, Inha; Clevers, Hans

2015-01-01

Culturing intestinal stem cells into 3D organoids results in heterogeneous cell populations, reflecting the in vivo cell type diversity. In a recent paper published in Nature, Wang et al. established a culture condition for a highly homogeneous population of intestinal stem cells.

Improving the characterization of endothelial progenitor cell subsets by an optimized FACS protocol.

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Karin Huizer

Full Text Available The characterization of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs is fundamental to any study related to angiogenesis. Unfortunately, current literature lacks consistency in the definition of EPC subsets due to variations in isolation strategies and inconsistencies in the use of lineage markers. Here we address critical points in the identification of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs, circulating endothelial cells (CECs, and culture-generated outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs from blood samples of healthy adults (AB and umbilical cord (UCB. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs were enriched using a Ficoll-based gradient followed by an optimized staining and gating strategy to enrich for the target cells. Sorted EPC populations were subjected to RT-PCR for tracing the expression of markers beyond the limits of cell surface-based immunophenotyping. Using CD34, CD133 and c-kit staining, combined with FSC and SSC, we succeeded in the accurate and reproducible identification of four HPC subgroups and found significant differences in the respective populations in AB vs. UCB. Co-expression analysis of endothelial markers on HPCs revealed a complex pattern characterized by various subpopulations. CECs were identified by using CD34, KDR, CD45, and additional endothelial markers, and were subdivided according to their apoptotic state and expression of c-kit. Comparison of UCB-CECs vs. AB-CECs revealed significant differences in CD34 and KDR levels. OECs were grown from PBMC-fractions We found that viable c-kit+ CECs are a candidate circulating precursor for CECs. RT-PCR to angiogenic factors and receptors revealed that all EPC subsets expressed angiogenesis-related molecules. Taken together, the improvements in immunophenotyping and gating strategies resulted in accurate identification and comparison of better defined cell populations in a single procedure.

Anatomical and electrophysiological characterization of a population of dI6 interneurons in the neonatal mouse spinal cord.

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Griener, Anna; Zhang, Wei; Kao, Henry; Haque, Farhia; Gosgnach, Simon

2017-10-24

The locomotor central pattern generator is a neural network located in the ventral aspect of the caudal spinal cord that underlies stepping in mammals. While many genetically defined interneurons that are thought to comprise this neural network have been identified and characterized, the dI6 cells- which express the transcription factors WT1 and/or DMRT3- are one population that settle in this region, are active during locomotion, whose function is poorly understood. These cells were originally hypothesized to be commissural premotor interneurons, however evidence in support of this is sparse. Here we characterize this population of cells using the TgDbx1 Cre ;R26 EFP ;Dbx1 LacZ transgenic mouse line, which has been shown to be an effective marker of dI6 interneurons. We show dI6 cells to be abundant in laminae VII and VIII along the entire spinal cord and provide evidence that subtypes outside the WT1/DMRT3 expressing dI6 cells may exist. Retrograde tracing experiments indicate that the majority of dI6 cells project descending axons, and some make monosynaptic or disynaptic contacts onto motoneurons on either side of the spinal cord. Analysis of their activity during non-resetting deletions, which occur during bouts of fictive locomotion, suggests that these cells are involved in both locomotor rhythm generation and pattern formation. This study provides a thorough characterization of the dI6 cells labeled in the TgDbx1 Cre ;R26 EFP ;Dbx1 LacZ transgenic mouse, and supports previous work suggesting that these cells play multiple roles during locomotor activity. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foetal stem cell derivation & characterization for osteogenic lineage

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A Mangala Gowri

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Mesencymal stem cells (MSCs derived from foetal tissues present a multipotent progenitor cell source for application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The present study was carried out to derive foetal mesenchymal stem cells from ovine source and analyze their differentiation to osteogenic linage to serve as an animal model to predict human applications. Methods: Isolation and culture of sheep foetal bone marrow cells were done and uniform clonally derived MSC population was collected. The cells were characterized using cytochemical, immunophenotyping, biochemical and molecular analyses. The cells with defined characteristics were differentiated into osteogenic lineages and analysis for differentiated cell types was done. The cells were analyzed for cell surface marker expression and the gene expression in undifferentiated and differentiated osteoblast was checked by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT PCR analysis and confirmed by sequencing using genetic analyzer. Results: Ovine foetal samples were processed to obtain mononuclear (MNC cells which on culture showed spindle morphology, a characteristic oval body with the flattened ends. MSC population CD45 - /CD14 - was cultured by limiting dilution to arrive at uniform spindle morphology cells and colony forming units. The cells were shown to be positive for surface markers such as CD44, CD54, integrinβ1, and intracellular collagen type I/III and fibronectin. The osteogenically induced MSCs were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase (ALP activity and mineral deposition. The undifferentiated MSCs expressed RAB3B, candidate marker for stemness in MSCs. The osteogenically induced and uninduced MSCs expressed collagen type I and MMP13 gene in osteogenic induced cells. Interpretation & conclusions: The protocol for isolation of ovine foetal bone marrow derived MSCs was simple to perform, and the cultural method of obtaining pure spindle morphology cells was established

Further phenotypic characterization of the primitive lineage− CD34+CD38−CD90+CD45RA− hematopoietic stem cell/progenitor cell sub-population isolated from cord blood, mobilized peripheral blood and patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisniewski, D; Affer, M; Willshire, J; Clarkson, B

2011-01-01

The most primitive hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)/progenitor cell (PC) population reported to date is characterized as being Lin−CD34+CD38−CD90+CD45R. We have a long-standing interest in comparing the characteristics of hematopoietic progenitor cell populations enriched from normal subjects and patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In order to investigate further purification of HSCs and for potential targetable differences between the very primitive normal and CML stem/PCs, we have phenotypically compared the normal and CML Lin−CD34+CD38−CD90+CD45RA− HSC/PC populations. The additional antigens analyzed were HLA-DR, the receptor tyrosine kinases c-kit and Tie2, the interleukin-3 cytokine receptor, CD33 and the activation antigen CD69, the latter of which was recently reported to be selectively elevated in cell lines expressing the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. Notably, we found a strikingly low percentage of cells from the HSC/PC sub-population isolated from CML patients that were found to express the c-kit receptor (<1%) compared with the percentages of HSC/PCs expressing the c-kitR isolated from umbilical cord blood (50%) and mobilized peripheral blood (10%). Surprisingly, Tie2 receptor expression within the HSC/PC subset was extremely low from both normal and CML samples. Using in vivo transplantation studies, we provide evidence that HLA-DR, c-kitR, Tie2 and IL-3R may not be suitable markers for further partitioning of HSCs from the Lin−CD34+CD38−CD90+CD45RA− sub-population

Space Solar Cell Characterization Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Measures, characterizes, and analyzes photovoltaic materials and devices. The primary focus is the measurement and characterization of solar cell response...

Population genetics inside a cell: Mutations and mitochondrial genome maintenance

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Goyal, Sidhartha; Shraiman, Boris; Gottschling, Dan

2012-02-01

In realistic ecological and evolutionary systems natural selection acts on multiple levels, i.e. it acts on individuals as well as on collection of individuals. An understanding of evolutionary dynamics of such systems is limited in large part due to the lack of experimental systems that can challenge theoretical models. Mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) are subjected to selection acting on cellular as well as organelle levels. It is well accepted that mtDNA in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is unstable and can degrade over time scales comparable to yeast cell division time. We utilize a recent technology designed in Gottschling lab to extract DNA from populations of aged yeast cells and deep sequencing to characterize mtDNA variation in a population of young and old cells. In tandem, we developed a stochastic model that includes the essential features of mitochondrial biology that provides a null model for expected mtDNA variation. Overall, we find approximately 2% of the polymorphic loci that show significant increase in frequency as cells age providing direct evidence for organelle level selection. Such quantitative study of mtDNA dynamics is absolutely essential to understand the propagation of mtDNA mutations linked to a spectrum of age-related diseases in humans.

Isolation and characterization of multidrug-resistant side population ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: SP cells in the prostate cancer samples constituted 2.8 %, but fell to 0.6 % after treatment with ... tumor. Keywords: Side population cells, ABC transporters, Cancer stem cells, Chemotherapy, Prostate treatment failure, Tumor recurrence, Drug resistance ..... Identification of human brain tumour initiating cells.

Selective enrichment and biochemical characterization of seven human skin fibroblasts cell types in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodemann, H.P.; Bayreuther, K.; Francz, P.I.; Dittmann, K.; Albiez, M.

1989-01-01

The mitotic and postmitotic populations of the human skin fibroblast cell line HH-8 are heterogeneous when studied in vitro. There are reproducible changes in the frequencies of the mitotic fibroblasts (MF), MF I, MF II, MF III, and the postmitotic fibroblasts (PMF), PMF IV, PMF V, PMF VI, and PMF VII. For biochemical characterization, methods for selective enrichment of homogeneous populations of these seven fibroblast cell types have been established. Clonal populations with 95% purity for the mitotic fibroblasts MF I, MF II, and MF III can be raised in uniform clone types of fibroblasts (CTF) CTF I, CTF II, and CTF III. Pure clonal subpopulations of MF I type cells are present in mass populations in the range of 1-20 cumulative population doublings (CPD). Populations of mitotic fibroblasts represent nearly homogeneous populations of MF II (75-85% purity) in the range of 28-34 CPD and MF III (73-86% purity) in the range of 48-53 CPD. These populations can be easily expanded to up to 10(7)-10(8) cells. The spontaneous transition of MF III to PMF VI takes 140-180 days. In order to shorten this period and increase the proportion of distinct postmitotic types, mitotic fibroblast mass populations (CPD 30-32, MF II: 75-85% purity) have been induced by uv-irradiation to differentiate to nearly homogeneous populations of PMF IV, PMF V, PMF VI, and PMF VII within 4 to 36 days of culture. Using this method, 10(7) cells of one differentiation stage can be obtained. Spontaneously arising and experimentally selected or induced homogeneous clonal and mass populations of MF I, MF II, MF III, PMF IV, PMF V, PMF VI, and PMF VII express an identical differentiation-dependent and cell-type-specific [35S]methionine-labeled polypeptide pattern

Ovarian cancer stem cells are enriched in side population and aldehyde dehydrogenase bright overlapping population.

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Kazuyo Yasuda

Full Text Available Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs/cancer-initiaiting cells (CICs are defined as a small population of cancer cells that have self-renewal capacity, differentiation potential and high tumor-initiating ability. CSCs/CICs of ovarian cancer have been isolated by side population (SP analysis, ALDEFLUOR assay and using cell surface markers. However, these approaches are not definitive markers for CSCs/CICs, and it is necessary to refine recent methods for identifying more highly purified CSCs/CICs. In this study, we analyzed SP cells and aldehyde dehydrogenese bright (ALDH(Br cells from ovarian cancer cells. Both SP cells and ALDH(Br cells exhibited higher tumor-initiating ability and higher expression level of a stem cell marker, sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2, than those of main population (MP cells and ALDH(Low cells, respectively. We analyzed an SP and ALDH(Br overlapping population (SP/ALDH(Br, and the SP/ALDH(Br population exhibited higher tumor-initiating ability than that of SP cells or ALDH(Br cells, enabling initiation of tumor with as few as 10(2 cells. Furthermore, SP/ADLH(Br population showed higher sphere-forming ability, cisplatin resistance, adipocyte differentiation ability and expression of SOX2 than those of SP/ALDH(Low, MP/ALDH(Br and MP/ALDH(Low cells. Gene knockdown of SOX2 suppressed the tumor-initiation of ovarian cancer cells. An SP/ALDH(Br population was detected in several gynecological cancer cells with ratios of 0.1% for HEC-1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma cells to 1% for MCAS ovary mucinous adenocarcinoma cells. Taken together, use of the SP and ALDH(Br overlapping population is a promising approach to isolate highly purified CSCs/CICs and SOX2 might be a novel functional marker for ovarian CSCs/CICs.

Isolation, culture, characterization, and osteogenic differentiation of canine endometrial mesenchymal stem cell

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A. K. Sahoo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: In this study, the canine endometrium tissue is characterized for its stem cell properties such as adherence to tissue culture plate (plasticity, short population doubling time, serial clonal passaging, long-term culturing properties, stem cell marker expression, and multilineage differentiation potential. Materials and Methods: The present work describes a novel isolation protocol for obtaining mesenchymal stem cells from the uterine endometrium and is compared with cells derived from umbilical cord matrix as a positive control. These cells are clonogenic, can undergo several population doublings in vitro, and can be differentiated to the osteocytes in mature mesenchymal tissues when grown in osteogenic differentiation media as detected by Alizarin Red-S staining. Results: It is reported for the first time that the cells derived from the canine endometrium (e-multipotent stem cells [MSCs] were able to differentiate into a heterologous cell type: Osteocytes, thus demonstrating the presence of MSCs. Thus, the endometrium may be told as a potential source of MSCs which can be used for various therapeutic purposes. Conclusion: The endometrium can be used as a potential source of MSCs, which can be used for various therapeutic purposes.

Isolation and Characterization of Human Lung Lymphatic Endothelial Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lorusso, Bruno; Falco, Angela; Madeddu, Denise; Frati, Caterina; Cavalli, Stefano; Graiani, Gallia; Gervasi, Andrea; Rinaldi, Laura; Lagrasta, Costanza; Maselli, Davide; Gnetti, Letizia; Silini, Enrico M.; Quaini, Eugenio; Ampollini, Luca; Carbognani, Paolo; Quaini, Federico

2015-01-01

Characterization of lymphatic endothelial cells from the respiratory system may be crucial to investigate the role of the lymphatic system in the normal and diseased lung. We describe a simple and inexpensive method to harvest, isolate, and expand lymphatic endothelial cells from the human lung (HL-LECs). Fifty-five samples of healthy lung selected from patients undergoing lobectomy were studied. A two-step purification tool, based on paramagnetic sorting with monoclonal antibodies to CD31 and Podoplanin, was employed to select a pure population of HL-LECs. The purity of HL-LECs was assessed by morphologic criteria, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and functional assays. Interestingly, these cells retain in vitro several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) implicated in cell survival and proliferation. HL-LECs represent a clinically relevant cellular substrate to study lymphatic biology, lymphoangiogenesis, interaction with microbial agents, wound healing, and anticancer therapy. PMID:26137493

Morphometric Characterization of Rat and Human Alveolar Macrophage Cell Models and their Response to Amiodarone using High Content Image Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Ewelina; Patel, Aateka; Ball, Doug; Klapwijk, Jan; Millar, Val; Kumar, Abhinav; Martin, Abigail; Mahendran, Rhamiya; Dailey, Lea Ann; Forbes, Ben; Hutter, Victoria

2017-12-01

Progress to the clinic may be delayed or prevented when vacuolated or "foamy" alveolar macrophages are observed during non-clinical inhalation toxicology assessment. The first step in developing methods to study this response in vitro is to characterize macrophage cell lines and their response to drug exposures. Human (U937) and rat (NR8383) cell lines and primary rat alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage were characterized using high content fluorescence imaging analysis quantification of cell viability, morphometry, and phospholipid and neutral lipid accumulation. Cell health, morphology and lipid content were comparable (p content. Responses to amiodarone, a known inducer of phospholipidosis, required analysis of shifts in cell population profiles (the proportion of cells with elevated vacuolation or lipid content) rather than average population data which was insensitive to the changes observed. A high content image analysis assay was developed and used to provide detailed morphological characterization of rat and human alveolar-like macrophages and their response to a phospholipidosis-inducing agent. This provides a basis for development of assays to predict or understand macrophage vacuolation following inhaled drug exposure.

Morphologic and proteomic characterization of exosomes released by cultured extravillous trophoblast cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atay, Safinur [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY (United States); Gercel-Taylor, Cicek [Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women' s Health, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY (United States); Kesimer, Mehmet [Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Taylor, Douglas D., E-mail: ddtaylor@louisville.edu [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY (United States); Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women' s Health, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY (United States)

2011-05-01

Exosomes represent an important intercellular communication vehicle, mediating events essential for the decidual microenvironment. While we have demonstrated exosome induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, to date, no extensive characterization of trophoblast-derived exosomes has been provided. Our objective was to provide a morphologic and proteomic characterization of these exosomes. Exosomes were isolated from the conditioned media of Swan71 human trophoblast cells by ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation. These were analyzed for density (sucrose density gradient centrifugation), morphology (electron microscopy), size (dynamic light scattering) and protein composition (Ion Trap mass spectrometry and western immunoblotting). Based on density gradient centrifugation, microvesicles from Sw71 cells exhibit a density between 1.134 and 1.173 g/ml. Electron microscopy demonstrated that microvesicles from Sw71 cells exhibit the characteristic cup-shaped morphology of exosomes. Dynamic light scattering showed a bell-shaped curve, indicating a homogeneous population with a mean size of 165 nm {+-} 0.5 nm. Ion Trap mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of exosome marker proteins (including CD81, Alix, cytoskeleton related proteins, and Rab family). The MS results were confirmed by western immunoblotting. Based on morphology, density, size and protein composition, we defined the release of exosomes from extravillous trophoblast cells and provide their first extensive characterization. This characterization is essential in furthering our understanding of 'normal' early pregnancy.

Morphologic and proteomic characterization of exosomes released by cultured extravillous trophoblast cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atay, Safinur; Gercel-Taylor, Cicek; Kesimer, Mehmet; Taylor, Douglas D.

2011-01-01

Exosomes represent an important intercellular communication vehicle, mediating events essential for the decidual microenvironment. While we have demonstrated exosome induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, to date, no extensive characterization of trophoblast-derived exosomes has been provided. Our objective was to provide a morphologic and proteomic characterization of these exosomes. Exosomes were isolated from the conditioned media of Swan71 human trophoblast cells by ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation. These were analyzed for density (sucrose density gradient centrifugation), morphology (electron microscopy), size (dynamic light scattering) and protein composition (Ion Trap mass spectrometry and western immunoblotting). Based on density gradient centrifugation, microvesicles from Sw71 cells exhibit a density between 1.134 and 1.173 g/ml. Electron microscopy demonstrated that microvesicles from Sw71 cells exhibit the characteristic cup-shaped morphology of exosomes. Dynamic light scattering showed a bell-shaped curve, indicating a homogeneous population with a mean size of 165 nm ± 0.5 nm. Ion Trap mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of exosome marker proteins (including CD81, Alix, cytoskeleton related proteins, and Rab family). The MS results were confirmed by western immunoblotting. Based on morphology, density, size and protein composition, we defined the release of exosomes from extravillous trophoblast cells and provide their first extensive characterization. This characterization is essential in furthering our understanding of 'normal' early pregnancy.

Use of flow cytometry for high-throughput cell population estimates in fixed brain tissue

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Nicole A Young

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The numbers and types of cells in an area of cortex define its function. Therefore it is essential to characterize the numbers and distributions of total cells in areas of the cortex, as well as to identify numbers of subclasses of neurons and glial cells. To date, the large size of the primate brain and the lack of innovation in cell counting methods have been a roadblock to obtaining high-resolution maps of cell and neuron density across the cortex in humans and non-human primates. Stereological counting methods and the isotropic fractionator are valuable tools for estimating cell numbers, but are better suited to smaller, well-defined brain structures or to cortex as a whole. In the present study, we have extended our flow-cytometry based counting method, the flow fractionator (Collins et al., 2010a, to include high-throughput total cell population estimates in homogenized cortical samples. We demonstrate that our method produces consistent, accurate and repeatable cell estimates quickly. The estimates we report are in excellent agreement with estimates for the same samples obtained using a Neubauer chamber and a fluorescence microscope. We show that our flow cytometry-based method for total cell estimation in homogenized brain tissue is more efficient and more precise than manual counting methods. The addition of automated nuclei counting to our flow fractionator method allows for a fully automated, rapid characterization of total cells and neuronal and non-neuronal populations in human and non-human primate brains, providing valuable data to further our understanding of the functional organization of normal, aging and diseased brains.

Characterization of kidney epithelial cells from the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweat JMDunigan, D D; Wright, S D

2001-06-01

The West-Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, is a herbivorous marine mammal found in the coastal waters of Florida. Because of their endangered status, animal experimentation is not allowed. Therefore, a cell line was developed and characterized from tissue collected during necropsies of the manatees. A primary cell culture was established by isolating single cells from kidney tissue using both enzymatic and mechanical techniques. Primary manatee kidney (MK) cells were subcultured for characterization. These cells were morphologically similar to the cell lines of epithelial origin. An immunocytochemistry assay was used to localize the cytokeratin filaments common to cells of epithelial origin. At second passage, epithelial-like cells had an average population-doubling time of 48 h, had an optimum seeding density of 5 x 10(3) cells/cm2, and readily attached to plastic culture plates with a high level of seeding efficiency. Although the epithelial-like cells had a rapid growth rate during the first three passages, the cloning potential was low. These cells did not form colonies in agar medium, were serum dependent, had a limited life span of approximately nine passages, and possessed cell-contact inhibition. These data suggest that the cells were finite (noncontinuous growth), did not possess transformed properties, and were of epithelial origin. These cells are now referred to as MK epithelial cells.

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, Luis; Chisholm, Rebecca; Clairambault, Jean; Escargueil, Alexandre; Lorenzi, Tommaso; Lorz, Alexander; Trélat, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations, be it of genetic, epigenetic or stochastic origin, has been identified as a main source of resistance to drug treatments and a major source of therapeutic failures in cancers. The molecular mechanisms of drug resistance are partly understood at the single cell level (e.g., overexpression of ABC transporters or of detoxication enzymes), but poorly predictable in tumours, where they are hypothesised to rely on heterogeneity at the cell population scale, which is thus the right level to describe cancer growth and optimise its control by therapeutic strategies in the clinic. We review a few results from the biological literature on the subject, and from mathematical models that have been published to predict and control evolution towards drug resistance in cancer cell populations. We propose, based on the latter, optimisation strategies of combined treatments to limit emergence of drug resistance to cytotoxic drugs in cancer cell populations, in the monoclonal situation, which limited as it is still retains consistent features of cell population heterogeneity. The polyclonal situation, that may be understood as “bet hedging” of the tumour, thus protecting itself from different sources of drug insults, may lie beyond such strategies and will need further developments. In the monoclonal situation, we have designed an optimised therapeutic strategy relying on a scheduled combination of cytotoxic and cytostatic treatments that can be adapted to different situations of cancer treatments. Finally, we review arguments for biological theoretical frameworks proposed at different time and development scales, the so-called atavistic model (diachronic view relying on Darwinian genotype selection in the coursof billions of years) and the Waddington-like epigenetic landscape endowed with evolutionary quasi-potential (synchronic view relying on Lamarckian phenotype instruction of a given genome by reversible mechanisms), to

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeida, Luis [CNRS UMR 7598, LJLL, & INRIA MAMBA team, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Boîte courrier 187, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France, luis@ann.jussieu.fr (France); Chisholm, Rebecca [School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, rebecca.chisholm@gmail.com (Australia); Clairambault, Jean [INRIA MAMBA team & LJLL, UMR 7598, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Boîte courrier 187, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France, jean.clairambault@inria.fr, Corresponding author (France); Escargueil, Alexandre [INSERM “Cancer Biology and Therapeutics”, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 938, CDR St Antoine, Hôpital St Antoine, 184 Fbg. St Antoine, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France, alexandre.escargueil@upmc.fr (France); Lorenzi, Tommaso [CMLA, ENS Cachan, 61, Av. du Président Wilson, 94230 Cachan cedex & INRIA MAMBA team, & LJLL, UMR 7598, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Boîte courrier 187, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France, tommaso.lorenzi@gmail.com (France); Lorz, Alexander [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, LJLL, UMR 7598 & INRIA Boîte courrier 187, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France, alex.lorz@ann.jussieu.fr (France); Trélat, Emmanuel [Institut Universitaire de France, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, LJLL, UMR 7598, Boîte courrier 187, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France, emmanuel.trelat@upmc.fr (France)

2016-06-08

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations, be it of genetic, epigenetic or stochastic origin, has been identified as a main source of resistance to drug treatments and a major source of therapeutic failures in cancers. The molecular mechanisms of drug resistance are partly understood at the single cell level (e.g., overexpression of ABC transporters or of detoxication enzymes), but poorly predictable in tumours, where they are hypothesised to rely on heterogeneity at the cell population scale, which is thus the right level to describe cancer growth and optimise its control by therapeutic strategies in the clinic. We review a few results from the biological literature on the subject, and from mathematical models that have been published to predict and control evolution towards drug resistance in cancer cell populations. We propose, based on the latter, optimisation strategies of combined treatments to limit emergence of drug resistance to cytotoxic drugs in cancer cell populations, in the monoclonal situation, which limited as it is still retains consistent features of cell population heterogeneity. The polyclonal situation, that may be understood as “bet hedging” of the tumour, thus protecting itself from different sources of drug insults, may lie beyond such strategies and will need further developments. In the monoclonal situation, we have designed an optimised therapeutic strategy relying on a scheduled combination of cytotoxic and cytostatic treatments that can be adapted to different situations of cancer treatments. Finally, we review arguments for biological theoretical frameworks proposed at different time and development scales, the so-called atavistic model (diachronic view relying on Darwinian genotype selection in the coursof billions of years) and the Waddington-like epigenetic landscape endowed with evolutionary quasi-potential (synchronic view relying on Lamarckian phenotype instruction of a given genome by reversible mechanisms), to

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Luis; Chisholm, Rebecca; Clairambault, Jean; Escargueil, Alexandre; Lorenzi, Tommaso; Lorz, Alexander; Trélat, Emmanuel

2016-06-01

Phenotype heterogeneity in cancer cell populations, be it of genetic, epigenetic or stochastic origin, has been identified as a main source of resistance to drug treatments and a major source of therapeutic failures in cancers. The molecular mechanisms of drug resistance are partly understood at the single cell level (e.g., overexpression of ABC transporters or of detoxication enzymes), but poorly predictable in tumours, where they are hypothesised to rely on heterogeneity at the cell population scale, which is thus the right level to describe cancer growth and optimise its control by therapeutic strategies in the clinic. We review a few results from the biological literature on the subject, and from mathematical models that have been published to predict and control evolution towards drug resistance in cancer cell populations. We propose, based on the latter, optimisation strategies of combined treatments to limit emergence of drug resistance to cytotoxic drugs in cancer cell populations, in the monoclonal situation, which limited as it is still retains consistent features of cell population heterogeneity. The polyclonal situation, that may be understood as "bet hedging" of the tumour, thus protecting itself from different sources of drug insults, may lie beyond such strategies and will need further developments. In the monoclonal situation, we have designed an optimised therapeutic strategy relying on a scheduled combination of cytotoxic and cytostatic treatments that can be adapted to different situations of cancer treatments. Finally, we review arguments for biological theoretical frameworks proposed at different time and development scales, the so-called atavistic model (diachronic view relying on Darwinian genotype selection in the coursof billions of years) and the Waddington-like epigenetic landscape endowed with evolutionary quasi-potential (synchronic view relying on Lamarckian phenotype instruction of a given genome by reversible mechanisms), to

Gene expression heterogeneities in embryonic stem cell populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez Arias, Alfonso; Brickman, Joshua M

2011-01-01

Stem and progenitor cells are populations of cells that retain the capacity to populate specific lineages and to transit this capacity through cell division. However, attempts to define markers for stem cells have met with limited success. Here we consider whether this limited success reflects...... an intrinsic requirement for heterogeneity with stem cell populations. We focus on Embryonic Stem (ES) cells, in vitro derived cell lines from the early embryo that are considered both pluripotent (able to generate all the lineages of the future embryo) and indefinitely self renewing. We examine the relevance...... of recently reported heterogeneities in ES cells and whether these heterogeneities themselves are inherent requirements of functional potency and self renewal....

Immunophenotypical characterization of canine mesenchymal stem cells from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue by a species-specific panel of antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanovska, Ana; Grolli, Stefano; Borghetti, Paolo; Ravanetti, Francesca; Conti, Virna; De Angelis, Elena; Macchi, Francesca; Ramoni, Roberto; Martelli, Paolo; Gazza, Ferdinando; Cacchioli, Antonio

2017-10-01

Immunophenotypical characterization of mesenchymal stem cells is fundamental for the design and execution of sound experimental and clinical studies. The scarce availability of species-specific antibodies for canine antigens has hampered the immunophenotypical characterization of canine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The aim of this study was to select a panel of species-specific direct antibodies readily useful for canine mesenchymal stem cells characterization. They were isolated from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples collected during regular surgeries from 8 dogs. Single color flow cytometric analysis of mesenchymal stem cells (P3) deriving from subcutaneous and perivisceral adipose tissue with a panel of 7 direct anti-canine antibodies revealed two largely homogenous cell populations with a similar pattern: CD29 + , CD44 + , CD73 + , CD90 + , CD34 - , CD45 - and MHC-II - with no statistically significant differences among them. Antibody reactivity was demonstrated on canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The similarities are reinforced by their in vitro cell morphology, trilineage differentiation ability and RT-PCR analysis (CD90 + , CD73 + , CD105 + , CD44 + , CD13 + , CD29 + , Oct-4 + gene and CD31 - and CD45 - expression). Our results report for the first time a comparison between the immunophenotypic profile of canine MSC deriving from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The substantial equivalence between the two populations has practical implication on clinical applications, giving the opportunity to choose the source depending on the patient needs. The results contribute to routine characterization of MSC populations grown in vitro, a mandatory process for the definition of solid and reproducible laboratory and therapeutic procedures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Related B cell clones populate the meninges and parenchyma of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovato, Laura; Willis, Simon N; Rodig, Scott J; Caron, Tyler; Almendinger, Stefany E; Howell, Owain W; Reynolds, Richard; O'Connor, Kevin C; Hafler, David A

2011-02-01

In the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis, B cell aggregates populate the meninges, raising the central question as to whether these structures relate to the B cell infiltrates found in parenchymal lesions or instead, represent a separate central nervous system immune compartment. We characterized the repertoires derived from meningeal B cell aggregates and the corresponding parenchymal infiltrates from brain tissue derived primarily from patients with progressive multiple sclerosis. The majority of expanded antigen-experienced B cell clones derived from meningeal aggregates were also present in the parenchyma. We extended this investigation to include 20 grey matter specimens containing meninges, 26 inflammatory plaques, 19 areas of normal appearing white matter and cerebral spinal fluid. Analysis of 1833 B cell receptor heavy chain variable region sequences demonstrated that antigen-experienced clones were consistently shared among these distinct compartments. This study establishes a relationship between extraparenchymal lymphoid tissue and parenchymal infiltrates and defines the arrangement of B cell clones that populate the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Demonstration of the presence of independent pre-osteoblastic and pre-adipocytic cell populations in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Post, S; Abdallah, B M; Bentzon, J F

2008-01-01

differentiation into one particular lineage. However, this inverse relationship between bone and fat is not consistent and under certain in vivo conditions, bone and fat can change independently suggesting separate precursor cell populations. In order to test for this hypothesis, we extensively characterized two...... of mature adipocytes visualized by Oil Red O staining. On the other hand, mMSC2 and not mMSC1 differentiated to osteoblast lineage as demonstrated by up-regulation of osteoblastic makers (CBFA1/RUNX2, Osterix, alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein and osteopontin) and formation of alizarin red stained...... that are committed to either osteoblast or adipocyte lineage. These cell populations may undergo independent changes during aging and in bone diseases and thus represent important targets for therapy....

On interfaces between cell populations with different mobilities

KAUST Repository

Lorenzi, Tommaso

2016-11-18

Partial differential equations describing the dynamics of cell population densities from a fluid mechanical perspective can model the growth of avascular tumours. In this framework, we consider a system of equations that describes the interaction between a population of dividing cells and a population of non-dividing cells. The two cell populations are characterised by different mobilities. We present the results of numerical simulations displaying two-dimensional spherical waves with sharp interfaces between dividing and non-dividing cells. Furthermore, we numerically observe how different ratios between the mobilities change the morphology of the interfaces, and lead to the emergence of finger-like patterns of invasion above a threshold. Motivated by these simulations, we study the existence of one-dimensional travelling wave solutions.

Role of resident CNS cell populations in HTLV-1-associated neuroinflammatory disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lepoutre, Veronique; Jain, Pooja; Quann, Kevin; Wigdahl, Brian; Khan, Zafar K

2009-01-01

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the first human retrovirus discovered, is the etiologic agent for a number of disorders; the two most common pathologies include adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and a progressive demyelinating neuroinflammatory disease, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The neurologic dysfunction associated with HAM/TSP is a result of viral intrusion into the central nervous system (CNS) and the generation of a hyperstimulated host response within the peripheral and central nervous system that includes expanded populations of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This robust, yet detrimental immune response likely contributes to the death of myelin producing oligodendrocytes and degeneration of neuronal axons. The mechanisms of neurological degeneration in HAM/TSP have yet to be fully delineated in vivo and may involve the immunogenic properties of the HTLV-1 transactivator protein Tax. This comprehensive review characterizes the available knowledge to date concerning the effects of HTLV-1 on CNS resident cell populations with emphasis on both viral and host factors contributing to the genesis of HAM/TSP.

Phenotypic and functional profiling of CD4 T cell compartment in distinct populations of healthy adults with different antigenic exposure.

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Sophie Roetynck

Full Text Available Multiparameter flow cytometry has revealed extensive phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of CD4 T cell responses in mice and humans, emphasizing the importance of assessing multiple aspects of the immune response in correlation with infection or vaccination outcome. The aim of this study was to establish and validate reliable and feasible flow cytometry assays, which will allow us to characterize CD4 T cell population in humans in field studies more fully.We developed polychromatic flow cytometry antibody panels for immunophenotyping the major CD4 T cell subsets as well as broadly characterizing the functional profiles of the CD4 T cells in peripheral blood. We then validated these assays by conducting a pilot study comparing CD4 T cell responses in distinct populations of healthy adults living in either rural or urban Kenya. This study revealed that the expression profile of CD4 T cell activation and memory markers differed significantly between African and European donors but was similar amongst African individuals from either rural or urban areas. Adults from rural Kenya had, however, higher frequencies and greater polyfunctionality among cytokine producing CD4 T cells compared to both urban populations, particularly for "Th1" type of response. Finally, endemic exposure to malaria in rural Kenya may have influenced the expansion of few discrete CD4 T cell populations with specific functional signatures.These findings suggest that environmentally driven T cell activation does not drive the dysfunction of CD4 T cells but is rather associated with greater magnitude and quality of CD4 T cell response, indicating that the level or type of microbial exposure and antigenic experience may influence and shape the functionality of CD4 T cell compartment. Our data confirm that it is possible and mandatory to assess multiple functional attributes of CD4 T cell response in the context of infection.

Cytokeratin characterization of human prostatic carcinoma and its derived cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagle, R B; Ahmann, F R; McDaniel, K M; Paquin, M L; Clark, V A; Celniker, A

1987-01-01

Two murine monoclonal anti-cytokeratin antibodies with defined specificity were shown to distinguish between basal cells and luminal cells in human prostate tissue. Forty-one biopsies or transurethral resection specimens were characterized using these two antibodies. In cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia, focal loss of the basal cell layer was noted in areas of glandular proliferation. Ten cases of adenocarcinoma of the prostate, varying in Gleason's histological grade from 2 to 4, were also studied. In each case the carcinoma was shown to represent the luminal cell phenotype with no evidence of involvement of the basal cell phenotype. An analysis of three established metastatic prostatic carcinoma cell lines (DU-145, PC-3, and LNCaP) using two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that the cytokeratin complement of each cell line was slightly different but retained the phenotype of the luminal cell. It was concluded that during both hyperplasia and neoplastic transformation of the prostate, the luminal cell phenotype is primarily involved and that the basal cell phenotype does not appear to contribute to either intraluminal proliferation or invasive cell populations.

Biocompatible micro-sized cell culture chamber for the detection of nanoparticle-induced IL8 promoter activity on a small cell population

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Oostingh Gertie

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In most conventional in vitro toxicological assays, the response of a complete cell population is averaged, and therefore, single-cell responses are not detectable. Such averaging might result in misinterpretations when only individual cells within a population respond to a certain stimulus. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive in vitro systems to verify the toxicity of nanoscale materials. In the present study, a micro-sized cell culture chamber with a silicon nitride membrane (0.16 mm2 was produced for cell cultivation and the detection of specific cell responses. The biocompatibility of the microcavity chip (MCC was verified by studying adipogenic and neuronal differentiation. Thereafter, the suitability of the MCC to study the effects of nanoparticles on a small cell population was determined by using a green fluorescence protein-based reporter cell line. Interleukin-8 promoter (pIL8 induction, a marker of an inflammatory response, was used to monitor immune activation. The validation of the MCC-based method was performed using well-characterized gold and silver nanoparticles. The sensitivity of the new method was verified comparing the quantified pIL8 activation via MCC-based and standard techniques. The results proved the biocompatibility and the sensitivity of the microculture chamber, as well as a high optical quality due to the properties of Si3N4. The MCC-based method is suited for threshold- and time-dependent analysis of nanoparticle-induced IL8 promoter activity. This novel system can give dynamic information at the level of adherent single cells of a small cell population and presents a new non-invasive in vitro test method to assess the toxicity of nanomaterials and other compounds. PACS: 85.35.Be, 81.16.Nd, 87.18.Mp

Biocompatible micro-sized cell culture chamber for the detection of nanoparticle-induced IL8 promoter activity on a small cell population

Science.gov (United States)

Kohl, Yvonne; Oostingh, Gertie J.; Sossalla, Adam; Duschl, Albert; von Briesen, Hagen; Thielecke, Hagen

2011-08-01

In most conventional in vitro toxicological assays, the response of a complete cell population is averaged, and therefore, single-cell responses are not detectable. Such averaging might result in misinterpretations when only individual cells within a population respond to a certain stimulus. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive in vitro systems to verify the toxicity of nanoscale materials. In the present study, a micro-sized cell culture chamber with a silicon nitride membrane (0.16 mm2) was produced for cell cultivation and the detection of specific cell responses. The biocompatibility of the microcavity chip (MCC) was verified by studying adipogenic and neuronal differentiation. Thereafter, the suitability of the MCC to study the effects of nanoparticles on a small cell population was determined by using a green fluorescence protein-based reporter cell line. Interleukin-8 promoter (pIL8) induction, a marker of an inflammatory response, was used to monitor immune activation. The validation of the MCC-based method was performed using well-characterized gold and silver nanoparticles. The sensitivity of the new method was verified comparing the quantified pIL8 activation via MCC-based and standard techniques. The results proved the biocompatibility and the sensitivity of the microculture chamber, as well as a high optical quality due to the properties of Si3N4. The MCC-based method is suited for threshold- and time-dependent analysis of nanoparticle-induced IL8 promoter activity. This novel system can give dynamic information at the level of adherent single cells of a small cell population and presents a new non-invasive in vitro test method to assess the toxicity of nanomaterials and other compounds. PACS: 85.35.Be, 81.16.Nd, 87.18.Mp

Cre/lox-assisted non-invasive in vivo tracking of specific cell populations by positron emission tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Thunemann, Martin; Schörg, Barbara F; Feil, Susanne; Lin, Yun; Voelkl, Jakob; Golla, Matthias; Vachaviolos, Angelos; Kohlhofer, Ursula; Quintanilla-Martinez, Leticia; Olbrich, Marcus; Ehrlichmann, Walter; Reischl, Gerald; Griessinger, Christoph M; Langer, Harald F; Gawaz, Meinrad; Lang, Florian; Schäfers, Michael; Kneilling, Manfred; Pichler, Bernd J; Feil, Robert

2017-09-05

Many pathophysiological processes are associated with proliferation, migration or death of distinct cell populations. Monitoring specific cell types and their progeny in a non-invasive, longitudinal and quantitative manner is still challenging. Here we show a novel cell-tracking system that combines Cre/lox-assisted cell fate mapping with a thymidine kinase (sr39tk) reporter gene for cell detection by positron emission tomography (PET). We generate Rosa26-mT/sr39tk PET reporter mice and induce sr39tk expression in platelets, T lymphocytes or cardiomyocytes. As proof of concept, we demonstrate that our mouse model permits longitudinal PET imaging and quantification of T-cell homing during inflammation and cardiomyocyte viability after myocardial infarction. Moreover, Rosa26-mT/sr39tk mice are useful for whole-body characterization of transgenic Cre mice and to detect previously unknown Cre activity. We anticipate that the Cre-switchable PET reporter mice will be broadly applicable for non-invasive long-term tracking of selected cell populations in vivo.Non-invasive cell tracking is a powerful method to visualize cells in vivo under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Here Thunemann et al. generate a mouse model for in vivo tracking and quantification of specific cell types by combining a PET reporter gene with Cre-dependent activation that can be exploited for any cell population for which a Cre mouse line is available.

[Characterization of stem cells derived from the neonatal auditory sensory epithelium].

Science.gov (United States)

Diensthuber, M; Heller, S

2010-11-01

In contrast to regenerating hair cell-bearing organs of nonmammalian vertebrates the adult mammalian organ of Corti appears to have lost its ability to maintain stem cells. The result is a lack of regenerative ability and irreversible hearing loss following auditory hair cell death. Unexpectedly, the neonatal auditory sensory epithelium has recently been shown to harbor cells with stem cell features. The origin of these cells within the cochlea's sensory epithelium is unknown. We applied a modified neurosphere assay to identify stem cells within distinct subregions of the neonatal mouse auditory sensory epithelium. Sphere cells were characterized by multiple markers and morphologic techniques. Our data reveal that both the greater and the lesser epithelial ridge contribute to the sphere-forming stem cell population derived from the auditory sensory epithelium. These self-renewing sphere cells express a variety of markers for neural and otic progenitor cells and mature inner ear cell types. Stem cells can be isolated from specific regions of the auditory sensory epithelium. The distinct features of these cells imply a potential application in the development of a cell replacement therapy to regenerate the damaged sensory epithelium.

Characterization of Microvesicles Released from Human Red Blood Cells

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Duc Bach Nguyen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Extracellular vesicles (EVs are spherical fragments of cell membrane released from various cell types under physiological as well as pathological conditions. Based on their size and origin, EVs are classified as exosome, microvesicles (MVs and apoptotic bodies. Recently, the release of MVs from human red blood cells (RBCs under different conditions has been reported. MVs are released by outward budding and fission of the plasma membrane. However, the outward budding process itself, the release of MVs and the physical properties of these MVs have not been well investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the formation process, isolation and characterization of MVs released from RBCs under conditions of stimulating Ca2+ uptake and activation of protein kinase C. Methods: Experiments were performed based on single cell fluorescence imaging, fluorescence activated cell sorter/flow cytometer (FACS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM and dynamic light scattering (DLS. The released MVs were collected by differential centrifugation and characterized in both their size and zeta potential. Results: Treatment of RBCs with 4-bromo-A23187 (positive control, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA, or phorbol-12 myristate-13 acetate (PMA in the presence of 2 mM extracellular Ca2+ led to an alteration of cell volume and cell morphology. In stimulated RBCs, exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS and formation of MVs were observed by using annexin V-FITC. The shedding of MVs was also observed in the case of PMA treatment in the absence of Ca2+, especially under the transmitted bright field illumination. By using SEM, AFM and DLS the morphology and size of stimulated RBCs, MVs were characterized. The sizes of the two populations of MVs were 205.8 ± 51.4 nm and 125.6 ± 31.4 nm, respectively. Adhesion of stimulated RBCs and MVs was observed. The zeta potential of MVs was determined in the range from - 40 mV to - 10 m

Muscle-derived stem cells isolated as non-adherent population give rise to cardiac, skeletal muscle and neural lineages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arsic, Nikola; Mamaeva, Daria; Lamb, Ned J.; Fernandez, Anne

2008-01-01

Stem cells with the ability to differentiate in specialized cell types can be extracted from a wide array of adult tissues including skeletal muscle. Here we have analyzed a population of cells isolated from skeletal muscle on the basis of their poor adherence on uncoated or collagen-coated dishes that show multi-lineage differentiation in vitro. When analysed under proliferative conditions, these cells express stem cell surface markers Sca-1 (65%) and Bcrp-1 (80%) but also MyoD (15%), Neuronal β III-tubulin (25%), GFAP (30%) or Nkx2.5 (1%). Although capable of growing as non-attached spheres for months, when given an appropriate matrix, these cells adhere giving rise to skeletal muscle, neuronal and cardiac muscle cell lineages. A similar cell population could not be isolated from either bone marrow or cardiac tissue suggesting their specificity to skeletal muscle. When injected into damaged muscle, these non-adherent muscle-derived cells are retrieved expressing Pax7, in a sublaminar position characterizing satellite cells and participate in forming new myofibers. These data show that a non-adherent stem cell population can be specifically isolated and expanded from skeletal muscle and upon attachment to a matrix spontaneously differentiate into muscle, cardiac and neuronal lineages in vitro. Although competing with resident satellite cells, these cells are shown to significantly contribute to repair of injured muscle in vivo supporting that a similar muscle-derived non-adherent cell population from human muscle may be useful in treatment of neuromuscular disorders

Muscle-derived stem cells isolated as non-adherent population give rise to cardiac, skeletal muscle and neural lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Arsic, Nikola; Mamaeva, Daria; Lamb, Ned J; Fernandez, Anne

2008-04-01

Stem cells with the ability to differentiate in specialized cell types can be extracted from a wide array of adult tissues including skeletal muscle. Here we have analyzed a population of cells isolated from skeletal muscle on the basis of their poor adherence on uncoated or collagen-coated dishes that show multi-lineage differentiation in vitro. When analysed under proliferative conditions, these cells express stem cell surface markers Sca-1 (65%) and Bcrp-1 (80%) but also MyoD (15%), Neuronal beta III-tubulin (25%), GFAP (30%) or Nkx2.5 (1%). Although capable of growing as non-attached spheres for months, when given an appropriate matrix, these cells adhere giving rise to skeletal muscle, neuronal and cardiac muscle cell lineages. A similar cell population could not be isolated from either bone marrow or cardiac tissue suggesting their specificity to skeletal muscle. When injected into damaged muscle, these non-adherent muscle-derived cells are retrieved expressing Pax7, in a sublaminar position characterizing satellite cells and participate in forming new myofibers. These data show that a non-adherent stem cell population can be specifically isolated and expanded from skeletal muscle and upon attachment to a matrix spontaneously differentiate into muscle, cardiac and neuronal lineages in vitro. Although competing with resident satellite cells, these cells are shown to significantly contribute to repair of injured muscle in vivo supporting that a similar muscle-derived non-adherent cell population from human muscle may be useful in treatment of neuromuscular disorders.

Characterization of population exposure to organochlorines: A cluster analysis application

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.M. Guimarães (Raphael Mendonça); S. Asmus (Sven); A. Burdorf (Alex)

2013-01-01

textabstractThis study aimed to show the results from a cluster analysis application in the characterization of population exposure to organochlorines through variables related to time and exposure dose. Characteristics of 354 subjects in a population exposed to organochlorine pesticides residues

Characterization of Coronal Pulp Cells and Radicular Pulp Cells in Human Teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Masaki; Sato, Momoko; Toriumi, Taku

2017-09-01

Dental pulp has garnered much attention as an easily accessible postnatal tissue source of high-quality mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Since the discovery of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in permanent third molars, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth and from supernumerary teeth (mesiodentes) have been identified as a population distinct from DPSCs. Dental pulp is divided into 2 parts based on the developing stage: the coronal pulp and the radicular pulp. Root formation begins after the crown part is completed. We performed a sequential study to examine the differences between the characteristics of coronal pulp cells (CPCs) and radicular pulp cells (RPCs) from permanent teeth, mesiodentes, and deciduous teeth. Interestingly, although we have not obtained any data on the difference between CPCs and RPCs in permanent teeth, there are some differences between the characteristics of CPCs and RPCs from mesiodentes and deciduous teeth. The MSC characteristics differed between the RPCs and CPCs, and the reprogramming efficiency for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells was greater in RPCs than in CPCs from deciduous teeth. The proportion of CD105 + cells in CPCs versus that in RPCs varied in mesiodentes but not in permanent teeth. The results indicate that the proportion of CD105 + cells is an effective means of characterizing dental pulp cells in mesiodentes. Taken together, the stem cells in deciduous and supernumerary teeth share many characteristics, such as a high proliferation rate and an immunophenotype similar to that of DPSCs. Thus, mesiodentes accidentally encountered on radiographs by the general dental practitioner might be useful for stem cell therapy. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification and characterization of cells with cancer stem cell properties in human primary lung cancer cell lines.

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Ping Wang

Full Text Available Lung cancer (LC with its different subtypes is generally known as a therapy resistant cancer with the highest morbidity rate worldwide. Therapy resistance of a tumor is thought to be related to cancer stem cells (CSCs within the tumors. There have been indications that the lung cancer is propagated and maintained by a small population of CSCs. To study this question we established a panel of 15 primary lung cancer cell lines (PLCCLs from 20 fresh primary tumors using a robust serum-free culture system. We subsequently focused on identification of lung CSCs by studying these cell lines derived from 4 representative lung cancer subtypes such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC, large cell carcinoma (LCC, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC and adenocarcinoma (AC. We identified a small population of cells strongly positive for CD44 (CD44(high and a main population which was either weakly positive or negative for CD44 (CD44(low/-. Co-expression of CD90 further narrowed down the putative stem cell population in PLCCLs from SCLC and LCC as spheroid-forming cells were mainly found within the CD44(highCD90(+ sub-population. Moreover, these CD44(highCD90(+ cells revealed mesenchymal morphology, increased expression of mesenchymal markers N-Cadherin and Vimentin, increased mRNA levels of the embryonic stem cell related genes Nanog and Oct4 and increased resistance to irradiation compared to other sub-populations studied, suggesting the CD44(highCD90(+ population a good candidate for the lung CSCs. Both CD44(highCD90(+ and CD44(highCD90(- cells in the PLCCL derived from SCC formed spheroids, whereas the CD44(low/- cells were lacking this potential. These results indicate that CD44(highCD90(+ sub-population may represent CSCs in SCLC and LCC, whereas in SCC lung cancer subtype, CSC potentials were found within the CD44(high sub-population.

Identification and Characterization of Cells with Cancer Stem Cell Properties in Human Primary Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Science.gov (United States)

Suo, Zhenhe; Munthe, Else; Solberg, Steinar; Ma, Liwei; Wang, Mengyu; Westerdaal, Nomdo Anton Christiaan; Kvalheim, Gunnar; Gaudernack, Gustav

2013-01-01

Lung cancer (LC) with its different subtypes is generally known as a therapy resistant cancer with the highest morbidity rate worldwide. Therapy resistance of a tumor is thought to be related to cancer stem cells (CSCs) within the tumors. There have been indications that the lung cancer is propagated and maintained by a small population of CSCs. To study this question we established a panel of 15 primary lung cancer cell lines (PLCCLs) from 20 fresh primary tumors using a robust serum-free culture system. We subsequently focused on identification of lung CSCs by studying these cell lines derived from 4 representative lung cancer subtypes such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), large cell carcinoma (LCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC). We identified a small population of cells strongly positive for CD44 (CD44high) and a main population which was either weakly positive or negative for CD44 (CD44low/−). Co-expression of CD90 further narrowed down the putative stem cell population in PLCCLs from SCLC and LCC as spheroid-forming cells were mainly found within the CD44highCD90+ sub-population. Moreover, these CD44highCD90+ cells revealed mesenchymal morphology, increased expression of mesenchymal markers N-Cadherin and Vimentin, increased mRNA levels of the embryonic stem cell related genes Nanog and Oct4 and increased resistance to irradiation compared to other sub-populations studied, suggesting the CD44highCD90+ population a good candidate for the lung CSCs. Both CD44highCD90+ and CD44highCD90− cells in the PLCCL derived from SCC formed spheroids, whereas the CD44low/− cells were lacking this potential. These results indicate that CD44highCD90+ sub-population may represent CSCs in SCLC and LCC, whereas in SCC lung cancer subtype, CSC potentials were found within the CD44high sub-population. PMID:23469181

Heterogeneity within the spleen colony-forming cell population in rat bone marrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martens, A.C.; van Bekkum, D.W.; Hagenbeek, A.

1986-01-01

The pluripotent hemopoietic stem cell (HSC) of the rat can be enumerated in a spleen colony assay (SCA) in rats as well as mice. After injection of rat bone marrow into lethally irradiated mice, macroscopically visible spleen colonies (CFU-S) are found from day 6 through 14, but the number varies on consecutive days. In normal bone marrow a constant ratio of day-8 to day-12 colony numbers is observed. However, this ratio is changed after in vivo treatment of rats with cyclophosphamide, as well as after in vitro treatment of rat bone marrow with cyclophosphamide derivatives. This indicates that the CFU-S that form colonies on day 8 react differently to this treatment than the CFU-S that form colonies on day 12, and suggests heterogeneity among the CFU-S population. Posttreatment regrowth of day-8 and day-12 CFU-S is characterized by differences in population-doubling times (Td = 0.85 days vs 1.65 days). Another argument in support of the postulate of heterogeneity within the rat CFU-S population is derived from the fact that (in contrast to normal rat spleen) the spleen of leukemic rats contains high numbers of CFU-S that show a ratio of day-8 to day-12 CFU-S of 4.5, which is different than that observed for a CFU-S population in normal bone marrow (a ratio of 2.4). It is concluded that, in rat hemopoiesis, two populations of spleen colony-forming cells can be distinguished using the rat-to-mouse SCA. This indicates that mouse and rat hemopoiesis are comparable in this respect and that heterogeneity in the stem cell compartment is a general phenomenon

Stable Regulation of Cell Cycle Events in Mycobacteria: Insights From Inherently Heterogeneous Bacterial Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Logsdon, Michelle M; Aldridge, Bree B

2018-01-01

Model bacteria, such as E. coli and B. subtilis , tightly regulate cell cycle progression to achieve consistent cell size distributions and replication dynamics. Many of the hallmark features of these model bacteria, including lateral cell wall elongation and symmetric growth and division, do not occur in mycobacteria. Instead, mycobacterial growth is characterized by asymmetric polar growth and division. This innate asymmetry creates unequal birth sizes and growth rates for daughter cells with each division, generating a phenotypically heterogeneous population. Although the asymmetric growth patterns of mycobacteria lead to a larger variation in birth size than typically seen in model bacterial populations, the cell size distribution is stable over time. Here, we review the cellular mechanisms of growth, division, and cell cycle progression in mycobacteria in the face of asymmetry and inherent heterogeneity. These processes coalesce to control cell size. Although Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) utilize a novel model of cell size control, they are similar to previously studied bacteria in that initiation of DNA replication is a key checkpoint for cell division. We compare the regulation of DNA replication initiation and strategies used for cell size homeostasis in mycobacteria and model bacteria. Finally, we review the importance of cellular organization and chromosome segregation relating to the physiology of mycobacteria and consider how new frameworks could be applied across the wide spectrum of bacterial diversity.

Doped Overoxidized Polypyrrole Microelectrodes as Sensors for the Detection of Dopamine Released from Cell Populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sasso, Luigi; Heiskanen, Arto; Diazzi, Francesco

2013-01-01

A surface modification of interdigitated gold microelectrodes (IDEs) with a doped polypyrrole (PPy) film for detection of dopamine released from populations of differentiated PC12 cells is presented. A thin PPy layer was potentiostatically electropolymerized from an 10 aqueous pyrrole solution onto...... electrode surfaces. The conducting polymer film was doped during electropolymerization by introducing counter ions in the monomer solution. Several counter ions were tested and the resulting electrode modifications were characterized electrochemically to find the optimal dopant that increases sensitivity...... to amperometrically detect dopamine released by populations of cells upon triggering cellular exocytosis with an elevated K+ concentration. A comparison between the generated current on bare gold electrodes and gold electrodes modified with overoxidized doped PPy illustrates the clear advantage of the modification...

Developmental and adult characterization of secretagogin expressing amacrine cells in zebrafish retina.

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Stefanie Dudczig

Full Text Available Calcium binding proteins show stereotypical expression patterns within diverse neuron types across the central nervous system. Here, we provide a characterization of developmental and adult secretagogin-immunolabelled neurons in the zebrafish retina with an emphasis on co-expression of multiple calcium binding proteins. Secretagogin is a recently identified and cloned member of the F-hand family of calcium binding proteins, which labels distinct neuron populations in the retinas of mammalian vertebrates. Both the adult distribution of secretagogin labeled retinal neurons as well as the developmental expression indicative of the stage of neurogenesis during which this calcium binding protein is expressed was quantified. Secretagogin expression was confined to an amacrine interneuron population in the inner nuclear layer, with monostratified neurites in the center of the inner plexiform layer and a relatively regular soma distribution (regularity index > 2.5 across central-peripheral areas. However, only a subpopulation (~60% co-labeled with gamma-aminobutyric acid as their neurotransmitter, suggesting that possibly two amacrine subtypes are secretagogin immunoreactive. Quantitative co-labeling analysis with other known amacrine subtype markers including the three main calcium binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin and calretinin identifies secretagogin immunoreactive neurons as a distinct neuron population. The highest density of secretagogin cells of ~1800 cells / mm2 remained relatively evenly along the horizontal meridian, whilst the density dropped of to 125 cells / mm2 towards the dorsal and ventral periphery. Thus, secretagogin represents a new amacrine label within the zebrafish retina. The developmental expression suggests a possible role in late stage differentiation. This characterization forms the basis of functional studies assessing how the expression of distinct calcium binding proteins might be regulated to compensate for the loss

Making sense of snapshot data: ergodic principle for clonal cell populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Philipp

2017-11-01

Population growth is often ignored when quantifying gene expression levels across clonal cell populations. We develop a framework for obtaining the molecule number distributions in an exponentially growing cell population taking into account its age structure. In the presence of generation time variability, the average acquired across a population snapshot does not obey the average of a dividing cell over time, apparently contradicting ergodicity between single cells and the population. Instead, we show that the variation observed across snapshots with known cell age is captured by cell histories, a single-cell measure obtained from tracking an arbitrary cell of the population back to the ancestor from which it originated. The correspondence between cells of known age in a population with their histories represents an ergodic principle that provides a new interpretation of population snapshot data. We illustrate the principle using analytical solutions of stochastic gene expression models in cell populations with arbitrary generation time distributions. We further elucidate that the principle breaks down for biochemical reactions that are under selection, such as the expression of genes conveying antibiotic resistance, which gives rise to an experimental criterion with which to probe selection on gene expression fluctuations. © 2017 The Author(s).

Characterization of two distinct liver progenitor cell subpopulations of hematopoietic and hepatic origins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corcelle, V.; Stieger, B.; Gjinovci, A.; Wollheim, C.B.; Gauthier, B.R.

2006-01-01

Despite extensive studies, the hematopoietic versus hepatic origin of liver progenitor oval cells remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the origin of such cells after liver injury and to establish an oval cell line. Rat liver injury was induced by subcutaneous insertion of 2-AAF pellets for 7 days with subsequent injection of CCl 4 . Livers were removed 9 to 13 days post-CCl 4 treatment. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-c-kit, OV6, Thy1, CK19, AFP, vWF and Rab3b. Isolated non-parenchymal cells were grown on mouse embryonic fibroblast, and their gene expression profile was characterized by RT-PCR. We identified a subpopulation of OV6/CK19/Rab3b-expressing cells that was activated in the periportal region of traumatized livers. We also characterized a second subpopulation that expressed the HSCs marker c-kit but not Thy1. Although we successfully isolated both cell types, OV6/CK19/Rab3b + cells fail to propagate while c-kit + -HSCs appeared to proliferate for up to 7 weeks. Cells formed clusters which expressed c-kit, Thy1 and albumin. Our results indicate that a bona fide oval progenitor cell population resides within the liver and is distinct from c-kit + -HSCs. Oval cells require the hepatic niche to proliferate, while cells mobilized from the circulation proliferate and transdifferentiate into hepatocytes without evidence of cell fusion

Concise Review: Stem Cell Population Biology: Insights from Hematopoiesis.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Adam L; Lo Celso, Cristina; Stumpf, Michael P H

2017-01-01

Stem cells are fundamental to human life and offer great therapeutic potential, yet their biology remains incompletely-or in cases even poorly-understood. The field of stem cell biology has grown substantially in recent years due to a combination of experimental and theoretical contributions: the experimental branch of this work provides data in an ever-increasing number of dimensions, while the theoretical branch seeks to determine suitable models of the fundamental stem cell processes that these data describe. The application of population dynamics to biology is amongst the oldest applications of mathematics to biology, and the population dynamics perspective continues to offer much today. Here we describe the impact that such a perspective has made in the field of stem cell biology. Using hematopoietic stem cells as our model system, we discuss the approaches that have been used to study their key properties, such as capacity for self-renewal, differentiation, and cell fate lineage choice. We will also discuss the relevance of population dynamics in models of stem cells and cancer, where competition naturally emerges as an influential factor on the temporal evolution of cell populations. Stem Cells 2017;35:80-88. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.

Characterization of stem/progenitor cell cycle using murine circumvallate papilla taste bud organoid.

Science.gov (United States)

Aihara, Eitaro; Mahe, Maxime M; Schumacher, Michael A; Matthis, Andrea L; Feng, Rui; Ren, Wenwen; Noah, Taeko K; Matsu-ura, Toru; Moore, Sean R; Hong, Christian I; Zavros, Yana; Herness, Scott; Shroyer, Noah F; Iwatsuki, Ken; Jiang, Peihua; Helmrath, Michael A; Montrose, Marshall H

2015-11-24

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5-expressing (Lgr5(+)) cells have been identified as stem/progenitor cells in the circumvallate papillae, and single cultured Lgr5(+) cells give rise to taste cells. Here we use circumvallate papilla tissue to establish a three-dimensional culture system (taste bud organoids) that develops phenotypic characteristics similar to native tissue, including a multilayered epithelium containing stem/progenitor in the outer layers and taste cells in the inner layers. Furthermore, characterization of the cell cycle of the taste bud progenitor niche reveals striking dynamics of taste bud development and regeneration. Using this taste bud organoid culture system and FUCCI2 transgenic mice, we identify the stem/progenitor cells have at least 5 distinct cell cycle populations by tracking within 24-hour synchronized oscillations of proliferation. Additionally, we demonstrate that stem/progenitor cells have motility to form taste bud organoids. Taste bud organoids provides a system for elucidating mechanisms of taste signaling, disease modeling, and taste tissue regeneration.

Chapter 22. Cell population kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tubiana, M.

1975-01-01

The main contribution of radioisotopes to the development of a new discipline, cell population kinetics, was shown. The aim of this science is to establish, for each tissue of the organism, the life span of its component cells and the mechanisms governing its growth, its differentiation and its homeostasis with respect to outside attacks. Labelling techniques have been used to follow the cells during these various processes. The case of non-dividing cells was considered first, taking as example, the red blood cells of which the lifetime was studied, after which the case of proliferating cells was examined using 14 C- or tritium-labelled thymidine. The methods used to measure the cell cycle parameters were described: labelled-mitosis curve method, double-labelling and continuous labelling methods, proliferation coefficient measurement. Cell kinetics were shown to allow an interpretation of radiobiological data. Finally the practical value of cell kinetics research was shown [fr

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF A SOLAR CELL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

; and estimating variations in the solar cell, thereby electrically characterizing the solar cell. The disclosure further relates to a solar cell characterization apparatus for characterization of a solar cell, comprising: a light source for generating an optical probe light; a modulation unit, configured...... to produce modulated probe light by modulating the optical probe light with a modulation frequency of between 100 kHz and 0 MHz; a light scanning unit for scanning the modulated probe light such that said modulated probe light is incident on at least a part of the surface of the solar cell; and a 1 signal...

Stable Regulation of Cell Cycle Events in Mycobacteria: Insights From Inherently Heterogeneous Bacterial Populations

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Michelle M. Logsdon

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Model bacteria, such as E. coli and B. subtilis, tightly regulate cell cycle progression to achieve consistent cell size distributions and replication dynamics. Many of the hallmark features of these model bacteria, including lateral cell wall elongation and symmetric growth and division, do not occur in mycobacteria. Instead, mycobacterial growth is characterized by asymmetric polar growth and division. This innate asymmetry creates unequal birth sizes and growth rates for daughter cells with each division, generating a phenotypically heterogeneous population. Although the asymmetric growth patterns of mycobacteria lead to a larger variation in birth size than typically seen in model bacterial populations, the cell size distribution is stable over time. Here, we review the cellular mechanisms of growth, division, and cell cycle progression in mycobacteria in the face of asymmetry and inherent heterogeneity. These processes coalesce to control cell size. Although Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG utilize a novel model of cell size control, they are similar to previously studied bacteria in that initiation of DNA replication is a key checkpoint for cell division. We compare the regulation of DNA replication initiation and strategies used for cell size homeostasis in mycobacteria and model bacteria. Finally, we review the importance of cellular organization and chromosome segregation relating to the physiology of mycobacteria and consider how new frameworks could be applied across the wide spectrum of bacterial diversity.

Multiple dendritic cell populations activate CD4+ T cells after viral stimulation.

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Adele M Mount

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Dendritic cells (DC are a heterogeneous cell population that bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems. CD8alpha DC play a prominent, and sometimes exclusive, role in driving amplification of CD8(+ T cells during a viral infection. Whether this reliance on a single subset of DC also applies for CD4(+ T cell activation is unknown. We used a direct ex vivo antigen presentation assay to probe the capacity of flow cytometrically purified DC populations to drive amplification of CD4(+ and CD8(+ T cells following infection with influenza virus by different routes. This study examined the contributions of non-CD8alpha DC populations in the amplification of CD8(+ and CD4(+ T cells in cutaneous and systemic influenza viral infections. We confirmed that in vivo, effective immune responses for CD8(+ T cells are dominated by presentation of antigen by CD8alpha DC but can involve non-CD8alpha DC. In contrast, CD4(+ T cell responses relied more heavily on the contributions of dermal DC migrating from peripheral lymphoid tissues following cutaneous infection, and CD4 DC in the spleen after systemic infection. CD4(+ T cell priming by DC subsets that is dependent upon the route of administration raises the possibility that vaccination approaches could be tailored to prime helper T cell immunity.

Establishment and conventional cytogenetic characterization of three gastric cancer cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Mariana Ferreira; Martins do Nascimento, José Luiz; da Silva, Carla Elvira Araújo; Vita Lamarão, Maria Fernanda; Calcagno, Danielle Queiroz; Khayat, André Salim; Assumpção, Paulo Pimentel; Cabral, Isabel Rosa; de Arruda Cardoso Smith, Marília; Burbano, Rommel Rodríguez

2009-11-01

Gastric cancer is the fourth most frequent type of cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Only a modest number of gastric carcinoma cell lines have been isolated thus far. Here we describe the establishment and cytogenetic characterization of three new gastric cancer cell lines obtained from primary gastric adenocarcinoma (ACP02 and ACP03) and cancerous ascitic fluid (AGP01) of individuals from northern Brazil. ACP02, ACP03, and AGP01 cell lines are presently in the 60th passage. The cell lines grew in a disorganized single layer with some agglomerations and heterogeneous divisions (bipolar and multipolar). All cell lines exhibited a composite karyotype with several clonal chromosome alterations. Trisomy 8 was the most frequent alteration. Chromosome 8 aneusomy was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. All cell lines also exhibited trisomy 7 and deletion of chromosome arm 17p. These results suggest that, although frequent chromosome alterations are commonly observed due to culture process, the ACP02, ACP03, and AGP01 cell lines and primary gastric cancer from individuals of northern Brazil share genetic alterations, supporting use of these cell lines as a model of gastric carcinogenesis in this population.

A millifluidic study of cell-to-cell heterogeneity in growth-rate and cell-division capability in populations of isogenic cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

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Shima P Damodaran

Full Text Available To address possible cell-to-cell heterogeneity in growth dynamics of isogenic cell populations of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we developed a millifluidic drop-based device that not only allows the analysis of populations grown from single cells over periods of a week, but is also able to sort and collect drops of interest, containing viable and healthy cells, which can be used for further experimentation. In this study, we used isogenic algal cells that were first synchronized in mixotrophic growth conditions. We show that these synchronized cells, when placed in droplets and kept in mixotrophic growth conditions, exhibit mostly homogeneous growth statistics, but with two distinct subpopulations: a major population with a short doubling-time (fast-growers and a significant subpopulation of slowly dividing cells (slow-growers. These observations suggest that algal cells from an isogenic population may be present in either of two states, a state of restricted division and a state of active division. When isogenic cells were allowed to propagate for about 1000 generations on solid agar plates, they displayed an increased heterogeneity in their growth dynamics. Although we could still identify the original populations of slow- and fast-growers, drops inoculated with a single progenitor cell now displayed a wider diversity of doubling-times. Moreover, populations dividing with the same growth-rate often reached different cell numbers in stationary phase, suggesting that the progenitor cells differed in the number of cell divisions they could undertake. We discuss possible explanations for these cell-to-cell heterogeneities in growth dynamics, such as mutations, differential aging or stochastic variations in metabolites and macromolecules yielding molecular switches, in the light of single-cell heterogeneities that have been reported among isogenic populations of other eu- and prokaryotes.

Molecular characterization of PCN populations from Serbia

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Oro Violeta

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The morphology of potato cyst nematodes (PCN was until recently almost the only way to identify these quarantine organisms. In the last two decades, molecular analyses contributed to faster and more efficient identification of two Globodera species (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis and allowed insight into the genetic structure of those parts that were practically inaccessible by morphological studies. Molecular characterization was performed in ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region. The comparison was made with sequences of different foreign PCN populations via NCBI GenBank database. The results of molecular studies showed similarities and differences between local and foreign PCN populations in the part of genome that was studied.

Identification of a population of cells with hematopoietic stem cell properties in mouse aorta-gonad-mesonephros cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nobuhisa, Ikuo; Ohtsu, Naoki; Okada, Seiji; Nakagata, Naomi; Taga, Tetsuya

2007-01-01

The aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region is a primary source of definitive hematopoietic cells in the midgestation mouse embryo. In cultures of dispersed AGM regions, adherent cells containing endothelial cells are observed first, and then non-adherent hematopoietic cells are produced. Here we report on the characterization of hematopoietic cells that emerge in the AGM culture. Based on the expression profiles of CD45 and c-Kit, we defined three cell populations: CD45 low c-Kit + cells that had the ability to form hematopoietic cell colonies in methylcellulose media and in co-cultures with stromal cells; CD45 low c-Kit - cells that showed a granulocyte morphology; CD45 high c-Kit low/- that exhibited a macrophage morphology. In co-cultures of OP9 stromal cells and freshly prepared AGM cultures, CD45 low c-Kit + cells from the AGM culture had the abilities to reproduce CD45 low c-Kit + cells and differentiate into CD45 low c-Kit - and CD45 high c-Kit low/- cells, whereas CD45 low c-Kit - and CD45 high c-Kit low/- did not produce CD45 low c-Kit + cells. Furthermore, CD45 low c-Kit + cells displayed a long-term repopulating activity in adult hematopoietic tissue when transplanted into the liver of irradiated newborn mice. These results indicate that CD45 low c-Kit + cells from the AGM culture have the potential to reconstitute multi-lineage hematopoietic cells

Comparison of tumor biology of two distinct cell sub-populations in lung cancer stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianyu; Sun, Zhiwei; Liu, Yongli; Kong, Liangsheng; Zhou, Shixia; Tang, Junlin; Xing, Hongmei Rosie

2017-11-14

Characterization of the stem-like properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs) remain indirect and qualitative, especially the ability of CSCs to undergo asymmetric cell division for self renewal and differentiation, a unique property of cells of stem origin. It is partly due to the lack of stable cellular models of CSCs. In this study, we developed a new approach for CSC isolation and purification to derive a CSC-enriched cell line (LLC-SE). By conducting five consecutive rounds of single cell cloning using the LLC-SE cell line, we obtained two distinct sub-population of cells within the Lewis lung cancer CSCs that employed largely symmetric division for self-renewal (LLC-SD) or underwent asymmetric division for differentiation (LLC-ASD). LLC-SD and LLC-ASD cell lines could be stably passaged in culture and be distinguished by cell morphology, stem cell marker, spheroid formation and subcutaneous tumor initiation efficiency, as well as orthotopic lung tumor growth, progression and survival. The ability LLC-ASD cells to undergo asymmetric division was visualized and quantified by the asymmetric segregation of labeled BrdU and NUMB to one of the two daughter cells in anaphase cell division. The more stem-like LLC-SD cells exhibited higher capacity for tumorigenesis and progression and shorter survival. As few as 10 LLC-SD could initiate subcutaneous tumor growth when transplanted to the athymic mice. Collectively, these observations suggest that the SD-type of cells appear to be on the top of the hierarchical order of the CSCs. Furthermore, they have lead to generated cellular models of CSC self-renewal for future mechanistic investigations.

Trail networks formed by populations of immune cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Taeseok Daniel; Kwon, Tae Goo; Park, Jin-sung; Lee, Kyoung J

2014-01-01

Populations of biological cells that communicate with each other can organize themselves to generate large-scale patterns. Examples can be found in diverse systems, ranging from developing embryos, cardiac tissues, chemotaxing ameba and swirling bacteria. The similarity, often shared by the patterns, suggests the existence of some general governing principle. On the other hand, rich diversity and system-specific properties are exhibited, depending on the type of involved cells and the nature of their interactions. The study on the similarity and the diversity constitutes a rapidly growing field of research. Here, we introduce a new class of self-organized patterns of cell populations that we term as ‘cellular trail networks’. They were observed with populations of rat microglia, the immune cells of the brain and the experimental evidence suggested that haptotaxis is the key element responsible for them. The essential features of the observed patterns are well captured by the mathematical model cells that actively crawl and interact with each other through a decomposing but non-diffusing chemical attractant laid down by the cells. Our finding suggests an unusual mechanism of socially cooperative long-range signaling for the crawling immune cells. (paper)

Endothelial Progenitor Cell Fraction Contained in Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Populations Impairs Osteogenic Differentiation

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Fabian Duttenhoefer

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In bone tissue engineering (TE endothelial cell-osteoblast cocultures are known to induce synergies of cell differentiation and activity. Bone marrow mononucleated cells (BMCs are a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs able to develop an osteogenic phenotype. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs are also present within BMC. In this study we investigate the effect of EPCs present in the BMC population on MSCs osteogenic differentiation. Human BMCs were isolated and separated into two populations. The MSC population was selected through plastic adhesion capacity. EPCs (CD34+ and CD133+ were removed from the BMC population and the resulting population was named depleted MSCs. Both populations were cultured over 28 days in osteogenic medium (Dex+ or medium containing platelet lysate (PL. MSC population grew faster than depleted MSCs in both media, and PL containing medium accelerated the proliferation for both populations. Cell differentiation was much higher in Dex+ medium in both cases. Real-time RT-PCR revealed upregulation of osteogenic marker genes in depleted MSCs. Higher values of ALP activity and matrix mineralization analyses confirmed these results. Our study advocates that absence of EPCs in the MSC population enables higher osteogenic gene expression and matrix mineralization and therefore may lead to advanced bone neoformation necessary for TE constructs.

MEMS-based platforms for mechanical manipulation and characterization of cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Peng; Wang, Wenhui; Ru, Changhai; Sun, Yu; Liu, Xinyu

2017-12-01

Mechanical manipulation and characterization of single cells are important experimental techniques in biological and medical research. Because of the microscale sizes and highly fragile structures of cells, conventional cell manipulation and characterization techniques are not accurate and/or efficient enough or even cannot meet the more and more demanding needs in different types of cell-based studies. To this end, novel microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based technologies have been developed to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and consistency of various cell manipulation and characterization tasks, and enable new types of cell research. This article summarizes existing MEMS-based platforms developed for cell mechanical manipulation and characterization, highlights their specific design considerations making them suitable for their designated tasks, and discuss their advantages and limitations. In closing, an outlook into future trends is also provided.

A microarray analysis of two distinct lymphatic endothelial cell populations

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Bernhard Schweighofer

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We have recently identified lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs to form two morphologically different populations, exhibiting significantly different surface protein expression levels of podoplanin, a major surface marker for this cell type. In vitro shockwave treatment (IVSWT of LECs resulted in enrichment of the podoplaninhigh cell population and was accompanied by markedly increased cell proliferation, as well as 2D and 3D migration. Gene expression profiles of these distinct populations were established using Affymetrix microarray analyses. Here we provide additional details about our dataset (NCBI GEO accession number GSE62510 and describe how we analyzed the data to identify differently expressed genes in these two LEC populations.

Characterization of glucocerebrosidase in peripheral blood cells and cultured blastoid cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aerts, J. M.; Heikoop, J.; van Weely, S.; Donker-Koopman, W. E.; Barranger, J. A.; Tager, J. M.; Schram, A. W.

1988-01-01

We have characterized glucocerebrosidase in various cell types of peripheral blood of control subjects and in cultured human blastoid cells. The intracellular level of glucocerebrosidase in cultured blastoid cells (10-30 nmol substrate hydrolyzed/h.mg protein) resembles closely values observed for

Characterization of the Stem-Cell Population of Phenylhydrazine-Treated Rodents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodgson, G.; Guzman, E.; Herrera, C. [Department of Biology, Vacuity Of Sciences University of Chile, Santiago (Chile)

1968-08-15

A study was made of the content of stem cells in the spleen, blood and bone marrow of mice treated with phenylhydrazine; the experimental method used was transplantation in lethally-irradiated mice. There was a marked increase in the content of stem cells in liver and blood and a small increase in bone marrow in the case of animals treated with phenylhydrazine. Judging by the effects of vinblastine, about 80% of the stem cells of spleen pass through mitosis within 24 hours, while only 20% of the marrow cells and none of the blood stem cells pass through mitosis within this period. To obtain information on the average residence time of stem cells in blood, bone marrow was injected intravenously into normal rats and the blood content was determined at intervals, A disappearance half-life of 6 minutes was found. To estimate the increase in the number of stem cells in the spleen of animals treated with phenylhydrazine, rats with and without spleen were irradiated with 500 rad ({sup 137}Cs gamma) after being given five phenylhydrazine injections. The rats without spleen developed severe anaemia with high mortality (70%), compared with the rats with spleen. Among the survivors, erythropoiesis started to recover later and proceeded more slowly in rats that had undergone splenectomy than in those with spleen. Transfusion corrected the anaemia in the rats without spleen and reduced the high mortality, but did not alter the rate of erythropoiesis recovery. The spleen plays an important part in erythropoiesis and the bone-marrow function recovers sooner in rats with spleen than in those without. Although the spleen is important for erythropoiesis recovery after irradiation preceded by treatment with phenylhydrazine, it has no effect on recovery after irradiation alone. It seems as though the spleen is required when proliferation of stem cells at the maximum rate is essential for survival. It is possible that the spleen constitutes a favourable local environment for the

Temporal dynamics of distinct CA1 cell populations during unconscious state induced by ketamine.

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Hui Kuang

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Ketamine is a widely used dissociative anesthetic which can induce some psychotic-like symptoms and memory deficits in some patients during the post-operative period. To understand its effects on neural population dynamics in the brain, we employed large-scale in vivo ensemble recording techniques to monitor the activity patterns of simultaneously recorded hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and various interneurons during several conscious and unconscious states such as awake rest, running, slow wave sleep, and ketamine-induced anesthesia. Our analyses reveal that ketamine induces distinct oscillatory dynamics not only in pyramidal cells but also in at least seven different types of CA1 interneurons including putative basket cells, chandelier cells, bistratified cells, and O-LM cells. These emergent unique oscillatory dynamics may very well reflect the intrinsic temporal relationships within the CA1 circuit. It is conceivable that systematic characterization of network dynamics may eventually lead to better understanding of how ketamine induces unconsciousness and consequently alters the conscious mind.

Expression of stanniocalcin 1 in thyroid side population cells and thyroid cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayase, Suguru; Sasaki, Yoshihito; Matsubara, Tsutomu; Seo, Daekwan; Miyakoshi, Masaaki; Murata, Tsubasa; Ozaki, Takashi; Kakudo, Kennichi; Kumamoto, Kensuke; Ylaya, Kris; Cheng, Sheue-yann; Thorgeirsson, Snorri S; Hewitt, Stephen M; Ward, Jerrold M; Kimura, Shioko

2015-04-01

Mouse thyroid side population (SP) cells consist of a minor population of mouse thyroid cells that may have multipotent thyroid stem cell characteristics. However the nature of thyroid SP cells remains elusive, particularly in relation to thyroid cancer. Stanniocalcin (STC) 1 and 2 are secreted glycoproteins known to regulate serum calcium and phosphate homeostasis. In recent years, the relationship of STC1/2 expression to cancer has been described in various tissues. Microarray analysis was carried out to determine genes up- and down-regulated in thyroid SP cells as compared with non-SP cells. Among genes up-regulated, stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) was chosen for study because of its expression in various thyroid cells by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Gene expression analysis revealed that genes known to be highly expressed in cancer cells and/or involved in cancer invasion/metastasis were markedly up-regulated in SP cells from both intact as well as partial thyroidectomized thyroids. Among these genes, expression of STC1 was found in five human thyroid carcinoma-derived cell lines as revealed by analysis of mRNA and protein, and its expression was inversely correlated with the differentiation status of the cells. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated higher expression of STC1 in the thyroid tumor cell line and thyroid tumor tissues from humans and mice. These results suggest that SP cells contain a population of cells that express genes also highly expressed in cancer cells including Stc1, which warrants further study on the role of SP cells and/or STC1 expression in thyroid cancer.

Emergence of cytotoxic resistance in cancer cell populations*

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Lorenzi Tommaso

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We formulate an individual-based model and an integro-differential model of phenotypic evolution, under cytotoxic drugs, in a cancer cell population structured by the expression levels of survival-potential and proliferation-potential. We apply these models to a recently studied experimental system. Our results suggest that mechanisms based on fundamental laws of biology can reversibly push an actively-proliferating, and drug-sensitive, cell population to transition into a weakly-proliferative and drug-tolerant state, which will eventually facilitate the emergence of more potent, proliferating and drug-tolerant cells.

Shaping bacterial population behavior through computer-interfaced control of individual cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chait, Remy; Ruess, Jakob; Bergmiller, Tobias; Tkačik, Gašper; Guet, Călin C

2017-11-16

Bacteria in groups vary individually, and interact with other bacteria and the environment to produce population-level patterns of gene expression. Investigating such behavior in detail requires measuring and controlling populations at the single-cell level alongside precisely specified interactions and environmental characteristics. Here we present an automated, programmable platform that combines image-based gene expression and growth measurements with on-line optogenetic expression control for hundreds of individual Escherichia coli cells over days, in a dynamically adjustable environment. This integrated platform broadly enables experiments that bridge individual and population behaviors. We demonstrate: (i) population structuring by independent closed-loop control of gene expression in many individual cells, (ii) cell-cell variation control during antibiotic perturbation, (iii) hybrid bio-digital circuits in single cells, and freely specifiable digital communication between individual bacteria. These examples showcase the potential for real-time integration of theoretical models with measurement and control of many individual cells to investigate and engineer microbial population behavior.

Cell mass and cell cycle dynamics of an asynchronous budding yeast population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lencastre Fernandes, Rita; Carlquist, Magnus; Lundin, Luisa

2013-01-01

of model predictions for cell property distributions against experimental data is scarce. This study focuses on the experimental and mathematical description of the dynamics of cell size and cell cycle position distributions, of a population of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in response to the substrate...

Role of bone marrow-derived stem cells, renal progenitor cells and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It remains the leading cause of late allograft loss. Bone marrow derived stem cells are undifferentiated cells typically characterized by their capacity for self renewal, ability to give rise to multiple differentiated cellular population, including hematopoietic (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Characterization of HSCs ...

Progenitor cell populations in the periodontal ligament of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCulloch, C.A.

1985-01-01

Stem cells in a variety of renewal tissues exhibit a slow rate of cell proliferation. The periodontal ligament of mouse molars was examined for the presence of slowly cycling progenitor cells to provide evidence for the existence of stem cells in this tissue. A pulse injection of 3 H-thymidine was administered and mice were sacrificed between 1 hour and 14 days after injection. Analysis of radioautographs using percentage of labeled cells and grain counts demonstrated that a population of label-retaining cells within 10 micron of blood vessels traversed the cell cycle more slowly than proliferating cells located greater than 10 micron from blood vessels. These data suggest that there is a slowly dividing population of progenitor cells in paravascular sites in mouse molar periodontal ligament which may be stem cells

NKX6.1 induced pluripotent stem cell reporter lines for isolation and analysis of functionally relevant neuronal and pancreas populations

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Shailesh Kumar Gupta

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have reported significant advances in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to clinically relevant cell types such as the insulin producing beta-like cells and motor neurons. However, many of the current differentiation protocols lead to heterogeneous cell cultures containing cell types other than the targeted cell fate. Genetically modified human pluripotent stem cells reporting the expression of specific genes are of great value for differentiation protocol optimization and for the purification of relevant cell populations from heterogeneous cell cultures. Here we present the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC lines with a GFP reporter inserted in the endogenous NKX6.1 locus. Characterization of the reporter lines demonstrated faithful GFP labelling of NKX6.1 expression during pancreas and motor neuron differentiation. Cell sorting and gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing revealed that NKX6.1-positive cells from pancreatic differentiations closely resemble human beta cells. Furthermore, functional characterization of the isolated cells demonstrated that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is mainly confined to the NKX6.1-positive cells. We expect that the NKX6.1-GFP iPSC lines and the results presented here will contribute to the further refinement of differentiation protocols and characterization of hPSC-derived beta cells and motor neurons for disease modelling and cell replacement therapies. Keywords: Human induced pluripotent stem cells, NKX6.1, Reporter cell line, Directed differentiation, hiPSC-derived beta cells

Lateral hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone neurons: distribution and relationship to histochemically defined cell populations in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Horjales-Araujo, E; Hellysaz, A; Broberger, C

2014-09-26

The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) constitutes a large component of the hypothalamus, and has been implicated in several aspects of motivated behavior. The LHA is of particular relevance to behavioral state control and the maintenance of arousal. Due to the cellular heterogeneity of this region, however, only some subpopulations of LHA cells have been properly anatomically characterized. Here, we have focused on cells expressing thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), a peptide found in the LHA that has been implicated as a promoter of arousal. Immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization were used to map the LHA TRH population in the rat, and cells were observed to form a large ventral cluster that extended throughout almost the entire rostro-caudal axis of the hypothalamus. Almost no examples of coexistence were seen when sections were double-stained for TRH and markers of other LHA populations, including the peptides hypocretin/orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone and neurotensin. In the juxtaparaventricular area, however, a discrete group of TRH-immunoreactive cells were also stained with antisera against enkephalin and urocortin 3. Innervation from the metabolically sensitive hypothalamic arcuate nucleus was investigated by double-staining for peptide markers of the two centrally projecting groups of arcuate neurons, agouti gene-related peptide and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, respectively; both populations of terminals were observed forming close appositions on TRH cells in the LHA. The present study indicates that TRH-expressing cells form a unique population in the LHA that may serve as a link between metabolic signals and the generation of arousal. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the near-source population around five ...

Science.gov (United States)

Many ports are currently preparing for increased freight traffic, which may result in elevated local air pollution in areas near the port and freight transportation corridors. In this study, a geographical information system (GIS) analysis of areas surrounding five ports – Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Port of Savannah, Port of Miami, and Port of Houston – was conducted to characterize the population that might be affected by air emissions from the freight transportation network and to determine which sources had the potential to affect the most people. Defining “near-source” populations as living within 300 m of the freight transportation network, namely the port and associated truck routes, railroads, and intermodal facilities (e. g. rail yards and warehouses); near-source populations ranged from 37,000 to over a million within 10 km of a port. At the ports considered, the population living within 300 m of the port boundary constituted of the total near-source population. Sensitive population exposure was also indicated, such as the 81 day care centers and K-12 schools in near-source environments within 2 km of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Minority groups constituted 55 % to 85 % of the near-source populations in the five port areas. For four of the five ports, the mean and median income of the near-source population was lower and the minority percentage was higher than the population living adjacent to the near-sou

Medullospheres from DAOY, UW228 and ONS-76 cells: increased stem cell population and proteomic modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanini, Cristina; Ercole, Elisabetta; Mandili, Giorgia; Salaroli, Roberta; Poli, Alice; Renna, Cristiano; Papa, Valentina; Cenacchi, Giovanna; Forni, Marco

2013-01-01

Medulloblastoma (MB) is an aggressive pediatric tumor of the Central Nervous System (CNS) usually treated according to a refined risk stratification. The study of cancer stem cells (CSC) in MB is a promising approach aimed at finding new treatment strategies. The CSC compartment was studied in three characterized MB cell lines (DAOY, UW228 and ONS-76) grown in standard adhesion as well as being grown as spheres, which enables expansion of the CSC population. MB cell lines, grown in adherence and as spheres, were subjected to morphologic analysis at the light and electron microscopic level, as well as cytofluorimetric determinations. Medullospheres (MBS) were shown to express increasingly immature features, along with the stem cells markers: CD133, Nestin and β-catenin. Proteomic analysis highlighted the differences between MB cell lines, demonstrating a unique protein profile for each cell line, and minor differences when grown as spheres. In MBS, MALDI-TOF also identified some proteins, that have been linked to tumor progression and resistance, such as Nucleophosmin (NPM). In addition, immunocytochemistry detected Sox-2 as a stemness marker of MBS, as well as confirming high NPM expression. Culture conditioning based on low attachment flasks and specialized medium may provide new data on the staminal compartment of CNS tumors, although a proteomic profile of CSC is still elusive for MB.

Medullospheres from DAOY, UW228 and ONS-76 cells: increased stem cell population and proteomic modifications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Zanini

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma (MB is an aggressive pediatric tumor of the Central Nervous System (CNS usually treated according to a refined risk stratification. The study of cancer stem cells (CSC in MB is a promising approach aimed at finding new treatment strategies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The CSC compartment was studied in three characterized MB cell lines (DAOY, UW228 and ONS-76 grown in standard adhesion as well as being grown as spheres, which enables expansion of the CSC population. MB cell lines, grown in adherence and as spheres, were subjected to morphologic analysis at the light and electron microscopic level, as well as cytofluorimetric determinations. Medullospheres (MBS were shown to express increasingly immature features, along with the stem cells markers: CD133, Nestin and β-catenin. Proteomic analysis highlighted the differences between MB cell lines, demonstrating a unique protein profile for each cell line, and minor differences when grown as spheres. In MBS, MALDI-TOF also identified some proteins, that have been linked to tumor progression and resistance, such as Nucleophosmin (NPM. In addition, immunocytochemistry detected Sox-2 as a stemness marker of MBS, as well as confirming high NPM expression. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Culture conditioning based on low attachment flasks and specialized medium may provide new data on the staminal compartment of CNS tumors, although a proteomic profile of CSC is still elusive for MB.

Growth Kinetics, Characterization, and Plasticity of Human Menstrual Blood Stem Cells

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Davood Mehrabani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available One of the readily available sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs is menstrual blood-derived stem cells (Men-SCs, which exhibit characteristics similar to other types of MSCs. This study was performed to determine the growth kinetics, plasticity, and characterization of Men-SCs in women. During spring 2014 in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, menstrual blood (5 mL was obtained from 10 women on their third day of menstruation in 2 age groups of 30 to 40 and 40 to 50 years old. Ficoll was used to separate the mononuclear cell fraction. After the Men-SCs were cultured, they were subcultured up to passage 4. Growth behavior and population doubling time were evaluated by seeding 5×104 cells into 12- and 24-well culture plates, and the colonies were enumerated. The expression of CD44, CD90, and CD34 was evaluated. The osteogenic potential was assessed by alizarin red staining. The Men-SCs were shown to be plastic adherent and spindle-shaped. Regarding the growth curves in the 12- and 24-well culture plates, it was demonstrated that in the women aged between 30 and 40 years, population doubling time was 55.5 and 62 hours, respectively, while these values in the women aged between 40 and 50 years were 70.4 and 72.4 hours, correspondingly. Positive expression of CD44 and CD90 and negative expression of CD34 were noted. In the osteogenic differentiation medium, the cells differentiated toward osteoblasts. As human Men-SCs are easily collectable without any invasive procedure and are a safe and rapid source of MSCs, they can be a good candidate for stem cell banking and cell transplantation in women.

Cell growth characterization using multi-electrode bioimpedance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yi-Yu; Huang, Yu-Jie; Cheng, Kuo-Sheng; Huang, Ji-Jer

2013-01-01

Cell growth characterization during culturing is an important issue in a variety of biomedical applications. In this study an electrical bioimpedance spectroscopy-based multi-electrode culture monitoring system was developed to characterize cell growth. A PC12 cell line was cultured for the cell growth study. The bioimpedance variations for PC12 cell growth within the initial 12 h were measured over a range between 1 kHz and 4 MHz at three different medium concentrations. Within this frequency range, the largest bioimpedance value was 1.9 times the smallest bioimpedance value. The phase angle decreased over the range from 1 to 10 kHz when cells were growing. Then, the phase angle approached a constant over the frequency range between 10 kHz and 2 MHz. Thereafter, the phase angle increased rapidly from 20 to 52 degrees during cell culturing between 8 and 12 h at 4 MHz. The maximum cell number after culturing for 12 h increased by 25.8% for the control sites with poly-D-lysine (PDL) pastes. For the normal growth factor, the cell number increased up to 4.78 times from 8 to 12 h, but only 0.96 and 1.60 times for the other two medium growth factors. The correlation coefficients between impedance and cell number were 0.868 (coating with PDL), and 0.836 (without PDL) for the normal concentration medium. Thus, impedance may be used as an index for cell growth characterization. (paper)

Increasing cell culture population doublings for long-term growth of finite life span human cell cultures

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Stampfer, Martha R; Garbe, James C

2015-02-24

Cell culture media formulations for culturing human epithelial cells are herein described. Also described are methods of increasing population doublings in a cell culture of finite life span human epithelial cells and prolonging the life span of human cell cultures. Using the cell culture media disclosed alone and in combination with addition to the cell culture of a compound associated with anti-stress activity achieves extended growth of pre-stasis cells and increased population doublings and life span in human epithelial cell cultures.

Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Linehan, W. Marston; Spellman, Paul T.; Ricketts, Christopher J.; Creighton, Chad J.; Fei, Suzanne S.; Davis, Caleb; Wheeler, David A.; Murray, Bradley A.; Schmidt, Laura; Vocke, Cathy D.; Peto, Myron; Al Mamun, Abu Amar M.; Shinbrot, Eve; Sethi, Anurag; Brooks, Samira; Rathmell, W. Kimryn; Brooks, Angela N.; Hoadley, Katherine A.; Robertson, A. Gordon; Brooks, Denise; Bowlby, Reanne; Sadeghi, Sara; Shen, Hui; Weisenberger, Daniel J.; Bootwalla, Moiz; Baylin, Stephen B.; Laird, Peter W.; Cherniack, Andrew D.; Saksena, Gordon; Haake, Scott; Li, Jun; Liang, Han; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon B.; Akbani, Rehan; Leiserson, Mark D.M.; Raphael, Benjamin J.; Anur, Pavana; Bottaro, Donald; Albiges, Laurence; Barnabas, Nandita; Choueiri, Toni K.; Czerniak, Bogdan; Godwin, Andrew K.; Hakimi, A. Ari; Ho, Thai; Hsieh, James; Ittmann, Michael; Kim, William Y.; Krishnan, Bhavani; Merino, Maria J.; Mills Shaw, Kenna R.; Reuter, Victor E.; Reznik, Ed; Shelley, Carl Simon; Shuch, Brian; Signoretti, Sabina; Srinivasan, Ramaprasad; Tamboli, Pheroze; Thomas, George; Tickoo, Satish; Burnett, Kenneth; Crain, Daniel; Gardner, Johanna; Lau, Kevin; Mallery, David; Morris, Scott; Paulauskis, Joseph D.; Penny, Robert J.; Shelton, Candace; Shelton, W. Troy; Sherman, Mark; Thompson, Eric; Yena, Peggy; Avedon, Melissa T.; Bowen, Jay; Gastier-Foster, Julie M.; Gerken, Mark; Leraas, Kristen M.; Lichtenberg, Tara M.; Ramirez, Nilsa C.; Santos, Tracie; Wise, Lisa; Zmuda, Erik; Demchok, John A.; Felau, Ina; Hutter, Carolyn M.; Sheth, Margi; Sofia, Heidi J.; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Wang, Zhining; Yang, Liming; Zenklusen, Jean C.; Zhang, Jiashan (Julia); Ayala, Brenda; Baboud, Julien; Chudamani, Sudha; Liu, Jia; Lolla, Laxmi; Naresh, Rashi; Pihl, Todd; Sun, Qiang; Wan, Yunhu; Wu, Ye; Ally, Adrian; Balasundaram, Miruna; Balu, Saianand; Beroukhim, Rameen; Bodenheimer, Tom; Buhay, Christian; Butterfield, Yaron S.N.; Carlsen, Rebecca; Carter, Scott L.; Chao, Hsu; Chuah, Eric; Clarke, Amanda; Covington, Kyle R.; Dahdouli, Mahmoud; Dewal, Ninad; Dhalla, Noreen; Doddapaneni, HarshaVardhan; Drummond, Jennifer; Gabriel, Stacey B.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Guin, Ranabir; Hale, Walker; Hawes, Alicia; Hayes, D. Neil; Holt, Robert A.; Hoyle, Alan P.; Jefferys, Stuart R.; Jones, Steven J.M.; Jones, Corbin D.; Kalra, Divya; Kovar, Christie; Lewis, Lora; Li, Jie; Ma, Yussanne; Marra, Marco A.; Mayo, Michael; Meng, Shaowu; Meyerson, Matthew; Mieczkowski, Piotr A.; Moore, Richard A.; Morton, Donna; Mose, Lisle E.; Mungall, Andrew J.; Muzny, Donna; Parker, Joel S.; Perou, Charles M.; Roach, Jeffrey; Schein, Jacqueline E.; Schumacher, Steven E.; Shi, Yan; Simons, Janae V.; Sipahimalani, Payal; Skelly, Tara; Soloway, Matthew G.; Sougnez, Carrie; Tam, Angela; Tan, Donghui; Thiessen, Nina; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Wang, Min; Wilkerson, Matthew D.; Wong, Tina; Wu, Junyuan; Xi, Liu; Zhou, Jane; Bedford, Jason; Chen, Fengju; Fu, Yao; Gerstein, Mark; Haussler, David; Kasaian, Katayoon; Lai, Phillip; Ling, Shiyun; Radenbaugh, Amie; Van Den Berg, David; Weinstein, John N.; Zhu, Jingchun; Albert, Monique; Alexopoulou, Iakovina; Andersen, Jeremiah J; Auman, J. Todd; Bartlett, John; Bastacky, Sheldon; Bergsten, Julie; Blute, Michael L.; Boice, Lori; Bollag, Roni J.; Boyd, Jeff; Castle, Erik; Chen, Ying-Bei; Cheville, John C.; Curley, Erin; Davies, Benjamin; DeVolk, April; Dhir, Rajiv; Dike, Laura; Eckman, John; Engel, Jay; Harr, Jodi; Hrebinko, Ronald; Huang, Mei; Huelsenbeck-Dill, Lori; Iacocca, Mary; Jacobs, Bruce; Lobis, Michael; Maranchie, Jodi K.; McMeekin, Scott; Myers, Jerome; Nelson, Joel; Parfitt, Jeremy; Parwani, Anil; Petrelli, Nicholas; Rabeno, Brenda; Roy, Somak; Salner, Andrew L.; Slaton, Joel; Stanton, Melissa; Thompson, R. Houston; Thorne, Leigh; Tucker, Kelinda; Weinberger, Paul M.; Winemiller, Cythnia; Zach, Leigh Anne; Zuna, Rosemary

2016-01-01

Background Papillary renal cell carcinoma, accounting for 15% of renal cell carcinoma, is a heterogeneous disease consisting of different types of renal cancer, including tumors with indolent, multifocal presentation and solitary tumors with an aggressive, highly lethal phenotype. Little is known about the genetic basis of sporadic papillary renal cell carcinoma; no effective forms of therapy for advanced disease exist. Methods We performed comprehensive molecular characterization utilizing whole-exome sequencing, copy number, mRNA, microRNA, methylation and proteomic analyses of 161 primary papillary renal cell carcinomas. Results Type 1 and Type 2 papillary renal cell carcinomas were found to be different types of renal cancer characterized by specific genetic alterations, with Type 2 further classified into three individual subgroups based on molecular differences that influenced patient survival. MET alterations were associated with Type 1 tumors, whereas Type 2 tumors were characterized by CDKN2A silencing, SETD2 mutations, TFE3 fusions, and increased expression of the NRF2-ARE pathway. A CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) was found in a distinct subset of Type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma characterized by poor survival and mutation of the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene. Conclusions Type 1 and Type 2 papillary renal cell carcinomas are clinically and biologically distinct. Alterations in the MET pathway are associated with Type 1 and activation of the NRF2-ARE pathway with Type 2; CDKN2A loss and CIMP in Type 2 convey a poor prognosis. Furthermore, Type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma consists of at least 3 subtypes based upon molecular and phenotypic features. PMID:26536169

Influence of Cell-Cell Interactions on the Population Growth Rate in a Tumor

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yong

2017-12-01

The understanding of the macroscopic phenomenological models of the population growth at a microscopic level is important to predict the population behaviors emerged from the interactions between the individuals. In this work, we consider the influence of the population growth rate R on the cell-cell interaction in a tumor system and show that, in most cases especially small proliferative probabilities, the regulative role of the interaction will be strengthened with the decline of the intrinsic proliferative probabilities. For the high replication rates of an individual and the cooperative interactions, the proliferative probability almost has no effect. We compute the dependences of R on the interactions between the cells under the approximation of the nearest neighbor in the rim of an avascular tumor. Our results are helpful to qualitatively understand the influence of the interactions between the individuals on the growth rate in population systems. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11675008 and 21434001

Analysis of immune cell populations in atrial myocardium of patients with atrial fibrillation or sinus rhythm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Smorodinova

Full Text Available Atrial fibrillation (AF is the most common arrhythmia and despite obvious clinical importance remains its pathogenesis only partially explained. A relation between inflammation and AF has been suggested by findings of increased inflammatory markers in AF patients.The goal of this study was to characterize morphologically and functionally CD45-positive inflammatory cell populations in atrial myocardium of patients with AF as compared to sinus rhythm (SR.We examined 46 subjects (19 with AF, and 27 in SR undergoing coronary bypass or valve surgery. Peroperative bioptic samples of the left and the right atrial tissue were examined using immunohistochemistry.The number of CD3+ T-lymphocytes and CD68-KP1+ cells were elevated in the left atrial myocardium of patients with AF compared to those in SR. Immune cell infiltration of LA was related to the rhythm, but not to age, body size, LA size, mitral regurgitation grade, type of surgery, systemic markers of inflammation or presence of diabetes or hypertension. Most of CD68-KP1+ cells corresponded to dendritic cell population based on their morphology and immunoreactivity for DC-SIGN. The numbers of mast cells and CD20+ B-lymphocytes did not differ between AF and SR patients. No foci of inflammation were detected in any sample.An immunohistochemical analysis of samples from patients undergoing open heart surgery showed moderate and site-specific increase of inflammatory cells in the atrial myocardium of patients with AF compared to those in SR, with prevailing population of monocyte-macrophage lineage. These cells and their cytokine products may play a role in atrial remodeling and AF persistence.

Experimental Characterization and Modeling of PEM Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Jesper Lebæk

fundamental knowledge of the transport and electrochemical processes of PEM fuel cells and to provide methods for obtaining high quality data for PEM fuel cell simulation model validation. In this thesis three different areas of experimental characterization techniques was investigated, they include: Stack...... for obtaining very detailed data of the manifold flow. Moreover, the tools complement each other well, as high quality validation data can be obtained from PIV measurements to verify CFD models. AC Impedance Spectroscopy was used to thoroughly characterize a HTPEM single cell. The measurement method...... was furthermore transferred onto a Labview platform, which signiffcantly improves the exibility and lowers the cost of using this method. This technique is expected to bea very important future tool, used both for material characterization, celldiagnostic, system optimization and as a control input parameter...

Functional heterogeneity and heritability in CHO cell populations.

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Davies, Sarah L; Lovelady, Clare S; Grainger, Rhian K; Racher, Andrew J; Young, Robert J; James, David C

2013-01-01

In this study, we address the hypothesis that it is possible to exploit genetic/functional variation in parental Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell populations to isolate clonal derivatives that exhibit superior, heritable attributes for biomanufacturing--new parental cell lines which are inherently more "fit for purpose." One-hundred and ninety-nine CHOK1SV clones were isolated from a donor CHOK1SV parental population by limiting dilution cloning and microplate image analysis, followed by primary analysis of variation in cell-specific proliferation rate during extended deep-well microplate suspension culture of individual clones to accelerate genetic drift in isolated cultures. A subset of 100 clones were comparatively evaluated for transient production of a recombinant monoclonal antibody (Mab) and green fluorescent protein following transfection of a plasmid vector encoding both genes. The heritability of both cell-specific proliferation rate and Mab production was further assessed using a subset of 23 clones varying in functional capability that were subjected to cell culture regimes involving both cryopreservation and extended sub-culture. These data showed that whilst differences in transient Mab production capability were not heritable per se, clones exhibiting heritable variation in specific proliferation rate, endocytotic transfectability and N-glycan processing were identified. Finally, for clonal populations most "evolved" by extended sub-culture in vitro we investigated the relationship between cellular protein biomass content, specific proliferation rate and cell surface N-glycosylation. Rapid-specific proliferation rate was inversely correlated to CHO cell size and protein content, and positively correlated to cell surface glycan content, although substantial clone-specific variation in ability to accumulate cell biomass was evident. Taken together, our data reveal the dynamic nature of the CHO cell functional genome and the potential to evolve and

Characterization of solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haerkoenen, J.; Tuominen, E.; Nybergh, K.; Ezer, Y.; Yli-Koski, M.; Sinkkonen, J. [Helsinki Univ. of Technology, Otaniemi (Finland). Dept. of Electrical and Communications Engineering

1998-10-01

Photovoltaic research in the Electron Physics Laboratory started in 1993, when laboratory joined the national TEKES/NEMO 2 research program. Since the beginning of the project, characterization as well as experimentally orientated development of the fabrication process of the solar cells were carried out parallery. The process development research started by the initiatives of the Finnish industry. At the moment a large amount of the laboratory personnel works on solar cell research and the financing comes mainly from external projects. The funding for the research has come from TEKES, Ministry of Education, Finnish Academy, GETA graduate school, special equipment grants of the university, and from the laboratory

Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Papillary Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Linehan, W Marston; Spellman, Paul T; Ricketts, Christopher J; Creighton, Chad J; Fei, Suzanne S; Davis, Caleb; Wheeler, David A; Murray, Bradley A; Schmidt, Laura; Vocke, Cathy D; Peto, Myron; Al Mamun, Abu Amar M; Shinbrot, Eve; Sethi, Anurag; Brooks, Samira; Rathmell, W Kimryn; Brooks, Angela N; Hoadley, Katherine A; Robertson, A Gordon; Brooks, Denise; Bowlby, Reanne; Sadeghi, Sara; Shen, Hui; Weisenberger, Daniel J; Bootwalla, Moiz; Baylin, Stephen B; Laird, Peter W; Cherniack, Andrew D; Saksena, Gordon; Haake, Scott; Li, Jun; Liang, Han; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon B; Akbani, Rehan; Leiserson, Mark D M; Raphael, Benjamin J; Anur, Pavana; Bottaro, Donald; Albiges, Laurence; Barnabas, Nandita; Choueiri, Toni K; Czerniak, Bogdan; Godwin, Andrew K; Hakimi, A Ari; Ho, Thai H; Hsieh, James; Ittmann, Michael; Kim, William Y; Krishnan, Bhavani; Merino, Maria J; Mills Shaw, Kenna R; Reuter, Victor E; Reznik, Ed; Shelley, Carl S; Shuch, Brian; Signoretti, Sabina; Srinivasan, Ramaprasad; Tamboli, Pheroze; Thomas, George; Tickoo, Satish; Burnett, Kenneth; Crain, Daniel; Gardner, Johanna; Lau, Kevin; Mallery, David; Morris, Scott; Paulauskis, Joseph D; Penny, Robert J; Shelton, Candace; Shelton, W Troy; Sherman, Mark; Thompson, Eric; Yena, Peggy; Avedon, Melissa T; Bowen, Jay; Gastier-Foster, Julie M; Gerken, Mark; Leraas, Kristen M; Lichtenberg, Tara M; Ramirez, Nilsa C; Santos, Tracie; Wise, Lisa; Zmuda, Erik; Demchok, John A; Felau, Ina; Hutter, Carolyn M; Sheth, Margi; Sofia, Heidi J; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Wang, Zhining; Yang, Liming; Zenklusen, Jean C; Zhang, Jiashan; Ayala, Brenda; Baboud, Julien; Chudamani, Sudha; Liu, Jia; Lolla, Laxmi; Naresh, Rashi; Pihl, Todd; Sun, Qiang; Wan, Yunhu; Wu, Ye; Ally, Adrian; Balasundaram, Miruna; Balu, Saianand; Beroukhim, Rameen; Bodenheimer, Tom; Buhay, Christian; Butterfield, Yaron S N; Carlsen, Rebecca; Carter, Scott L; Chao, Hsu; Chuah, Eric; Clarke, Amanda; Covington, Kyle R; Dahdouli, Mahmoud; Dewal, Ninad; Dhalla, Noreen; Doddapaneni, Harsha V; Drummond, Jennifer A; Gabriel, Stacey B; Gibbs, Richard A; Guin, Ranabir; Hale, Walker; Hawes, Alicia; Hayes, D Neil; Holt, Robert A; Hoyle, Alan P; Jefferys, Stuart R; Jones, Steven J M; Jones, Corbin D; Kalra, Divya; Kovar, Christie; Lewis, Lora; Li, Jie; Ma, Yussanne; Marra, Marco A; Mayo, Michael; Meng, Shaowu; Meyerson, Matthew; Mieczkowski, Piotr A; Moore, Richard A; Morton, Donna; Mose, Lisle E; Mungall, Andrew J; Muzny, Donna; Parker, Joel S; Perou, Charles M; Roach, Jeffrey; Schein, Jacqueline E; Schumacher, Steven E; Shi, Yan; Simons, Janae V; Sipahimalani, Payal; Skelly, Tara; Soloway, Matthew G; Sougnez, Carrie; Tam, Angela; Tan, Donghui; Thiessen, Nina; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Wang, Min; Wilkerson, Matthew D; Wong, Tina; Wu, Junyuan; Xi, Liu; Zhou, Jane; Bedford, Jason; Chen, Fengju; Fu, Yao; Gerstein, Mark; Haussler, David; Kasaian, Katayoon; Lai, Phillip; Ling, Shiyun; Radenbaugh, Amie; Van Den Berg, David; Weinstein, John N; Zhu, Jingchun; Albert, Monique; Alexopoulou, Iakovina; Andersen, Jeremiah J; Auman, J Todd; Bartlett, John; Bastacky, Sheldon; Bergsten, Julie; Blute, Michael L; Boice, Lori; Bollag, Roni J; Boyd, Jeff; Castle, Erik; Chen, Ying-Bei; Cheville, John C; Curley, Erin; Davies, Benjamin; DeVolk, April; Dhir, Rajiv; Dike, Laura; Eckman, John; Engel, Jay; Harr, Jodi; Hrebinko, Ronald; Huang, Mei; Huelsenbeck-Dill, Lori; Iacocca, Mary; Jacobs, Bruce; Lobis, Michael; Maranchie, Jodi K; McMeekin, Scott; Myers, Jerome; Nelson, Joel; Parfitt, Jeremy; Parwani, Anil; Petrelli, Nicholas; Rabeno, Brenda; Roy, Somak; Salner, Andrew L; Slaton, Joel; Stanton, Melissa; Thompson, R Houston; Thorne, Leigh; Tucker, Kelinda; Weinberger, Paul M; Winemiller, Cynthia; Zach, Leigh Anne; Zuna, Rosemary

2016-01-14

Papillary renal-cell carcinoma, which accounts for 15 to 20% of renal-cell carcinomas, is a heterogeneous disease that consists of various types of renal cancer, including tumors with indolent, multifocal presentation and solitary tumors with an aggressive, highly lethal phenotype. Little is known about the genetic basis of sporadic papillary renal-cell carcinoma, and no effective forms of therapy for advanced disease exist. We performed comprehensive molecular characterization of 161 primary papillary renal-cell carcinomas, using whole-exome sequencing, copy-number analysis, messenger RNA and microRNA sequencing, DNA-methylation analysis, and proteomic analysis. Type 1 and type 2 papillary renal-cell carcinomas were shown to be different types of renal cancer characterized by specific genetic alterations, with type 2 further classified into three individual subgroups on the basis of molecular differences associated with patient survival. Type 1 tumors were associated with MET alterations, whereas type 2 tumors were characterized by CDKN2A silencing, SETD2 mutations, TFE3 fusions, and increased expression of the NRF2-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. A CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) was observed in a distinct subgroup of type 2 papillary renal-cell carcinomas that was characterized by poor survival and mutation of the gene encoding fumarate hydratase (FH). Type 1 and type 2 papillary renal-cell carcinomas were shown to be clinically and biologically distinct. Alterations in the MET pathway were associated with type 1, and activation of the NRF2-ARE pathway was associated with type 2; CDKN2A loss and CIMP in type 2 conveyed a poor prognosis. Furthermore, type 2 papillary renal-cell carcinoma consisted of at least three subtypes based on molecular and phenotypic features. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.).

CD34 defines an osteoprogenitor cell population in mouse bone marrow stromal cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdallah, Basem M; Al-Shammary, Asma; Skagen, Peter

2015-01-01

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs, also known as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells) and their progenitors have been identified based on retrospective functional criteria. CD markers are employed to define cell populations with distinct functional characteristics. However, defining and pro...

Isolation and characterization of multipotent progenitor cells from the Bowman's capsule of adult human kidneys.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagrinati, Costanza; Netti, Giuseppe Stefano; Mazzinghi, Benedetta; Lazzeri, Elena; Liotta, Francesco; Frosali, Francesca; Ronconi, Elisa; Meini, Claudia; Gacci, Mauro; Squecco, Roberta; Carini, Marco; Gesualdo, Loreto; Francini, Fabio; Maggi, Enrico; Annunziato, Francesco; Lasagni, Laura; Serio, Mario; Romagnani, Sergio; Romagnani, Paola

2006-09-01

Regenerative medicine represents a critical clinical goal for patients with ESRD, but the identification of renal adult multipotent progenitor cells has remained elusive. It is demonstrated that in human adult kidneys, a subset of parietal epithelial cells (PEC) in the Bowman's capsule exhibit coexpression of the stem cell markers CD24 and CD133 and of the stem cell-specific transcription factors Oct-4 and BmI-1, in the absence of lineage-specific markers. This CD24+CD133+ PEC population, which could be purified from cultured capsulated glomeruli, revealed self-renewal potential and a high cloning efficiency. Under appropriate culture conditions, individual clones of CD24+CD133+ PEC could be induced to generate mature, functional, tubular cells with phenotypic features of proximal and/or distal tubules, osteogenic cells, adipocytes, and cells that exhibited phenotypic and functional features of neuronal cells. The injection of CD24+CD133+ PEC but not of CD24-CD133- renal cells into SCID mice that had acute renal failure resulted in the regeneration of tubular structures of different portions of the nephron. More important, treatment of acute renal failure with CD24+CD133+ PEC significantly ameliorated the morphologic and functional kidney damage. This study demonstrates the existence and provides the characterization of a population of resident multipotent progenitor cells in adult human glomeruli, potentially opening new avenues for the development of regenerative medicine in patients who have renal diseases.

Derivation and characterization of monkey embryonic stem cells

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Wolf Don P

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Embryonic stem (ES cell based therapy carries great potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, before clinical application is realized, the safety, efficacy and feasibility of this therapeutic approach must be established in animal models. The rhesus macaque is physiologically and phylogenetically similar to the human, and therefore, is a clinically relevant animal model for biomedical research, especially that focused on neurodegenerative conditions. Undifferentiated monkey ES cells can be maintained in a pluripotent state for many passages, as characterized by a collective repertoire of markers representing embryonic cell surface molecules, enzymes and transcriptional factors. They can also be differentiated into lineage-specific phenotypes of all three embryonic germ layers by epigenetic protocols. For cell-based therapy, however, the quality of ES cells and their progeny must be ensured during the process of ES cell propagation and differentiation. While only a limited number of primate ES cell lines have been studied, it is likely that substantial inter-line variability exists. This implies that diverse ES cell lines may differ in developmental stages, lineage commitment, karyotypic normalcy, gene expression, or differentiation potential. These variables, inherited genetically and/or induced epigenetically, carry obvious complications to therapeutic applications. Our laboratory has characterized and isolated rhesus monkey ES cell lines from in vitro produced blastocysts. All tested cell lines carry the potential to form pluripotent embryoid bodies and nestin-positive progenitor cells. These ES cell progeny can be differentiated into phenotypes representing the endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal lineages. This review article describes the derivation of monkey ES cell lines, characterization of the undifferentiated phenotype, and their differentiation into lineage-specific, particularly neural, phenotypes

Technologies and methods used for the detection, enrichment and characterization of cancer stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Anthony; Datar, Ram; Cote, Richard

2010-01-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subclass of tumour cells with the ability for self-renewal, production of differentiated progeny, prolonged survival, resistance to damaging therapeutic agents, and anchorage-independent survival, which together make this population effectively equipped to metastasize, invade and colonize secondary tissues in the face of therapeutic intervention. In recent years, investigators have increasingly focused on the characterization of CSCs to better understand the mechanisms that govern malignant disease progression in an effort to develop more effective, targeted therapeutic agents. The primary obstacle to the study of CSCs, however, is their rarity. Thus, the study of CSCs requires the use of sensitive and efficient technologies for their enrichment and detection. This review discusses technologies and methods that have been adapted and used to isolate and characterize CSCs to date, as well as new potential directions for the enhanced enrichment and detection of CSCs. While the technologies used for CSC enrichment and detection have been useful thus far for their characterization, each approach is not without limitations. Future studies of CSCs will depend on the enhanced sensitivity and specificity of currently available technologies, and the development of novel technologies for increased detection and enrichment of CSCs.

Identification and characterization of adult mouse meniscus stem/progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamer, Laura W; Shi, Rui Rui; Gendelman, Ashira; Mathewson, Dylan; Gamer, Jackson; Rosen, Vicki

Meniscal damage is a common problem that accelerates the onset of knee osteoarthritis. Stem cell-based tissue engineering treatment approaches have shown promise in preserving meniscal tissue and restoring meniscal function. The purpose of our study was to identify meniscus-derived stem/progenitor cells (MSPCs) from mouse, a model system that allows for in vivo analysis of the mechanisms underlying meniscal injury and healing. MSPCs were isolated from murine menisci grown in explant culture and characterized for stem cell properties. Flow cytometry was used to detect the presence of surface antigens related to stem cells, and qRT-PCR was used to examine the gene expression profile of MSPCs. Major proteins associated with MSPCs were localized in the adult mouse knee using immunohistochemistry. Our data show that MSPCs have universal stem cell-like properties including clonogenicity and multi-potentiality. MSPCs expressed the mesenchymal stem cell markers CD44, Sca-1, CD90, and CD73 and when cultured had elevated levels of biglycan and collagen type I, important extracellular matrix components of adult meniscus. MSPC also expressed significant levels of Lox and Igf-1, genes associated with the embryonic meniscus. Localization studies showed staining for these same proteins in the superficial and outer zones of the adult mouse meniscus, regions thought to harbor endogenous repair cells. MSPCs represent a novel resident stem cell population in the murine meniscus. Analysis of MSPCs in mice will allow for a greater understanding of the cell biology of the meniscus, essential information for enhancing therapeutic strategies for treating knee joint injury and disease.

Human cord blood suppressor T lymphocytes. II. Characterization of inducer of suppressor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, H.; Delespesse, G.

1986-01-01

Previously, we reported an antigen nonspecific inducer of T suppressor cell factor (TisF) produced by cord blood mononuclear cells (MNC) in 48-hr, two-way mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC). The target of this factor was a radiosensitive, T4+ (T8-) adult suppressor T cell subset. The cellular origin of this TisF was examined in the present study. IgG production by pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated adult MNC was used as an assay for TisF activity. It was found that TisF-producing cells formed rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (E+) and were independent of adherent cells (AC) in the production of TisF. They were resistant to irradiation (2500 rads) and phenotypic characterization with T cell reactive monoclonal antibodies indicated that they resided in the T8- (T4+) population. Furthermore, both TQ1- and TQ1+ cells were required for the production of TisF activity and such activity could not be reconstituted by supernatants from TQ1- MLC and TQ1+ MLC. These results indicate that the production of TisF is dependent upon interactions between radioresistant E+, T8-, TQ1- and radioresistant E+, T8-, TQ1+ cells

Direct characterization of chaotic and stochastic dynamics in a population model with strong periodicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tung Wenwen; Qi Yan; Gao, J.B.; Cao Yinhe; Billings, Lora

2005-01-01

In recent years it has been increasingly recognized that noise and determinism may have comparable but different influences on population dynamics. However, no simple analysis methods have been introduced into ecology which can readily characterize those impacts. In this paper, we study a population model with strong periodicity and both with and without noise. The noise-free model generates both quasi-periodic and chaotic dynamics for certain parameter values. Due to the strong periodicity, however, the generated chaotic dynamics have not been satisfactorily described. The dynamics becomes even more complicated when there is noise. Characterizing the chaotic and stochastic dynamics in this model thus represents a challenging problem. Here we show how the chaotic dynamics can be readily characterized by the direct dynamical test for deterministic chaos developed by [Gao JB, Zheng ZM. Europhys. Lett. 1994;25:485] and how the influence of noise on quasi-periodic motions can be characterized as asymmetric diffusions wandering along the quasi-periodic orbit. It is hoped that the introduced methods will be useful in studying other population models as well as population time series obtained both in field and laboratory experiments

Biologic characteristics of the side population of human small cell lung cancer cell line H446.

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Wang, Bo; Yang, Huan; Huang, Yu-Zheng; Yan, Ru-Hong; Liu, Fen-Ju; Zhang, Jun-Ning

2010-03-01

Recently, the theory of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has presented new targets and orientations for tumor therapy. The major difficulties in researching CSCs include their isolation and purification. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize the side population (SP) cells in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell line H446, which lays the foundation for the isolation and purification of CSCs. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to sort SP and non-SP (NSP) cells from H446. Both subgroups were cultivated to survey the capacity to form into suspended tumor cell spheres. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR were used to evaluate the expression levels of the mRNA of CD133, ABCG2, and nucleostemin in both subgroups. The capacity of proliferation and the differences in drug resistance of both subgroups and unsorted cells were tested by the MTT method. The differentiation ability of both subgroups was determined by FACS. Proliferation was determined by subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice. The percent of Hoechst 33342 negative cells was about (5.1 +/- 0.2)% in H446 by fluorescence microscopy. The percent of SP cells was (6.3 +/- 0.1)% by flow cytometry. SP cells had a stronger capability of forming into tumor spheres than NSP cells. The mRNA expression levels of ABCG2, CD133, and nucleostemin in SP cells were 21.60 +/- 0.26, 7.10 +/- 0.14, and 1.02 +/- 0.08 folds higher than that in NSP cells (P 0.05, respectively). In vivo, SP cells showed better proliferative ability and tougher viability when treated with drugs. SP cells can differentiate into NSP cells, but NSP cells cannot differentiate into SP cells. SP cells had a greater ability to form tumors. The H446 cell line contained some SP cells with stem cell properties. CD133 and ABCG2 may be cancer stem cell markers of SCLC.

What Population Reveals about Individual Cell Identity: Single-Cell Parameter Estimation of Models of Gene Expression in Yeast.

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Artémis Llamosi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Significant cell-to-cell heterogeneity is ubiquitously observed in isogenic cell populations. Consequently, parameters of models of intracellular processes, usually fitted to population-averaged data, should rather be fitted to individual cells to obtain a population of models of similar but non-identical individuals. Here, we propose a quantitative modeling framework that attributes specific parameter values to single cells for a standard model of gene expression. We combine high quality single-cell measurements of the response of yeast cells to repeated hyperosmotic shocks and state-of-the-art statistical inference approaches for mixed-effects models to infer multidimensional parameter distributions describing the population, and then derive specific parameters for individual cells. The analysis of single-cell parameters shows that single-cell identity (e.g. gene expression dynamics, cell size, growth rate, mother-daughter relationships is, at least partially, captured by the parameter values of gene expression models (e.g. rates of transcription, translation and degradation. Our approach shows how to use the rich information contained into longitudinal single-cell data to infer parameters that can faithfully represent single-cell identity.

Characterization of dendritic cells in lip and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

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Costa, Nádia Lago; Gonçalves, Andréia Souza; Martins, Allisson Filipe Lopes; Arantes, Diego Antônio Costa; Silva, Tarcília Aparecida; Batista, Aline Carvalho

2016-07-01

There may be differences in the antitumor immunity induced by dendritic cells (DCs) during the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) located in the lip rather than in the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the number of immature and mature DCs in SCC and potentially malignant disorders of the oral cavity and lip. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify the number (cells/mm(2) ) of immature (CD1a(+) ) or mature (CD83(+) ) DCs in samples of oral cavity SCC (OCSCC) (n = 39), lip SCC (LSCC) (n = 23), leukoplakia (LK) (n = 21), actinic cheilitis (AC) (n = 13), and normal mucosa of the oral cavity (OC control, n = 12) and the lip (lip control, n = 11). The number of CD1a(+) cells tended to be higher in the OC control samples compared with the LK (P = 0.04) and OCSCC (P = 0.21). Unlike, this cell population was lower in the lip control than in AC or LSCC (P < 0.05). The number of CD83(+) cells was increased in the LSCC samples compared with the AC and lip control (P = 0.0001) and in OCSCC compared with both the LK (P = 0.001) and OC control (P = 0.0001) samples. LSCC showed an elevated number of CD1a(+) and CD83(+) cells compared with OCSCC (P = 0.03). The population of mature DCs was lower than the population of immature DCs in all of the tested groups (P < 0.05). There were a greater number of both mature and immature DC populations in the LSCC samples than in the OCSCC, which could contribute to establishing a more effective immune antitumor response for this neoplasm. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distinct types of glial cells populate the Drosophila antenna

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Jhaveri Dhanisha

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of nervous systems involves reciprocal interactions between neurons and glia. In the Drosophila olfactory system, peripheral glial cells arise from sensory lineages specified by the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Atonal. These glia wrap around the developing olfactory axons early during development and pattern the three distinct fascicles as they exit the antenna. In the moth Manduca sexta, an additional set of central glia migrate to the base of the antennal nerve where axons sort to their glomerular targets. In this work, we have investigated whether similar types of cells exist in the Drosophila antenna. Results We have used different P(Gal4 lines to drive Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP in distinct populations of cells within the Drosophila antenna. Mz317::GFP, a marker for cell body and perineural glia, labels the majority of peripheral glia. An additional ~30 glial cells detected by GH146::GFP do not derive from any of the sensory lineages and appear to migrate into the antenna from the brain. Their appearance in the third antennal segment is regulated by normal function of the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor and small GTPases. We denote these distinct populations of cells as Mz317-glia and GH146-glia respectively. In the adult, processes of GH146-glial cells ensheath the olfactory receptor neurons directly, while those of the Mz317-glia form a peripheral layer. Ablation of GH146-glia does not result in any significant effects on the patterning of the olfactory receptor axons. Conclusion We have demonstrated the presence of at least two distinct populations of glial cells within the Drosophila antenna. GH146-glial cells originate in the brain and migrate to the antenna along the newly formed olfactory axons. The number of cells populating the third segment of the antenna is regulated by signaling through the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor. These glia share several features of the sorting

A stem cell medium containing neural stimulating factor induces a pancreatic cancer stem-like cell-enriched population

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WATANABE, YUSAKU; YOSHIMURA, KIYOSHI; YOSHIKAWA, KOICHI; TSUNEDOMI, RYOICHI; SHINDO, YOSHITARO; MATSUKUMA, SOU; MAEDA, NORIKO; KANEKIYO, SHINSUKE; SUZUKI, NOBUAKI; KURAMASU, ATSUO; SONODA, KOUHEI; TAMADA, KOJI; KOBAYASHI, SEI; SAYA, HIDEYUKI; HAZAMA, SHOICHI; OKA, MASAAKI

2014-01-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been studied for their self-renewal capacity and pluripotency, as well as their resistance to anticancer therapy and their ability to metastasize to distant organs. CSCs are difficult to study because their population is quite low in tumor specimens. To overcome this problem, we established a culture method to induce a pancreatic cancer stem-like cell (P-CSLC)-enriched population from human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Human pancreatic cancer cell lines established at our department were cultured in CSC-inducing media containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), neural cell survivor factor-1 (NSF-1), and N-acetylcysteine. Sphere cells were obtained and then transferred to a laminin-coated dish and cultured for approximately two months. The surface markers, gene expression, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, cell cycle, and tumorigenicity of these induced cells were examined for their stem cell-like characteristics. The population of these induced cells expanded within a few months. The ratio of CD24high, CD44high, epithelial specific antigen (ESA) high, and CD44variant (CD44v) high cells in the induced cells was greatly enriched. The induced cells stayed in the G0/G1 phase and demonstrated mesenchymal and stemness properties. The induced cells had high tumorigenic potential. Thus, we established a culture method to induce a P-CSLCenriched population from human pancreatic cancer cell lines. The CSLC population was enriched approximately 100-fold with this method. Our culture method may contribute to the precise analysis of CSCs and thus support the establishment of CSC-targeting therapy. PMID:25118635

Characterization of mitomycin-C-sensitive mouse lymphoma L5178Y cell mutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inaba, Hiroko; Shiomi, Naoko; Shiomi, Tadahiro; Sato, Koki; Yoshida, Michihiro.

1985-01-01

Twenty-six mutants showing high sensitivity to mytomicin-C (MMC) were isolated from mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells by a replica-plating technique. Twenty-five of the mutants were 5 - 10 times more sensitive to MMC than were parental cells, and showed normal sensitivity to U.V. light and x-rays. From a complementation analysis, 5 mutants (MC s ) isolated from independently mutagenized cell populations were classified into two groups. These mutants possessed recessive character for MMC-sensitivity and there were at least two genes involved in the MMC-sensitivity. As for DNA-damaging factors, such as photoadducts of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and 3-carbethoxysoralen (3-CPs), MC s mutants showed higher sensitivity to photoadducts of 8-MOP than to (3-CPs). MC s mutants were also highly sensitive to a DNA cross-linking agent, cisplatin. Characterization of the sensitivity of mouse MC s mutants was analogous to that of Fanconi's anemia (FA)-derived cells. Low concentrations (10 ng/ml) of MMC induced chromosome aberration in a high incidence in mouse MC s cells, as well as in FA cells. The frequency of MMC-induced chromosome aberrations was normal in hybrid cells between normal human diploid somatic cells and mouse mutants and between FA cells and mouse wild cells, and hereditary deficiency became normal by hybrization. (Namekawa, K.)

Morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization of Meloidogyne spp. populations from Brazilian soybean production regions

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Camilla Martins de Oliveira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Soybean is a commodity of great economic importance worldwide, particularly in Brazil, world’s second largest producer. Nematodes, especially those of the Meloidogyne genus, severely limit productivity. Identification of nematode species is important for effective soybean management. Here, 26 populations of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp. from 15 municipalities in the states of Bahia, Mato Grosso, Goias, and Minas Gerais were characterized based on the morphology of the female perineal region, esterase profile, and identification based on amplification of specific regions of the population genome. Among the Meloidogyne spp. populations obtained, M. incognita and M. javanica, were identified. No mixed populations were present in the samples. Diagnosis based on molecular analysis was shown to be reliable and the fastest for characterization of nematode populations compared to other methods analyzed.

Population dynamics in vasopressin cells.

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Leng, Gareth; Brown, Colin; Sabatier, Nancy; Scott, Victoria

2008-01-01

Most neurons sense and code change, and when presented with a constant stimulus they adapt, so as to be able to detect a fresh change. However, for some things it is important to know their absolute level; to encode such information, neurons must sustain their response to an unchanging stimulus while remaining able to respond to a change in that stimulus. One system that encodes the absolute level of a stimulus is the vasopressin system, which generates a hormonal signal that is proportional to plasma osmolality. Vasopressin cells sense plasma osmolality and secrete appropriate levels of vasopressin from the neurohypophysis as needed to control water excretion; this requires sustained secretion under basal conditions and the ability to increase (or decrease) secretion should plasma osmolality change. Here we explore the mechanisms that enable vasopressin cells to fulfill this function, and consider how coordination between the cells might distribute the secretory load across the population of vasopressin cells. 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The effect of ultraviolet light on arrested human diploid cell populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantor, G.J.; Warner, C.; Hull, D.R.

1977-01-01

The results of the experiments to determine an effect of UV (254 nm) on human diploid fibroblasts (HDF) arrested with respect to division by using 0.5% fetal calf serum in the culture medium are reported. A fraction of cells from irradiated arrested populations, maintained in the arrested state post-irradiation, was lost from the populations. The extent of cell loss was fluence-dependent and cell strain specific. A Xeroderma pigmentosum cell strain was more sensitive to UV than were normal HDF. No difference in sensitivity were observed when arrested populations established from normal HDF populations of various in vitro ages were used. The length of the pre-irradiation arrested period affected the sensitivity of normal HDF, which appeared more resistant at longer arrested periods, but not the sensitivity of arrested Xeroderma populations. These results suggest that DNA repair processes play a role in maintaining irradiated cells in the arrested state. The suggestion is made that the lethal event caused by UV is an effect on transcription leading to an inhibition of required protein synthesis. (author)

Imbalance of placental regulatory T cell and Th17 cell population dynamics in the FIV-infected pregnant cat

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Boudreaux Crystal E

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An appropriate balance in placental regulatory T cells (Tregs, an immunosuppressive cell population, and Th17 cells, a pro-inflammatory cell population, is essential in allowing tolerance of the semi-allogeneic fetus. TGF-β and IL-6 are cytokines that promote differentiation of Tregs and Th17 cells from a common progenitor; aberrant expression of the cytokines may perturb the balance in the two cell populations. We previously reported a pro-inflammatory placental environment with decreased levels of FoxP3, a Treg marker, and increased levels of IL-6 in the placentas of FIV-infected cats at early pregnancy. Thus, we hypothesized that FIV infection in the pregnant cat causes altered placental Treg and Th17 cell populations, possibly resulting in placental inflammation. Methods We examined the effect of FIV infection on Treg and Th17 populations in placentas at early pregnancy using quantitative confocal microscopy to measure FoxP3 or RORγ, a Th17 marker, and qPCR to quantify expression of the key cytokines TGF-β and IL-6. Results FoxP3 and RORγ were positively correlated in FIV-infected placentas at early pregnancy, but not placentas from normal cats, indicating virus-induced alteration in the balance of these cell populations. In control cats the expression of IL-6 and RORγ was positively correlated as predicted, but this relationship was disrupted in infected animals. TGF-β was reduced in infected queens, an occurrence that could dysregulate both Treg and Th17 cell populations. Co-expression analyses revealed a highly significant positive correlation between IL-6 and TGF-β expression in control animals that did not occur in infected animals. Conclusion Collectively, these data point toward potential disruption in the balance of Treg and Th17 cell populations that may contribute to FIV-induced inflammation in the feline placenta.

Male bovine GH transgenic mice have decreased adiposity with an adipose depot-specific increase in immune cell populations.

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Benencia, Fabian; Harshman, Stephanie; Duran-Ortiz, Silvana; Lubbers, Ellen R; List, Edward O; Householder, Lara; Al-Naeeli, Mawadda; Liang, Xiaoyu; Welch, Lonnie; Kopchick, John J; Berryman, Darlene E

2015-05-01

White adipose tissue (WAT) is composed of mature adipocytes and a stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which contains a variety of cells, including immune cells that vary among the different WAT depots. Growth hormone (GH) impacts immune function and adiposity in an adipose depot-specific manner. However, its effects on WAT immune cell populations remain unstudied. Bovine GH transgenic (bGH) mice are commonly used to study the in vivo effects of GH. These giant mice have an excess of GH action, impaired glucose metabolism, decreased adiposity, increased lean mass, and a shortened lifespan. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the WAT depot-specific differences in immune cell populations in the presence of excess GH in vivo. Three WAT depots were assessed: inguinal (sc), epididymal (EPI), and mesenteric (MES). Subcutaneous and MES bGH WAT depots showed a significantly higher number of total SVF cells, yet only MES bGH WAT had higher leukocyte counts compared with control samples. By means of flow cytometry analysis of the SVF, we detected greater macrophage and regulatory T-cell infiltration in sc and MES bGH WAT depots compared with controls. However, no differences were observed in the EPI WAT depot. RNA-sequencing confirmed significant alterations in pathways related to T-cell infiltration and activation in the sc depot with fewer significant changes in the EPI bGH WAT depot. These findings collectively point to a previously unrecognized role for GH in influencing the distribution of WAT immune cell populations in a depot-specific manner.

Characterization of a synthetic bacterial self-destruction device for programmed cell death and for recombinant proteins release

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Lupotto Manuel

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacterial cell lysis is a widely studied mechanism that can be achieved through the intracellular expression of phage native lytic proteins. This mechanism can be exploited for programmed cell death and for gentle cell disruption to release recombinant proteins when in vivo secretion is not feasible. Several genetic parts for cell lysis have been developed and their quantitative characterization is an essential step to enable the engineering of synthetic lytic systems with predictable behavior. Results Here, a BioBrick™ lysis device present in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts has been quantitatively characterized. Its activity has been measured in E. coli by assembling the device under the control of a well characterized N-3-oxohexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (HSL -inducible promoter and the transfer function, lysis dynamics, protein release capability and genotypic and phenotypic stability of the device have been evaluated. Finally, its modularity was tested by assembling the device to a different inducible promoter, which can be triggered by heat induction. Conclusions The studied device is suitable for recombinant protein release as 96% of the total amount of the intracellular proteins was successfully released into the medium. Furthermore, it has been shown that the device can be assembled to different input devices to trigger cell lysis in response to a user-defined signal. For this reason, this lysis device can be a useful tool for the rational design and construction of complex synthetic biological systems composed by biological parts with known and well characterized function. Conversely, the onset of mutants makes this device unsuitable for the programmed cell death of a bacterial population.

Isolation and characterization of a spontaneously immortalized bovine retinal pigmented epithelial cell line

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Griffiths T Daniel

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE is juxtaposed with the photoreceptor outer segments of the eye. The proximity of the photoreceptor cells is a prerequisite for their survival, as they depend on the RPE to remove the outer segments and are also influenced by RPE cell paracrine factors. RPE cell death can cause a progressive loss of photoreceptor function, which can diminish vision and, over time, blindness ensues. Degeneration of the retina has been shown to induce a variety of retinopathies, such as Stargardt's disease, Cone-Rod Dystrophy (CRD, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP, Fundus Flavimaculatus (FFM, Best's disease and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD. We have cultured primary bovine RPE cells to gain a further understanding of the mechanisms of RPE cell death. One of the cultures, named tRPE, surpassed senescence and was further characterized to determine its viability as a model for retinal diseases. Results The tRPE cell line has been passaged up to 150 population doublings and was shown to be morphologically similar to primary cells. They have been characterized to be of RPE origin by reverse transcriptase PCR and immunocytochemistry using the RPE-specific genes RPE65 and CRALBP and RPE-specific proteins RPE65 and Bestrophin. The tRPE cells are also immunoreactive to vimentin, cytokeratin and zonula occludens-1 antibodies. Chromosome analysis indicates a normal diploid number. The tRPE cells do not grow in suspension or in soft agar. After 3H thymidine incorporation, the cells do not appear to divide appreciably after confluency. Conclusion The tRPE cells are immortal, but still exhibit contact inhibition, serum dependence, monolayer growth and secrete an extra-cellular matrix. They retain the in-vivo morphology, gene expression and cell polarity. Additionally, the cells endocytose exogenous melanin, A2E and purified lipofuscin granules. This cell line may be a useful in-vitro research model for retinal

Late post-irradiation phenomena in mammalain cell populations. Pt. 2. Intraclonal recovery in sublines isolated from X-irradiated L5178Y-S cell populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beer, J.Z.

1975-01-01

Clonal analysis of L5178Y-S cell populations irradiated with 300 rads of X-rays indicates occurence of cell sublines with considerably prolonged mean doubling times up to 22 h as compared to 10-11 h for control. Subsequent observations of growth of the handicapped sublines derived from single cells showed capability of all more than 100 studied sublines to recover normal proliferative activity. This process of intraclonal recovery required in many cases longer periods of time, corresponding to many tens, sometimes more than 200, generations. Late intraclonal recovery was further analysed by subcloning. It was found that although cytochemically assayed viability of the handicapped sublines was normal, cloning efficiency strongly depended on the stage of the recovery process. The recovery processes occuring in clones isolated from irradiated cell populations were compared with analogous processes occuring in slowly growing sublines isolated from non-irradiated cell cultures. Marked differences in kinetics of these processes show that either they are different in sublines derived from irradiated and non-irradiated cell populations or that the mechanisms of the late intraclonal recovery are affected by radiation. The results presented allow to conclude that gradual post-irradiation recovery of growth depends primarily on formation, in the developing populations, of cells with higher proliferative activities. Possible nature of the recovery processes is discussed in the light of available information on mammalian somatic cell variants with altered drug or temperature sensitivity, or with nutritional requirements. A sequence is proposed of changes leading from radiation-induced disturbance of the normably existing equilibrium between three basic cell subpopulations to ultimate restoration of this equilibrium. (author)

Identification and characterization of putative stem cells in the adult pig ovary.

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Bui, Hong-Thuy; Van Thuan, Nguyen; Kwon, Deug-Nam; Choi, Yun-Jung; Kang, Min-Hee; Han, Jae-Woong; Kim, Teoan; Kim, Jin-Hoi

2014-06-01

Recently, the concept of 'neo-oogenesis' has received increasing attention, since it was shown that adult mammals have a renewable source of eggs. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the origin of these eggs and to confirm whether neo-oogenesis continues throughout life in the ovaries of the adult mammal. Adult female pigs were utilized to isolate, identify and characterize, including their proliferation and differentiation capabilities, putative stem cells (PSCs) from the ovary. PSCs were found to comprise a heterogeneous population based on c-kit expression and cell size, and also express stem and germ cell markers. Analysis of PSC molecular progression during establishment showed that these cells undergo cytoplasmic-to-nuclear translocation of Oct4 in a manner reminiscent of gonadal primordial germ cells (PGCs). Hence, cells with the characteristics of early PGCs are present or are generated in the adult pig ovary. Furthermore, the in vitro establishment of porcine PSCs required the presence of ovarian cell-derived extracellular regulatory factors, which are also likely to direct stem cell niche interactions in vivo. In conclusion, the present work supports a crucial role for c-kit and kit ligand/stem cell factor in stimulating the growth, proliferation and nuclear reprogramming of porcine PSCs, and further suggests that porcine PSCs might be the culture equivalent of early PGCs. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Isolation and In Vitro Characterization of Epidermal Stem Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moestrup, Kasper S; Andersen, Marianne Stemann; Jensen, Kim Bak

2017-01-01

flow cytometry. Using markers that define the spatial origin of epidermal cells, it is possible to interrogate the specific characteristics of subpopulations of cells based on their in vivo credentials. Here, we describe how to isolate, culture, and characterize keratinocytes from murine back and tail......Colony-forming assays represent prospective methods, where cells isolated from enzymatically dissociated tissues or from tissue cultures are assessed for their proliferative capacity in vitro. Complex tissues such as the epithelial component of the skin (the epidermis) are characterized...

Experimental depletion of different renal interstitial cell populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohman, S.O.; Sundelin, B.; Forsum, U.; Tribukait, B.

1988-01-01

To define different populations of renal interstitial cells and investigate some aspects of their function, we studied the kidneys of normal rats and rats with hereditary diabetes insipidus (DI, Brattleboro) after experimental manipulations expected to alter the number of interstitial cells. DI rats showed an almost complete loss of interstitial cells in their renal papillae after treatment with a high dose of vasopressin. In spite of the lack of interstitial cells, the animals concentrated their urine to the same extent as vasopressin-treated normal rats, indicating that the renomedullary interstitial cells do not have an important function in concentrating the urine. The interstitial cells returned nearly to normal within 1 week off vasopressin treatment, suggesting a rapid turnover rate of these cells. To further distinguish different populations of interstitial cells, we studied the distribution of class II MHC antigen expression in the kidneys of normal and bone-marrow depleted Wistar rats. Normal rats had abundant class II antigen-positive interstitial cells in the renal cortex and outer medulla, but not in the inner medulla (papilla). Six days after 1000 rad whole body irradiation, the stainable cells were almost completely lost, but electron microscopic morphometry showed a virtually unchanged volume density of interstitial cells in the cortex and outer medulla, as well as the inner medulla. Thus, irradiation abolished the expression of the class II antigen but caused no significant depletion of interstitial cells

Statistical Models of Adaptive Immune populations

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Sethna, Zachary; Callan, Curtis; Walczak, Aleksandra; Mora, Thierry

The availability of large (104-106 sequences) datasets of B or T cell populations from a single individual allows reliable fitting of complex statistical models for naïve generation, somatic selection, and hypermutation. It is crucial to utilize a probabilistic/informational approach when modeling these populations. The inferred probability distributions allow for population characterization, calculation of probability distributions of various hidden variables (e.g. number of insertions), as well as statistical properties of the distribution itself (e.g. entropy). In particular, the differences between the T cell populations of embryonic and mature mice will be examined as a case study. Comparing these populations, as well as proposed mixed populations, provides a concrete exercise in model creation, comparison, choice, and validation.

Nonequilibrium population dynamics of phenotype conversion of cancer cells.

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Joseph Xu Zhou

Full Text Available Tumorigenesis is a dynamic biological process that involves distinct cancer cell subpopulations proliferating at different rates and interconverting between them. In this paper we proposed a mathematical framework of population dynamics that considers both distinctive growth rates and intercellular transitions between cancer cell populations. Our mathematical framework showed that both growth and transition influence the ratio of cancer cell subpopulations but the latter is more significant. We derived the condition that different cancer cell types can maintain distinctive subpopulations and we also explain why there always exists a stable fixed ratio after cell sorting based on putative surface markers. The cell fraction ratio can be shifted by changing either the growth rates of the subpopulations (Darwinism selection or by environment-instructed transitions (Lamarckism induction. This insight can help us to understand the dynamics of the heterogeneity of cancer cells and lead us to new strategies to overcome cancer drug resistance.

Modeling population dynamics of mitochondria in mammalian cells

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Kornick, Kellianne; Das, Moumita

Mitochondria are organelles located inside eukaryotic cells and are essential for several key cellular processes such as energy (ATP) production, cell signaling, differentiation, and apoptosis. All organisms are believed to have low levels of variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and alterations in mtDNA are connected to a range of human health conditions, including epilepsy, heart failure, Parkinsons disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Therefore, understanding how changes in mtDNA accumulate over time and are correlated to changes in mitochondrial function and cell properties can have a profound impact on our understanding of cell physiology and the origins of some diseases. Motivated by this, we develop and study a mathematical model to determine which cellular parameters have the largest impact on mtDNA population dynamics. The model consists of coupled ODEs to describe subpopulations of healthy and dysfunctional mitochondria subject to mitochondrial fission, fusion, autophagy, and mutation. We study the time evolution and stability of each sub-population under specific selection biases and pressures by tuning specific terms in our model. Our results may provide insights into how sub-populations of mitochondria survive and evolve under different selection pressures. This work was supported by a Grant from the Moore Foundation.

A probabilistic model for cell population phenotyping using HCS data.

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Edouard Pauwels

Full Text Available High Content Screening (HCS platforms allow screening living cells under a wide range of experimental conditions and give access to a whole panel of cellular responses to a specific treatment. The outcome is a series of cell population images. Within these images, the heterogeneity of cellular response to the same treatment leads to a whole range of observed values for the recorded cellular features. Consequently, it is difficult to compare and interpret experiments. Moreover, the definition of phenotypic classes at a cell population level remains an open question, although this would ease experiments analyses. In the present work, we tackle these two questions. The input of the method is a series of cell population images for which segmentation and cellular phenotype classification has already been performed. We propose a probabilistic model to represent and later compare cell populations. The model is able to fully exploit the HCS-specific information: "dependence structure of population descriptors" and "within-population variability". The experiments we carried out illustrate how our model accounts for this specific information, as well as the fact that the model benefits from considering them. We underline that these features allow richer HCS data analysis than simpler methods based on single cellular feature values averaged over each well. We validate an HCS data analysis method based on control experiments. It accounts for HCS specificities that were not taken into account by previous methods but have a sound biological meaning. Biological validation of previously unknown outputs of the method constitutes a future line of work.

Establishment and characterization of a novel osteosarcoma cell line: CHOS.

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Liu, Yunlu; Feng, Xiaobo; Zhang, Yukun; Jiang, Hongyan; Cai, Xianyi; Yan, Xinxin; Huang, Zengfa; Mo, Fengbo; Yang, Wen; Yang, Cao; Yang, Shuhua; Liu, Xianzhe

2016-12-01

Osteosarcoma has a well-recognized bimodal distribution, with the first peak in adolescence and another in the elderly age-group. The elderly patients have different clinical features and a poorer prognosis as compared to adolescents. To better understand the biological features of osteosarcoma in the elderly population, we established a new human osteosarcoma cell line from a 58-year-old man with primary chondroblastic osteosarcoma. After 6 months of continuous culture in vitro for over 50 passages, an immortalized cell line CHOS was established. The cell line was well-characterized by cytogenetic, biomarker, functional, and histological analyses. The CHOS cells exhibited a spindle-shaped morphology and a doubling time of 36 h. Cytogenetic analysis of CHOS cells revealed the loss of chromosome Y and the gain of chromosome 12. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and/or immunofluorescence revealed the expression of chondroblastic, mesenchymal and tumor metastasis markers in the CHOS cells. Compared with the osteosarcoma cell line, the CHOS cells were found to be more sensitive to cisplatin and doxorubicin, but were resistant to methotrexate. The cell line was highly tumorigenic and maintained the histological characteristics and invasive nature of the original tumor. Furthermore, on immunohistochemical analysis, the xenografts and metastases were found to co-express collagen II, aggrecan, vimentin and S100A4 that resembled the original tumor cells. Our results indicate, the potential of CHOS cell line to serve as a useful tool for further studies on the molecular biology of osteosarcoma, especially in the elderly patients. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:2116-2125, 2016. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Isolation of stem-like cells from spontaneous feline mammary carcinomas: Phenotypic characterization and tumorigenic potential

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Barbieri, Federica; Wurth, Roberto [Section of Pharmacology, Dept. of Internal Medicine Di.M.I., and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research - University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 2, 16132 Genova (Italy); Ratto, Alessandra; Campanella, Chiara; Vito, Guendalina [Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D' Aosta, National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Piazza Borgo Pila, 16129, Genova (Italy); Thellung, Stefano [Section of Pharmacology, Dept. of Internal Medicine Di.M.I., and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research - University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 2, 16132 Genova (Italy); Daga, Antonio [Laboratory of Translational Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST- Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, L.go R. Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova Italy (Italy); Cilli, Michele [Animal Facility, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST- Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, L.go R. Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova Italy (Italy); Ferrari, Angelo [Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D' Aosta, National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Piazza Borgo Pila, 16129, Genova (Italy); Florio, Tullio, E-mail: tullio.florio@unige.it [Section of Pharmacology, Dept. of Internal Medicine Di.M.I., and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research - University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 2, 16132 Genova (Italy)

2012-04-15

Current carcinogenesis theory states that only a small subset of tumor cells, the cancer stem cells or tumor initiating cells (TICs), are responsible for tumor formation and progression. Human breast cancer-initiating cells have been identified as CD44-expressing cells, which retain tumorigenic activity and display stem cell-like properties. Spontaneous feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is an aggressive cancer, which shows biological similarities to the human tumor counterpart. We report the isolation and phenotypic characterization of FMC-derived stem/progenitor cells, showing in vitro self-renewal, long-lasting proliferation and in vivo tumorigenicity. Twenty-one FMC samples were collected, histologically classified and characterized for the expression of Ki67, EGFR, ER-{alpha} and CD44, by immunohistochemistry. By culture in stem cell permissive conditions, we isolated, from 13 FMCs, a CD44-positive subpopulation able to survive and proliferate in vitro as mammospheres of different sizes and morphologies. When injected in NOD/SCID mice, FMC stem-like cells initiate tumors, generating cell heterogeneity and recapitulating the original histotype. In serum-containing medium, spheroid cells showed differentiation properties as shown by morphological changes, the loss of CD44 expression and tumorigenic potential. These data show that stem-defined culture of FMC enriches for TICs and validate the use of these cells as a suitable model for comparative oncology studies of mammary biology and testing therapeutic strategies aimed at eradicating TICs. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Feline mammary carcinoma contain a sub-population of stem-like cells expressing CD44 Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These grow as spheres in serum-free medium and self-renew Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Isolated stem-like cancer cells initiate tumor in immunodeficient mice Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Xenografted tumors are phenotypically similar to the original tumor Black

The retina of the shovel-nosed ray, Rhinobatos batillum (Rhinobatidae): morphology and quantitative analysis of the ganglion, amacrine and bipolar cell populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Collin, S P

1988-01-01

A light microscopy study of the retina of the shovel-nosed ray, Rhinobatos batillum (Rhinobatidae) has revealed a duplex retina with a rod to cone ratio between 4:1 and 6:1. The inner nuclear layer consists of three layers of large horizontal cells, tightly packed, stellate bipolar cells, and up to three substrata of amacrine cells. The collaterals of the many supporting Müller cells project from the inner to the outer limiting membrane and divide the retina into many subunits. The cells of the ganglion cell layer are distributed into two layers, although a large proportion of ganglion cells are also displaced into the inner plexiform and inner nuclear layers. Topographic analysis of the cells in the ganglion cell layer, inner plexiform and inner nuclear layers reveals a number of regional specializations or "areae centrales". Ganglion cells were retrogradely-labelled with cobalt-lysine from the optic nerve, and three sub-populations of neurons characterized on their soma size and position. Small (20-50 microns2), large (80-300 microns2) and giant (greater than 300 microns2) sub-populations of ganglion cells each revealed distinct retinal specializations with peak densities of 3 x 10(3), 1.25 x 10(3) and 1.57 x 10(3) cells per mm2, respectively. Topographical comparison between Nissl-stained and retrogradely-labelled ganglion cell populations have established that a maximum of 20% in the "area centralis", and 75% in unspecialized, peripheral regions of the retina are non-ganglion cells. Out of a total of 210,566 cells in the ganglion cell layer, 49% were found to be non-ganglion cells. Iso-density contour maps of amacrine and bipolar cell distributions also reveal some specializations. These cell concentrations lie in corresponding regions to areas of increased density in the large and giant ganglion cell populations, suggesting some functional association.

A cell population that strongly expresses the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the ependyma of the rat spinal cord.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Ovejero, Daniel; Arevalo-Martin, Angel; Paniagua-Torija, Beatriz; Sierra-Palomares, Yolanda; Molina-Holgado, Eduardo

2013-01-01

The cells surrounding the central canal of the spinal cord are a source of stem/precursor cells that may give rise to neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. However, they are a heterogeneous population that remains poorly understood. Here we describe a subpopulation characterized by their strong expression of the CB(1) cannabinoid receptor, oval/round soma, apical nucleus, a variable number of cilia (0, 1, or 2), and the presence of a single short and occasionally ramified basal process. These cells are mainly located in the lateral and dorsal central canal throughout the spinal cord. These CB(1)(HIGH) cells are closely related to the basal lamina labyrinths or fractones derived from subependymal microglia. In addition, CB(1)(HIGH) cells express some stem/precursor cell markers, including vimentin, nestin, Sox2, Sox9, and GLAST, but not others such as CD15 or GFAP. In addition, this cell population does not proliferate in the intact adult spinal cord, although up to 50% of these cells express the proliferation marker Ki67 in newly born rats or after a spinal cord contusion. The present findings contribute to our understanding of the spinal cord central canal structure and reveal the targets for endocannabinoids inside this neurogenic niche. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Isolation of stem-like cells from spontaneous feline mammary carcinomas: Phenotypic characterization and tumorigenic potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbieri, Federica; Wurth, Roberto; Ratto, Alessandra; Campanella, Chiara; Vito, Guendalina; Thellung, Stefano; Daga, Antonio; Cilli, Michele; Ferrari, Angelo; Florio, Tullio

2012-01-01

Current carcinogenesis theory states that only a small subset of tumor cells, the cancer stem cells or tumor initiating cells (TICs), are responsible for tumor formation and progression. Human breast cancer-initiating cells have been identified as CD44-expressing cells, which retain tumorigenic activity and display stem cell–like properties. Spontaneous feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is an aggressive cancer, which shows biological similarities to the human tumor counterpart. We report the isolation and phenotypic characterization of FMC-derived stem/progenitor cells, showing in vitro self-renewal, long-lasting proliferation and in vivo tumorigenicity. Twenty-one FMC samples were collected, histologically classified and characterized for the expression of Ki67, EGFR, ER-α and CD44, by immunohistochemistry. By culture in stem cell permissive conditions, we isolated, from 13 FMCs, a CD44-positive subpopulation able to survive and proliferate in vitro as mammospheres of different sizes and morphologies. When injected in NOD/SCID mice, FMC stem-like cells initiate tumors, generating cell heterogeneity and recapitulating the original histotype. In serum-containing medium, spheroid cells showed differentiation properties as shown by morphological changes, the loss of CD44 expression and tumorigenic potential. These data show that stem-defined culture of FMC enriches for TICs and validate the use of these cells as a suitable model for comparative oncology studies of mammary biology and testing therapeutic strategies aimed at eradicating TICs. -- Highlights: ► Feline mammary carcinoma contain a sub-population of stem-like cells expressing CD44 ► These grow as spheres in serum-free medium and self-renew ► Isolated stem-like cancer cells initiate tumor in immunodeficient mice ► Xenografted tumors are phenotypically similar to the original tumor ► Upon differentiation, cells grow as monolayers, loosing the tumorigenic potential

Derivation and characterization of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived exocrine pancreatic cell line

Science.gov (United States)

The establishment and initial characterization of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic cell line, PICM-31, and a colony-cloned derivative cell line, PICM-31A, is described. The cell lines were propagated for several months at split ratios of 1:3 or 1:5 at each passage on STO feeder cells af...

Characterization of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Natasha; Boyette, Lisa B; Tuan, Rocky S

2015-01-01

Adult mesenchymal stem cells are a resource for autologous and allogeneic cell therapies for immune-modulation and regenerative medicine. However, patients most in need of such therapies are often of advanced age. Therefore, the effects of the aged milieu on these cells and their intrinsic aging in vivo are important considerations. Furthermore, these cells may require expansion in vitro before use as well as for future research. Their aging in vitro is thus also an important consideration. Here, we focus on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which are unique compared to other stem cells due to their support of hematopoietic cells in addition to contributing to bone formation. BMSCs may be sensitive to age-related diseases and could perpetuate degenerative diseases in which bone remodeling is a contributory factor. Here, we review (1) the characterization of BMSCs, (2) the characterization of in vivo-aged BMSCs, (3) the characterization of in vitro-aged BMSCs, and (4) potential approaches to optimize the performance of aged BMSCs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Stem Cells and Bone". Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Establishment and Characterization of Primary Cultures from Iranian Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients by Enzymatic Method and Explant Culture

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Meysam Ganjibakhsh

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC is the most frequent oral cancer worldwide. It is known as the eighth most common cancer in men and as the fifth most common cancer in women. Cytogenetic and biochemical studies in recent decades have emphasized the necessity of providing an appropriate tool for such researches. Cancer cell culture is a useful tool for investigations on biochemical, genetic, molecular and immunological characteristics of different cancers, including oral cancer. Here, we explain the establishment process of five primary oral cancer cells derived from an Iranian population.Materials and Methods: The specimens were obtained from five oral cancer patients. Enzymatic, explant culture and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS methods were used for cell isolation. After quality control tests, characterization and authentication of primary oral cancer cells were performed by short tandem repeats (STR profiling, chromosome analysis, species identification, and monitoring the growth, morphology and the expression of CD326 and CD133 markers.Results: Five primary oral cancer cells were established from an Iranian population. The flow cytometry results showed that the isolated cells were positive for CD326 and CD133 markers. Furthermore, the cells were free from mycoplasma, bacterial and fungal contamination. No misidentified or cross-contaminated cells were detected by STR analysis.Conclusions: Human primary oral cancer cells provide an extremely useful platform for studying carcinogenesis pathways of oral cancer in Iranian population. They may be helpful in explaining the ethnic differences in cancer biology and the individuality in anticancer drug response in future studies.

Characterization of HIV-Specific CD4+T Cell Responses against Peptides Selected with Broad Population and Pathogen Coverage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buggert, Marcus; Norstrom, Melissa M.; Czarnecki, Chris

2012-01-01

for the identification of HIV-specific CD4+ T cells targeting broadly reactive epitopes in populations with diverse ethnic background stems from the vast genomic variation of HIV and the diversity of the host cellular immune system. Here, we describe a novel epitope selection strategy, PopCover, that aims to resolve...... this challenge, and identify a set of potential HLA class II-restricted HIV epitopes that in concert will provide optimal viral and host coverage. Using this selection strategy, we identified 64 putative epitopes (peptides) located in the Gag, Nef, Env, Pol and Tat protein regions of HIV. In total, 73...... II-restricted epitopes. All together, selection strategies, such as PopCover, might with success be used for the evaluation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses and design of future vaccines....

Use of Multicolor Flow Cytometry for Isolation of Specific Cell Populations Deriving from Differentiated Human Embryonic Stem Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mengarelli, Isabella; Fryga, Andrew; Barberi, Tiziano

2016-01-01

Flow Cytometry-Sorting (FCM-Sorting) is a technique commonly used to identify and isolate specific types of cells from a heterogeneous population of live cells. Here we describe a multicolor flow cytometry technique that uses five distinct cell surface antigens to isolate four live populations with

Quantitation, in vitro propagation, and characterization of preleukemic cells induced by radiation leukemia virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yefenof, E.; Epszteyn, S.; Kotler, M.

1991-01-01

Intrathymic (i.t.) inoculation of radiation leukemia virus into C57BL/6 mice induces a population of preleukemic (PL) cells that can progress into mature thymic lymphomas upon transfer into syngeneic recipients. A minimum of 10(3) PL thymic cells are required to induce lymphomas in the recipient. Most of the individual lymphomas developed in mice which were inoculated with cells of a single PL thymus, derived from different T-cell precursors. PL thymic cells could be grown in vitro on a feeder layer consisting of splenic stromal cells. Growth medium was supplemented with supernatant harvested from an established radiation leukemia virus-induced lymphoma cell line (SR4). The in vitro-grown PL cells were characterized as Thy-1+, CD4+, CD8- T-cells, most of which expressed radiation leukemia virus antigens. Cultured PL cells were found to be nontumorigenic, based on their inability to form s.c. tumors. However, these cells could develop into thymic lymphomas if inoculated i.t. into syngeneic recipients. A culture of PL cells, maintained for 2 mo, showed clonal T-cell receptor arrangement. Lymphomas which developed in several recipient mice upon injection with these PL cells were found to possess the same T-cell receptor arrangement. These results indicate that PL cells can be adapted for in vitro growth while maintaining their preleukemic character

Tumourigenic canine osteosarcoma cell lines associated with frizzled-6 up-regulation and enhanced side population cell frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

de Sá Rodrigues, L C; Holmes, K E; Thompson, V; Newton, M A; Stein, T J

2017-03-01

An increased serum alkaline phosphatase concentration is known to be associated with a negative prognosis in canine and human osteosarcoma. To expand upon previous studies regarding the biological relevance of increased serum alkaline phosphatase as a negative prognostic factor, xenogeneic heterotopic transplants were performed using six canine primary osteosarcoma cell lines generated from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations (three normal and three increased). Three of the six cell lines were capable of generating tumours and tumour formation was independent of the serum alkaline phosphatase status of the cell line. Microarray analysis identified 379 genes as being differentially expressed between the tumourigenic and non-tumourigenic cell lines. Frizzled-6 was upregulated to the greatest extent (7.78-fold) in tumourigenic cell lines compared with non-tumourigenic cell lines. Frizzled-6, a co-receptor for Wnt ligands has been associated with enhanced tumour-initiating cells and poor prognosis for other tumours. The increased expression of frizzled-6 was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) and Western blot analysis. Additionally, the tumourigenic cell lines also had an increase in the percentage of side population cells compared with non-tumourigenic cell lines (5.89% versus 1.58%, respectively). There were no differences in tumourigenicity, frizzled-6 or percentage of side population cells noted between osteosarcoma cell lines generated from patients of differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentration. However, to our knowledge this is the first study to identified frizzled-6 as a possible marker of osteosarcoma cell populations with enhanced tumourigenicity and side population cells. Future work will focus on defining the role of frizzled-6 in osteosarcoma tumourigenesis and tumour-initiating cells. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Targeting population heterogeneity for optimal cell factories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heins, Anna-Lena; Carlqvist, Magnus; Helmark, S.

the heterogeneity level of the population. To further investigate these phenomena and gain a deeper understanding of population heterogeneity, Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth reporter strains based on the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) were constructed which enabled us to perform single cell level...... analysis, and thereby created the possibility to map population heterogeneity. A factorial design with pH, glucose concentration and oxygen level was performed in batch cultivations using the growth reporter strains to evaluate the effect of those environmental factors on heterogeneity level and amount......To achieve an efficient production process, it is essential to optimize both the strain and the cultivation conditions. Traditionally, a microbial population has been considered homogeneous in optimization studies of fermentation processes. However, research has shown that a typical microbial...

Establishment and characterization of a novel head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line USC-HN1.

Science.gov (United States)

Liebertz, Daniel J; Lechner, Melissa G; Masood, Rizwan; Sinha, Uttam K; Han, Jing; Puri, Raj K; Correa, Adrian J; Epstein, Alan L

2010-02-22

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive and lethal malignancy. Publically available cell lines are mostly of lingual origin, or have not been carefully characterized. Detailed characterization of novel HNSCC cell lines is needed in order to provide researchers a concrete keystone on which to build their investigations. The USC-HN1 cell line was established from a primary maxillary HNSCC biopsy explant in tissue culture. The immortalized cells were then further characterized by heterotransplantation in Nude mice; immunohistochemical staining for relevant HNSCC biomarkers; flow cytometry for surface markers; cytogenetic karyotypic analysis; human papillomavirus and Epstein-Barr virus screening; qRT-PCR for oncogene and cytokine analysis; investigation of activated, cleaved Notch1 levels; and detailed 35,000 gene microarray analysis. Characterization experiments confirmed the human HNSCC origin of USC-HN1, including a phenotype similar to the original tumor. Viral screening revealed no HPV or EBV infection, while western blotting displayed significant upregulation of activated, cleaved Notch1. USC-HN1, a novel immortalized cell line has been derived from a maxillary HNSCC. Characterization studies have shown that the cell line is of HNSCC origin and displays many of the same markers previously reported in the literature. USC-HN1 is available for public research and will further the investigation of HNSCC and the development of new therapeutic modalities.

Pre-existing malignancy results in increased prevalence of distinct populations of CD4+ T cells during sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jianfeng; Robertson, Jennifer M; Chen, Ching-Wen; Zhang, Wenxiao; Coopersmith, Craig M; Ford, Mandy L

2018-01-01

The presence of pre-existing malignancy in murine hosts results in increased immune dysregulation and risk of mortality following a septic insult. Based on the known systemic immunologic changes that occur in cancer hosts, we hypothesized that the presence of pre-existing malignancy would result in phenotypic and functional changes in CD4+ T cell responses following sepsis. In order to conduct a non-biased, unsupervised analysis of phenotypic differences between CD4+ T cell compartments, cohorts of mice were injected with LLC1 tumor cells and tumors were allowed to grow for 3 weeks. These cancer hosts and age-matched non-cancer controls were then subjected to CLP. Splenocytes were harvested at 24h post CLP and flow cytometry and SPADE (Spanning-tree Progression Analysis of Density-normalized Events) were used to analyze populations of CD4+ cells most different between the two groups. Results indicated that relative to non-cancer controls, cancer mice contained more resting memory CD4+ T cells, more activated CD4+ effectors, and fewer naïve CD4+ T cells during sepsis, suggesting that the CD4+ T cell compartment in cancer septic hosts is one of increased activation and differentiation. Moreover, cancer septic animals exhibited expansion of two distinct subsets of CD4+ T cells relative to previously healthy septic controls. Specifically, we identified increases in both a PD-1hi population and a distinct 2B4hi BTLAhi LAG-3hi population in cancer septic animals. By combining phenotypic analysis of exhaustion markers with functional analysis of cytokine production, we found that PD-1+ CD4+ cells in cancer hosts failed to make any cytokines following CLP, while the 2B4+ PD-1lo cells in cancer mice secreted increased TNF during sepsis. In sum, the immunophenotypic landscape of cancer septic animals is characterized by both increased CD4+ T cell activation and exhaustion, findings that may underlie the observed increased mortality in mice with pre-existing malignancy

Pre-existing malignancy results in increased prevalence of distinct populations of CD4+ T cells during sepsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianfeng Xie

Full Text Available The presence of pre-existing malignancy in murine hosts results in increased immune dysregulation and risk of mortality following a septic insult. Based on the known systemic immunologic changes that occur in cancer hosts, we hypothesized that the presence of pre-existing malignancy would result in phenotypic and functional changes in CD4+ T cell responses following sepsis. In order to conduct a non-biased, unsupervised analysis of phenotypic differences between CD4+ T cell compartments, cohorts of mice were injected with LLC1 tumor cells and tumors were allowed to grow for 3 weeks. These cancer hosts and age-matched non-cancer controls were then subjected to CLP. Splenocytes were harvested at 24h post CLP and flow cytometry and SPADE (Spanning-tree Progression Analysis of Density-normalized Events were used to analyze populations of CD4+ cells most different between the two groups. Results indicated that relative to non-cancer controls, cancer mice contained more resting memory CD4+ T cells, more activated CD4+ effectors, and fewer naïve CD4+ T cells during sepsis, suggesting that the CD4+ T cell compartment in cancer septic hosts is one of increased activation and differentiation. Moreover, cancer septic animals exhibited expansion of two distinct subsets of CD4+ T cells relative to previously healthy septic controls. Specifically, we identified increases in both a PD-1hi population and a distinct 2B4hi BTLAhi LAG-3hi population in cancer septic animals. By combining phenotypic analysis of exhaustion markers with functional analysis of cytokine production, we found that PD-1+ CD4+ cells in cancer hosts failed to make any cytokines following CLP, while the 2B4+ PD-1lo cells in cancer mice secreted increased TNF during sepsis. In sum, the immunophenotypic landscape of cancer septic animals is characterized by both increased CD4+ T cell activation and exhaustion, findings that may underlie the observed increased mortality in mice with pre

Analysing the Influence of the Spontaneous Aneuploidy Frequency on the Cell Population System Cultivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. A. Nefedov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper provides a qualitative analysis of M.S. Vinogradova's nonlinear model for dynamics of the cell population system. This system describes the stem cells cultivation in vitro under resource constraints. The system consists of two populations, namely: population of normal cells and population of abnormal cells. Resource constraints are considered as linear dependences of mitosis parameters on the normalized densities of each population.One of the key parameters that effects on the realization of the system evolution scenarios is a parameter that determines a share of the normal cells, which pass, when dividing, into population of the abnormal cells. The paper analyses both the existence conditions of the rest points and the changes of the evolution scenarios of population system with changing abovementioned parameter and other system parameters held fixed. It is shown that there is a saddle-node bifurcation in the system; the bifurcation value of the parameter is found. The paper shows the interval of parameter values in which the favorable scenarios of population system evolution are implemented. It also presents results of mathematical modeling.

Joint modeling and registration of cell populations in cohorts of high-dimensional flow cytometric data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saumyadipta Pyne

Full Text Available In biomedical applications, an experimenter encounters different potential sources of variation in data such as individual samples, multiple experimental conditions, and multivariate responses of a panel of markers such as from a signaling network. In multiparametric cytometry, which is often used for analyzing patient samples, such issues are critical. While computational methods can identify cell populations in individual samples, without the ability to automatically match them across samples, it is difficult to compare and characterize the populations in typical experiments, such as those responding to various stimulations or distinctive of particular patients or time-points, especially when there are many samples. Joint Clustering and Matching (JCM is a multi-level framework for simultaneous modeling and registration of populations across a cohort. JCM models every population with a robust multivariate probability distribution. Simultaneously, JCM fits a random-effects model to construct an overall batch template--used for registering populations across samples, and classifying new samples. By tackling systems-level variation, JCM supports practical biomedical applications involving large cohorts. Software for fitting the JCM models have been implemented in an R package EMMIX-JCM, available from http://www.maths.uq.edu.au/~gjm/mix_soft/EMMIX-JCM/.

A sub-population of circulating porcine gammadelta T cells can act as professional antigen presenting cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Takamatsu, H-H; Denyer, M S; Wileman, T E

2002-09-10

A sub-population of circulating porcine gammadelta T cells express cell surface antigens associated with antigen presenting cells (APCs), and are able to take up soluble antigen very effectively. Functional antigen presentation by gammadelta T cells to memory helper T cells was studied by inbred pig lymphocytes immunised with ovalbumin (OVA). After removing all conventional APCs from the peripheral blood of immunised pigs, the remaining lymphocytes still proliferated when stimulated with OVA. When gammadelta T cells were further depleted, OVA specific proliferation was abolished, but reconstitution with gammadelta T cells restored proliferation. The proliferation was blocked by monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against MHC class II or CD4, and by pre-treatment of gammadelta T cells with chloroquine. These results indicate that a sub-population of circulating porcine gammadelta T cells act as APCs and present antigen via MHC class II.

Quantitation of DNA repair in brain cell cultures: implications for autoradiographic analysis of mixed cell populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dambergs, R.; Kidson, C.

1979-01-01

Quantitation of DNA repair in the mixed cell population of mouse embryo brain cultures has been assessed by autoradiographic analysis of unscheduled DNA synthesis following UV-irradiation. The proportion of labelled neurons and the grain density over neuronal nuclei were both less than the corresponding values for glial cells. The nuclear geometries of these two classes of cell are very different. Partial correction for the different geometries by relating grain density to nuclear area brought estimates of neuronal and glial DNA repair synthesis more closely in line. These findings have general implications for autoradiographic measurement of DNA repair in mixed cell populations and in differentiated versus dividing cells. (author)

Characterization of guinea pig T cell responses elicited after EP-assisted delivery of DNA vaccines to the skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultheis, Katherine; Schaefer, Hubert; Yung, Bryan S; Oh, Janet; Muthumani, Karuppiah; Humeau, Laurent; Broderick, Kate E; Smith, Trevor R F

2017-01-03

The skin is an ideal target tissue for vaccine delivery for a number of reasons. It is highly accessible, and most importantly, enriched in professional antigen presenting cells. Possessing strong similarities to human skin physiology and displaying a defined epidermis, the guinea pig is an appropriate model to study epidermal delivery of vaccine. However, whilst we have characterized the humoral responses in the guinea pig associated with skin vaccine protocols we have yet to investigate the T cell responses. In response to this inadequacy, we developed an IFN-γ ELISpot assay to characterize the cellular immune response in the peripheral blood of guinea pigs. Using a nucleoprotein (NP) influenza pDNA vaccination regimen, we characterized host T cell responses. After delivery of the DNA vaccine to the guinea pig epidermis we detected robust and rapid T cell responses. The levels of IFN-γ spot-forming units averaged approximately 5000 per million cells after two immunizations. These responses were broad in that multiple regions across the NP antigen elicited a T cell response. Interestingly, we identified a number of NP immunodominant T cell epitopes to be conserved across an outbred guinea pig population, a phenomenon which was also observed after immunization with a RSV DNA vaccine. We believe this data enhances our understanding of the cellular immune response elicited to a vaccine in guinea pigs, and globally, will advance the use of this model for vaccine development, especially those targeting skin as a delivery site. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the human DNA gut virome across populations with different subsistence strategies and geographical origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Rampelli, Simone; Turroni, Silvia; Schnorr, Stephanie L; Soverini, Matteo; Quercia, Sara; Barone, Monica; Castagnetti, Andrea; Biagi, Elena; Gallinella, Giorgio; Brigidi, Patrizia; Candela, Marco

2017-11-01

It is a matter of fact that the human gut microbiome also includes a non-bacterial fraction represented by eukaryotic cells and viruses. To further explore the gut microbiome variation in human populations, here we characterized the human DNA viral community from publicly available gut metagenome data sets from human populations with different geographical origin and lifestyle. In particular, such data sets encompass microbiome information from two western urban societies (USA and Italy), as well as two traditional hunter-gatherer communities (the Hadza from Tanzania and Matses from Peru) and one pre-agricultural tribe (Tunapuco from Peru). Our results allowed for the first taxonomic reconstruction of the complex viral metacommunities within the human gut. The core virome structure included herpesviruses, papillomaviruses, polyomaviruses, adenoviruses and anelloviruses. Using Random Forests and a co-occurrence analysis approach, we identified the viruses that distinguished populations according to their geographical origin and/or lifestyle. This paves the way for new research aimed at investigating the biological role of the gut virome in human physiology, and the importance of our viral counterpart in the microbiome-host co-evolutionary process. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Population structure and genetic diversity characterization of a sunflower association mapping population using SSR and SNP markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Filippi, Carla V; Aguirre, Natalia; Rivas, Juan G; Zubrzycki, Jeremias; Puebla, Andrea; Cordes, Diego; Moreno, Maria V; Fusari, Corina M; Alvarez, Daniel; Heinz, Ruth A; Hopp, Horacio E; Paniego, Norma B; Lia, Veronica V

2015-02-13

Argentina has a long tradition of sunflower breeding, and its germplasm is a valuable genetic resource worldwide. However, knowledge of the genetic constitution and variability levels of the Argentinean germplasm is still scarce, rendering the global map of cultivated sunflower diversity incomplete. In this study, 42 microsatellite loci and 384 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to characterize the first association mapping population used for quantitative trait loci mapping in sunflower, along with a selection of allied open-pollinated and composite populations from the germplasm bank of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology of Argentina. The ability of different kinds of markers to assess genetic diversity and population structure was also evaluated. The analysis of polymorphism in the set of sunflower accessions studied here showed that both the microsatellites and SNP markers were informative for germplasm characterization, although to different extents. In general, the estimates of genetic variability were moderate. The average genetic diversity, as quantified by the expected heterozygosity, was 0.52 for SSR loci and 0.29 for SNPs. Within SSR markers, those derived from non-coding regions were able to capture higher levels of diversity than EST-SSR. A significant correlation was found between SSR and SNP- based genetic distances among accessions. Bayesian and multivariate methods were used to infer population structure. Evidence for the existence of three different genetic groups was found consistently across data sets (i.e., SSR, SNP and SSR + SNP), with the maintainer/restorer status being the most prevalent characteristic associated with group delimitation. The present study constitutes the first report comparing the performance of SSR and SNP markers for population genetics analysis in cultivated sunflower. We show that the SSR and SNP panels examined here, either used separately or in conjunction, allowed consistent

Isolation and characterization of true mesenchymal stem cells derived from human term decidua capable of multilineage differentiation into all 3 embryonic layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, Maria I; Grande, Jesús; Moreno, Ana; Domínguez, Irene; Bornstein, Rafael; Flores, Ana I

2010-11-01

The objective of the study was to isolate and characterize a population of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human term placental membranes. We isolated an adherent cell population from extraembryonic membranes. Morphology, phenotype, growth characteristics, karyotype, and immunological and differentiation properties were analyzed. The isolated placental MSCs were from maternal origin and named as decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs). DMSCs differentiated into derivatives of all germ layers. It is the first report about placental MSC differentiation into alveolar type II cells. Clonally expanded DMSCs differentiated into all embryonic layers, including pulmonary cells. DMSCs showed higher life span than placental cells from fetal origin and proliferated without genomic instability. The data suggest that DMSCs are true multipotent MSCs, distinguishing them from other placental MSCs. DMSCs could be safely used in the mother as a potential source of MSCs for pelvic floor dysfunctions and immunological diseases. Additionally, frozen DMSCs can be stored for both autologous and allogeneic tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of deciduous teeth stem cells isolated from crown dental pulp

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Debeljak-Martačić Jasmina

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. The last decade has been profoundly marked by persistent attempts to use ex vivo expanded and manipulated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, as a tool in different types of regenerative therapy. In the present study we described immunophenotype and the proliferative and differentiation potential of cells isolated from pulp remnants of exfoliated deciduous teeth in the final phase of root resorption. Methods. The initial adherent cell population from five donors was obtained by the outgrowth method. Colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F assay was performed in passage one. Cell expansion was performed until passage three and all tests were done until passage eight. Cells were labeled for early mesenchymal stem cells markers and analysis have been done using flow cytometry. The proliferative potential was assessed by cell counting in defined time points and population doubling time was calculated. Commercial media were used to induce osteoblastic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Cytology and histology methods were used for analysis of differentiated cell morphology and extracellular matrix characteristics. Results. According to immunophenotype analyses all undifferentiated cells were positive for the mesenchymal stem cell markers: CD29 and CD73. Some cells expressed CD146 and CD106. The hematopoietic cell marker, CD34, was not detected. In passage one, incidence of CFU-F was 4.7 ± 0.5/100. Population doubling time did not change significantly during cell subcultivation and was in average 25 h. After induction of differentiation, the multicolony derived cell population had a tri-lineage differentiation potential, since mineralized matrix, cartilage-like tissue and adipocytes were successfully formed after three weeks of incubation. Conclusion. Altogether, these data suggest that remnants of deciduous teeth dental pulp contained cell populations with mesenchymal stem cell-like features, with a high proliferation and

Establishment and Characterization of a Highly Tumourigenic and Cancer Stem Cell Enriched Pancreatic Cancer Cell Line as a Well Defined Model System

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Fredebohm, Johannes; Boettcher, Michael; Eisen, Christian; Gaida, Matthias M.; Heller, Anette; Keleg, Shereen; Tost, Jörg; Greulich-Bode, Karin M.; Hotz-Wagenblatt, Agnes; Lathrop, Mark; Giese, Nathalia A.; Hoheisel, Jörg D.

2012-01-01

Standard cancer cell lines do not model the intratumoural heterogeneity situation sufficiently. Clonal selection leads to a homogeneous population of cells by genetic drift. Heterogeneity of tumour cells, however, is particularly critical for therapeutically relevant studies, since it is a prerequisite for acquiring drug resistance and reoccurrence of tumours. Here, we report the isolation of a highly tumourigenic primary pancreatic cancer cell line, called JoPaca-1 and its detailed characterization at multiple levels. Implantation of as few as 100 JoPaca-1 cells into immunodeficient mice gave rise to tumours that were histologically very similar to the primary tumour. The high heterogeneity of JoPaca-1 was reflected by diverse cell morphology and a substantial number of chromosomal aberrations. Comparative whole-genome sequencing of JoPaca-1 and BxPC-3 revealed mutations in genes frequently altered in pancreatic cancer. Exceptionally high expression of cancer stem cell markers and a high clonogenic potential in vitro and in vivo was observed. All of these attributes make this cell line an extremely valuable model to study the biology of and pharmaceutical effects on pancreatic cancer. PMID:23152778

Characterization of single cell derived cultures of periosteal progenitor cells to ensure the cell quality for clinical application.

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Stefan Stich

Full Text Available For clinical applications of cells and tissue engineering products it is of importance to characterize the quality of the used cells in detail. Progenitor cells from the periosteum are already routinely applied in the clinics for the regeneration of the maxillary bone. Periosteal cells have, in addition to their potential to differentiate into bone, the ability to develop into cartilage and fat. However, the question arises whether all cells isolated from periosteal biopsies are able to differentiate into all three tissue types, or whether there are subpopulations. For an efficient and approved application in bone or cartilage regeneration the clarification of this question is of interest. Therefore, 83 different clonal cultures of freshly isolated human periosteal cells derived from mastoid periosteum biopsies of 4 donors were generated and growth rates calculated. Differentiation capacities of 51 clonal cultures towards the osteogenic, the chondrogenic, and the adipogenic lineage were investigated. Histological and immunochemical stainings showed that 100% of the clonal cultures differentiated towards the osteogenic lineage, while 94.1% demonstrated chondrogenesis, and 52.9% could be stimulated to adipogenesis. For osteogenesis real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR of BGLAP and RUNX2 and for adipogenesis of FABP4 and PPARG confirmed the results. Overall, 49% of the cells exhibited a tripotent potential, 45.1% showed a bipotent potential (without adipogenic differentiation, 3.9% bipotent (without chondrogenic differentiation, and 2% possessed a unipotent osteogenic potential. In FACS analyses, no differences in the marker profile of undifferentiated clonal cultures with bi- and tripotent differentiation capacity were found. Genome-wide microarray analysis revealed 52 differentially expressed genes for clonal subpopulations with or without chondrogenic differentiation capacity, among them DCN, NEDD9, TGFBR3, and TSLP. For clinical

Methods and insights from the characterization of osteoprogenitor cells of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera

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H.C. Ball

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Osteoprogenitor cells contribute to the development and maintenance of skeletal tissues. Bats are unique model taxa whose cellular processes are poorly understood, especially in regards to skeletal biology. Forelimb bones of bats, unlike those of terrestrial mammals, bend during flight and function in controlled deformation. As a first step towards understanding the molecular processes governing deposition of this flexible bone matrix, we provide the first method for isolation and differentiation of cell populations derived from the bone marrow and cortical bone of bats, and compare results with those harvested from C57BL/6J mice. Osteogenic capacity of these cells was assessed via absolute quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR and through quantification of in vitro mineral deposition. Results indicate the differentiated bone cells of bats display significantly lower gene expression of known osteogenic markers (Runt-related transcription factor (RUNX2, osteocalcin (BGLAP and osterix (SP7, and deposit a less-mineralized matrix compared with murine controls. By characterizing the in vitro performance of osteoprogenitor cells throughout differentiation and matrix production, this study lays the ground work for in vitro manipulations of bat stem and osteoprogenitor cells and extends our understanding of the cellular diversity across mammals that occupy different habitats.

Analysis of in vitro secretion profiles from adipose-derived cell populations

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Blaber Sinead P

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adipose tissue is an attractive source of cells for therapeutic purposes because of the ease of harvest and the high frequency of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. Whilst it is clear that MSCs have significant therapeutic potential via their ability to secrete immuno-modulatory and trophic cytokines, the therapeutic use of mixed cell populations from the adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF is becoming increasingly common. Methods In this study we have measured a panel of 27 cytokines and growth factors secreted by various combinations of human adipose-derived cell populations. These were 1. co-culture of freshly isolated SVF with adipocytes, 2. freshly isolated SVF cultured alone, 3. freshly isolated adipocytes alone and 4. adherent adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs at passage 2. In addition, we produced an ‘in silico’ dataset by combining the individual secretion profiles obtained from culturing the SVF with that of the adipocytes. This was compared to the secretion profile of co-cultured SVF and adipocytes. Two-tailed t-tests were performed on the secretion profiles obtained from the SVF, adipocytes, ADSCs and the ‘in silico’ dataset and compared to the secretion profiles obtained from the co-culture of the SVF with adipocytes. A p-value of  Results A co-culture of SVF and adipocytes results in a distinct secretion profile when compared to all other adipose-derived cell populations studied. This illustrates that cellular crosstalk during co-culture of the SVF with adipocytes modulates the production of cytokines by one or more cell types. No biologically relevant differences were detected in the proteomes of SVF cultured alone or co-cultured with adipocytes. Conclusions The use of mixed adipose cell populations does not appear to induce cellular stress and results in enhanced secretion profiles. Given the importance of secreted cytokines in cell therapy, the use of a mixed cell population such as the

Identity and Diversity of Human Peripheral Th and T Regulatory Cells Defined by Single-Cell Mass Cytometry.

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Kunicki, Matthew A; Amaya Hernandez, Laura C; Davis, Kara L; Bacchetta, Rosa; Roncarolo, Maria-Grazia

2018-01-01

Human CD3 + CD4 + Th cells, FOXP3 + T regulatory (Treg) cells, and T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cells are essential for ensuring peripheral immune response and tolerance, but the diversity of Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell subsets has not been fully characterized. Independent functional characterization of human Th1, Th2, Th17, T follicular helper (Tfh), Treg, and Tr1 cells has helped to define unique surface molecules, transcription factors, and signaling profiles for each subset. However, the adequacy of these markers to recapitulate the whole CD3 + CD4 + T cell compartment remains questionable. In this study, we examined CD3 + CD4 + T cell populations by single-cell mass cytometry. We characterize the CD3 + CD4 + Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell populations simultaneously across 23 memory T cell-associated surface and intracellular molecules. High-dimensional analysis identified several new subsets, in addition to the already defined CD3 + CD4 + Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell populations, for a total of 11 Th cell, 4 Treg, and 1 Tr1 cell subsets. Some of these subsets share markers previously thought to be selective for Treg, Th1, Th2, Th17, and Tfh cells, including CD194 (CCR4) + FOXP3 + Treg and CD183 (CXCR3) + T-bet + Th17 cell subsets. Unsupervised clustering displayed a phenotypic organization of CD3 + CD4 + T cells that confirmed their diversity but showed interrelation between the different subsets, including similarity between Th1-Th2-Tfh cell populations and Th17 cells, as well as similarity of Th2 cells with Treg cells. In conclusion, the use of single-cell mass cytometry provides a systems-level characterization of CD3 + CD4 + T cells in healthy human blood, which represents an important baseline reference to investigate abnormalities of different subsets in immune-mediated pathologies. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Stem cell-like differentiation potentials of endometrial side population cells as revealed by a newly developed in vivo endometrial stem cell assay.

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Kaoru Miyazaki

Full Text Available Endometrial stem/progenitor cells contribute to the cyclical regeneration of human endometrium throughout a woman's reproductive life. Although the candidate cell populations have been extensively studied, no consensus exists regarding which endometrial population represents the stem/progenitor cell fraction in terms of in vivo stem cell activity. We have previously reported that human endometrial side population cells (ESP, but not endometrial main population cells (EMP, exhibit stem cell-like properties, including in vivo reconstitution of endometrium-like tissues when xenotransplanted into immunodeficient mice. The reconstitution efficiency, however, was low presumably because ESP cells alone could not provide a sufficient microenvironment (niche to support their stem cell activity. The objective of this study was to establish a novel in vivo endometrial stem cell assay employing cell tracking and tissue reconstitution systems and to examine the stem cell properties of ESP through use of this assay.ESP and EMP cells isolated from whole endometrial cells were infected with lentivirus to express tandem Tomato (TdTom, a red fluorescent protein. They were mixed with unlabeled whole endometrial cells and then transplanted under the kidney capsule of ovariectomized immunodeficient mice. These mice were treated with estradiol and progesterone for eight weeks and nephrectomized. All of the grafts reconstituted endometrium-like tissues under the kidney capsules. Immunofluorescence revealed that TdTom-positive cells were significantly more abundant in the glandular, stromal, and endothelial cells of the reconstituted endometrium in mice transplanted with TdTom-labeled ESP cells than those with TdTom-labeled EMP cells.We have established a novel in vivo endometrial stem cell assay in which multi-potential differentiation can be identified through cell tracking during in vivo endometrial tissue reconstitution. Using this assay, we demonstrated that ESP

Establishment of cell lines with rat spermatogonial stem cell characteristics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Pelt, Ans M. M.; Roepers-Gajadien, Hermien L.; Gademan, Iris S.; Creemers, Laura B.; de Rooij, Dirk G.; van Dissel-Emiliani, Federica M. F.

2002-01-01

Spermatogonial cell lines were established by transfecting a mixed population of purified rat A(s) (stem cells), A(pr) and A(al) spermatogonia with SV40 large T antigen. Two cell lines were characterized and found to express Hsp90alpha and oct-4, specific markers for germ cells and A spermatogonia,

Chicken Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Establishment and Characterization.

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Fuet, Aurelie; Pain, Bertrand

2017-01-01

In mammals, the introduction of the OSKM (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) genes into somatic cells has allowed generating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. So far, this process has been only clearly demonstrated in mammals. Here, using chicken as an avian model, we describe a set of protocols allowing the establishment, characterization, maintenance, differentiation, and injection of putative reprogrammed chicken Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells.

Programming strategy for efficient modeling of dynamics in a population of heterogeneous cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, Bjørn Olav; Hendriksen, Morten; Sørensen, Preben Graae

2013-01-01

Heterogeneity is a ubiquitous property of biological systems. Even in a genetically identical population of a single cell type, cell-to-cell differences are observed. Although the functional behavior of a given population is generally robust, the consequences of heterogeneity are fairly unpredict...

Th17 Cells and Activated Dendritic Cells Are Increased in Vitiligo Lesions

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Fuentes-Duculan, Judilyn; Moussai, Dariush; Gulati, Nicholas; Sullivan-Whalen, Mary; Gilleaudeau, Patricia; Cohen, Jules A.; Krueger, James G.

2011-01-01

Background Vitiligo is a common skin disorder, characterized by progressive skin de-pigmentation due to the loss of cutaneous melanocytes. The exact cause of melanocyte loss remains unclear, but a large number of observations have pointed to the important role of cellular immunity in vitiligo pathogenesis. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we characterized T cell and inflammation-related dermal dendritic cell (DC) subsets in pigmented non-lesional, leading edge and depigmented lesional vitiligo skin. By immunohistochemistry staining, we observed enhanced populations of CD11c+ myeloid dermal DCs and CD207+ Langerhans cells in leading edge vitiligo biopsies. DC-LAMP+ and CD1c+ sub-populations of dermal DCs expanded significantly in leading edge and lesional vitiligo skin. We also detected elevated tissue mRNA levels of IL-17A in leading edge skin biopsies of vitiligo patients, as well as IL-17A positive T cells by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Langerhans cells with activated inflammasomes were also noted in lesional vitiligo skin, along with increased IL-1ß mRNA, which suggest the potential of Langerhans cells to drive Th17 activation in vitiligo. Conclusions/Significance These studies provided direct tissue evidence that implicates active Th17 cells in vitiligo skin lesions. We characterized new cellular immune elements, in the active margins of vitiligo lesions (e.g. populations of epidermal and dermal dendritic cells subsets), which could potentially drive the inflammatory responses. PMID:21541348

Characterization of stem and progenitor cells in the dental pulp of erupted and unerupted murine molars

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Balic, Anamaria; Aguila, H. Leonardo; Caimano, Melissa J.; Francone, Victor P.; Mina, Mina

2010-01-01

In the past few years there have been significant advances in the identification of putative stem cells also referred to as “mesenchymal stem cells” (MSC) in dental tissues including the dental pulp. It is thought that MSC in dental pulp share certain similarities with MSC isolated from other tissues. However, cells in dental pulp are still poorly characterized. This study focused on the characterization of progenitor and stem cells in dental pulps of erupted and unerupted mice molars. Our study showed that dental pulps from unerupted molars contain a significant number of cells expressing CD90+/CD45-, CD117+/CD45-, Sca-1+/CD45- and little if any CD45+ cells. Our in vitro functional studies showed that dental pulp cells from unerupted molars displayed extensive osteo-dentinogenic potential but were unable to differentiate into chondrocytes and adipocytes. Dental pulp from erupted molars displayed a reduced number of cells, contained higher percentage of CD45+ and lower percentage of cells expressing CD90+/CD45-, CD117+/CD45- as compared to unerupted molars. In vitro functional assays demonstrated the ability of a small fraction of cells to differentiate into odontoblasts, osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes. There was a significant reduction in the osteo-dentinogenic potential of the pulp cells derived from erupted molars compared to unerupted molars. Furthermore, the adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of pulp cells from erupted molars was dependent on a long induction period and infrequent. Based on these findings we propose that the dental pulp of the erupted molars contain a small population of multipotent cells, whereas the dental pulp of the unerupted molars does not contain multipotent cells but is enriched in osteo-dentinogenic progenitors engaged in the formation of coronal and radicular odontoblasts. PMID:20193787

Characterization of cell lines developed from the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).

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Kamita, Shizuo G; Do, Zung N; Samra, Aman I; Hagler, James R; Hammock, Bruce D

2005-01-01

Four continuous cell lines were established from the embryos of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Say), an economically important insect vector of bacterial pathogens of grape, almond, citrus, oleander, and other agricultural and ornamental plantings. The cell lines were designated GWSS-Z10, GWSS-Z15, GWSS-G3, and GWSS-LH. The GWSS-Z10, GWSS-Z15, and GWSS-G3 lines were cultured in Ex-Cell 401 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), whereas the GWSS-LH line was cultured in LH medium supplemented with 20% FBS. The cell lines were characterized in terms of their morphology, growth, protein composition, and polymerase chain reaction- amplification patterns of their chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid. The population doubling times of GWSS-Z10, GWSS-Z15, GWSS-G3, and GWSS-LH were 46.2, 90.9, 100.3, and 60.2 h, respectively. These lines should be useful for the study of insect-pathogenic viruses of leafhoppers, aphids, treehoppers, and other related insects as well as plant-pathogenic viruses that are transmitted by these insects.

Metabolic characterization of invaded cells of the pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC?1

OpenAIRE

Fujita, Mayumi; Imadome, Kaori; Imai, Takashi

2017-01-01

We previously reported that about 0.4% of cells in the cultured human pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC?1, can invade matrigel during the transwell invasion assay, suggesting that these invaded PANC?1 cells may have specific characteristics to keep their invasive potential. To identify the metabolic characterization specific in the invaded PANC?1 cells, metabolome analysis of the invaded PANC?1 compared with the whole cultured PANC?1 was performed using CE?TOFMS, and concentrations of 110 met...

Modelling cell population growth with applications to cancer therapy in human tumour cell lines.

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Basse, Britta; Baguley, Bruce C; Marshall, Elaine S; Wake, Graeme C; Wall, David J N

2004-01-01

In this paper we present an overview of the work undertaken to model a population of cells and the effects of cancer therapy. We began with a theoretical one compartment size structured cell population model and investigated its asymptotic steady size distributions (SSDs) (On a cell growth model for plankton, MMB JIMA 21 (2004) 49). However these size distributions are not similar to the DNA (size) distributions obtained experimentally via the flow cytometric analysis of human tumour cell lines (data obtained from the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, New Zealand). In our one compartment model, size was a generic term, but in order to obtain realistic steady size distributions we chose size to be DNA content and devised a multi-compartment mathematical model for the cell division cycle where each compartment corresponds to a distinct phase of the cell cycle (J. Math. Biol. 47 (2003) 295). We then incorporated another compartment describing the possible induction of apoptosis (cell death) from mitosis phase (Modelling cell death in human tumour cell lines exposed to anticancer drug paclitaxel, J. Math. Biol. 2004, in press). This enabled us to compare our model to flow cytometric data of a melanoma cell line where the anticancer drug, paclitaxel, had been added. The model gives a dynamic picture of the effects of paclitaxel on the cell cycle. We hope to use the model to describe the effects of other cancer therapies on a number of different cell lines. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization

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Chen, Jian; Xue, Chengcheng; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Deyong; Wu, Min-Hsien; Wang, Junbo

2015-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for high-throughput electrical property characterization of single cells. Four major perspectives of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell characterization are included in this review: (1) early developments of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell electrical property characterization; (2) microfluidic impedance flow cytometry with enhanced sensitivity; (3) microfluidic impedance and optical flow cytometry for single-cell analysis and (4) integrated point of care system based on microfluidic impedance flow cytometry. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities from the perspectives of both technical innovation and clinical applications. PMID:25938973

Establishment and characterization of American elm cell suspension cultures

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Steven M. Eshita; Joseph C. Kamalay; Vicki M. Gingas; Daniel A. Yaussy

2000-01-01

Cell suspension cultures of Dutch elm disease (DED)-tolerant and DED-susceptible American elms clones have been established and characterized as prerequisites for contrasts of cellular responses to pathogen-derived elicitors. Characteristics of cultured elm cell growth were monitored by A700 and media conductivity. Combined cell growth data for all experiments within a...

Niche-dependent development of functional neuronal networks from embryonic stem cell-derived neural populations

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Siebler Mario

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The present work was performed to investigate the ability of two different embryonic stem (ES cell-derived neural precursor populations to generate functional neuronal networks in vitro. The first ES cell-derived neural precursor population was cultivated as free-floating neural aggregates which are known to form a developmental niche comprising different types of neural cells, including neural precursor cells (NPCs, progenitor cells and even further matured cells. This niche provides by itself a variety of different growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins that influence the proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor and progenitor cells. The second population was cultivated adherently in monolayer cultures to control most stringently the extracellular environment. This population comprises highly homogeneous NPCs which are supposed to represent an attractive way to provide well-defined neuronal progeny. However, the ability of these different ES cell-derived immature neural cell populations to generate functional neuronal networks has not been assessed so far. Results While both precursor populations were shown to differentiate into sufficient quantities of mature NeuN+ neurons that also express GABA or vesicular-glutamate-transporter-2 (vGlut2, only aggregate-derived neuronal populations exhibited a synchronously oscillating network activity 2–4 weeks after initiating the differentiation as detected by the microelectrode array technology. Neurons derived from homogeneous NPCs within monolayer cultures did merely show uncorrelated spiking activity even when differentiated for up to 12 weeks. We demonstrated that these neurons exhibited sparsely ramified neurites and an embryonic vGlut2 distribution suggesting an inhibited terminal neuronal maturation. In comparison, neurons derived from heterogeneous populations within neural aggregates appeared as fully mature with a dense neurite network and punctuated

Computational Biology Methods for Characterization of Pluripotent Cells.

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Araúzo-Bravo, Marcos J

2016-01-01

Pluripotent cells are a powerful tool for regenerative medicine and drug discovery. Several techniques have been developed to induce pluripotency, or to extract pluripotent cells from different tissues and biological fluids. However, the characterization of pluripotency requires tedious, expensive, time-consuming, and not always reliable wet-lab experiments; thus, an easy, standard quality-control protocol of pluripotency assessment remains to be established. Here to help comes the use of high-throughput techniques, and in particular, the employment of gene expression microarrays, which has become a complementary technique for cellular characterization. Research has shown that the transcriptomics comparison with an Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) of reference is a good approach to assess the pluripotency. Under the premise that the best protocol is a computer software source code, here I propose and explain line by line a software protocol coded in R-Bioconductor for pluripotency assessment based on the comparison of transcriptomics data of pluripotent cells with an ESC of reference. I provide advice for experimental design, warning about possible pitfalls, and guides for results interpretation.

Establishment of reference CD4+ T cell values for adult Indian population

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Ray Krishnangshu

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background CD4+ T lymphocyte counts are the most important indicator of disease progression and success of antiretroviral treatment in HIV infection in resource limited settings. The nationwide reference range of CD4+ T lymphocytes was not available in India. This study was conducted to determine reference values of absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages for adult Indian population. Methods A multicentric study was conducted involving eight sites across the country. A total of 1206 (approximately 150 per/centre healthy participants were enrolled in the study. The ratio of male (N = 645 to female (N = 561 of 1.14:1. The healthy status of the participants was assessed by a pre-decided questionnaire. At all centers the CD4+ T cell count, percentages and absolute CD3+ T cell count and percentages were estimated using a single platform strategy and lyse no wash technique. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientist (SPSS, version 15 and Prism software version 5. Results The absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages in female participants were significantly higher than the values obtained in male participants indicating the true difference in the CD4+ T cell subsets. The reference range for absolute CD4 count for Indian male population was 381-1565 cells/μL and for female population was 447-1846 cells/μL. The reference range for CD4% was 25-49% for male and 27-54% for female population. The reference values for CD3 counts were 776-2785 cells/μL for Indian male population and 826-2997 cells/μL for female population. Conclusion The study used stringent procedures for controlling the technical variation in the CD4 counts across the sites and thus could establish the robust national reference ranges for CD4 counts and percentages. These ranges will be helpful in staging the disease progression and monitoring antiretroviral therapy in HIV infection in India.

Cellular population dynamics control the robustness of the stem cell niche

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Adam L. MacLean

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Within populations of cells, fate decisions are controlled by an indeterminate combination of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors. In the case of stem cells, the stem cell niche is believed to maintain ‘stemness’ through communication and interactions between the stem cells and one or more other cell-types that contribute to the niche conditions. To investigate the robustness of cell fate decisions in the stem cell hierarchy and the role that the niche plays, we introduce simple mathematical models of stem and progenitor cells, their progeny and their interplay in the niche. These models capture the fundamental processes of proliferation and differentiation and allow us to consider alternative possibilities regarding how niche-mediated signalling feedback regulates the niche dynamics. Generalised stability analysis of these stem cell niche systems enables us to describe the stability properties of each model. We find that although the number of feasible states depends on the model, their probabilities of stability in general do not: stem cell–niche models are stable across a wide range of parameters. We demonstrate that niche-mediated feedback increases the number of stable steady states, and show how distinct cell states have distinct branching characteristics. The ecological feedback and interactions mediated by the stem cell niche thus lend (surprisingly high levels of robustness to the stem and progenitor cell population dynamics. Furthermore, cell–cell interactions are sufficient for populations of stem cells and their progeny to achieve stability and maintain homeostasis. We show that the robustness of the niche – and hence of the stem cell pool in the niche – depends only weakly, if at all, on the complexity of the niche make-up: simple as well as complicated niche systems are capable of supporting robust and stable stem cell dynamics.

Existence and characterization of optimal control in mathematics model of diabetics population

Science.gov (United States)

Permatasari, A. H.; Tjahjana, R. H.; Udjiani, T.

2018-03-01

Diabetes is a chronic disease with a huge burden affecting individuals and the whole society. In this paper, we constructed the optimal control mathematical model by applying a strategy to control the development of diabetic population. The constructed mathematical model considers the dynamics of disabled people due to diabetes. Moreover, an optimal control approach is proposed in order to reduce the burden of pre-diabetes. Implementation of control is done by preventing the pre-diabetes develop into diabetics with and without complications. The existence of optimal control and characterization of optimal control is discussed in this paper. Optimal control is characterized by applying the Pontryagin minimum principle. The results indicate that there is an optimal control in optimization problem in mathematics model of diabetic population. The effect of the optimal control variable (prevention) is strongly affected by the number of healthy people.

Lin28a is a putative factor in regulating cancer stem cell-like properties in side population cells of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, S.; Tanaka, J.; Okada, S.; Isobe, T.; Yamamoto, G.; Yasuhara, R.; Irie, T.; Akiyama, C.; Kohno, Y.; Tachikawa, T.; Mishima, K., E-mail: mishima-k@dent.showa-u.ac.jp

2013-05-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are among the target cells of cancer therapy because they are uniquely involved in both cancer progression and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. We identified side population (SP) cells, which are known to be an enriched population of CSC, in five oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells (SCC9, SCC25, TOSCC7, TOSCC17, and TOSCC23). The percentages of SP cells ranged from 0% to 3.3%, with TOSCC23 cells showing the highest percentages of SP cells (3.3% of the total cell population). The SP cells isolated from TOSCC23 cells also showed greater cell proliferation and invasion compared to non-SP (MP) cells. Therefore, our initial findings suggested that SP cells were enriched for CSC-like cells. Furthermore, DNA microarray analysis revealed that the expression of cell proliferation-related and anti-apoptotic genes was greater in SP cells compared to MP cells. We focused on Lin28a, which showed the highest expression (approximately 22-fold) among the upregulated genes. The overexpression of Lin28a in TOSCC23 cells increased their proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. These findings suggest that Lin28a is an appropriate CSC target molecule for OSCC treatment - Highlights: ► Lin28a is a SP cell-specific factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. ► SP cells in OSCC cells show cancer stem cell-like properties. ► Lin28a regulates OSCC proliferative and invasive activities.

Lin28a is a putative factor in regulating cancer stem cell-like properties in side population cells of oral squamous cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, S.; Tanaka, J.; Okada, S.; Isobe, T.; Yamamoto, G.; Yasuhara, R.; Irie, T.; Akiyama, C.; Kohno, Y.; Tachikawa, T.; Mishima, K.

2013-01-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are among the target cells of cancer therapy because they are uniquely involved in both cancer progression and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. We identified side population (SP) cells, which are known to be an enriched population of CSC, in five oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells (SCC9, SCC25, TOSCC7, TOSCC17, and TOSCC23). The percentages of SP cells ranged from 0% to 3.3%, with TOSCC23 cells showing the highest percentages of SP cells (3.3% of the total cell population). The SP cells isolated from TOSCC23 cells also showed greater cell proliferation and invasion compared to non-SP (MP) cells. Therefore, our initial findings suggested that SP cells were enriched for CSC-like cells. Furthermore, DNA microarray analysis revealed that the expression of cell proliferation-related and anti-apoptotic genes was greater in SP cells compared to MP cells. We focused on Lin28a, which showed the highest expression (approximately 22-fold) among the upregulated genes. The overexpression of Lin28a in TOSCC23 cells increased their proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. These findings suggest that Lin28a is an appropriate CSC target molecule for OSCC treatment - Highlights: ► Lin28a is a SP cell-specific factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. ► SP cells in OSCC cells show cancer stem cell-like properties. ► Lin28a regulates OSCC proliferative and invasive activities

Isolation and characterization of equine peripheral blood-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells

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Armando de M. Carvalho

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to isolate, cultivate and characterize equine peripheral blood-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (PbMSCs. Peripheral blood was collected, followed by the isolation of mononuclear cells using density gradient reagents, and the cultivation of adherent cells. Monoclonal mouse anti-horse CD13, mouse anti-horse CD44, and mouse anti-rat CD90 antibodies were used for the immunophenotypic characterization of the surface of the PbMSCs. These cells were also cultured in specific media for adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. There was no expression of the CD13 marker, but CD44 and CD90 were expressed in all of the passages tested. After 14 days of cell differentiation into adipocytes, lipid droplets were observed upon Oil Red O (ORO staining. Twenty-one days after chondrogenic differentiation, the cells were stained with Alcian Blue. Although the technique for the isolation of these cells requires improvement, the present study demonstrates the partial characterization of PbMSCs, classifying them as a promising type of progenitor cells for use in equine cell therapy.

CD146/MCAM defines functionality of human bone marrow stromal stem cell populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harkness, Linda; Zaher, Walid; Ditzel, Nicholas

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Identification of surface markers for prospective isolation of functionally homogenous populations of human skeletal (stromal, mesenchymal) stem cells (hMSCs) is highly relevant for cell therapy protocols. Thus, we examined the possible use of CD146 to subtype a heterogeneous hMSC...... population. METHODS: Using flow cytometry and cell sorting, we isolated two distinct hMSC-CD146(+) and hMSC-CD146(-) cell populations from the telomerized human bone marrow-derived stromal cell line (hMSC-TERT). Cells were examined for differences in their size, shape and texture by using high...... and adipocytes on the basis of gene expression and protein production of lineage-specific markers. In vivo, hMSC-CD146(+) and hMSC-CD146(-) cells formed bone and bone marrow organ when implanted subcutaneously in immune-deficient mice. Bone was enriched in hMSC-CD146(-) cells (12.6 % versus 8.1 %) and bone...

Isolation and characterization of the progenitor cells from the blastema tissue formed at experimentally-created rabbit ear hole.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghaban Eslaminejad, Mohamadreza; Bordbar, Sima

2013-02-01

Objective(s) : Throughout evolution, mammalians have increasingly lost their ability to regenerate structures however rabbits are exceptional since they develop a blastema in their ear wound for regeneration purposes. Blastema consists of a group of undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into the ear tissue. The objective of the present study is to isolate, culture expand, and characterize blastema progenitor cells in terms of their in vitro differentiation capacity. Five New Zealand white male rabbits were used in the present study. Using a punching apparatus, a 4-mm hole was created in the animal ears. Following 4 days, the blastema ring which was created in the periphery of primary hole in the ears was removed and cultivated. The cells migrated from the blastema were expanded through 3 successive subcultures and characterized in terms of their potential differentiation, growth characteristics, and culture requirements. The primary cultures tended to be morphologically heterogeneous having spindly-shaped fibroblast-like cells as well as flattened cells. Fibroblast-like cells survived and dominated the cultures. These cells tended to have the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation potentials. They were highly colonogenic and maximum proliferation was achieved when the cells were plated at density of 100 cells/cm2 in a medium which contained 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Taken together, blastema tissue-derived stem cells from rabbit ear are of mesenchymal stem cell-like population. Studies similar to this will assist scientist better understanding the nature of blastema tissue formed at rabbit ear to regenerate the wound.

Characterization of the myeloid-derived suppressor cell subset regulated by NK cells in malignant lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Yusuke; Shimizu, Kanako; Shinga, Jun; Hidaka, Michihiro; Kawano, Fumio; Kakimi, Kazuhiro; Yamasaki, Satoru; Asakura, Miki; Fujii, Shin-Ichiro

2015-03-01

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population with the ability to suppress immune responses and are currently classified into three distinct MDSC subsets: monocytic, granulocytic and non-monocytic, and non-granulocytic MDSCs. Although NK cells provide an important first-line defense against newly transformed cancer cells, it is unknown whether NK cells can regulate MDSC populations in the context of cancer. In this study, we initially found that the frequency of MDSCs in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients was increased and inversely correlated with that of NK cells, but not that of T cells. To investigate the regulation of MDSC subsets by NK cells, we used an EL4 murine lymphoma model and found the non-monocytic and non-granulocytic MDSC subset, i.e., Gr1 + CD11b + Ly6G med Ly6C med MDSC, is increased after NK cell depletion. The MDSC population that expresses MHC class II, CD80, CD124, and CCR2 is regulated mainly by CD27 + CD11b + NK cells. In addition, this MDSC subset produces some immunosuppressive cytokines, including IL-10 but not nitric oxide (NO) or arginase. We also examined two subsets of MDSCs (CD14 + HLA-DR - and CD14 - HLA-DR - MDSC) in NHL patients and found that higher IL-10-producing CD14 + HLA-DR - MDSC subset can be seen in lymphoma patients with reduced NK cell frequency in peripheral blood. Our analyses of MDSCs in this study may enable a better understanding of how MDSCs manipulate the tumor microenvironment and are regulated by NK cells in patients with lymphoma.

On interfaces between cell populations with different mobilities

KAUST Repository

Lorenzi, Tommaso; Lorz, Alexander; Perthame, Benoit

2016-01-01

Partial differential equations describing the dynamics of cell population densities from a fluid mechanical perspective can model the growth of avascular tumours. In this framework, we consider a system of equations that describes the interaction

Phenotypic characterization of aberrant stem and progenitor cell populations in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostendorf, Benjamin N; Flenner, Eva; Flörcken, Anne; Westermann, Jörg

2018-01-01

Recent reports have revealed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to arise from cancer stem cells phenotypically similar to physiological hematopoietic stem cells. Myelodysplastic hematopoiesis maintains a hierarchical organization, but the proportion of several hematopoietic compartments is skewed and multiple surface markers are aberrantly expressed. These aberrant antigen expression patterns hold diagnostic and therapeutic promise. However, eradication of MDS requires targeting of early myelodysplasia propagating stem cells. This warrants an exact assessment of the differentiation stage at which aberrant expression occurs in transformed hematopoiesis. Here, we report results on the prospective and extensive dissection of the hematopoietic hierarchy in 20 patients with either low-risk MDS or MDS with excess blasts and compare it to hematopoiesis in patients with non-malignancy-associated cytopenia or B cell lymphoma without bone marrow infiltration. We found patients with MDS with excess blasts to exhibit characteristic expansions of specific immature progenitor compartments. We also identified the aberrant expression of several markers including ALDH, CLL-1, CD44, and CD47 to be specific features of hematopoiesis in MDS with excess blasts. We show that amongst these, aberrant CLL-1 expression manifested at the early uncommitted hematopoietic stem cell level, suggesting a potential role as a therapeutic target.

Phenotypic characterization of aberrant stem and progenitor cell populations in myelodysplastic syndromes.

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Benjamin N Ostendorf

Full Text Available Recent reports have revealed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS to arise from cancer stem cells phenotypically similar to physiological hematopoietic stem cells. Myelodysplastic hematopoiesis maintains a hierarchical organization, but the proportion of several hematopoietic compartments is skewed and multiple surface markers are aberrantly expressed. These aberrant antigen expression patterns hold diagnostic and therapeutic promise. However, eradication of MDS requires targeting of early myelodysplasia propagating stem cells. This warrants an exact assessment of the differentiation stage at which aberrant expression occurs in transformed hematopoiesis. Here, we report results on the prospective and extensive dissection of the hematopoietic hierarchy in 20 patients with either low-risk MDS or MDS with excess blasts and compare it to hematopoiesis in patients with non-malignancy-associated cytopenia or B cell lymphoma without bone marrow infiltration. We found patients with MDS with excess blasts to exhibit characteristic expansions of specific immature progenitor compartments. We also identified the aberrant expression of several markers including ALDH, CLL-1, CD44, and CD47 to be specific features of hematopoiesis in MDS with excess blasts. We show that amongst these, aberrant CLL-1 expression manifested at the early uncommitted hematopoietic stem cell level, suggesting a potential role as a therapeutic target.

Culture and Characterization of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Wenyu; Sun, Wei; Guo, Changcheng; Yan, Yang; Liu, Min; Yao, Xudong; Yang, Bin; Zheng, Junhua

2015-07-01

Although emerging evidence demonstrates increased circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with solid tumors, to our knowledge it is still unknown whether such cells can be cultured from patients with highly angiogenic renal cell carcinoma. We cultured and characterized circulating endothelial progenitor cells from patients with renal cell carcinoma. The circulating endothelial progenitor cell level (percent of CD45(-)CD34(+) VEGF-R2(+) cells in total peripheral blood mononuclear cells) was quantified in 47 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 40 healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were then isolated from 33 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 30 healthy controls to culture and characterize circulating endothelial progenitor cells. The circulating endothelial progenitor cell level was significantly higher in patients with renal cell carcinoma than in healthy controls (0.276% vs 0.086%, p cells first emerged significantly earlier in patient than in control preparations (6.72 vs 14.67 days, p culture success rate (87.8% vs 40.0% of participants) and the number of colonies (10.06 vs 1.83) were significantly greater for patients than for controls (each p cell level correlated positively with the number of patient colonies (r = 0.762, p Cells cultured from patients and controls showed a similar growth pattern, immunophenotype, ability to uptake Ac-LDL and bind lectin, and form capillary tubes in vitro. However, significantly more VEGF-R2(+) circulating endothelial progenitor cells were found in preparations from patients with renal cell carcinoma than from healthy controls (21.1% vs 13.4%, p cell colonies, a higher cell culture success rate and more colonies were found for patients with renal cell carcinoma than for healthy controls. Results indicate the important significance of VEGF-R2(+) circulating endothelial progenitors in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research

Characterizing heterogeneous cellular responses to perturbations.

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Michael D; Martinez, Elisabeth D; Wu, Lani F; Altschuler, Steven J

2008-12-09

Cellular populations have been widely observed to respond heterogeneously to perturbation. However, interpreting the observed heterogeneity is an extremely challenging problem because of the complexity of possible cellular phenotypes, the large dimension of potential perturbations, and the lack of methods for separating meaningful biological information from noise. Here, we develop an image-based approach to characterize cellular phenotypes based on patterns of signaling marker colocalization. Heterogeneous cellular populations are characterized as mixtures of phenotypically distinct subpopulations, and responses to perturbations are summarized succinctly as probabilistic redistributions of these mixtures. We apply our method to characterize the heterogeneous responses of cancer cells to a panel of drugs. We find that cells treated with drugs of (dis-)similar mechanism exhibit (dis-)similar patterns of heterogeneity. Despite the observed phenotypic diversity of cells observed within our data, low-complexity models of heterogeneity were sufficient to distinguish most classes of drug mechanism. Our approach offers a computational framework for assessing the complexity of cellular heterogeneity, investigating the degree to which perturbations induce redistributions of a limited, but nontrivial, repertoire of underlying states and revealing functional significance contained within distinct patterns of heterogeneous responses.

Reduced satellite cell population may lead to contractures in children with cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Lucas R; Chambers, Henry G; Lieber, Richard L

2013-03-01

Satellite cells are the stem cells residing in muscle responsible for skeletal muscle growth and repair. Skeletal muscle in cerebral palsy (CP) has impaired longitudinal growth that results in muscle contractures. We hypothesized that the satellite cell population would be reduced in contractured muscle. We compared the satellite cell populations in hamstring muscles from participants with CP contracture (n=8; six males, two females; age range 6-15y; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels II-V; 4 with hemiplegia, 4 with diplegia) and from typically developing participants (n=8; six males, two females, age range 15-18y). Muscle biopsies were extracted from the gracilis and semitendinosus muscles and mononuclear cells were isolated. Cell surface markers were stained with fluorescently conjugated antibodies to label satellite cells (neural cell adhesion molecule) and inflammatory and endothelial cells (CD34 and CD4 respectively). Cells were analyzed using flow cytometry to determine cell populations. After gating for intact cells a mean of 12.8% (SD 2.8%) were determined to be satellite cells in typically developing children, but only 5.3% (SD 2.3%; p0.05) suggesting the isolation procedure was valid. A reduced satellite cell population may account for the decreased longitudinal growth of muscles in CP that develop into fixed contractures or the decreased ability to strengthen muscle in CP. This suggests a unique musculoskeletal disease mechanism and provides a potential therapeutic target for debilitating muscle contractures. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2012 Mac Keith Press.

A population of human brain cells expressing phenotypic markers of more than one lineage can be induced in vitro to differentiate into mesenchymal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieske, Piotr; Augelli, Brian J.; Stawski, Robert; Gaughan, John; Azizi, S. Ausim; Krynska, Barbara

2009-01-01

Proliferating astrocytic cells from germinal, as well as mature areas of brain parenchyma, have the characteristics of neural stem/progenitor cells and are capable of generating both neurons and glia. We previously reported that primary fetal human brain cells, designated as Normal Human Astrocytes (NHA), expressed, in addition to GFAP, Vimentin and Nestin, low levels of βIII-Tubulin, an early neuronal marker, and differentiated into neurons and astrocytes in vitro. Here, we showed that primary NHA cells co-express low levels of mesenchymal markers Fibronectin and Collagen-1 in culture. These cells transitioned into mesenchymal-like cells when cultured in adherent conditions in serum containing media. The mesenchymal-like derivatives of these cells were characterized based on their morphological changes, high expression of Vimentin and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, Collagen-1 and Fibronectin, and decline of neural markers. When incubated in osteogenic and adipogenic induction media, the mesenchymal-like cells differentiated into osteoblasts and adipocytes. Furthermore, NHA cells express markers of neural crest cells, SOX-10 and p75. These data support the idea of ectoderm-derived mesenchymal lineages. These findings suggest that a population of primitive fetal brain cells with neural/neural crest/mesenchymal phenotype, resembles the remarkable phenotypic plasticity of neural crest cells, and differentiates into adipocytes and osteocytes under the influence of environmental factors

Identification and Characterization of Adult Porcine Muscle Stem Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilschut, K.J.

2009-01-01

In the past decade, tissue-specific stem cell research has been emerging. Stem cells are characterized by a long-term expansion and a broad developmental potential in vitro. Pre-clinical studies appear promising, but still many limitations have to be overcome before broad therapeutic use of stem

Detailed Functional and Proteomic Characterization of Fludarabine Resistance in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Cells.

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Lucie Lorkova

Full Text Available Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL is a chronically relapsing aggressive type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma considered incurable by currently used treatment approaches. Fludarabine is a purine analog clinically still widely used in the therapy of relapsed MCL. Molecular mechanisms of fludarabine resistance have not, however, been studied in the setting of MCL so far. We therefore derived fludarabine-resistant MCL cells (Mino/FR and performed their detailed functional and proteomic characterization compared to the original fludarabine sensitive cells (Mino. We demonstrated that Mino/FR were highly cross-resistant to other antinucleosides (cytarabine, cladribine, gemcitabine and to an inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK ibrutinib. Sensitivity to other types of anti-lymphoma agents was altered only mildly (methotrexate, doxorubicin, bortezomib or remained unaffacted (cisplatin, bendamustine. The detailed proteomic analysis of Mino/FR compared to Mino cells unveiled over 300 differentially expressed proteins. Mino/FR were characterized by the marked downregulation of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK and BTK (thus explaining the observed crossresistance to antinucleosides and ibrutinib, but also by the upregulation of several enzymes of de novo nucleotide synthesis, as well as the up-regulation of the numerous proteins of DNA repair and replication. The significant upregulation of the key antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in Mino/FR cells was associated with the markedly increased sensitivity of the fludarabine-resistant MCL cells to Bcl-2-specific inhibitor ABT199 compared to fludarabine-sensitive cells. Our data thus demonstrate that a detailed molecular analysis of drug-resistant tumor cells can indeed open a way to personalized therapy of resistant malignancies.

Taxonomic separation of hippocampal networks: principal cell populations and adult neurogenesis

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Roelof Maarten evan Dijk

2016-03-01

Full Text Available While many differences in hippocampal anatomy have been described between species, it is typically not clear if they are specific to a particular species and related to functional requirements or if they are shared by species of larger taxonomic units. Without such information, it is difficult to infer how anatomical differences may impact on hippocampal function, because multiple taxonomic levels need to be considered to associate behavioral and anatomical changes. To provide information on anatomical changes within and across taxonomic ranks, we present a quantitative assessment of hippocampal principal cell populations in 20 species or strain groups, with emphasis on rodents, the taxonomic group that provides most animals used in laboratory research. Of special interest is the importance of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in species-specific adaptations relative to other cell populations. Correspondence analysis of cell numbers shows that across taxonomic units, phylogenetically related species cluster together, sharing similar proportions of principal cell populations. CA3 and hilus are strong separators that place rodent species into a tight cluster based on their relatively large CA3 and small hilus while non-rodent species (including humans and non-human primates are placed on the opposite side of the spectrum. Hilus and CA3 are also separators within rodents, with a very large CA3 and rather small hilar cell populations separating mole-rats from other rodents that, in turn, are separated from each other by smaller changes in the proportions of CA1 and granule cells. When adult neurogenesis is included, the relatively small populations of young neurons, proliferating cells and hilar neurons become main drivers of taxonomic separation within rodents. The observations provide challenges to the computational modeling of hippocampal function, suggest differences in the organization of hippocampal information streams in rodent and non

Fabrication and characterization of tetracyanoquinodimethane/phthalocyanine solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Atsushi; Ohtsuki, Takahiro; Oku, Takeo; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Heterojunction solar cells of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)/copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) were fabricated and characterized. ► The light-induced charge separation with charge transfer was investigated by light-induced current density and optical absorption.. ► In both solar cells of TCNQ/CuPc and TCNQ/ZnPc, the TCNQ thin film worked for strong electron-accepting layer. ► These behaviors would be originated in charge transfer of excited electron from CuPc and ZnPc to TCNQ. ► The photovoltaic mechanism was discussed by the experimental results. - Abstract: Fabrication and characterization of heterojunction solar cells of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)/copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) were carried out. The light-induced charge separation with charge transfer was investigated by light-induced current density and optical absorption. In both cases of the TCNQ/CuPc and TCNQ/ZnPc solar cells, the TCNQ thin film worked for strong electron-accepting layer as n-type semiconductor. These behaviors would be originated in charge transfer of excited electron from CuPc and ZnPc to TCNQ. The photovoltaic mechanism was discussed on the basis of the experimental results.

Identification and Characterization of Adult Porcine Muscle Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Wilschut, K.J.

2009-01-01

In the past decade, tissue-specific stem cell research has been emerging. Stem cells are characterized by a long-term expansion and a broad developmental potential in vitro. Pre-clinical studies appear promising, but still many limitations have to be overcome before broad therapeutic use of stem cells is save and efficient. Meanwhile, the use of stem cells for drug screening and toxicology studies are also beneficial to biomedical science. To cure muscular dystrophy no efficient therapy exist...

Isolation and characterization of neural stem cells from human fetal striatum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoxia; Xu Jinchong; Bai Yun; Wang Xuan; Dai Xin; Liu Yinan; Zhang Jun; Zou Junhua; Shen Li; Li Lingsong

2005-01-01

This paper described that neural stem cells (hsNSCs) were isolated and expanded rapidly from human fetal striatum in adherent culture. The population was serum- and growth factor-dependent and expressed neural stem cell markers. They were capable of multi-differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. When plated in the dopaminergic neuron inducing medium, human striatum neural stem cells could differentiate into tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons. hsNSCs were morphologically homogeneous and possessed high proliferation ability. The population doubled every 44.28 h and until now it has divided for more than 82 generations in vitro. Normal human diploid karyotype was unchanged throughout the in vitro culture period. Together, this study has exploited a method for continuous and rapid expansion of human neural stem cells as pure population, which maintained the capacity to generate almost fifty percent neurons. The availability of such cells may hold great interest for basic and applied neuroscience

Computational model for squamous cells characterization during cervical smear cytology

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Víctor Eduardo Martínez Abaunza

2005-07-01

Full Text Available The main goal of the work done by the Biomedical Engineering Research Group (GIIB, and the Structural, Functional and Clinical Pathology Research Group of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS, with Autonomous University of Bucaramanga (UNAB, was to construct a computational model allowing squamous cells characterization of cervical smear cytology to classify them as being either normal or abnormal cells. Slides containing the cell samples were colleted by the pathologist and the images were digitalized by a video-camera coupled to a microscope and connected to a frame acquisition device. Three thresholding algorithms were used, in image segmentation, allowing cell nuclei detection; manual thresholding was used when these algorithms failed to detect cytoplasm. Cell texture was described by the distribution of histogram in each color level, and the borders using Fourier descriptors. The results of the first phase are presented, implementing them in classifying and identifying normal cells. Later stages will involve characterizing each cells stage initially classified as presenting some reactive change or due to infection, to distinguish the reactive cells of intraepithelial lesion cells. Key words: image processing, mathematical morphology, cervical smear cytology, dysplasia, cancer of cervix.

Application of image flow cytometry for the characterization of red blood cell morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Ruben N.; Sebastian, Joseph A.; Parsons, Michael; Chang, Tim C.; Acker, Jason P.; Kolios, Michael C.

2017-02-01

Red blood cells (RBCs) stored in hypothermic environments for the purpose of transfusion have been documented to undergo structural and functional changes over time. One sign of the so-called RBC storage lesion is irreversible damage to the cell membrane. Consequently, RBCs undergo a morphological transformation from regular, deformable biconcave discocytes to rigid spheroechinocytes. The spherically shaped RBCs lack the deformability to efficiently enter microvasculature, thereby reducing the capacity of RBCs to oxygenate tissue. Blood banks currently rely on microscope techniques that include fixing, staining and cell counting in order to morphologically characterize RBC samples; these methods are labor intensive and highly subjective. This study presents a novel, high-throughput RBC morphology characterization technique using image flow cytometry (IFC). An image segmentation template was developed to process 100,000 images acquired from the IFC system and output the relative spheroechinocyte percentage. The technique was applied on samples extracted from two blood bags to monitor the morphological changes of the RBCs during in vitro hypothermic storage. The study found that, for a given sample of RBCs, the IFC method was twice as fast in data acquisition, and analyzed 250-350 times more RBCs than the conventional method. Over the lifespan of the blood bags, the mean spheroechinocyte population increased by 37%. Future work will focus on expanding the template to segregate RBC images into more subpopulations for the validation of the IFC method against conventional techniques; the expanded template will aid in establishing quantitative links between spheroechinocyte increase and other RBC storage lesion characteristics.

A nu-space for ICS: characterization and application to measure protein transport in live cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin-Trottier, Laurent; Chen, Lingfeng; Horwitz, Alan Rick; Wiseman, Paul W

2013-08-01

We introduce a new generalized theoretical framework for image correlation spectroscopy (ICS). Using this framework, we extend the ICS method in time-frequency ( ν , nu) space to map molecular flow of fluorescently tagged proteins in individual living cells. Even in the presence of a dominant immobile population of fluorescent molecules, nu-space ICS (nICS) provides an unbiased velocity measurement, as well as the diffusion coefficient of the flow, without requiring filtering. We also develop and characterize a tunable frequency-filter for STICS that allows quantification of the density, the diffusion coefficient and the velocity of biased diffusion. We show that the techniques are accurate over a wide range of parameter space in computer simulation. We then characterize the retrograde flow of adhesion proteins ( α 6- and αLβ 2-GFP integrins and mCherry-paxillin) in CHO.B2 cells plated on laminin and ICAM ligands respectively. STICS with a tunable frequency filter, in conjunction with nICS, measures two new transport parameters, the density and transport bias coefficient (a measure of the diffusive character of a flow/biased diffusion), showing that molecular flow in this cell system has a significant diffusive component. Our results suggest that the integrinligand interaction, along with the internal myosin-motor generated force, varies for different integrin-ligand pairs, consistent with previous results.

Distinct Blood and Visceral Adipose Tissue Regulatory T Cell and Innate Lymphocyte Profiles Characterize Obesity and Colorectal Cancer

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Gloria Donninelli

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Visceral adipose tissue (VAT is a main site where metabolic and immunologic processes interplay to regulate, at local and systemic level, the inflammatory status and immune response. Obesity-associated inflammation and immune dysfunctions are inextricably linked to tumor but, in spite of intense efforts, the mechanisms underpinning this association remain elusive. In this report, we characterized the profile of VAT-associated and circulating innate lymphocyte and regulatory T (Treg cell subsets underlying inflammatory conditions, such as obesity and colorectal cancer (CRC. Analysis of NK, NKT-like, γδ T, and Treg cell populations in VAT and blood of healthy lean subjects revealed that CD56hi NK and OX40+ Treg cells are more abundant in VAT with respect to blood. Conversely, CD56dim NK and total Treg cells are most present in the circulation, while γδ T lymphocytes are uniformly distributed in the two compartments. Interestingly, a reduced frequency of circulating activated Treg cells, and a concomitant preferential enrichment of OX40-expressing Treg cells in VAT, were selectively observed in obese (Ob subjects, and directly correlated with body mass index. Likewise, CRC patients were characterized by a specific enrichment of VAT-associated NKT-like cells. In addition, Ob and CRC-affected individuals shared a significant reduction of the Vγ9Vδ2/γδ T cell ratio at systemic level. The alterations in the relative proportions of Treg and NKT-like cells in VAT were found to correlate with the content of pro- and anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, respectively. Overall, these results provide evidence for distinct alterations of the immune cell repertoire in the periphery with respect to the VAT microenvironment that uniquely characterize or are shared by different inflammatory conditions, such as obesity and CRC, and suggest that VAT PUFA composition may represent one of the factors that contribute to shape the immune

Mechanism of derivation of radioresistance in HeLa cell population after repeated x-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Kihei; Koiwai, Soichiro; Morita, Kazuo

1982-01-01

The Radioresistant strain (X-8-5) was obtained from HeLa-SC population X-irradiated repeatedly for five times with 800 rad. The mean lethal dose (D 0 ) was 196 rad for X-8-5 cells, while it was 166 rad for control HeLa-SC cells. The fraction of cells containing an unusually long acrocentric chromosome (LA 2) exclusively increased with increasing number of irradiation of HeLa-SC population. A clonal strain with LA 2 marker was isolated from X-8-5 population and named RC-355. Since the RC-355 cells were more resistant (D 0 = 220 rad)than parental X-8-5 cells (D 0 = 196 rad), it was suggested that the cells with LA 2 were responsible for the radioresistance of X-8-5 population. The RC-355 cells were further subjected to the analysis of Q-banded karyotypes and it was observed that 18 types of specific markers (rm 1-17 and LA 2) were included in RC-355 cells in addition to 12 types of markers observed in most of HeLa-SC cells. Since the analysis of Q-banded karyotypes of RC-355 cells showed that RC-355 specific markers were not produced by radiation-induced rearrangements of HeLa-SC chromosomes, because twelve kinds of HeLa-SC markers were presented in RC-355 cells without any change, it was concluded that a small number of cells with LA 2 marker were originally presented in the control population and the relative fraction of them occupied increased after irradiation. (author)

Heterogenous populations of cytotoxic cells in the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice immunized with allogeneic EL4 leukemia cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zighelboim, J.; Bonavida, B.; Fahey, J.L.

1974-01-01

Adherent cells, presumably macrophages, obtained from the peritoneal cavity shortly after rejection of the allogeneic leukemia EL4, produced effective cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) in vitro. These cytotoxic cells were sensitive to anti-macrophage serum and resistant to anti-thymocyte serum and 10,000 roentgen irradiation. In contrast, a second population of specifically cytotoxic cells were nonadherent, sensitive to x-rays and anti-thymocyte serum, but not to anti-macrophage serum. The two cell populations had a cooperative cytotoxic effect in vitro against allogeneic tumor cells

Recovery of the Erythropoietin-Sensitive Stem-Cell Population following Total-Body X-Irradiation

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Byron, J. W. [Paterson Laboratories, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Manchester (United Kingdom)

1968-08-15

Erythropoietin acts upon haemopoietic stem cells to initiate their differentiation into the erythroid series. This effect may be used in polycythaemic mice to estimate changes in the erythropoietin-sensitive stem-cell population following total-body irradiation (TBR). Generally, single doses of erythropoietin, less than that needed for maximum stem-cell response, are used to estimate changes in the stem-cell population. The validity of results using this test is based upon accepting several assumptions regarding erythropoietin kinetics. These are: (a) the contribution of endogenous erythropoietin is always negligible; (b) the origin of the dose-response curve to erythropoietin alters only because of changes in stem-cell numbers; (c) the proportion of stem cells responding to a given concentration of erythropoietin is independent of stem-cell numbers; (d) the slope of the dose-response curve does not alter; and (e) competition between erythropoietin and other factors for the stem cells remains unchanged. The studies to be reported indicate that some of these assumptions m a y not always be valid. Following 150 rad TBR, changes in erythropoietin dose-response curves were not always due to changes in the size of the stem-cell population, but also due to changes in erythropoietin kinetics. Changes in erythropoietin kinetics could be corrected for by using doses of erythropoietin which at any particular time after TBR gave maximum stem-cell response; through full dose-response studies, the nature of changes in erythropoietin kinetics following TBR could be established. These studies appear to explain discrepancies in results obtained in different laboratories using the erythropoietin test. The effect of 150 rad TBR on the erythropoietin-sensitive stem-cell population is an initial depression within 30 min to 20% of normal followed by a second depression (post-irradiation dip) at about 12 h. Twenty-four hours after TBR there is a recovery to the initial depression. This

Bet-hedging in bacteriocin producing Escherichia coli populations: the single cell perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Bayramoglu, Bihter; Toubiana, David; van Vliet, Simon; Inglis, R. Fredrik; Shnerb, Nadav; Gillor, Osnat

2017-02-01

Production of public goods in biological systems is often a collaborative effort that may be detrimental to the producers. It is therefore sustainable only if a small fraction of the population shoulders the cost while the majority reap the benefits. We modelled this scenario using Escherichia coli populations producing colicins, an antibiotic that kills producer cells’ close relatives. Colicin expression is a costly trait, and it has been proposed that only a small fraction of the population actively expresses the antibiotic. Colicinogenic populations were followed at the single-cell level using time-lapse microscopy, and showed two distinct, albeit dynamic, subpopulations: the majority silenced colicin expression, while a small fraction of elongated, slow-growing cells formed colicin-expressing hotspots, placing a significant burden on expressers. Moreover, monitoring lineages of individual colicinogenic cells showed stochastic switching between expressers and non-expressers. Hence, colicin expressers may be engaged in risk-reducing strategies—or bet-hedging—as they balance the cost of colicin production with the need to repel competitors. To test the bet-hedging strategy in colicin-mediated interactions, competitions between colicin-sensitive and producer cells were simulated using a numerical model, demonstrating a finely balanced expression range that is essential to sustaining the colicinogenic population.

Characterization and Classification of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Several Species Using Surface Markers for Cell Therapy Purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaneialvar, Hori; Soltani, Leila; Rahmani, Hamid Reza; Lotfi, Abbas Sahebghadam; Soleimani, Masoud

2018-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent cells capable of replicating as undifferentiated cells, and have the potential of differentiating into mesenchymal tissue lineages such as osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes. Such lineages can then be used in cell therapy. The aim of present study was to characterize bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in four different species, including: sheep, goat, human and mouse. Human bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells were purchased, those of sheep and goat were isolated from fetal bone marrow, and those of mouse were collected by washing bone cavity of femur and tibia with DMEM/F12. Using flow-cytometry, they were characterized by CD surface antigens. Furthermore, cells of third passage were examined for their osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential by oil red and alizarin red staining respectively. According to the results, CD markers studied in the four groups of mesenchymal stem cells showed a different expression. Goat and sheep expressed CD44 and CD166, and weakly expressed CD34, CD45, CD105 and CD90. Similarly, human and mouse mesenchymal cells expressed CD44, CD166, CD105 and CD90 whereas the expression of CD34 and CD45 was negative. In conclusion, although all mesenchymal stem cells display plastic adherence and tri-lineage differentiation, not all express the same panel of surface antigens described for human mesenchymal stem cells. Additional panel of CD markers are necessary to characterize regenerative potential and possible application of these stem cells in regenerative medicine and implantology.

Detection and Characterization of Circulating Tumour Cells in Multiple Myeloma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liangxuan Zhang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Multiple myeloma (MM remains an incurable disease despite recent therapeutic improvements. The ability to detect and characterize MM circulating tumour cells (CTCs in peripheral blood provides an alternative to replace or augment invasive bone marrow (BM biopsies with a simple blood draw, providing real-time, clinically relevant information leading to improved disease manage‐ ment and therapy selection. Here we have developed and qualified an enrichment-free, cell-based immunofluores‐ cence MM CTC assay that utilizes an automated digital pathology algorithm to distinguish MM CTCs from white blood cells (WBCs on the basis of CD138 and CD45 expression levels, as well as a number of morphological parameters. These MM CTCs were further characterized for expression of phospho-ribosomal protein S6 (pS6 as a readout for PI3K/AKT pathway activation. Clinical feasi‐ bility of the assay was established by testing blood samples from a small cohort of patients, where we detected popu‐ lations of both CD138pos and CD138neg MM CTCs. In this study, we developed an immunofluorescent cell-based assay to detect and characterize CTCs in MM.

Destruction of radiation-resistant cell populations by hyperthermia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roettinger, E.M.; Gerweck, L.E.

1979-01-01

Animal experiments with local hyperthermia have shown that the radiauion dose necessary for the local control of 50% of the tumours examined was essentially reduced by heating to 42,5 0 C. In-vitro experients indicated selective destruction of relatively radiation-resistent cell populations by the combination of hyperthermie and reduced hydrogen ion concentration. Experiments with glioblastoma cells confirmed these results qualitatively, but showed quantitatively considerably lower sensitivity towards hyperthermia. (orig.) 891 MG/orig. 892 RDG [de

Isolation of murine postnatal brain microglia for phenotypic characterization using magnetic cell separation technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Harms, Ashley S; Tansey, Malú G

2013-01-01

To shorten the time between brain harvesting and microglia isolation, and characterization, we utilized the MACS(®) neural dissociation kit followed by OctoMACS(®) CD11b magnetic bead isolation technique to positively select for brain microglia expressing the pan-microglial marker CD11b, a key subunit of the membrane attack complex (MAC). This protocol yields a viable and highly pure (>95%) microglial population of approximately 500,000 cells per pup that is amenable for in vitro characterization within hours or days after being harvested from brain tissue. Primary microglia from C57Bl/6 mice were plated for next-day analyses of morphology and cellular markers by immunocytochemistry or for analysis of gene expression under resting or LPS-stimulated conditions. The ease of isolation enables investigators to perform molecular and cellular analyses without having to wait 1-2 weeks to isolate microglia by conventional methods involving mechanical agitation to dislodge these from astrocyte beds.

Characterization of CD133+ hepatocellular carcinoma cells as cancer stem/progenitor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suetsugu, Atsushi; Nagaki, Masahito; Aoki, Hitomi; Motohashi, Tsutomu; Kunisada, Takahiro; Moriwaki, Hisataka

2006-01-01

The CD133 antigen, identified as a hematopoietic stem cell marker, appears in various human embryonic epithelia including the neural tube, gut, and kidney. We herein investigated whether CD133 + cells isolated from human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines possess cancer stem/progenitor cell-like properties. Among the three cell lines studied, the CD133 antigen was found to be expressed only on the surface of Huh-7 cells. CD133 + cells from Huh-7 performed a higher in vitro proliferative potential and lower mRNA expressions of mature hepatocyte markers, glutamine synthetase and cytochrome P450 3A4, than CD133 - population of Huh-7 cells. When either CD133 + or CD133 - cells were subcutaneously injected into SCID mice, CD133 + cells formed tumors, whereas CD133 - cells induced either a very small number of tumors or none at all. Taken together, the identification of CD133 + cells could thus be a potentially powerful tool to investigate the tumorigenic process in the hepatoma system and to also develop effective therapies targeted against hepatocellular carcinoma

Characterization of cell mechanical properties by computational modeling of parallel plate compression.

Science.gov (United States)

McGarry, J P

2009-11-01

A substantial body of work has been reported in which the mechanical properties of adherent cells were characterized using compression testing in tandem with computational modeling. However, a number of important issues remain to be addressed. In the current study, using computational analyses, the effect of cell compressibility on the force required to deform spread cells is investigated and the possibility that stiffening of the cell cytoplasm occurs during spreading is examined based on published experimental compression test data. The effect of viscoelasticity on cell compression is considered and difficulties in performing a complete characterization of the viscoelastic properties of a cell nucleus and cytoplasm by this method are highlighted. Finally, a non-linear force-deformation response is simulated using differing linear viscoelastic properties for the cell nucleus and the cell cytoplasm.

A preliminary study measuring the number of T-cell receptor-rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) in peripheral blood T-cell populations of A-bomb survivors and control populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Yoshiko; Yamaoka, Mika; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

2006-01-01

More than a half century after damage of the immune systems by the radiation from A-bomb, we can still observe significant decreases in the percentages of naieve CD4 and CD8 T cells among the survivors. To investigate whether the observed decreases in the naieve T-cell populations may have resulted from reduction in thymic T-cell production ability of survivors, we established a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to examine the number of T-cell receptor-rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) in peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T-cell populations. The real-time PCR quantitatively detected TREC sequences with a good reproducibility in human laboratory controls. In the 445 survivors so far been examined, multiple regression analysis indicated that the number of TRECs in the CD4 T-cell fraction was significantly higher in females than in males and decreased significantly with age in both males and females. This analysis also suggested a possible dose-dependent decrease in the number of TRECs in the CD4 T-cell fraction of the survivors who were less than 20 years of age at the time of bombing (p=0.09). A similar statistically significant trend for gender difference or age was observed in the CD8 T-cell fraction of the survivors. However, there was no effect of radiation exposure on the number of TRECs in the CD8-T cell fraction. The results indicate the possibility that A-bomb radiation exposure may have induced a long-term impairment in thymic CD4 T-cell production. Further investigations in a larger study population are necessary to test this hypothesis. (author)

Single Cell Dynamics Causes Pareto-Like Effect in Stimulated T Cell Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosette, Jérémie; Moussy, Alice; Onodi, Fanny; Auffret-Cariou, Adrien; Neildez-Nguyen, Thi My Anh; Paldi, Andras; Stockholm, Daniel

2015-12-09

Cell fate choice during the process of differentiation may obey to deterministic or stochastic rules. In order to discriminate between these two strategies we used time-lapse microscopy of individual murine CD4 + T cells that allows investigating the dynamics of proliferation and fate commitment. We observed highly heterogeneous division and death rates between individual clones resulting in a Pareto-like dominance of a few clones at the end of the experiment. Commitment to the Treg fate was monitored using the expression of a GFP reporter gene under the control of the endogenous Foxp3 promoter. All possible combinations of proliferation and differentiation were observed and resulted in exclusively GFP-, GFP+ or mixed phenotype clones of very different population sizes. We simulated the process of proliferation and differentiation using a simple mathematical model of stochastic decision-making based on the experimentally observed parameters. The simulations show that a stochastic scenario is fully compatible with the observed Pareto-like imbalance in the final population.

Changes in B Cell Populations and Merozoite Surface Protein-1-Specific Memory B Cell Responses after Prolonged Absence of Detectable P. falciparum Infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyrus Ayieko

Full Text Available Clinical immunity to malaria declines in the absence of repeated parasite exposure. However, little is known about how B cell populations and antigen-specific memory B cells change in the absence of P. falciparum infection. A successful indoor residual insecticide spraying campaign in a highland area of western Kenya, led to an absence of blood-stage P. falciparum infection between March 2007 and April 2008. We assessed memory B cell responses in 45 adults at the beginning (April 2008 and end (April 2009 of a subsequent 12-month period during which none of the adults had evidence of asymptomatic parasitemia or clinical disease. Antibodies and memory B cells to the 42-kDa portion of the merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-142 were measured using ELISA and ELISPOT assays, respectively. B cell populations were characterized by flow cytometry. From 2008 to 2009, the prevalence of MSP-142-specific memory B cells (45% vs. 55%, respectively, P = 0.32 or antibodies (91% vs. 82%, respectively, P = 0.32 did not differ significantly, although specific individuals did change from positive to negative and vice versa, particularly for memory B cells, suggesting possible low-level undetected parasitemia may have occurred in some individuals. The magnitude of MSP-142-specific memory B cells and levels of antibodies to MSP-142 also did not differ from 2008 to 2009 (P>0.10 for both. However, from 2008 to 2009 the proportions of both class-switched atypical (CD19+IgD-CD27-CD21-IgM- and class-switched activated (CD19+IgD-CD27+CD21-IgM- memory B cells decreased (both P<0.001. In contrast, class-switched resting classical memory B cells (CD19+IgD-CD27+CD21+IgM- increased (P<0.001. In this area of seasonal malaria transmission, a one- year absence of detectable P. falciparum infection was not associated with changes in the prevalence or level of MSP-142 specific memory B cells, but was associated with major changes in overall memory B cell subsets.

Single-cell cloning of colon cancer stem cells reveals a multi-lineage differentiation capacity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, L.; Todaro, M.; de Sousa E Melo, F.; Sprick, M. R.; Kemper, K.; Alea, M. Perez; Richel, D. J.; Stassi, G.; Medema, J. P.

2008-01-01

Colon carcinoma is one of the leading causes of death from cancer and is characterized by a heterogenic pool of cells with distinct differentiation patterns. Recently, it was reported that a population of undifferentiated cells from a primary tumor, so-called cancer stem cells (CSC), can

Microelectromechanical System-Based Sensing Arrays for Comparative in Vitro Nanotoxicity Assessment at Single Cell and Small Cell-Population Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Pratikkumar; Zhu, Xuena; Zhang, Xueji; He, Jin; Li, Chen-zhong

2016-03-09

The traditional in vitro nanotoxicity assessment approaches are conducted on a monolayer of cell culture. However, to study a cell response without interference from the neighbor cells, a single cell study is necessary; especially in cases of neuronal, cancerous, and stem cells, wherein an individual cell's fate is often not explained by the whole cell population. Nonetheless, a single cell does not mimic the actual in vivo environment and lacks important information regarding cell communication with its microenvironment. Both a single cell and a cell population provide important and complementary information about cells' behaviors. In this research, we explored nanotoxicity assessment on a single cell and a small cell population using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device. We demonstrated a controlled capture of PC12 cells in different-sized microwells (to capture a different number of cells) using a combined method of surface functionalization and dielectrophoresis. The present approach provides a rapid nanotoxicity response as compared to other conventional approaches. This is the first study, to our knowledge, which demonstrates a comparative response of a single cell and small cell colonies on the same MEMS platform, when exposed to metaloxide nanoparticles. We demonstrated that the microenvironment of a cell is also accountable for cells' behaviors and their responses to nanomaterials. The results of this experimental study open up a new hypothesis to be tested for identifying the role of cell communication in spreading toxicity in a cell population.

Lipid droplet organelle distribution in populations of dividing cells studied by simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalhaimer, Paul

2013-01-01

One of the key questions in cell biology is how organelles are passed from parent to daughter cells. To help address this question, I used Brownian dynamics to simulate lipid droplets as model organelles in populations of dividing cells. Lipid droplets are dynamic bodies that can form both de novo and by fission, they can also be depleted. The quantitative interplay among these three events is unknown but would seem crucial for controlling droplet distribution in populations of dividing cells. Surprisingly, of the three main events studied: biogenesis, fission, and depletion, the third played the key role in maintaining droplet organelle number—and to a lesser extent volume—in populations of dividing cells where formation events would have seemed paramount. In the case of lipid droplets, this provides computational evidence that they must be sustained, most likely through contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum. The findings also agree with video microscopy experiments over much shorter timescales where droplet depletion in fission yeast cells was not observed. In general, this work shows that organelle maintenance is invaluable and lack thereof cannot necessarily be compensated for by organelle formation. This study provides a time-accurate, physical-based template for long-term cell division studies. (paper)

Lipid droplet organelle distribution in populations of dividing cells studied by simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Dalhaimer, Paul

2013-06-01

One of the key questions in cell biology is how organelles are passed from parent to daughter cells. To help address this question, I used Brownian dynamics to simulate lipid droplets as model organelles in populations of dividing cells. Lipid droplets are dynamic bodies that can form both de novo and by fission, they can also be depleted. The quantitative interplay among these three events is unknown but would seem crucial for controlling droplet distribution in populations of dividing cells. Surprisingly, of the three main events studied: biogenesis, fission, and depletion, the third played the key role in maintaining droplet organelle number—and to a lesser extent volume—in populations of dividing cells where formation events would have seemed paramount. In the case of lipid droplets, this provides computational evidence that they must be sustained, most likely through contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum. The findings also agree with video microscopy experiments over much shorter timescales where droplet depletion in fission yeast cells was not observed. In general, this work shows that organelle maintenance is invaluable and lack thereof cannot necessarily be compensated for by organelle formation. This study provides a time-accurate, physical-based template for long-term cell division studies.

Generation and characterization of a stable cell population releasing fluorescent HIV-1-based Virus Like Particles in an inducible way

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bosch Valerie

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The availability of cell lines releasing fluorescent viral particles can significantly support a variety of investigations, including the study of virus-cell interaction and the screening of antiviral compounds. Regarding HIV-1, the recovery of such biologic reagents represents a very hard challenge due to the intrinsic cytotoxicity of many HIV-1 products. We sought to overcome such a limitation by using a cell line releasing HIV-1 particles in an inducible way, and by exploiting the ability of a HIV-1 Nef mutant to be incorporated in virions at quite high levels. Results Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a HIV-1 packaging cell line, termed 18-4s, able to release valuable amounts of fluorescent HIV-1 based Virus-Like Particles (VLPs in an inducible way. 18-4s cells were recovered by constitutively expressing the HIV-1 NefG3C mutant fused with the enhanced-green fluorescent protein (NefG3C-GFP in a previously isolated inducible HIV-1 packaging cell line. The G3C mutation creates a palmitoylation site which results in NefG3C-GFP incorporation into virions greatly exceeding that of the wild type counterpart. Upon induction of 18-4s cells with ponasterone A and sodium butyrate, up to 4 μg/ml of VLPs, which had incorporated about 150 molecules of NefG3C-GFP per viral particle, were released into the culture supernatant. Due to their intrinsic strong fluorescence, the 18-4s VLPs were easily detectable by a novel cytofluorometric-based assay developed here. The treatment of target cells with fluorescent 18-4 VLPs pseudotyped with different glycoprotein receptors resulted in these becoming fluorescent as early as two hours post-challenge. Conclusion We created a stable cell line releasing fluorescent HIV-1 based VLPs upon induction useful for several applications including the study of virus-cell interactions and the screening of antiviral compounds.

Characterization of Selectin Ligands on Hematopoietic Stem Cells

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Hanan

2013-05-18

Successful bone marrow (BM) transplantation requires the homing of the transplanted hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to their bone marrow niche, where they undergo differentiation to form mature cells that are eventually released into the peripheral blood. However, the survival rate of patients receiving BM transplants is poor since many of the transplanted HSPCs do not make it to their BM niches in the recipient’s body. Since the availability of HSPCs from traditional sources is limited, transplanting more number of HSPCs is not a solution to this problem. This study aims to characterize the adhesion molecules mediating cell migration in order to better understand the adhesion mechanisms of HSCs with the bone marrow endothelium. This will aid in developing future tools to improve the clinical transplantation of HSPCs. This study also aims to understand the factors that influence HSPC proliferation in the bone marrow niche. E-selectin plays an important role in the process of homing; however, its ligands on HSPCs are not well characterized. We used western blotting and immunoprecipitation to show that endomucin is expressed on HSPCs and plays a role in the binding of HSPCs to E-selectin. We also studied the effect of recombinant E-selectin on the expression of a newly characterized E-selectin ligand in our lab, CD34, in HSPCs. This will provide us insight into novel roles for endomucin and E-selectin and help us to understand the factors influencing HSPC migration to BM endothelium.

Atomic Force Microscopy in Characterizing Cell Mechanics for Biomedical Applications: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mi; Dang, Dan; Liu, Lianqing; Xi, Ning; Wang, Yuechao

2017-09-01

Cell mechanics is a novel label-free biomarker for indicating cell states and pathological changes. The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a powerful tool for quantifying the mechanical properties of single living cells in aqueous conditions. The wide use of AFM in characterizing cell mechanics in the past two decades has yielded remarkable novel insights in understanding the development and progression of certain diseases, such as cancer, showing the huge potential of cell mechanics for practical applications in the field of biomedicine. In this paper, we reviewed the utilization of AFM to characterize cell mechanics. First, the principle and method of AFM single-cell mechanical analysis was presented, along with the mechanical responses of cells to representative external stimuli measured by AFM. Next, the unique changes of cell mechanics in two types of physiological processes (stem cell differentiation, cancer metastasis) revealed by AFM were summarized. After that, the molecular mechanisms guiding cell mechanics were analyzed. Finally the challenges and future directions were discussed.

Generational distribution of a Candida glabrata population: Resilient old cells prevail, while younger cells dominate in the vulnerable host.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouklas, Tejas; Alonso-Crisóstomo, Luz; Székely, Tamás; Diago-Navarro, Elizabeth; Orner, Erika P; Smith, Kalie; Munshi, Mansa A; Del Poeta, Maurizio; Balázsi, Gábor; Fries, Bettina C

2017-05-01

Similar to other yeasts, the human pathogen Candida glabrata ages when it undergoes asymmetric, finite cell divisions, which determines its replicative lifespan. We sought to investigate if and how aging changes resilience of C. glabrata populations in the host environment. Our data demonstrate that old C. glabrata are more resistant to hydrogen peroxide and neutrophil killing, whereas young cells adhere better to epithelial cell layers. Consequently, virulence of old compared to younger C. glabrata cells is enhanced in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Electron microscopy images of old C. glabrata cells indicate a marked increase in cell wall thickness. Comparison of transcriptomes of old and young C. glabrata cells reveals differential regulation of ergosterol and Hog pathway associated genes as well as adhesion proteins, and suggests that aging is accompanied by remodeling of the fungal cell wall. Biochemical analysis supports this conclusion as older cells exhibit a qualitatively different lipid composition, leading to the observed increased emergence of fluconazole resistance when grown in the presence of fluconazole selection pressure. Older C. glabrata cells accumulate during murine and human infection, which is statistically unlikely without very strong selection. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that neutrophils constitute the predominant selection pressure in vivo. When we altered experimentally the selection pressure by antibody-mediated removal of neutrophils, we observed a significantly younger pathogen population in mice. Mathematical modeling confirmed that differential selection of older cells is sufficient to cause the observed demographic shift in the fungal population. Hence our data support the concept that pathogenesis is affected by the generational age distribution of the infecting C. glabrata population in a host. We conclude that replicative aging constitutes an emerging trait, which is selected by the host and may even play an

Dielectrophoretic capture of low abundance cell population using thick electrodes

OpenAIRE

Marchalot, Julien; Chateaux, Jean-François; Faivre, Magalie; Mertani, Hichem C.; Ferrigno, Rosaria; Deman, Anne-Laure

2015-01-01

Enrichment of rare cell populations such as Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) is a critical step before performing analysis. This paper presents a polymeric microfluidic device with integrated thick Carbon-PolyDimethylSiloxane composite (C-PDMS) electrodes designed to carry out dielectrophoretic (DEP) trapping of low abundance biological cells. Such conductive composite material presents advantages over metallic structures. Indeed, as it combines properties of both the matrix and doping particle...

Recent Advances in the Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lowes, Lori E. [London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 4L6 (Canada); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1 (Canada); Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 4L6 (Canada); Allan, Alison L., E-mail: alison.allan@lhsc.on.ca [London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 4L6 (Canada); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1 (Canada); Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 4L6 (Canada); Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5 (Canada)

2014-03-13

Although circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were first observed over a century ago, lack of sensitive methodology precluded detailed study of these cells until recently. However, technological advances have now facilitated the identification, enumeration, and characterization of CTCs using a variety of methods. The majority of evidence supporting the use of CTCs in clinical decision-making has been related to enumeration using the CellSearch{sup ®} system and correlation with prognosis. Growing evidence also suggests that CTC monitoring can provide an early indication of patient treatment response based on comparison of CTC levels before and after therapy. However, perhaps the greatest potential that CTCs hold for oncology lies at the level of molecular characterization. Clinical treatment decisions may be more effective if they are based on molecular characteristics of metastatic cells rather than on those of the primary tumor alone. Molecular characterization of CTCs (which can be repeatedly isolated in a minimally invasive fashion) provides the opportunity for a “real-time liquid biopsy” that allows assessment of genetic drift, investigation of molecular disease evolution, and identification of actionable genomic characteristics. This review focuses on recent advances in this area, including approaches involving immunophenotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex RT-PCR, microarray, and genomic sequencing.

Recent Advances in the Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowes, Lori E.; Allan, Alison L.

2014-01-01

Although circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were first observed over a century ago, lack of sensitive methodology precluded detailed study of these cells until recently. However, technological advances have now facilitated the identification, enumeration, and characterization of CTCs using a variety of methods. The majority of evidence supporting the use of CTCs in clinical decision-making has been related to enumeration using the CellSearch ® system and correlation with prognosis. Growing evidence also suggests that CTC monitoring can provide an early indication of patient treatment response based on comparison of CTC levels before and after therapy. However, perhaps the greatest potential that CTCs hold for oncology lies at the level of molecular characterization. Clinical treatment decisions may be more effective if they are based on molecular characteristics of metastatic cells rather than on those of the primary tumor alone. Molecular characterization of CTCs (which can be repeatedly isolated in a minimally invasive fashion) provides the opportunity for a “real-time liquid biopsy” that allows assessment of genetic drift, investigation of molecular disease evolution, and identification of actionable genomic characteristics. This review focuses on recent advances in this area, including approaches involving immunophenotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex RT-PCR, microarray, and genomic sequencing

Functional heterogeneity of side population cells in skeletal muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uezumi, Akiyoshi; Ojima, Koichi; Fukada, So-ichiro; Ikemoto, Madoka; Masuda, Satoru; Miyagoe-Suzuki, Yuko; Takeda, Shin'ichi

2006-01-01

Skeletal muscle regeneration has been exclusively attributed to myogenic precursors, satellite cells. A stem cell-rich fraction referred to as side population (SP) cells also resides in skeletal muscle, but its roles in muscle regeneration remain unclear. We found that muscle SP cells could be subdivided into three sub-fractions using CD31 and CD45 markers. The majority of SP cells in normal non-regenerating muscle expressed CD31 and had endothelial characteristics. However, CD31 - CD45 - SP cells, which are a minor subpopulation in normal muscle, actively proliferated upon muscle injury and expressed not only several regulatory genes for muscle regeneration but also some mesenchymal lineage markers. CD31 - CD45 - SP cells showed the greatest myogenic potential among three SP sub-fractions, but indeed revealed mesenchymal potentials in vitro. These SP cells preferentially differentiated into myofibers after intramuscular transplantation in vivo. Our results revealed the heterogeneity of muscle SP cells and suggest that CD31 - CD45 - SP cells participate in muscle regeneration

Antigen-driven T-cell turnover

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fraser, Christophe; Ferguson, Neil M.; de Wolf, Frank; Ghani, Azra C.; Garnett, Geoff P.; Anderson, Roy M.

2002-01-01

A mathematical model is developed to characterize the distribution of cell turnover rates within a population of T lymphocytes. Previous models of T-cell dynamics have assumed a constant uniform turnover rate; here we consider turnover in a cell pool subject to clonal proliferation in response to

Establishment and characterization of rat portal myofibroblast cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Fausther

Full Text Available The major sources of scar-forming myofibroblasts during liver fibrosis are activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC and portal fibroblasts (PF. In contrast to well-characterized HSC, PF remain understudied and poorly defined. This is largely due to the facts that isolation of rodent PF for functional studies is technically challenging and that PF cell lines had not been established. To address this, we have generated two polyclonal portal myofibroblast cell lines, RGF and RGF-N2. RGF and RGF-N2 were established from primary PF isolated from adult rat livers that underwent culture activation and subsequent SV40-mediated immortalization. Specifically, Ntpdase2/Cd39l1-sorted primary PF were used to generate the RGF-N2 cell line. Both cell lines were functionally characterized by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, immunoblot and bromodeoxyuridine-based proliferation assay. First, immortalized RGF and RGF-N2 cells are positive for phenotypic myofibroblast markers alpha smooth muscle actin, type I collagen alpha-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, PF-specific markers elastin, type XV collagen alpha-1 and Ntpdase2/Cd39l1, and mesenchymal cell marker ecto-5'-nucleotidase/Cd73, while negative for HSC-specific markers desmin and lecithin retinol acyltransferase. Second, both RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines are readily transfectable using standard methods. Finally, RGF and RGF-N2 cells attenuate the growth of Mz-ChA-1 cholangiocarcinoma cells in co-culture, as previously demonstrated for primary PF. Immortalized rat portal myofibroblast RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines express typical markers of activated PF-derived myofibroblasts, are suitable for DNA transfection, and can effectively inhibit cholangiocyte proliferation. Both RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines represent novel in vitro cellular models for the functional studies of portal (myofibroblasts and their contribution to the progression of liver fibrosis.

Identification and clonal characterisation of a progenitor cell sub-population in normal human articular cartilage.

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Rebecca Williams

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Articular cartilage displays a poor repair capacity. The aim of cell-based therapies for cartilage defects is to repair damaged joint surfaces with a functional replacement tissue. Currently, chondrocytes removed from a healthy region of the cartilage are used but they are unable to retain their phenotype in expanded culture. The resulting repair tissue is fibrocartilaginous rather than hyaline, potentially compromising long-term repair. Mesenchymal stem cells, particularly bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC, are of interest for cartilage repair due to their inherent replicative potential. However, chondrocyte differentiated BMSCs display an endochondral phenotype, that is, can terminally differentiate and form a calcified matrix, leading to failure in long-term defect repair. Here, we investigate the isolation and characterisation of a human cartilage progenitor population that is resident within permanent adult articular cartilage. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Human articular cartilage samples were digested and clonal populations isolated using a differential adhesion assay to fibronectin. Clonal cell lines were expanded in growth media to high population doublings and karyotype analysis performed. We present data to show that this cell population demonstrates a restricted differential potential during chondrogenic induction in a 3D pellet culture system. Furthermore, evidence of high telomerase activity and maintenance of telomere length, characteristic of a mesenchymal stem cell population, were observed in this clonal cell population. Lastly, as proof of principle, we carried out a pilot repair study in a goat in vivo model demonstrating the ability of goat cartilage progenitors to form a cartilage-like repair tissue in a chondral defect. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we propose that we have identified and characterised a novel cartilage progenitor population resident in human articular cartilage which will greatly benefit future cell

On characterizing population commonalities and subject variations in brain networks.

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Ghanbari, Yasser; Bloy, Luke; Tunc, Birkan; Shankar, Varsha; Roberts, Timothy P L; Edgar, J Christopher; Schultz, Robert T; Verma, Ragini

2017-05-01

Brain networks based on resting state connectivity as well as inter-regional anatomical pathways obtained using diffusion imaging have provided insight into pathology and development. Such work has underscored the need for methods that can extract sub-networks that can accurately capture the connectivity patterns of the underlying population while simultaneously describing the variation of sub-networks at the subject level. We have designed a multi-layer graph clustering method that extracts clusters of nodes, called 'network hubs', which display higher levels of connectivity within the cluster than to the rest of the brain. The method determines an atlas of network hubs that describes the population, as well as weights that characterize subject-wise variation in terms of within- and between-hub connectivity. This lowers the dimensionality of brain networks, thereby providing a representation amenable to statistical analyses. The applicability of the proposed technique is demonstrated by extracting an atlas of network hubs for a population of typically developing controls (TDCs) as well as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and using the structural and functional networks of a population to determine the subject-level variation of these hubs and their inter-connectivity. These hubs are then used to compare ASD and TDCs. Our method is generalizable to any population whose connectivity (structural or functional) can be captured via non-negative network graphs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitochondrial DNA deletion mutations in adult mouse cardiac side population cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lushaj, Entela B.; Lozonschi, Lucian; Barnes, Maria; Anstadt, Emily; Kohmoto, Takushi

2012-01-01

We investigated the presence and potential role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion mutations in adult cardiac stem cells. Cardiac side population (SP) cells were isolated from 12-week-old mice. Standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to screen for the presence of mtDNA deletion mutations in (a) freshly isolated SP cells and (b) SP cells cultured to passage 10. When present, the abundance of mtDNA deletion mutation was analyzed in single cell colonies. The effect of different levels of deletion mutations on SP cell growth and differentiation was determined. MtDNA deletion mutations were found in both freshly isolated and cultured cells from 12-week-old mice. While there was no significant difference in the number of single cell colonies with mtDNA deletion mutations from any of the groups mentioned above, the abundance of mtDNA deletion mutations was significantly higher in the cultured cells, as determined by quantitative PCR. Within a single clonal cell population, the detectable mtDNA deletion mutations were the same in all cells and unique when compared to deletions of other colonies. We also found that cells harboring high levels of mtDNA deletion mutations (i.e. where deleted mtDNA comprised more than 60% of total mtDNA) had slower proliferation rates and decreased differentiation capacities. Screening cultured adult stem cells for mtDNA deletion mutations as a routine assessment will benefit the biomedical application of adult stem cells.

Characterization of up-converter layers on bifacial silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, A.C.; Canizo, C. del; Luque, A.

2009-01-01

Photon converters can enhance the performance of solar cells as they have the ability to condition the solar spectrum, thus suiting the semiconductor bandgap better. This paper analyzes the implementation and characterization of rare earth-doped up-converters on bifacial silicon solar cells. The bifacial structures considered absorb the light emitted by the up-converter layer located at the rear of the cell. Two different ways of attaching the up-converter to the bifacial solar cell have been implemented: by dissolving the powder in a spin-on oxide and by dissolving it in a silicone gel. The characterization of this system through measurements of quantum efficiency and photocurrent is described. The measurement setup has been adapted to detect the device response in the NIR (near-infrared) range. A key aspect is the light power impinging on the cell; the system has a quartz-tungsten-halogen lamp as a source, and is capable of giving 240 mW m -2 . As the signals we want to detect are very small, an effort has been made to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio by using a low noise pre-amplifier, optimizing the power of the lamp and reducing the chopper frequency. The characterization of two commercial up-converter materials shows the functioning of the approach, as an increase in the photocurrent when illuminated in the 1500 nm wavelength range is detected in some of the cases.

Interval scanning photomicrography of microbial cell populations.

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Casida, L. E., Jr.

1972-01-01

A single reproducible area of the preparation in a fixed focal plane is photographically scanned at intervals during incubation. The procedure can be used for evaluating the aerobic or anaerobic growth of many microbial cells simultaneously within a population. In addition, the microscope is not restricted to the viewing of any one microculture preparation, since the slide cultures are incubated separately from the microscope.

Cell shape characterization and classification with discrete Fourier transforms and self-organizing maps.

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Kriegel, Fabian L; Köhler, Ralf; Bayat-Sarmadi, Jannike; Bayerl, Simon; Hauser, Anja E; Niesner, Raluca; Luch, Andreas; Cseresnyes, Zoltan

2018-03-01

Cells in their natural environment often exhibit complex kinetic behavior and radical adjustments of their shapes. This enables them to accommodate to short- and long-term changes in their surroundings under physiological and pathological conditions. Intravital multi-photon microscopy is a powerful tool to record this complex behavior. Traditionally, cell behavior is characterized by tracking the cells' movements, which yields numerous parameters describing the spatiotemporal characteristics of cells. Cells can be classified according to their tracking behavior using all or a subset of these kinetic parameters. This categorization can be supported by the a priori knowledge of experts. While such an approach provides an excellent starting point for analyzing complex intravital imaging data, faster methods are required for automated and unbiased characterization. In addition to their kinetic behavior, the 3D shape of these cells also provide essential clues about the cells' status and functionality. New approaches that include the study of cell shapes as well may also allow the discovery of correlations amongst the track- and shape-describing parameters. In the current study, we examine the applicability of a set of Fourier components produced by Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) as a tool for more efficient and less biased classification of complex cell shapes. By carrying out a number of 3D-to-2D projections of surface-rendered cells, the applied method reduces the more complex 3D shape characterization to a series of 2D DFTs. The resulting shape factors are used to train a Self-Organizing Map (SOM), which provides an unbiased estimate for the best clustering of the data, thereby characterizing groups of cells according to their shape. We propose and demonstrate that such shape characterization is a powerful addition to, or a replacement for kinetic analysis. This would make it especially useful in situations where live kinetic imaging is less practical or not

Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells derived from equine adipose tissue

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A.M. Carvalho

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Stem cell therapy has shown promising results in tendinitis and osteoarthritis in equine medicine. The purpose of this work was to characterize the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs in horses through (1 the assessment of the capacity of progenitor cells to perform adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation; and (2 flow cytometry analysis using the stemness related markers: CD44, CD90, CD105 and MHC Class II. Five mixed-breed horses, aged 2-4 years-old were used to collect adipose tissue from the base of the tail. After isolation and culture of AdMSCs, immunophenotypic characterization was performed through flow cytometry. There was a high expression of CD44, CD90 and CD105, and no expression of MHC Class II markers. The tri-lineage differentiation was confirmed by specific staining: adipogenic (Oil Red O, osteogenic (Alizarin Red, and chondrogenic (Alcian Blue. The equine AdMSCs are a promising type of adult progenitor cell for tissue engineering in veterinary medicine.

Characterization of glial cell K-Cl cotransport.

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Gagnon, Kenneth B E; Adragna, Norma C; Fyffe, Robert E W; Lauf, Peter K

2007-01-01

The molecular mechanism of K-Cl cotransport (KCC) consists of at least 4 isoforms, KCC 1, 2, 3, and 4 which, in multiple combinations, exist in most cells, including erythrocytes and neuronal cells. We utilized reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ion flux studies to characterize KCC activity in an immortalized in vitro cell model for fibrous astrocytes, the rat C6 glioblastoma cell. Isoform-specific sets of oligonucleotide primers were synthesized for NKCC1, KCC1, KCC2, KCC3, KCC4, and also for NKCC1 and actin. K-Cl cotransport activity was determined by measuring either the furosemide-sensitive, or the Cl(-)-dependent bumetanide-insensitive Rb(+) (a K(+) congener) influx in the presence of the Na/K pump inhibitor ouabain. Rb(+) influx was measured at a fixed external Cl concentrations, [Cl(-)](e), as a function of varying external Rb concentrations, [Rb(+)](e), and at a fixed [Rb(+)](e) as a function of varying [Cl(-)](e), and with equimolar Cl replacement by anions of the chaotropic series. RT-PCR of C6 glioblastoma (C6) cells identified mRNA for three KCC isoforms (1, 3, and 4). NKCC1 mRNA was also detected. The apparent K(m) for KCC-mediated Rb(+) influx was 15 mM [Rb(+)](e), and V(max) 12.5 nmol Rb(+) * mg protein(-1) * minute(-1). The calculated apparent K(m) for external Cl(-) was 13 mM and V(max) 14.4 nmol Rb(+) * mg protein(-1) * minute(-1). The anion selectivity sequence of the furosemide-sensitive Rb(+) influx was Cl(-)>Br-=NO(3)(-)>I(-)=SCN(-)>Sfm(-) (sulfamate). Established activators of K-Cl cotransport, hyposmotic shock and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) pretreatment, stimulated furosemide-sensitive Rb(+) influx. A ñ50% NEM-induced loss of intracellular K(+) was prevented by furosemide. We have identified by RT-PCR the presence of three distinct KCC isoforms (1, 3, and 4) in rat C6 glioblastoma cells, and functionally characterized the anion selectivity and kinetics of their collective sodium-independent cation-chloride cotransport

Homeostasis of peripheral CD4+ T cells: IL-2R alpha and IL-2 shape a population of regulatory cells that controls CD4+ T cell numbers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Almeida, Afonso R. M.; Legrand, Nicolas; Papiernik, Martine; Freitas, António A.

2002-01-01

We show that the lymphoid hyperplasia observed in IL-2Ralpha- and IL-2-deficient mice is due to the lack of a population of regulatory cells essential for CD4 T cell homeostasis. In chimeras reconstituted with bone marrow cells from IL-2Ralpha-deficient donors, restitution of a population of

An efficient and reproducible process for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of rare cell populations

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Kumar, Sachin; Ciraolo, Georgianne; Hinge, Ashwini; Filippi, Marie-Dominique

2014-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides ultra-structural details of cells at the sub-organelle level. However, details of the cellular ultrastructure, and the cellular organization and content of various organelles in rare populations, particularly in the suspension, like hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) remained elusive. This is mainly due to the requirement of millions of cells for TEM studies. Thus, there is a vital requirement of a method that will allow TEM studies with low cell numbers of such rare populations. We describe an alternative and novel approach for TEM studies for rare cell populations. Here we performed TEM study from 10,000 HSC cells with quite ease. In particular, tiny cell pellets were identified by Evans blue staining after PFA-GA fixation. The cell pellet was pre-embedded in agarose in a small microcentrifuge tube and processed for dehydration, infiltration and embedding. Semi-thin and ultra-thin sections identified clusters of numerous cells per sections with well preserved morphology and ultrastructural details of golgi complex and mitochondria. Together, this method provides an efficient, easy and reproducible process to perform qualitative and quantitative TEM analysis from limited biological samples including cells in suspension. PMID:24291346

Characterization of nonlymphoid cells in rat spleen, with special reference to strongly Ia-positive branched cells in T-cell areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijkstra, C.D.

1982-01-01

By use of a monoclonal antibody against Ia antigen in an immunoperoxidase method, strongly Ia-positive branched cells are found in the T-cell areas of the splenic white pulp of the rat. In order to further characterize these cells, enzyme histochemical characteristics, phagocytic capacity, and irradiation sensitivity have been studied. Evidence is presented that these strongly Ia-positive branched cells represent interdigitating cells. The influence of whole-body irradiation on interdigitating cells is discussed. Comparison with data from the literature on the in vitro dendritic cell isolated from spleen cell suspensions reveals many similarities between the described interdigitating cell in vivo and the dendritic cell in vitro

Cytokines, hepatic cell profiling and cell interactions during bone marrow cell therapy for liver fibrosis in cholestatic mice.

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Daphne Pinheiro

Full Text Available Bone marrow cells (BMC migrate to the injured liver after transplantation, contributing to regeneration through multiple pathways, but mechanisms involved are unclear. This work aimed to study BMC migration, characterize cytokine profile, cell populations and proliferation in mice with liver fibrosis transplanted with GFP+ BMC. Confocal microscopy analysis showed GFP+ BMC near regions expressing HGF and SDF-1 in the fibrotic liver. Impaired liver cell proliferation in fibrotic groups was restored after BMC transplantation. Regarding total cell populations, there was a significant reduction in CD68+ cells and increased Ly6G+ cells in transplanted fibrotic group. BMC contributed to the total populations of CD144, CD11b and Ly6G cells in the fibrotic liver, related to an increment of anti-fibrotic cytokines (IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ and HGF and reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-17A and IL-6. Therefore, HGF and SDF-1 may represent important chemoattractants for transplanted BMC in the injured liver, where these cells can give rise to populations of extrahepatic macrophages, neutrophils and endothelial progenitor cells that can interact synergistically with other liver cells towards the modulation of an anti-fibrotic cytokine profile promoting the onset of liver regeneration.

Characterization of mixed-culture biofilms established in microbial fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Suling; Du, Fangzhou; Liu, Hong

2012-01-01

For the successful operation of a microbial fuel cell, it is important to characterize the biofilm on the anode. The behavior of MFCs during initial biofilm growth and characterization of anodic biofilm were studied using two-chamber MFCs with activated sludge as inoculum. After three times' replacement of the anodic growth medium, the biofilms were well developed, and a maximum closed circuit potential of 0.41 V and 0.37 V (1000 Ω resistor) was achieved using acetate and glucose, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed that there were rod-shaped cells 0.2–0.3 μm wide by 1.5–2.5 μm long in the anode biofilm in the acetate-fed MFC, and these cells were mainly arranged by monolayer. The biofilm in the glucose-fed MFC was made of cocci-shaped cells in chains and a thick matrix. Both using acetate and glucose, the anodic bacterial communities were different than those of the activated sludge. Cyclic voltammograms suggested that extracellular electron transfer in these MFCs was accomplished mainly by the biofilms on the anode and not by bacteria-produced mediators. -- Highlights: ► The mixed-culture biofilms established in MFCs were characterized. ► The possible electron transfer mechanism was presented. ► In these MFCs the anodic area should be much larger.

Characterization of cloned cells from an immortalized fetal pulmonary type II cell line

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Henderson, R.F.; Waide, J.J.; Lechner, J.F.

1995-12-01

A cultured cell line that maintained expression of pulmonary type II cell markers of differentiation would be advantageous to generate a large number of homogenous cells in which to study the biochemical functions of type II cells. Type II epithelial cells are the source of pulmonary surfactant and a cell of origin for pulmonary adenomas. Last year our laboratory reported the induction of expression of two phenotypic markers of pulmonary type II cells (alkaline phosphatase activity and surfactant lipid synthesis) in cultured fetal rat lung epithelial (FRLE) cells, a spontaneously immortalized cell line of fetal rat lung type II cell origin. Subsequently, the induction of the ability to synthesize surfactant lipid became difficult to repeat. We hypothesized that the cell line was heterogenuous and some cells were more like type II cells than others. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis and to obtain a cultured cell line with type II cell phenotypic markers by cloning several FRLE cells and characterizing them for phenotypic markers of type II cells (alkaline phosphatase activity and presence of surfactant lipids). Thirty cloned cell lines were analyzed for induced alkaline phosphatase activity (on x-axis) and for percent of phospholipids that were disaturated (i.e., surfactant).

Characterization of high hydrostatic pressure-injured Bacillus subtilis cells.

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Inaoka, Takashi; Kimura, Keitarou; Morimatsu, Kazuya; Yamamoto, Kazutaka

2017-06-01

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) affects various cellular processes. Using a sporulation-deficient Bacillus subtilis strain, we characterized the properties of vegetative cells subjected to HHP. When stationary-phase cells were exposed to 250 MPa of HHP for 10 min at 25 °C, approximately 50% of cells were viable, although they exhibited a prolonged growth lag. The HHP-injured cells autolyzed in the presence of NaCl or KCl (at concentrations ≥100 mM). Superoxide dismutase slightly protected the viability of HHP-treated cells, whereas vegetative catalases had no effect. Thus, unlike HHP-injured Escherichia coli, oxidative stress only slightly affected vegetative B. subtilis subjected to HHP.

Synergism between two helper cell subpopulations characterized by different radiosensitivity and nylon adherence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarossi, G.; Mancini, C.; Doria, G.

1981-01-01

The present work extends our previous results on the radiosensitivity of the helper cell function. Two helper cell subpopulations, 1 radiosensitive and the other radioresistant, have been demonstrated in the spleen of mice at different times after priming with HRBC. The radiosensitive subpopulation increases with the increasing time interval between carrier-priming and irradiation. The 2 cell subpopulations have been further characterized by different nylon adherence properties: radioresistant helper cells adhere to nylon wool, whereas radiosensitive cells pass through. The 2 cell subpopulations were separated by x-irradiation and nylon wool filtration, and their helper activity was assessed separately or after recombination. The results favor the notion that 2 functionally independent helper T cells, as characterized by different radiosensitivity and nylon adherence, participate synergistically in the helper activity of primed spleen cells

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Generation, Characterization, and Differentiation--Methods and Protocols.

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Graversen, Veronica Kon; Chavala, Sai H

2016-01-01

Reprogramming fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) remains a promising technique for cell replacement therapy. Diverse populations of somatic cells have been examined for their reprogramming potential. Recently, ocular ciliary body epithelial cells (CECs) have been reprogrammed with high reprogramming efficiency and single transcription factor reprogramming, making them an exciting candidate for cellular reprogramming strategies.

Heterogeneity within populations of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human interferon-gamma.

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Coppen, S R; Newsam, R; Bull, A T; Baines, A J

1995-04-20

The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line has great commercial importance in the production of recombinant human proteins, especially those for therapeutic use. Much attention has been paid to CHO cell population physiology in order to define factors affecting product fidelity and yield. Such studies have revealed that recombinant proteins, including human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), can be heterogeneous both in glycosylation and in proteolytic processing. The type of heterogeneity observed depends on the growth physiology of the cell population, although the relationship between them is complex. In this article we report results of a cytological study of the CHO320 line which expresses recombinant human IFN-gamma. When grown in suspension culture, this cell line exhibited three types of heterogeneity: (1) heterogeneity of the production of IFN-gamma within the cell population, (2) heterogeneity of the number of nuclei and mitotic spindles in dividing cells, and (3) heterogeneity of cellular environment. The last of these arises from cell aggregates which form in suspension culture: Some cells are exposed to the culture medium; others are fully enclosed within the mass with little or no direct access to the medium. Thus, live cells producing IFN-gamma are heterogeneous in their environment, with variable access to O(2) and nutrients. Within the aggregates, it appears that live cells proliferate on a dead cell mass. The layer of live cells can be several cells deep. Specific cell-cell attachments are observed between the living cells in these aggregates. Two proteins, known to be required for the formation of certain types of intercellular junctions, spectrin and vinculin, have been localized to the regions of cell-cell contact. The aggregation of the cells appears to be an active process requiring protein synthesis. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Investigating energy deposition within cell populations using Monte Carlo simulations.

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Oliver, Patricia A K; Thomson, Rowan M

2018-06-27

In this work, we develop multicellular models of healthy and cancerous human soft tissues, which are used to investigate energy deposition in subcellular targets, quantify the microdosimetric spread in a population of cells, and determine how these results depend on model details. Monte Carlo (MC) tissue models combining varying levels of detail on different length scales are developed: microscopically-detailed regions of interest (>1500 explicitly-modelled cells) are embedded in bulk tissue phantoms irradiated by photons (20 keV to 1.25 MeV). Specific energy (z; energy imparted per unit mass) is scored in nuclei and cytoplasm compartments using the EGSnrc user-code egs_chamber; specific energy mean, <z>, standard deviation, σ_z, and distribution, f(z,D), are calculated for a variety of macroscopic doses, D. MC-calculated f(z,D) are compared with normal distributions having the same mean and standard deviation. For mGy doses, there is considerable variation in energy deposition (microdosimetric spread) throughout a cell population: e.g., for 30 keV photons irradiating melanoma with 7.5 μm cell radius and 3 μm nuclear radius, σ_z/<z> for nuclear targets is 170%, and the fraction of nuclei receiving no energy deposition, f_z=0, is 0.31 for a dose of 10 mGy. If cobalt-60 photons are considered instead, then σ_z/<z> decreases to 84%, and f_z=0 decreases to 0.036. These results correspond to randomly arranged cells with cell/nucleus sizes randomly sampled from a normal distribution with a standard deviation of 1 μm. If cells are arranged in a hexagonal lattice and cell/nucleus sizes are uniform throughout the population, then σ_z/<z> decreases to 106% and 68% for 30 keV and cobalt-60,respectively; f_z=0

In vitro expansion of the mammary stem/progenitor cell population by xanthosine treatment

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Choudhary Ratan K

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mammary stem cells are critical for growth and maintenance of the mammary gland and therefore are of considerable interest for improving productivity and efficiency of dairy animals. Xanthosine treatment has been demonstrated to promote expansion of putative mammary stem cells in vivo, and hepatic and hair follicle stem cells in vitro. In the latter, xanthosine promoted the symmetrical division of hepatic and hair follicle stem cells. The objective of this study was to determine if treating primary cultures of bovine mammary epithelial cells (MEC with xanthosine increases the stem/progenitor cell population by promoting symmetrical division of mammary stem cells. Results In vitro treatment with xanthosine increased the population of MEC during the exponential phase of cell growth, reducing the doubling time from 86 h in control cultures to 60 h in xanthosine-treated cultures. The bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU labeling index and the proportion of MEC in S-phase both were increased by xanthosine treatment, indicating that increased cell accretion was due to increased cell proliferation. Analysis of daughter-pairs indicated that xanthosine promoted a shift from asymmetric to symmetric cell division. Moreover, the 30 % increase in symmetric cell division was concomitant with an increase in the proportion of MEC that were positive for a putative stem cell marker (FNDC3B and a trend toward increased telomerase activity. These results suggest that xanthosine treatment in vitro can increase cell proliferation, promote symmetric cell division and enhance stem/progenitor cell activity. Conclusions Xanthosine treatment increased the proliferation rate of bovine MEC in vitro. This was likely to be mediated by an increase in the proportion of stem/progenitor cells in the MEC population due to promotion of symmetrical stem cell division by xanthosine.

Characterizing the outcomes of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Connor Wells, John; Donskov, Frede; Fraccon, Anna P

2017-01-01

Outcomes of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) patients are poorly characterized in the era of targeted therapy. A total of 5474 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in the International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC) were retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes were...... compared between clear cell (ccRCC; n = 5008) and papillary patients (n = 466), and recorded type I and type II papillary patients (n = 30 and n = 165, respectively). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR) favored ccRCC over pRCC. OS was 8 months longer...

Role of bone marrow-derived stem cells, renal progenitor cells and stem cell factor in chronic renal allograft nephropathy

OpenAIRE

Hayam Abdel Meguid El Aggan; Mona Abdel Kader Salem; Nahla Mohamed Gamal Farahat; Ahmad Fathy El-Koraie; Ghaly Abd Al-Rahim Mohammed Kotb

2013-01-01

Introduction: Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is a poorly understood clinico-pathological entity associated with chronic allograft loss due to immunologic and non-immunologic causes. It remains the leading cause of late allograft loss. Bone marrow derived stem cells are undifferentiated cells typically characterized by their capacity for self renewal, ability to give rise to multiple differentiated cellular population, including hematopoietic (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Char...

Isolation and characterization of vascular endothelial cells derived from fetal tooth buds of miniature swine.

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Nasu, Masanori; Nakahara, Taka; Tominaga, Noriko; Tamaki, Yuichi; Ide, Yoshiaki; Tachibana, Toshiaki; Ishikawa, Hiroshi

2013-03-01

The aim of the present study was to isolate endothelial cells from tooth buds (unerupted deciduous teeth) of miniature swine. Mandibular molar tooth buds harvested from swine fetuses at fetal days 90-110 were cultured in growth medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum in 100-mm culture dishes until the primary cells outgrown from the tooth buds reached confluence. A morphologically defined set of pavement-shaped primary cells were picked up manually with filter paper containing trypsin/ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid solution and transferred to a separate dish. A characterization of the cellular characteristics and a functional analysis of the cultured cells at passages 3 to 5 were performed using immunofluorescence, a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay, a tube formation assay, and transmission electron microscopy. The isolated cells grew in a pavement arrangement and showed the characteristics of contact inhibition upon reaching confluence. The population doubling time was ~48 h at passage 3. As shown by immunocytostaining and western blotting with specific antibodies, the cells produced the endothelial marker proteins such as vascular endothelial cadherin, von Willebrand factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2. Observation with time-lapse images showed that small groups of cells aggregated and adhered to each other to form tube-like structures. Moreover, as revealed through transmission electron microscopy, these adherent cells had formed junctional complexes. These endothelial cells from the tooth buds of miniature swine are available as cell lines for studies on tube formation and use in regenerative medical science.

Lattice Boltzmann method with the cell-population equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Xiaoyang; Cheng Bing; Shi Baochang

2008-01-01

The central problem of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is to construct a discrete equilibrium. In this paper, a multi-speed 1D cell-model of Boltzmann equation is proposed, in which the cell-population equilibrium, a direct non-negative approximation to the continuous Maxwellian distribution, plays an important part. By applying the explicit one-order Chapman–Enskog distribution, the model reduces the transportation and collision, two basic evolution steps in LBM, to the transportation of the non-equilibrium distribution. Furthermore, 1D dam-break problem is performed and the numerical results agree well with the analytic solutions

A nu-space for image correlation spectroscopy: characterization and application to measure protein transport in live cells

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin-Trottier, Laurent; Chen, Lingfeng; Horwitz, Alan Rick; Wiseman, Paul W.

2013-08-01

We introduce a new generalized theoretical framework for image correlation spectroscopy (ICS). Using this framework, we extend the ICS method in time-frequency (ν, nu) space to map molecular flow of fluorescently tagged proteins in individual living cells. Even in the presence of a dominant immobile population of fluorescent molecules, nu-space ICS (nICS) provides an unbiased velocity measurement, as well as the diffusion coefficient of the flow, without requiring filtering. We also develop and characterize a tunable frequency-filter for spatio-temporal ICS (STICS) that allows quantification of the density, the diffusion coefficient and the velocity of biased diffusion. We show that the techniques are accurate over a wide range of parameter space in computer simulation. We then characterize the retrograde flow of adhesion proteins (α6- and αLβ2-GFP integrins and mCherry-paxillin) in CHO.B2 cells plated on laminin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) ligands respectively. STICS with a tunable frequency filter, in conjunction with nICS, measures two new transport parameters, the density and transport bias coefficient (a measure of the diffusive character of a flow/biased diffusion), showing that molecular flow in this cell system has a significant diffusive component. Our results suggest that the integrin-ligand interaction, along with the internal myosin-motor generated force, varies for different integrin-ligand pairs, consistent with previous results.

Characterization of genetic diversity of native 'Ancho' chili populations of Mexico using microsatellite markers

OpenAIRE

Rocío Toledo-Aguilar; Higinio López-Sánchez; Amalio Santacruz-Varela; Ernestina Valadez-Moctezuma; Pedro A López; Víctor H Aguilar-Rincón; Víctor A González-Hernández; Humberto Vaquera-Huerta

2016-01-01

'Ancho' type chilis (Capsicum annuum L. var. annuum) are an important ingredient in the traditional cuisine of Mexico and so are in high demand. It includes six native sub-types with morphological and fruit color differences. However, the genetic diversity of the set of these sub­types has not been determined. The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic diversity of native Mexican ancho chili populations using microsatellites and to determine the relationship among these popul...

Identification and characterisation of side population cells in the canine pituitary gland.

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van Rijn, Sarah J; Gremeaux, Lies; Riemers, Frank M; Brinkhof, Bas; Vankelecom, Hugo; Penning, Louis C; Meij, Björn P

2012-06-01

To date, stem/progenitor cells have not been identified in the canine pituitary gland. Cells that efficiently exclude the vital dye Hoechst 33342 can be visualised and identified using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) as a 'side population' (SP), distinct from the main population (MP). Such SPs have been identified in several tissues and display stem/progenitor cell characteristics. In this study, a small SP (1.3%, n=6) was detected in the anterior pituitary glands of healthy dogs. Quantitative PCR indicated significantly higher expression of CD34 and Thy1 in this SP, but no differences in the expression of CD133, Bmi-1, Axin2 or Shh. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and Lhx3 expression were significantly higher in the MP than in the SP, but no differences in the expression of Tpit, GH or PRL were found. The study demonstrated the existence of an SP of cells in the normal canine pituitary gland, encompassing cells with stem cell characteristics and without POMC expression. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology advancement for integrative stem cell analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Yoon; Choi, Jonghoon; Lee, Kwan Hyi

2014-12-01

Scientists have endeavored to use stem cells for a variety of applications ranging from basic science research to translational medicine. Population-based characterization of such stem cells, while providing an important foundation to further development, often disregard the heterogeneity inherent among individual constituents within a given population. The population-based analysis and characterization of stem cells and the problems associated with such a blanket approach only underscore the need for the development of new analytical technology. In this article, we review current stem cell analytical technologies, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each, followed by applications of these technologies in the field of stem cells. Furthermore, while recent advances in micro/nano technology have led to a growth in the stem cell analytical field, underlying architectural concepts allow only for a vertical analytical approach, in which different desirable parameters are obtained from multiple individual experiments and there are many technical challenges that limit vertically integrated analytical tools. Therefore, we propose--by introducing a concept of vertical and horizontal approach--that there is the need of adequate methods to the integration of information, such that multiple descriptive parameters from a stem cell can be obtained from a single experiment.

Different culture conditions affect the growth of human tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) within a mixed tendon cells (TCs) population.

Science.gov (United States)

Viganò, M; Perucca Orfei, C; Colombini, A; Stanco, D; Randelli, P; Sansone, V; de Girolamo, L

2017-12-01

Tendon resident cells (TCs) are a mixed population made of terminally differentiated tenocytes and tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs). Since the enrichment of progenitors proportion could enhance the effectiveness of treatments based on these cell populations, the interest on the effect of culture conditions on the TSPCs is growing. In this study the clonal selection and the culture in presence or absence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were used to assess their influences on the stemness properties and phenotype specific features of tendon cells. Cells cultured with the different methods were analyzed in terms of clonogenic and differentiation abilities, stem and tendon specific genes expression and immunophenotype at passage 2 and passage 4. The clonal selection allowed to isolate cells with a higher multi-differentiation potential, but at the same time a lower proliferation rate in comparison to the whole population. Moreover, the clones express a higher amounts of stemness marker OCT4 and tendon specific transcription factor Scleraxis (SCX) mRNA, but a lower level of decorin (DCN). On the other hand, the number of cells obtained by clonal selection was extremely low and most of the clones were unable to reach a high number of passages in cultures. The presence of bFGF influences TCs morphology, enhance their proliferation rate and reduce their clonogenic ability. Interestingly, the expression of CD54, a known mesenchymal stem cell marker, is reduced in presence of bFGF at early passages. Nevertheless, bFGF does not affect the chondrogenic and osteogenic potential of TCs and the expression of tendon specific markers, while it was able to downregulate the OCT4 expression. This study showed that clonal selection enhance progenitors content in TCs populations, but the extremely low number of cells produced with this method could represent an insurmountable obstacle to its application in clinical approaches. We observed that the addition of bFGF to the

3-Bromopyruvate inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in CD133+ population in human glioma.

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Xu, Dong-Qiang; Tan, Xiao-Yu; Zhang, Bao-Wei; Wu, Tao; Liu, Ping; Sun, Shao-Jun; Cao, Yin-Guang

2016-03-01

The study was aimed to investigate the role of 3-bromopyruvate in inhibition of CD133+ U87 human glioma cell population growth. The results demonstrated that 3-bromopyruvate inhibited the viability of both CD133+ and parental cells derived from U87 human glioma cell line. However, the 3-bromopyruvate-induced inhibition in viability was more prominent in CD133+ cells at 10 μM concentration after 48 h. Treatment of CD133+ cells with 3-bromopyruvate caused reduction in cell population and cell size, membrane bubbling, and degradation of cell membranes. Hoechst 33258 staining showed condensation of chromatin material and fragmentation of DNA in treated CD133+ cells after 48 h. 3-Bromopyruvate inhibited the migration rate of CD133+ cells significantly compared to the parental cells. Flow cytometry revealed that exposure of CD133+ cells to 3-bromopyruvate increased the cell population in S phase from 24.5 to 37.9 % with increase in time from 12 to 48 h. In addition, 3-bromopyruvate significantly enhanced the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3 in CD133+ cells compared to the parental cells. Therefore, 3-bromopyruvate is a potent chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of glioma by targeting stem cells selectively.

Crypt cell population kinetics in mouse jejunum under continuous beta irradiation from tritiated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatia, A.L.; Gupta, M.L.; Saharan, B.R.

1979-01-01

The behaviour of crypt cell population in mouse jejunum under continuous beta irradiation from tritiated water (HTO) has been studied. Adult mice were maintained on tritiated drinking water of the activity of 1.25 μCi/ml, after priming injection. The crypts were studied at 1, 5, 7, 15 and 30 days after the initiation of treatment. It is observed that there is a partial recovery in proliferative activity after the first day of the treatment. Again there is a decrease in the crypt cells on the 7th day, after which this population appears to achieve a near-steady-state level at about 8% below normal at the last interval studied. Crypt cell population and mitotic figures showed a simultaneous dip and recovery, while dead cells showed inverse relationship. (orig.) [de

Characterization of p75+ ectomesenchymal stem cells from rat embryonic facial process tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Xiujie; Liu, Luchuan; Deng, Manjing; Zhang, Li; Liu, Rui; Xing, Yongjun; Zhou, Xia; Nie, Xin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) were found to migrate to rat facial processes at E11.5. ► We successfully sorted p75NTR positive EMSCs (p75 + EMSCs). ► p75 + EMSCs up to nine passages showed relative stable proliferative activity. ► We examined the in vitro multilineage potential of p75 + EMSCs. ► p75 + EMSCs provide an in vitro model for tooth morphogenesis. -- Abstract: Several populations of stem cells, including those from the dental pulp and periodontal ligament, have been isolated from different parts of the tooth and periodontium. The characteristics of such stem cells have been reported as well. However, as a common progenitor of these cells, ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), derived from the cranial neural crest have yet to be fully characterized. The aim of this study was to better understand the characteristics of EMSCs isolated from rat embryonic facial processes. Immunohistochemical staining showed that EMSCs had migrated to rat facial processes at E11.5, while the absence of epithelial invagination or tooth-like epithelium suggested that any epithelial–mesenchymal interactions were limited at this stage. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), a typical neural crest marker, was used to select p75NTR-positive EMSCs (p75 + EMSCs), which were found to show a homogeneous fibroblast-like morphology and little change in the growth curve, proliferation capacity, and cell phenotype during cell passage. They also displayed the capacity to differentiate into diverse cell types under chemically defined conditions in vitro. p75 + EMSCs proved to be homogeneous, stable in vitro and potentially capable of multiple lineages, suggesting their potential for application in dental or orofacial tissue engineering.

Cell dualism: presence of cells with alternative membrane potentials in growing populations of bacteria and yeasts.

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Ivanov, Volodymyr; Rezaeinejad, Saeid; Chu, Jian

2013-10-01

It is considered that all growing cells, for exception of acidophilic bacteria, have negatively charged inside cytoplasmic membrane (Δψ⁻-cells). Here we show that growing populations of microbial cells contain a small portion of cells with positively charged inside cytoplasmic membrane (Δψ⁺-cells). These cells were detected after simultaneous application of the fluorescent probes for positive membrane potential (anionic dye DIBAC⁻) and membrane integrity (propidium iodide, PI). We found in exponentially growing cell populations of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae that the content of live Δψ⁻-cells was 93.6 ± 1.8 % for bacteria and 90.4 ± 4.0 % for yeasts and the content of live Δψ⁺-cells was 0.9 ± 0.3 % for bacteria and 2.4 ± 0.7 % for yeasts. Hypothetically, existence of Δψ⁺-cells could be due to short-term, about 1 min for bacteria and 5 min for yeasts, change of membrane potential from negative to positive value during the cell cycle. This change has been shown by the reversions of K⁺, Na⁺, and Ca²⁺ ions fluxes across the cell membrane during synchronous yeast culture. The transformation of Δψ(⁻-cells to Δψ⁺-cells can be explained by slow influx of K⁺ ions into Δψ⁻-cell to the trigger level of K⁺ concentration ("compression of potassium spring"), which is forming "alternative" Δψ⁺-cell for a short period, following with fast efflux of K⁺ ions out of Δψ⁺-cell ("release of potassium spring") returning cell to normal Δψ⁻ state. We anticipate our results to be a starting point to reveal the biological role of cell dualism in form of Δψ⁻- and Δψ⁺- cells.

Enthesis fibrocartilage cells originate from a population of Hedgehog-responsive cells modulated by the loading environment.

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Schwartz, Andrea G; Long, Fanxin; Thomopoulos, Stavros

2015-01-01

Tendon attaches to bone across a specialized tissue called the enthesis. This tissue modulates the transfer of muscle forces between two materials, i.e. tendon and bone, with vastly different mechanical properties. The enthesis for many tendons consists of a mineralized graded fibrocartilage that develops postnatally, concurrent with epiphyseal mineralization. Although it is well described that the mineralization and development of functional maturity requires muscle loading, the biological factors that modulate enthesis development are poorly understood. By genetically demarcating cells expressing Gli1 in response to Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, we discovered a unique population of Hh-responsive cells in the developing murine enthesis that were distinct from tendon fibroblasts and epiphyseal chondrocytes. Lineage-tracing experiments revealed that the Gli1 lineage cells that originate in utero eventually populate the entire mature enthesis. Muscle paralysis increased the number of Hh-responsive cells in the enthesis, demonstrating that responsiveness to Hh is modulated in part by muscle loading. Ablation of the Hh-responsive cells during the first week of postnatal development resulted in a loss of mineralized fibrocartilage, with very little tissue remodeling 5 weeks after cell ablation. Conditional deletion of smoothened, a molecule necessary for responsiveness to Ihh, from the developing tendon and enthesis altered the differentiation of enthesis progenitor cells, resulting in significantly reduced fibrocartilage mineralization and decreased biomechanical function. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Hh signaling within developing enthesis fibrocartilage cells is required for enthesis formation. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Calcium Imaging Reveals Coordinated Simple Spike Pauses in Populations of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

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Jorge E. Ramirez

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The brain’s control of movement is thought to involve coordinated activity between cerebellar Purkinje cells. The results reported here demonstrate that somatic Ca2+ imaging is a faithful reporter of Na+-dependent “simple spike” pauses and enables us to optically record changes in firing rates in populations of Purkinje cells in brain slices and in vivo. This simultaneous calcium imaging of populations of Purkinje cells reveals a striking spatial organization of pauses in Purkinje cell activity between neighboring cells. The source of this organization is shown to be the presynaptic gamma-Aminobutyric acid producing (GABAergic network, and blocking ionotropic gamma-Aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAARs abolishes the synchrony. These data suggest that presynaptic interneurons synchronize (inactivity between neighboring Purkinje cells, and thereby maximize their effect on downstream targets in the deep cerebellar nuclei.

Establishment and Characterization of a Tumor Stem Cell-Based Glioblastoma Invasion Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Stine Skov; Meyer, Morten; Petterson, Stine Asferg

2016-01-01

AIMS: Glioblastoma is the most frequent and malignant brain tumor. Recurrence is inevitable and most likely connected to tumor invasion and presence of therapy resistant stem-like tumor cells. The aim was therefore to establish and characterize a three-dimensional in vivo-like in vitro model taking...... invasion and tumor stemness into account. METHODS: Glioblastoma stem cell-like containing spheroid (GSS) cultures derived from three different patients were established and characterized. The spheroids were implanted in vitro into rat brain slice cultures grown in stem cell medium and in vivo into brains...... of immuno-compromised mice. Invasion was followed in the slice cultures by confocal time-lapse microscopy. Using immunohistochemistry, we compared tumor cell invasion as well as expression of proliferation and stem cell markers between the models. RESULTS: We observed a pronounced invasion into brain slice...

Biomechanics of Meniscus Cells: Regional Variation and Comparison to Articular Chondrocytes and Ligament Cells

OpenAIRE

Sanchez-Adams, Johannah; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A.

2012-01-01

Central to understanding mechanotransduction in the knee meniscus is the characterization of meniscus cell mechanics. In addition to biochemical and geometric differences, the inner and outer regions of the meniscus contain cells that are distinct in morphology and phenotype. This study investigated the regional variation in meniscus cell mechanics in comparison to articular chondrocytes and ligament cells. It was found that the meniscus contains two biomechanically distinct cell populations,...

Stem Cell Factor-Based Identification and Functional Properties of In Vitro-Selected Subpopulations of Malignant Mesothelioma Cells

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Walter Blum

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Malignant mesothelioma (MM is an aggressive neoplasm characterized by a poor patient survival rate, because of rapid tumor recurrence following first-line therapy. Cancer stem cells (CSCs are assumed to be responsible for initiating tumorigenesis and driving relapse after therapeutic interventions. CSC-enriched MM cell subpopulations were identified by an OCT4/SOX2 reporter approach and were characterized by (1 increased resistance to cisplatin, (2 increased sensitivity toward the FAK inhibitor VS-6063 in vitro, and (3 a higher tumor-initiating capacity in vivo in orthotopic xenograft and allograft mouse models. Overexpression of NF2 (neurofibromatosis 2, merlin, a tumor suppressor often mutated or lost in MM, did not affect proliferation and viability of CSC-enriched MM populations but robustly decreased the viability of reporter-negative cells. In contrast, downregulation of calretinin strongly decreased proliferation and viability of both populations. In summary, we have enriched and characterized a small MM cell subpopulation that bears the expected CSC characteristics. : A cancer stem cell (CSC-enriched malignant mesothelioma (MM cell subpopulation was identified by an OCT4/SOX2 reporter approach. These EGFP-expressing cells showed an altered sensitivity toward chemotherapeutic drugs and a higher tumor-initiating capacity in vivo in orthotopic xenograft and allograft mouse models. While NF2 overexpression had no effect on proliferation/viability of CSC-enriched MM populations, they were susceptible to downregulation of calretinin. Keywords: mesothelioma, cancer stem cells, SOX2, OCT4, NF2, merlin, calretinin, defactinib

Heterogeneity of breast cancer stem cells as evidenced with Notch-dependent and Notch-independent populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Nelson K Y; Fuller, Megan; Sung, Sandy; Wong, Fred; Karsan, Aly

2012-01-01

Studies have suggested the potential importance of Notch signaling to the cancer stem cell population in some tumors, but it is not known whether all cells in the cancer stem cell fraction require Notch activity. To address this issue, we blocked Notch activity in MCF-7 cells by expressing a dominant-negative MAML-GFP (dnMAML) construct, which inhibits signaling through all Notch receptors, and quantified the effect on tumor-initiating activity. Inhibition of Notch signaling reduced primary tumor sphere formation and side population. Functional quantification of tumor-initiating cell numbers in vivo showed a significant decrease, but not a complete abrogation, of these cells in dnMAML-expressing cells. Interestingly, when assessed in secondary assays in vitro or in vivo, there was no difference in tumor-initiating activity between the dnMAML-expressing cells and control cells. The fact that a subpopulation of dnMAML-expressing cells was capable of forming primary and secondary tumors indicates that there are Notch-independent tumor-initiating cells in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Our findings thus provide direct evidence for a heterogeneous cancer stem cell pool, which will require combination therapies against multiple oncogenic pathways to eliminate the tumor-initiating cell population

The epidermis comprises autonomous compartments maintained by distinct stem cell populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Page, Mahalia E; Lombard, Patrick; Ng, Felicia

2013-01-01

populations. In contrast, upon wounding, stem cell progeny from multiple compartments acquire lineage plasticity and make permanent contributions to regenerating tissue. We further show that oncogene activation in Lrig1(+ve) cells drives hyperplasia but requires auxiliary stimuli for tumor formation....... In summary, our data demonstrate that epidermal stem cells are lineage restricted during homeostasis and suggest that compartmentalization may constitute a conserved mechanism underlying epithelial tissue maintenance....

Loss of circulating CD4 T cells with B cell helper function during chronic HIV infection.

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Kristin L Boswell

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The interaction between follicular T helper cells (TFH and B cells in the lymph nodes and spleen has a major impact on the development of antigen-specific B cell responses during infection or vaccination. Recent studies described a functional equivalent of these cells among circulating CD4 T cells, referred to as peripheral TFH cells. Here, we characterize the phenotype and in vitro B cell helper activity of peripheral TFH populations, as well as the effect of HIV infection on these populations. In co-culture experiments we confirmed CXCR5+ cells from HIV-uninfected donors provide help to B cells and more specifically, we identified a CCR7(highCXCR5(highCCR6(highPD-1(high CD4 T cell population that secretes IL-21 and enhances isotype-switched immunoglobulin production. This population is significantly decreased in treatment-naïve, HIV-infected individuals and can be recovered after anti-retroviral therapy. We found impaired immunoglobulin production in co-cultures from HIV-infected individuals and found no correlation between the frequency of peripheral TFH cells and memory B cells, or with neutralization activity in untreated HIV infection in our cohort. Furthermore, we found that within the peripheral TFH population, the expression level of TFH-associated genes more closely resembles a memory, non-TFH population, as opposed to a TFH population. Overall, our data identify a heterogeneous population of circulating CD4 T cells that provides in vitro help to B cells, and challenges the origin of these cells as memory TFH cells.

Characterization of host lymphoid cells in antibody-facilitated bone marrow chimeras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, S.A.; Griffith, I.J.; Gambel, P.; Francescutti, L.H.; Wegmann, T.G.

1985-01-01

The authors have produced stable murine antibody-facilitated (AF) chimeras by the simultaneous injection of P1 bone marrow cells and anti-P2 monoclonal antibody into normal (unirradiated) adult (P1 X P2)F1 recipients. These AF chimeras are healthy, long-lived, and exhibit no overt signs of graft-versus-host disease. They are immunocompetent and tolerant of host, P2-encoded alloantigens. Donor cell engraftment and takeover, monitored by glucosephosphate isomerase isozyme patterns, is usually complete (greater than 95%) in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and hemopoietic stem cell compartments of long-term (greater than 3 months posttransplantation) AF chimeras. The authors report here, however, that splenic, lymph node, and thymic leukocytes of AF chimeras represent donor/host chimeric populations. Spleen cell populations of AF chimeras exhibit substantial chimera-to-chimera variation in the preponderant residual host cell type(s) present. Interpretations of the implications of these findings are discussed

Yeast cells contain a heterogeneous population of peroxisomes that segregate asymmetrically during cell division

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kumar, Sanjeev; de Boer, Rinse; van der Klei, Ida J

2018-01-01

Here we used fluorescence microscopy and a peroxisome-targeted tandem fluorescent protein timer to determine the relative age of peroxisomes in yeast. Our data indicate that yeast cells contain a heterogeneous population of relatively old and younger peroxisomes. During budding the peroxisome

Aging increases cell-to-cell transcriptional variability upon immune stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Jimenez, Celia Pilar; Eling, Nils; Chen, Hung-Chang; Vallejos, Catalina A; Kolodziejczyk, Aleksandra A; Connor, Frances; Stojic, Lovorka; Rayner, Timothy F; Stubbington, Michael J T; Teichmann, Sarah A; de la Roche, Maike; Marioni, John C; Odom, Duncan T

2017-03-31

Aging is characterized by progressive loss of physiological and cellular functions, but the molecular basis of this decline remains unclear. We explored how aging affects transcriptional dynamics using single-cell RNA sequencing of unstimulated and stimulated naïve and effector memory CD4 + T cells from young and old mice from two divergent species. In young animals, immunological activation drives a conserved transcriptomic switch, resulting in tightly controlled gene expression characterized by a strong up-regulation of a core activation program, coupled with a decrease in cell-to-cell variability. Aging perturbed the activation of this core program and increased expression heterogeneity across populations of cells in both species. These discoveries suggest that increased cell-to-cell transcriptional variability will be a hallmark feature of aging across most, if not all, mammalian tissues. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

High-throughput screening of hybridoma supernatants using multiplexed fluorescent cell barcoding on live cells.

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Lu, Mei; Chan, Brian M; Schow, Peter W; Chang, Wesley S; King, Chadwick T

2017-12-01

With current available assay formats using either immobilized protein (ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or immunostaining of fixed cells for primary monoclonal antibody (mAb) screening, researchers often fail to identify and characterize antibodies that recognize the native conformation of cell-surface antigens. Therefore, screening using live cells has become an integral and important step contributing to the successful identification of therapeutic antibody candidates. Thus the need for developing high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies using live cells has become a major priority for therapeutic mAb discovery and development. We have developed a novel technique called Multiplexed Fluorescent Cell Barcoding (MFCB), a flow cytometry-based method based upon the Fluorescent Cell Barcoding (FCB) technique and the Luminex fluorescent bead array system, but is applicable to high-through mAb screens on live cells. Using this technique in our system, we can simultaneously identify or characterize the antibody-antigen binding of up to nine unique fluorescent labeled cell populations in the time that it would normally take to process a single population. This has significantly reduced the amount of time needed for the identification of potential lead candidates. This new technology enables investigators to conduct large-scale primary hybridoma screens using flow cytometry. This in turn has allowed us to screen antibodies more efficiently than before and streamline identification and characterization of lead molecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concomitant targeting of multiple key transcription factors effectively disrupts cancer stem cells enriched in side population of human pancreatic cancer cells.

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Xiyan Wang

Full Text Available A major challenge in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the failure of chemotherapy, which is likely due to the presence of the cancer stem cells (CSCs.To identify side population (SP cells and characterize s-like properties in human pancreatic cancer cell lines (h-PCCLs and to exploit the efficacy of concomitant targeting of multiple key transcription factors governing the stemness of pancreatic CSCs in suppressing CSC-like phenotypes.Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33342 DNA-binding dye efflux assay were used to sort SP and non-SP (NSP cells from three h-PCCLs: PANC-1, SW1990, and BxPc-3. The self-renewal ability, invasiveness, migration and drug resistance of SP cells were evaluated. Expression of CSC marker genes was analyzed. Tumorigenicity was assessed using a xenograft model in nude mice. Effects of a complex decoy oligonucleotide (cdODN-SCO designed to simultaneously targeting Sox2, Oct4 and c-Myc were assessed.CSCs were enriched in the side proportion (SP cells contained in the h-PCCLs and they possessed aggressive growth, invasion, migration and drug-resistance properties, compared with NSP cells. SP cells overexpressed stem cell markers CD133 and ALDH1, pluripotency maintaining factors Nanog, Sox2 and Oct4, oncogenic transcription factor c-Myc, signaling molecule Notch1, and drug resistant gene ABCG2. Moreover, SP cells consistently demonstrated significantly greater tumorigenicity than NSP cells in xenograft model of nude mice. CdODN-SOC efficiently suppressed all CSC properties and phenotypes, and minimized the tumorigenic capability of the SP cells and the resistance to chemotherapy. By comparison, the negative control failed to do so.The findings indicate that targeting the key genes conferring the stemness of CSCs can efficiently eliminate CSC-like phenotypes, and thus may be considered a new approach for cancer therapy. Specifically, the present study establishes the combination of Sox2/Oct4/c-Myc targeting as a

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression by a distinct population of mouse vestibular supporting cells.

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Tavazzani, Elisa; Tritto, Simona; Spaiardi, Paolo; Botta, Laura; Manca, Marco; Prigioni, Ivo; Masetto, Sergio; Russo, Giancarlo

2014-01-01

The function of the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is to convert glutamate in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Glutamate decarboxylase exists as two major isoforms, termed GAD65 and GAD67, that are usually expressed in GABA-containing neurons in the central nervous system. GAD65 has been proposed to be associated with GABA exocytosis whereas GAD67 with GABA metabolism. In the present immunofluorescence study, we have investigated the presence of the two GAD isoforms in the semicircular canal cristae of wild type and GAD67-GFP knock-in mice. While no evidence for GAD65 expression was found, GAD67 was detected in a distinct population of peripherally-located supporting cells, but not in hair cells or in centrally-located supporting cells. GABA, on the other hand, was found in all supporting cells. The present result indicate that only a discrete population of supporting cells use GAD67 to synthesize GABA. This is the first report of a marker that allows to distinguish two populations of supporting cells in the vestibular epithelium. On the other hand, the lack of GABA and GAD enzymes in hair cells excludes its involvement in afferent transmission.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression by a distinct population of mouse vestibular supporting cells

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Giancarlo eRusso

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The function of the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD is to convert glutamate in -aminobutyric acid (GABA.GAD exists as two major isoforms, termed GAD65 and GAD67,.that are usually expressed in GABA-containing neurons in the central nervous system. GAD65 has been proposed to be associated with GABA exocytosis whereas GAD67 with GABA metabolism. In the present immunofluorescence study, we have investigated the presence of the two GAD isoforms in the semicircular canal cristae of wild type and GAD67-GFP knock-in mice. While no evidence for GAD65 expression was found, GAD67 was detected in a distinct population of peripherally-located supporting cells, but not in hair cells or in centrally-located supporting cells. GABA, on the other hand, was found in all supporting cells. The present result indicate that only a discrete population of supporting cells use GAD67 to synthesize GABA. This is the first report of a marker that allows to distinguish two populations of supporting cells in the vestibular epithelium. On the other hand, the lack of GABA and GAD enzymes in hair cells excludes its involvement in afferent transmission.

Characterizing neutral genomic diversity and selection signatures in indigenous populations of Moroccan goats (Capra hircus using WGS data

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Badr eBenjelloun

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Since the time of their domestication, goats (Capra hircus have evolved in a large variety of locally adapted populations in response to different human and environmental pressures. In the present era, many indigenous populations are threatened with extinction due to their substitution by cosmopolitan breeds, while they might represent highly valuable genomic resources. It is thus crucial to characterize the neutral and adaptive genetic diversity of indigenous populations. A fine characterization of whole genome variation in farm animals is now possible by using new sequencing technologies. We sequenced the complete genome at 12X coverage of 44 goats geographically representative of the three phenotypically distinct indigenous populations in Morocco. The study of mitochondrial genomes showed a high diversity exclusively restricted to the haplogroup A. The 44 nuclear genomes showed a very high diversity (24 million variants associated with low linkage disequilibrium. The overall genetic diversity was weakly structured according to geography and phenotypes. When looking for signals of positive selection in each population we identified many candidate genes, several of which gave insights into the metabolic pathways or biological processes involved in the adaptation to local conditions (e.g. panting in warm/desert conditions. This study highlights the interest of WGS data to characterize livestock genomic diversity. It illustrates the valuable genetic richness present in indigenous populations that have to be sustainably managed and may represent valuable genetic resources for the long-term preservation of the species.

Expression of genes encoding multi-transmembrane proteins in specific primate taste cell populations.

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Bryan D Moyer

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Using fungiform (FG and circumvallate (CV taste buds isolated by laser capture microdissection and analyzed using gene arrays, we previously constructed a comprehensive database of gene expression in primates, which revealed over 2,300 taste bud-associated genes. Bioinformatics analyses identified hundreds of genes predicted to encode multi-transmembrane domain proteins with no previous association with taste function. A first step in elucidating the roles these gene products play in gustation is to identify the specific taste cell types in which they are expressed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using double label in situ hybridization analyses, we identified seven new genes expressed in specific taste cell types, including sweet, bitter, and umami cells (TRPM5-positive, sour cells (PKD2L1-positive, as well as other taste cell populations. Transmembrane protein 44 (TMEM44, a protein with seven predicted transmembrane domains with no homology to GPCRs, is expressed in a TRPM5-negative and PKD2L1-negative population that is enriched in the bottom portion of taste buds and may represent developmentally immature taste cells. Calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1, a component of a novel calcium channel, along with family members CALHM2 and CALHM3; multiple C2 domains; transmembrane 1 (MCTP1, a calcium-binding transmembrane protein; and anoctamin 7 (ANO7, a member of the recently identified calcium-gated chloride channel family, are all expressed in TRPM5 cells. These proteins may modulate and effect calcium signalling stemming from sweet, bitter, and umami receptor activation. Synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2B (SV2B, a regulator of synaptic vesicle exocytosis, is expressed in PKD2L1 cells, suggesting that this taste cell population transmits tastant information to gustatory afferent nerve fibers via exocytic neurotransmitter release. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Identification of genes encoding multi-transmembrane domain proteins

Plasma membrane characterization, by scanning electron microscopy, of multipotent myoblasts-derived populations sorted using dielectrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Muratore, Massimo; Mitchell, Steve; Waterfall, Martin

2013-09-06

Multipotent progenitor cells have shown promise for use in biomedical applications and regenerative medicine. The implementation of such cells for clinical application requires a synchronized, phenotypically and/or genotypically, homogenous cell population. Here we have demonstrated the implementation of a biological tag-free dielectrophoretic device used for discrimination of multipotent myoblastic C2C12 model. The multipotent capabilities in differentiation, for these cells, diminishes with higher passage number, so for cultures above 70 passages only a small percentage of cells is able to differentiate into terminal myotubes. In this work we demonstrated that we could recover, above 96% purity, specific cell types from a mixed population of cells at high passage number without any biological tag using dielectrophoresis. The purity of the samples was confirmed by cytometric analysis using the cell specific marker embryonic myosin. To further investigate the dielectric properties of the cell plasma membrane we co-culture C2C12 with similar size, when in suspension, GFP-positive fibroblast as feeder layer. The level of separation between the cell types was above 98% purity which was confirmed by flow cytometry. These levels of separation are assumed to account for cell size and for the plasma membrane morphological differences between C2C12 and fibroblast unrelated to the stages of the cell cycle which was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Plasma membrane conformational differences were further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-dependent transition from cell-level to population-level control in murine intestinal homeostasis revealed by coalescence analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Hu

Full Text Available In multi-cellular organisms, tissue homeostasis is maintained by an exquisite balance between stem cell proliferation and differentiation. This equilibrium can be achieved either at the single cell level (a.k.a. cell asymmetry, where stem cells follow strict asymmetric divisions, or the population level (a.k.a. population asymmetry, where gains and losses in individual stem cell lineages are randomly distributed, but the net effect is homeostasis. In the mature mouse intestinal crypt, previous evidence has revealed a pattern of population asymmetry through predominantly symmetric divisions of stem cells. In this work, using population genetic theory together with previously published crypt single-cell data obtained at different mouse life stages, we reveal a strikingly dynamic pattern of stem cell homeostatic control. We find that single-cell asymmetric divisions are gradually replaced by stochastic population-level asymmetry as the mouse matures to adulthood. This lifelong process has important developmental and evolutionary implications in understanding how adult tissues maintain their homeostasis integrating the trade-off between intrinsic and extrinsic regulations.

A function-driven characterization of printed conductors on PV cells

Science.gov (United States)

Bellotti, Roberto; Furin, Valentina; Maras, Claire; Bartolo Picotto, Gian; Ribotta, Luigi

2018-06-01

Nowadays the development in photovoltaic (PV) cells manufacturing requires increasingly sophisticated technologies, and in order to avoid efficiency losses in PV cell, printing techniques of the front contacts have to be well controlled. To this purpose, printed linear conductors (PLCs) on a PV standard cell are characterized by morphology- and resistance-based measurements, creating a well-calibrated test structure towards the development of an application-oriented material measure. It can be noticed that morphology and texture parameters determined by stylus and optical profilers are well in agreement, and the resistance calculated from the reconstructed cross-section area matches quite well the measured resistance of fingers. Uncertainties of about 14% to 17% are estimated for local measurements of morphology-based and measured resistance of finger segments up to 5 mm length. Fingers characterized by somewhat larger roughness/waviness values (, , ) show some local irregularities, which may degrade the electrical contact of the PV front surface.

Development and characterization of a cell line WAF from freshwater shark Wallago attu.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubey, Akhilesh; Goswami, Mukunda; Yadav, Kamalendra; Sharma, Bhagwati S

2014-02-01

A new epithelial cell line, WAF was developed from caudal fin of freshwater shark, Wallago attu. The cell line was optimally maintained at 28 °C in Leibovitz-15 (L-15) medium supplemented with 20 % fetal bovine serum. The cell line was characterized by various cytogenetic and molecular markers. The cytogenetic analysis revealed a diploid count of 86 chromosomes at different passages. The origin of the cell lines was confirmed by the amplification of 547 and 654 bp sequences of 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I genes of mitochondrial DNA, respectively. WAF cells were characterized for their growth characteristics at different temperature and serum concentration. Epithelial morphology of the cell line was confirmed using immunocytochemistry. Further cell plating efficiency, transfection efficiency and viability of cryopreserved WAF cells was also determined. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment of cadmium salts on WAF cells by MTT, NR and comet assay illustrated the utility of this cell line as an in vitro model for aquatic toxicological studies. The cell line will be further useful for studying oxidative stress markers against aquatic pollutants.

Reconstructing human pancreatic differentiation by mapping specific cell populations during development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramond, Cyrille; Glaser, Nicolas; Berthault, Claire

2017-01-01

. Endocrine maturation progresses by up-regulating SUSD2 and lowering ECAD levels. Finally, in vitro differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells mimics key in vivo events. Our work paves the way to extend our understanding of the origin of mature human pancreatic......Information remains scarce on human development compared to animal models. Here, we reconstructed human fetal pancreatic differentiation using cell surface markers. We demonstrate that at 7weeks of development, the glycoprotein 2 (GP2) marks a multipotent cell population that will differentiate...... cell types and how such lineage decisions are regulated....

In vitro characterization of cancer cell morphology, chemokinesis, and matrix invasion using a novel microfabricated system

Science.gov (United States)

Blaha, Laura

A diagnosis of metastatic cancer reduces a patient's 5-year survival rate by nearly 80% compared to a primary tumor diagnosed at an early stage. While gene expression arrays have revealed unique gene signatures for metastatic cancer cells, we are lacking an understanding of the tangible physical changes that distinguish metastatic tumor cells from each other and from their related primary tumors. At the fundamental level, this translates into first characterizing the phenotype of metastatic cancer cells in vitro both in 2D - looking at morphology and migration - and in 3D - focusing on matrix invasion. While 2D in vitro studies have provided insight into the effects of specific environmental conditions on specific cancer cell lines, the unique details included in each experimental design make it challenging to compare cell phenotype across different in vitro platforms as well as between laboratories and disciplines that share the goal of understanding cancer. While 3D phenotype studies have employed more standardized and ubiquitous assays, most available tools lack the imaging capability and geometry to effectively characterize all factors driving 3D matrix invasion. In this work, we present protocols and platforms aimed at addressing the problems identified in the tools currently available for studying metastatic cancer in vitro. First, we present a 2D study of morphology and migration using widely accepted protocols. The study is applied to characterizing phenotypes of three breast cancer cell lines with different metastatic organ tropisms. The results show that general populations of cells from each of the 3 lines are unique in shape and motility despite being derived from the same tumor line and that the observed phenotype differences may be related to differences in focal adhesion assembly. More broadly, these studies suggest that standardizing phenotype studies using commonly available techniques may provide a platform by which to compare phenotypic studies

Label-free single-cell separation and imaging of cancer cells using an integrated microfluidic system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antfolk, Maria; Kim, Soo Hyeon; Koizumi, Saori

2017-01-01

, an integrated system is presented that efficiently eliminates this risk by integrating label-free separation with single cell arraying of the target cell population, enabling direct on-chip tumor cell identification and enumeration. Prostate cancer cells (DU145) spiked into a sample with whole blood...... a fully integrated system for rapid label-free separation and on-chip phenotypic characterization of circulating tumor cells from peripheral venous blood in clinical practice....

Carrier population control and surface passivation in solar cells

KAUST Repository

Cuevas, Andres

2018-05-02

Controlling the concentration of charge carriers near the surface is essential for solar cells. It permits to form regions with selective conductivity for either electrons or holes and it also helps to reduce the rate at which they recombine. Chemical passivation of the surfaces is equally important, and it can be combined with population control to implement carrier-selective, passivating contacts for solar cells. This paper discusses different approaches to suppress surface recombination and to manipulate the concentration of carriers by means of doping, work function and charge. It also describes some of the many surface-passivating contacts that are being developed for silicon solar cells, restricted to experiments performed by the authors.

An Alu-like RNA promotes cell differentiation and reduces malignancy of human neuroblastoma cells

OpenAIRE

Castelnuovo Manuele; Massone Sara; Tasso Roberta; Fiorino Gloria; Gatti Monica; Robello Mauro; Gatta Elena; Berger Audrey; Strub Katharina; Florio Tullio; Dieci Giorgio; Cancedda Ranieri; Pagano Aldo

2010-01-01

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric cancer characterized by remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumor nodules. Here, we demonstrate that the synthesis of a pol III-transcribed noncoding (nc) RNA (NDM29) strongly restricts NB development by promoting cell differentiation, a drop of malignancy processes, and a dramatic reduction of the tumor initiating cell (TIC) fraction in the NB cell population. Notably, the overexpression of NDM29 also confers to malignant NB cells an unpredicted suscept...

Characterization of Novel Sorghum brown midrib Mutants from an EMS-Mutagenized Population

OpenAIRE

Sattler, Scott E.; Saballos, Ana; Xin, Zhanguo; Funnell-Harris, Deanna L.; Vermerris, Wilfred; Pedersen, Jeffrey F.

2014-01-01

Reducing lignin concentration in lignocellulosic biomass can increase forage digestibility for ruminant livestock and saccharification yields of biomass for bioenergy. In sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and several other C4 grasses, brown midrib (bmr) mutants have been shown to reduce lignin concentration. Putative bmr mutants isolated from an EMS-mutagenized population were characterized and classified based on their leaf midrib phenotype and allelism tests with the previously describe...

Targeting population heterogeneity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae batch fermentation for optimal cell factories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heins, Anna-Lena; Lencastre Fernandes, Rita; Lundin, L.

)). Significant gradients of e.g. dissolved oxygen, substrates, and pH are typically observed in many industrial scale fermentation processes. Consequently, the microbial cells experience rapid changes in environmental conditions as they circulate throughout the reactor, which might pose stress on the cells...... and affect their metabolism and consequently affect the heterogeneity level of the population. To further investigate these phenomena and gain a deeper understanding of population heterogeneity, Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth reporter strains based on the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) were...... environmental factors on heterogeneity level and amount of living cells. A highly dynamic behavior with regard to subpopulation distribution during the different growth stages was seen for the batch cultivations. Moreover, it could be demonstrated that the glucose concentration had a clear influence...

Functional genomic characterization of neoblast-like stem cells in larval Schistosoma mansoni

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Collins, James J; Newmark, Phillip A

2013-01-01

Schistosomes infect hundreds of millions of people in the developing world. Transmission of these parasites relies on a stem cell-driven, clonal expansion of larvae inside a molluscan intermediate host. How this novel asexual reproductive strategy relates to current models of stem cell maintenance and germline specification is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that this proliferative larval cell population (germinal cells) shares some molecular signatures with stem cells from diverse organisms, in particular neoblasts of planarians (free-living relatives of schistosomes). We identify two distinct germinal cell lineages that differ in their proliferation kinetics and expression of a nanos ortholog. We show that a vasa/PL10 homolog is required for proliferation and maintenance of both populations, whereas argonaute2 and a fibroblast growth factor receptor-encoding gene are required only for nanos-negative cells. Our results suggest that an ancient stem cell-based developmental program may have enabled the evolution of the complex life cycle of parasitic flatworms. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00768.001 PMID:23908765

Human mesenchymal stromal cells : biological characterization and clinical application

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bernardo, Maria Ester

2010-01-01

This thesis focuses on the characterization of the biological and functional properties of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), isolated from different tissue sources. The differentiation capacity of MSCs from fetal and adult tissues has been tested and compared. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has

Mesenchymal stem cells induce mature dendritic cells into a novel Jagged-2-dependent regulatory dendritic cell population.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bin; Liu, Rui; Shi, Dan; Liu, Xingxia; Chen, Yuan; Dou, Xiaowei; Zhu, Xishan; Lu, Chunhua; Liang, Wei; Liao, Lianming; Zenke, Martin; Zhao, Robert C H

2009-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in addition to their multilineage differentiation, exert immunomodulatory effects on immune cells, even dendritic cells (DCs). However, whether they influence the destiny of full mature DCs (maDCs) remains controversial. Here we report that MSCs vigorously promote proliferation of maDCs, significantly reduce their expression of Ia, CD11c, CD80, CD86, and CD40 while increasing CD11b expression. Interestingly, though these phenotypes clearly suggest their skew to immature status, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation could not reverse this trend. Moreover, high endocytosic capacity, low immunogenicity, and strong immunoregulatory function of MSC-treated maDCs (MSC-DCs) were also observed. Furthermore we found that MSCs, partly via cell-cell contact, drive maDCs to differentiate into a novel Jagged-2-dependent regulatory DC population and escape their apoptotic fate. These results further support the role of MSCs in preventing rejection in organ transplantation and treatment of autoimmune disease.

Macrophage and dendritic cell subsets in IBD: ALDH+ cells are reduced in colon tissue of patients with ulcerative colitis regardless of inflammation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnusson, M. K.; Brynjólfsson, S. F.; Dige, A.

2016-01-01

Disruption of the homeostatic balance of intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages (MQs) may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. We characterized DC and MQ populations, including their ability to produce retinoic acid, in clinical material encompassing Crohn’s ileitis, Crohn’s colitis....... In MLNs, two CD14− DC populations were identified: CD11cintHLADRhi and CD11chiHLADRint cells. A marked increase of CD11chiHLADRint DC, particularly DRintCD1c+ DCs, characterized MLNs draining inflamed intestine. The fraction of DC and MQ populations expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity......, reflecting retinoic acid synthesis, in UC colon, both in active disease and remission, were reduced compared to controls and inflamed Crohn’s colon. In contrast, no difference in the frequency of ALDH+ cells among blood precursors was detected between UC patients and non-inflamed controls. This suggests...

Quantitative gene expression profiling of CD45+ and CD45- skeletal muscle-derived side population cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ditte Caroline Andersen, Ditte Caroline; Kristiansen, Gitte Qvist; Jensen, Line

2012-01-01

The skeletal muscle-derived side population (mSP) which highly excludes Hoechst 33342 is composed of CD45(+) and CD45(-) subpopulations; yet, rareness of mSP cells in general has complicated extensive quantitative analysis of gene expression profiles in primarily isolated mSP cells. Here, we desc...... a satellite cell subpopulation) remain in the mSPCD45(-) fraction, and we show that these cells express high levels of many of the known myogenic precursor/stem cell related markers, including Pax7 and Myf5.......The skeletal muscle-derived side population (mSP) which highly excludes Hoechst 33342 is composed of CD45(+) and CD45(-) subpopulations; yet, rareness of mSP cells in general has complicated extensive quantitative analysis of gene expression profiles in primarily isolated mSP cells. Here, we...... describe the isolation of adult mouse normal skeletal muscle residing SPCD45(+) and SPCD45(-) cells from a parent mononuclear muscle-derived cell (MDC) population. Relative quantitative real time PCR (RT-PCR) of 64 genes revealed that mSPCD45(-) compared with mSPCD45(+) was enriched for cells expressing...

Induction and characterization of a replication competent cervid endogenous gammaretrovirus (CrERV) from mule deer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fábryová, Helena; Hron, Tomáš; Kabíčková, Hana; Poss, Mary; Elleder, Daniel

2015-11-01

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) were acquired during evolution of their host organisms after infection and mendelian inheritance in the germline by their exogenous counterparts. The ERVs can spread in the host genome and in some cases they affect the host phenotype. The cervid endogenous gammaretrovirus (CrERV) is one of only a few well-defined examples of evolutionarily recent invasion of mammalian genome by retroviruses. Thousands of insertionally polymorphic CrERV integration sites have been detected in wild ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) host populations. Here, we describe for the first time induction of replication competent CrERV by cocultivation of deer and human cells. We characterize the physical properties and tropism of the induced virus. The genomic sequence of the induced virus is phylogenetically related to the evolutionarily young endogenous CrERVs described so far. We also describe the level of replication block of CrERV on deer cells and its capacity to establish superinfection interference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plasma membrane characterization, by scanning electron microscopy, of multipotent myoblasts-derived populations sorted using dielectrophoresis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muratore, Massimo, E-mail: M.Muratore@ed.ac.uk [Institute of Integrated Micro and Nano System, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JF (United Kingdom); Mitchell, Steve [Institute of Molecular Plant Science, School of Biological Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JF (United Kingdom); Waterfall, Martin [Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT (United Kingdom)

2013-09-06

Highlights: •Dielectrophoretic separation/sorting of multipotent cells. •Plasma membrane microvilli structure of C2C12 and fibroblasts by SEM microscopy. •Cell cycle determination by Ki-67 in DEP-sorted cells. •Plasma membrane differences responsible for changes in membrane capacitance. -- Abstract: Multipotent progenitor cells have shown promise for use in biomedical applications and regenerative medicine. The implementation of such cells for clinical application requires a synchronized, phenotypically and/or genotypically, homogenous cell population. Here we have demonstrated the implementation of a biological tag-free dielectrophoretic device used for discrimination of multipotent myoblastic C2C12 model. The multipotent capabilities in differentiation, for these cells, diminishes with higher passage number, so for cultures above 70 passages only a small percentage of cells is able to differentiate into terminal myotubes. In this work we demonstrated that we could recover, above 96% purity, specific cell types from a mixed population of cells at high passage number without any biological tag using dielectrophoresis. The purity of the samples was confirmed by cytometric analysis using the cell specific marker embryonic myosin. To further investigate the dielectric properties of the cell plasma membrane we co-culture C2C12 with similar size, when in suspension, GFP-positive fibroblast as feeder layer. The level of separation between the cell types was above 98% purity which was confirmed by flow cytometry. These levels of separation are assumed to account for cell size and for the plasma membrane morphological differences between C2C12 and fibroblast unrelated to the stages of the cell cycle which was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Plasma membrane conformational differences were further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.

Plasma membrane characterization, by scanning electron microscopy, of multipotent myoblasts-derived populations sorted using dielectrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muratore, Massimo; Mitchell, Steve; Waterfall, Martin

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Dielectrophoretic separation/sorting of multipotent cells. •Plasma membrane microvilli structure of C2C12 and fibroblasts by SEM microscopy. •Cell cycle determination by Ki-67 in DEP-sorted cells. •Plasma membrane differences responsible for changes in membrane capacitance. -- Abstract: Multipotent progenitor cells have shown promise for use in biomedical applications and regenerative medicine. The implementation of such cells for clinical application requires a synchronized, phenotypically and/or genotypically, homogenous cell population. Here we have demonstrated the implementation of a biological tag-free dielectrophoretic device used for discrimination of multipotent myoblastic C2C12 model. The multipotent capabilities in differentiation, for these cells, diminishes with higher passage number, so for cultures above 70 passages only a small percentage of cells is able to differentiate into terminal myotubes. In this work we demonstrated that we could recover, above 96% purity, specific cell types from a mixed population of cells at high passage number without any biological tag using dielectrophoresis. The purity of the samples was confirmed by cytometric analysis using the cell specific marker embryonic myosin. To further investigate the dielectric properties of the cell plasma membrane we co-culture C2C12 with similar size, when in suspension, GFP-positive fibroblast as feeder layer. The level of separation between the cell types was above 98% purity which was confirmed by flow cytometry. These levels of separation are assumed to account for cell size and for the plasma membrane morphological differences between C2C12 and fibroblast unrelated to the stages of the cell cycle which was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Plasma membrane conformational differences were further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy

Molecular characterization of microbial population dynamics during sildenafil citrate degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Felice, Bruna; Argenziano, Carolina; Guida, Marco; Trifuoggi, Marco; Russo, Francesca; Condorelli, Valerio; Inglese, Mafalda

2009-02-01

Little is known about pharmaceutical and personal care products pollutants (PPCPs), but there is a growing interest in how they might impact the environment and microbial communities. The widespread use of Viagra (sildenafil citrate) has attracted great attention because of the high usage rate, the unpredictable disposal and the unknown potential effects on wildlife and the environment. Until now information regarding the impact of Viagra on microbial community in water environment has not been reported. In this research, for the first time, the genetic profile of the microbial community, developing in a Viagra polluted water environment, was evaluated by means of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, for bacteria and fungi, respectively, amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and separated using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. The DGGE results revealed a complex microbial community structure with most of the population persisting throughout the experimental period. DNA sequences from bands observed in the different denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles exhibited the highest degree of identity to uncultured bacteria and fungi found previously mainly in polluted environmental and treating bioreactors. Biotransformation ability of sildenafil citrate by the microbial pool was studied and the capability of these microorganisms to detoxify a polluted water ecosystem was assessed. The bacterial and fungal population was able to degrade sildenafil citrate entirely. Additionally, assays conducted on Daphnia magna, algal growth inhibition assay and cell viability determination on HepG2 human cells showed that biotransformation products obtained from the bacterial growth was not toxic. The higher removal efficiency for sildenafil citrate and the lack of toxicity by the biotransformation products obtained showed that the microbial community identified here represented a composite population that might have biotechnological relevance to

Characterization of the head end cells at the West Valley Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, R.F.

1986-11-01

The head-end cells at the West Valley Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant are characterized in this report. These cells consist of the Process Mechanical Cell (PMC) where irradiated nuclear fuel was trimmed of excess hardware and sheared into short segments; and the General Purpose Cell (GPC) where the segments were collected and stored prior to dissolution, and leached hulls were packaged for disposal. Between 1966 and 1972, while Nuclear Fuels Services operated the plant, these cells became highly contaminated with radioactive materials. The purpose of this characterization work was to develop technical information as a basis of decontamination and decommissioning planning and engineering. It was accomplished by performing remote in-cell visual examinations, radiation surveys, and sampling. Supplementary information was obtained from available written records, out-of-cell inspections, and interviews with plant personnel

Characterization of the cell polarity gene crumbs during the early development and maintenance of the squid-vibrio light organ symbiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peyer, Suzanne M; Heath-Heckman, Elizabeth A C; McFall-Ngai, Margaret J

2017-11-01

The protein Crumbs is a determinant of apical-basal cell polarity and plays a role in apoptosis of epithelial cells and their protection against photodamage. Using the squid-vibrio system, a model for development of symbiotic partnerships, we examined the modulation of the crumbs gene in host epithelial tissues during initiation and maintenance of the association. The extracellular luminous symbiont Vibrio fischeri colonizes the apical surfaces of polarized epithelia in deep crypts of the Euprymna scolopes light organ. During initial colonization each generation, symbiont harvesting is potentiated by the biochemical and biophysical activity of superficial ciliated epithelia, which are several cell layers from the crypt epithelia where the symbionts reside. Within hours of crypt colonization, the symbionts induce the cell death mediated regression of the remote superficial ciliated fields. However, the crypt cells directly interacting with the symbiont are protected from death. In the squid host, we characterized the gene and encoded protein during light organ morphogenesis and in response to symbiosis. Features of the protein sequence and structure, phylogenetic relationships, and localization patterns in the eye supported assignment of the squid protein to the Crumbs family. In situ hybridization revealed that the crumbs transcript shows opposite expression at the onset of symbiosis in the two different regions of the light organ: elevated levels in the superficial epithelia were attenuated whereas low levels in the crypt epithelia were turned up. Although a rhythmic association in which the host controls the symbiont population over the day-night cycle begins in the juvenile upon colonization, cycling of crumbs was evident only in the adult organ with peak expression coincident with maximum symbiont population and luminescence. Our results provide evidence that crumbs responds to symbiont cues that induce developmental apoptosis and to symbiont population

Characterization of p75{sup +} ectomesenchymal stem cells from rat embryonic facial process tissue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, Xiujie; Liu, Luchuan; Deng, Manjing; Zhang, Li; Liu, Rui; Xing, Yongjun; Zhou, Xia [Department of Stomatology, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China); Nie, Xin, E-mail: dr.xinnie@gmail.com [Department of Stomatology, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China)

2012-10-12

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) were found to migrate to rat facial processes at E11.5. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We successfully sorted p75NTR positive EMSCs (p75{sup +} EMSCs). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p75{sup +} EMSCs up to nine passages showed relative stable proliferative activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examined the in vitro multilineage potential of p75{sup +} EMSCs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p75{sup +}EMSCs provide an in vitro model for tooth morphogenesis. -- Abstract: Several populations of stem cells, including those from the dental pulp and periodontal ligament, have been isolated from different parts of the tooth and periodontium. The characteristics of such stem cells have been reported as well. However, as a common progenitor of these cells, ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), derived from the cranial neural crest have yet to be fully characterized. The aim of this study was to better understand the characteristics of EMSCs isolated from rat embryonic facial processes. Immunohistochemical staining showed that EMSCs had migrated to rat facial processes at E11.5, while the absence of epithelial invagination or tooth-like epithelium suggested that any epithelial-mesenchymal interactions were limited at this stage. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), a typical neural crest marker, was used to select p75NTR-positive EMSCs (p75{sup +} EMSCs), which were found to show a homogeneous fibroblast-like morphology and little change in the growth curve, proliferation capacity, and cell phenotype during cell passage. They also displayed the capacity to differentiate into diverse cell types under chemically defined conditions in vitro. p75{sup +} EMSCs proved to be homogeneous, stable in vitro and potentially capable of multiple lineages, suggesting their potential for application in dental or orofacial tissue engineering.