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Sample records for tissue lineage differentiation

  1. The differentiation potential of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells into cell lineage related to male germ cells

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    P. Bräunig

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The adipose tissue is a reliable source of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs showing a higher plasticity and transdifferentiation potential into multilineage cells. In the present study, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs were isolated from mice omentum and epididymis fat depots. The AT-MSCs were initially compared based on stem cell surface markers and on the mesodermal trilineage differentiation potential. Additionally, AT-MSCs, from both sources, were cultured with differentiation media containing retinoic acid (RA and/or testicular cell-conditioned medium (TCC. The AT-MSCs expressed mesenchymal surface markers and differentiated into adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages. Only omentum-derived AT-MSCs expressed one important gene marker related to male germ cell lineages, after the differentiation treatment with RA. These findings reaffirm the importance of adipose tissue as a source of multipotent stromal-stem cells, as well as, MSCs source regarding differentiation purpose.

  2. Hacking cell differentiation: transcriptional rerouting in reprogramming, lineage infidelity and metaplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regalo, Gonçalo; Leutz, Achim

    2013-08-01

    Initiating neoplastic cell transformation events are of paramount importance for the comprehension of regeneration and vanguard oncogenic processes but are difficult to characterize and frequently clinically overlooked. In epithelia, pre-neoplastic transformation stages are often distinguished by the appearance of phenotypic features of another differentiated tissue, termed metaplasia. In haemato/lymphopoietic malignancies, cell lineage ambiguity is increasingly recorded. Both, metaplasia and biphenotypic leukaemia/lymphoma represent examples of dysregulated cell differentiation that reflect a history of trans-differentiation and/or epigenetic reprogramming. Here we compare the similarity between molecular events of experimental cell trans-differentiation as an emerging therapeutic concept, with lineage confusion, as in metaplasia and dysplasia forecasting tumour development. © 2013 The Authors. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd on behalf of EMBO.

  3. A minimal spatial cell lineage model of epithelium: tissue stratification and multi-stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Wei-Ting; Chen, Hsuan-Yi

    2018-05-01

    A minimal model which includes spatial and cell lineage dynamics for stratified epithelia is presented. The dependence of tissue steady state on cell differentiation models, cell proliferation rate, cell differentiation rate, and other parameters are studied numerically and analytically. Our minimal model shows some important features. First, we find that morphogen or mechanical stress mediated interaction is necessary to maintain a healthy stratified epithelium. Furthermore, comparing with tissues in which cell differentiation can take place only during cell division, tissues in which cell division and cell differentiation are decoupled can achieve relatively higher degree of stratification. Finally, our model also shows that in the presence of short-range interactions, it is possible for a tissue to have multiple steady states. The relation between our results and tissue morphogenesis or lesion is discussed.

  4. Optical Imaging for Stem Cell Differentiation to Neuronal Lineage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Do Won; Lee, Dong Soo

    2012-01-01

    In regenerative medicine, the prospect of stem cell therapy hold great promise for the recovery of injured tissues and effective treatment of intractable diseases. Tracking stem cell fate provides critical information to understand and evaluate the success of stem cell therapy. The recent emergence of in vivo noninvasive molecular imaging has enabled assessment of the behavior of grafted stem cells in living subjects. In this review, we provide an overview of current optical imaging strategies based on cell or tissue specific reporter gene expression and of in vivo methods to monitor stem cell differentiation into neuronal lineages. These methods use optical reporters either regulated by neuron-specific promoters or containing neuron-specific microRNA binding sites. Both systems revealed dramatic changes in optical reporter imaging signals in cells differentiating a yeast GAL4 amplification system or an engineering-enhanced luciferase reported gene. Furthermore, we propose an advanced imaging system to monitor neuronal differentiation during neurogenesis that uses in vivo multiplexed imaging techniques capable of detecting several targets simultaneously

  5. Mesoderm Lineage 3D Tissue Constructs Are Produced at Large-Scale in a 3D Stem Cell Bioprocess.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Jae Min; Mantalaris, Athanasios; Jung, Sunyoung; Ji, Yurim; Bang, Oh Young; Bae, Hojae

    2017-09-01

    Various studies have presented different approaches to direct pluripotent stem cell differentiation such as applying defined sets of exogenous biochemical signals and genetic/epigenetic modifications. Although differentiation to target lineages can be successfully regulated, such conventional methods are often complicated, laborious, and not cost-effective to be employed to the large-scale production of 3D stem cell-based tissue constructs. A 3D-culture platform that could realize the large-scale production of mesoderm lineage tissue constructs from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is developed. ESCs are cultured using our previously established 3D-bioprocess platform which is amenable to mass-production of 3D ESC-based tissue constructs. Hepatocarcinoma cell line conditioned medium is introduced to the large-scale 3D culture to provide a specific biomolecular microenvironment to mimic in vivo mesoderm formation process. After 5 days of spontaneous differentiation period, the resulting 3D tissue constructs are composed of multipotent mesodermal progenitor cells verified by gene and molecular expression profiles. Subsequently the optimal time points to trigger terminal differentiation towards cardiomyogenesis or osteogenesis from the mesodermal tissue constructs is found. A simple and affordable 3D ESC-bioprocess that can reach the scalable production of mesoderm origin tissues with significantly improved correspondent tissue properties is demonstrated. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. The differentiation of embryonic stem cells seeded on electrospun nanofibers into neural lineages.

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    Xie, Jingwei; Willerth, Stephanie M; Li, Xiaoran; Macewan, Matthew R; Rader, Allison; Sakiyama-Elbert, Shelly E; Xia, Younan

    2009-01-01

    Due to advances in stem cell biology, embryonic stem (ES) cells can be induced to differentiate into a particular mature cell lineage when cultured as embryoid bodies. Although transplantation of ES cells-derived neural progenitor cells has been demonstrated with some success for either spinal cord injury repair in small animal model, control of ES cell differentiation into complex, viable, higher ordered tissues is still challenging. Mouse ES cells have been induced to become neural progenitors by adding retinoic acid to embryoid body cultures for 4 days. In this study, we examine the use of electrospun biodegradable polymers as scaffolds not only for enhancing the differentiation of mouse ES cells into neural lineages but also for promoting and guiding the neurite outgrowth. A combination of electrospun fiber scaffolds and ES cells-derived neural progenitor cells could lead to the development of a better strategy for nerve injury repair.

  7. Differentiation of Equine Mesenchymal Stromal Cells into Cells of Neural Lineage: Potential for Clinical Applications

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    Claudia Cruz Villagrán

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs are able to differentiate into extramesodermal lineages, including neurons. Positive outcomes were obtained after transplantation of neurally induced MSCs in laboratory animals after nerve injury, but this is unknown in horses. Our objectives were to test the ability of equine MSCs to differentiate into cells of neural lineage in vitro, to assess differences in morphology and lineage-specific protein expression, and to investigate if horse age and cell passage number affected the ability to achieve differentiation. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were obtained from young and adult horses. Following demonstration of stemness, MSCs were neurally induced and microscopically assessed at different time points. Results showed that commercially available nitrogen-coated tissue culture plates supported proliferation and differentiation. Morphological changes were immediate and all the cells displayed a neural crest-like cell phenotype. Expression of neural progenitor proteins, was assessed via western blot or immunofluorescence. In our study, MSCs generated from young and middle-aged horses did not show differences in their ability to undergo differentiation. The effect of cell passage number, however, is inconsistent and further experiments are needed. Ongoing work is aimed at transdifferentiating these cells into Schwann cells for transplantation into a peripheral nerve injury model in horses.

  8. Differentiation in Stem Cell Lineages and in Life: Explorations in the Male Germ Line Stem Cell Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, Margaret T

    2016-01-01

    I have been privileged to work on cellular differentiation during a great surge of discovery that has revealed the molecular mechanisms and genetic regulatory circuitry that control embryonic development and adult tissue maintenance and repair. Studying the regulation of proliferation and differentiation in the male germ line stem cell lineage has allowed us investigate how the developmental program imposes layers of additional controls on fundamental cellular processes like cell cycle progression and gene expression to give rise to the huge variety of specialized cell types in our bodies. We are beginning to understand how local signals from somatic support cells specify self-renewal versus differentiation in the stem cell niche at the apical tip of the testis. We are discovering the molecular events that block cell proliferation and initiate terminal differentiation at the switch from mitosis to meiosis-a signature event of the germ cell program. Our work is beginning to reveal how the developmental program that sets up the dramatic new cell type-specific transcription program that prepares germ cells for meiotic division and spermatid differentiation is turned on when cells become spermatocytes. I have had the privilege of working with incredible students, postdocs, and colleagues who have discovered, brainstormed, challenged, and refined our science and our ideas of how developmental pathways and cellular mechanisms work together to drive differentiation. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Adipogenic differentiation of laser-printed 3D tissue grafts consisting of human adipose-derived stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruene, M; Deiwick, A; Koch, L; Schlie, S; Unger, C; Chichkov, B N; Pflaum, M; Wilhelmi, M; Haverich, A

    2011-01-01

    Laser-assisted bioprinting (LaBP) allows the realization of computer-generated 3D tissue grafts consisting of cells embedded in a hydrogel environment. In this study, human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) were printed in a free-scalable 3D grid pattern by means of LaBP. We demonstrate that neither the proliferation ability nor the differentiation behaviour of the stem cells was affected by the LaBP procedure. Furthermore, the 3D grafts were differentiated down the adipogenic lineage pathway for 10 days. We verify by quantitative assessments of adipogenic markers that the 3D grafts resemble cell lineages present in natural adipose tissue. Additionally, we provide the proof that even pre-differentiated hASCs could be utilized for the generation of 3D tissue grafts. These results indicate that the biofabrication of living grafts resembling their complex native origin is within reach.

  10. Adipogenic differentiation of laser-printed 3D tissue grafts consisting of human adipose-derived stem cells

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    Gruene, M; Deiwick, A; Koch, L; Schlie, S; Unger, C; Chichkov, B N [Nanotechnology Department, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419 Hannover (Germany); Pflaum, M; Wilhelmi, M; Haverich, A, E-mail: m.gruene@lzh.de [Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover (Germany)

    2011-03-15

    Laser-assisted bioprinting (LaBP) allows the realization of computer-generated 3D tissue grafts consisting of cells embedded in a hydrogel environment. In this study, human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) were printed in a free-scalable 3D grid pattern by means of LaBP. We demonstrate that neither the proliferation ability nor the differentiation behaviour of the stem cells was affected by the LaBP procedure. Furthermore, the 3D grafts were differentiated down the adipogenic lineage pathway for 10 days. We verify by quantitative assessments of adipogenic markers that the 3D grafts resemble cell lineages present in natural adipose tissue. Additionally, we provide the proof that even pre-differentiated hASCs could be utilized for the generation of 3D tissue grafts. These results indicate that the biofabrication of living grafts resembling their complex native origin is within reach.

  11. A mex3 homolog is required for differentiation during planarian stem cell lineage development

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    Zhu, Shu Jun; Hallows, Stephanie E; Currie, Ko W; Xu, ChangJiang; Pearson, Bret J

    2015-01-01

    Neoblasts are adult stem cells (ASCs) in planarians that sustain cell replacement during homeostasis and regeneration of any missing tissue. While numerous studies have examined genes underlying neoblast pluripotency, molecular pathways driving postmitotic fates remain poorly defined. In this study, we used transcriptional profiling of irradiation-sensitive and irradiation-insensitive cell populations and RNA interference (RNAi) functional screening to uncover markers and regulators of postmitotic progeny. We identified 32 new markers distinguishing two main epithelial progenitor populations and a planarian homolog to the MEX3 RNA-binding protein (Smed-mex3-1) as a key regulator of lineage progression. mex3-1 was required for generating differentiated cells of multiple lineages, while restricting the size of the stem cell compartment. We also demonstrated the utility of using mex3-1(RNAi) animals to identify additional progenitor markers. These results identified mex3-1 as a cell fate regulator, broadly required for differentiation, and suggest that mex3-1 helps to mediate the balance between ASC self-renewal and commitment. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07025.001 PMID:26114597

  12. Stem cells in bone tissue engineering

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    Seong, Jeong Min [Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry and Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byung-Chul; Park, Jae-Hong; Kwon, Il Keun; Hwang, Yu-Shik [Department of Maxillofacial Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Mantalaris, Anathathios, E-mail: yshwang@khu.ac.k [Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2010-12-15

    Bone tissue engineering has been one of the most promising areas of research, providing a potential clinical application to cure bone defects. Recently, various stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs), adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs), muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have received extensive attention in the field of bone tissue engineering due to their distinct biological capability to differentiate into osteogenic lineages. The application of these stem cells to bone tissue engineering requires inducing in vitro differentiation of these cells into bone forming cells, osteoblasts. For this purpose, efficient in vitro differentiation towards osteogenic lineage requires the development of well-defined and proficient protocols. This would reduce the likelihood of spontaneous differentiation into divergent lineages and increase the available cell source for application to bone tissue engineering therapies. This review provides a critical examination of the various experimental strategies that could be used to direct the differentiation of ESC, BM-MSC, UCB-MSC, ADSC, MDSC and DPSC towards osteogenic lineages and their potential applications in tissue engineering, particularly in the regeneration of bone. (topical review)

  13. Stem cells in bone tissue engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seong, Jeong Min; Kim, Byung-Chul; Park, Jae-Hong; Kwon, Il Keun; Hwang, Yu-Shik; Mantalaris, Anathathios

    2010-01-01

    Bone tissue engineering has been one of the most promising areas of research, providing a potential clinical application to cure bone defects. Recently, various stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs), adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs), muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have received extensive attention in the field of bone tissue engineering due to their distinct biological capability to differentiate into osteogenic lineages. The application of these stem cells to bone tissue engineering requires inducing in vitro differentiation of these cells into bone forming cells, osteoblasts. For this purpose, efficient in vitro differentiation towards osteogenic lineage requires the development of well-defined and proficient protocols. This would reduce the likelihood of spontaneous differentiation into divergent lineages and increase the available cell source for application to bone tissue engineering therapies. This review provides a critical examination of the various experimental strategies that could be used to direct the differentiation of ESC, BM-MSC, UCB-MSC, ADSC, MDSC and DPSC towards osteogenic lineages and their potential applications in tissue engineering, particularly in the regeneration of bone. (topical review)

  14. Determining the control networks regulating stem cell lineages in colonic crypts

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, J; Axelrod, DE; Komarova, NL

    2017-01-01

    The question of stem cell control is at the center of our understanding of tissue functioning, both in healthy and cancerous conditions. It is well accepted that cellular fate decisions (such as divisions, differentiation, apoptosis) are orchestrated by a network of regulatory signals emitted by different cell populations in the lineage and the surrounding tissue. The exact regulatory network that governs stem cell lineages in a given tissue is usually unknown. Here we propose an algorithm to...

  15. Differentiation of murine embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem cells to renal lineage in vitro

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    Morizane, Ryuji [Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Monkawa, Toshiaki, E-mail: monkawa@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp [Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Itoh, Hiroshi [Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

    2009-12-25

    Embryonic stem (ES) cells which have the unlimited proliferative capacity and extensive differentiation potency can be an attractive source for kidney regeneration therapies. Recent breakthroughs in the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have provided with another potential source for the artificially-generated kidney. The purpose of this study is to know how to differentiate mouse ES and iPS cells into renal lineage. We used iPS cells from mouse fibroblasts by transfection of four transcription factors, namely Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4. Real-time PCR showed that renal lineage markers were expressed in both ES and iPS cells after the induction of differentiation. It also showed that a tubular specific marker, KSP progressively increased to day 18, although the differentiation of iPS cells was slower than ES cells. The results indicated that renal lineage cells can be differentiated from both murine ES and iPS cells. Several inducing factors were tested whether they influenced on cell differentiation. In ES cells, both of GDNF and BMP7 enhanced the differentiation to metanephric mesenchyme, and Activin enhanced the differentiation of ES cells to tubular cells. Activin also enhanced the differentiation of iPS cells to tubular cells, although the enhancement was lower than in ES cells. ES and iPS cells have a potential to differentiate to renal lineage cells, and they will be an attractive resource of kidney regeneration therapy. This differentiation is enhanced by Activin in both ES and iPS cells.

  16. Cytokine-Regulated GADD45G Induces Differentiation and Lineage Selection in Hematopoietic Stem Cells

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    Frederic B. Thalheimer

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The balance of self-renewal and differentiation in long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSC must be strictly controlled to maintain blood homeostasis and to prevent leukemogenesis. Hematopoietic cytokines can induce differentiation in LT-HSCs; however, the molecular mechanism orchestrating this delicate balance requires further elucidation. We identified the tumor suppressor GADD45G as an instructor of LT-HSC differentiation under the control of differentiation-promoting cytokine receptor signaling. GADD45G immediately induces and accelerates differentiation in LT-HSCs and overrides the self-renewal program by specifically activating MAP3K4-mediated MAPK p38. Conversely, the absence of GADD45G enhances the self-renewal potential of LT-HSCs. Videomicroscopy-based tracking of single LT-HSCs revealed that, once GADD45G is expressed, the development of LT-HSCs into lineage-committed progeny occurred within 36 hr and uncovered a selective lineage choice with a severe reduction in megakaryocytic-erythroid cells. Here, we report an unrecognized role of GADD45G as a central molecular linker of extrinsic cytokine differentiation and lineage choice control in hematopoiesis.

  17. Bioreactor-induced mesenchymal progenitor cell differentiation and elastic fiber assembly in engineered vascular tissues.

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    Lin, Shigang; Mequanint, Kibret

    2017-09-01

    In vitro maturation of engineered vascular tissues (EVT) requires the appropriate incorporation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and extracellular matrix (ECM) components similar to native arteries. To this end, the aim of the current study was to fabricate 4mm inner diameter vascular tissues using mesenchymal progenitor cells seeded into tubular scaffolds. A dual-pump bioreactor operating either in perfusion or pulsatile perfusion mode was used to generate physiological-like stimuli to promote progenitor cell differentiation, extracellular elastin production, and tissue maturation. Our data demonstrated that pulsatile forces and perfusion of 3D tubular constructs from both the lumenal and ablumenal sides with culture media significantly improved tissue assembly, effectively inducing mesenchymal progenitor cell differentiation to SMCs with contemporaneous elastin production. With bioreactor cultivation, progenitor cells differentiated toward smooth muscle lineage characterized by the expression of smooth muscle (SM)-specific markers smooth muscle alpha actin (SM-α-actin) and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC). More importantly, pulsatile perfusion bioreactor cultivation enhanced the synthesis of tropoelastin and its extracellular cross-linking into elastic fiber compared with static culture controls. Taken together, the current study demonstrated progenitor cell differentiation and vascular tissue assembly, and provides insights into elastin synthesis and assembly to fibers. Incorporation of elastin into engineered vascular tissues represents a critical design goal for both mechanical and biological functions. In the present study, we seeded porous tubular scaffolds with multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells and cultured in dual-pump pulsatile perfusion bioreactor. Physiological-like stimuli generated by bioreactor not only induced mesenchymal progenitor cell differentiation to vascular smooth muscle lineage but also actively promoted elastin synthesis and

  18. DENTAL PULP STEM CELLS AND HUMAN PERIAPICAL CYST MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS IN BONE TISSUE REGENERATION: COMPARISON OF BASAL AND OSTEOGENIC DIFFERENTIATED GENE EXPRESSION OF A NEWLY DISCOVERED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL LINEAGE.

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    Tatullo, M; Falisi, G; Amantea, M; Rastelli, C; Paduano, F; Marrelli, M

    2015-01-01

    Bone regeneration is an interesting field of biomedicine. The most recent studies are aimed to achieve a bone regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) taken from more accessible sites: oral and dental tissues have been widely investigated as a rich accessible source of MSCs. Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) and human Periapical Cysts Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hPCy-MSCs) represent the new generation MSCs. The aim of this study is to compare the gene expression of these two innovative cell types to highlight the advantages of their use in bone regeneration. The harvesting, culturing and differentiating of cells isolated from dental pulp as well as from periapical cystic tissue were carried out as described in previously published reports. qRT-PCR analyses were performed on osteogenic genes in undifferentiated and osteogenic differentiated cells of DPSC and hPCy-MSC lineage. Real-time RT-PCR data suggested that both DPSCs and hPCy-MSCs cultured in osteogenic media are able to differentiate into osteoblast/odontoblast-like cells: however, some differences indicated that DPSCs seem to be directed more towards dentinogenesis, while hPCy-MSCs seem to be directed more towards osteogenesis.

  19. Trophic factors from adipose tissue-derived multi-lineage progenitor cells promote cytodifferentiation of periodontal ligament cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Keigo; Takedachi, Masahide; Yamamoto, Satomi; Morimoto, Chiaki; Ozasa, Masao; Iwayama, Tomoaki; Lee, Chun Man; Okura, Hanayuki; Matsuyama, Akifumi; Kitamura, Masahiro; Murakami, Shinya

    2015-01-01

    Stem and progenitor cells are currently being investigated for their applicability in cell-based therapy for periodontal tissue regeneration. We recently demonstrated that the transplantation of adipose tissue-derived multi-lineage progenitor cells (ADMPCs) enhances periodontal tissue regeneration in beagle dogs. However, the molecular mechanisms by which transplanted ADMPCs induce periodontal tissue regeneration remain to be elucidated. In this study, trophic factors released by ADMPCs were examined for their paracrine effects on human periodontal ligament cell (HPDL) function. ADMPC conditioned medium (ADMPC-CM) up-regulated osteoblastic gene expression, alkaline phosphatase activity and calcified nodule formation in HPDLs, but did not significantly affect their proliferative response. ADMPCs secreted a number of growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP6), hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Among these, IGFBP6 was most highly expressed. Interestingly, the positive effects of ADMPC-CM on HPDL differentiation were significantly suppressed by transfecting ADMPCs with IGFBP6 siRNA. Our results suggest that ADMPCs transplanted into a defect in periodontal tissue release trophic factors that can stimulate the differentiation of HPDLs to mineralized tissue-forming cells, such as osteoblasts and cementoblasts. IGFBP6 may play crucial roles in ADMPC-induced periodontal regeneration. - Highlights: • ADMPC-derived humoral factors stimulate cytodifferentiation of HPDLs. • ADMPCs secret growth factors including IGFBP6, VEGF and HGF. • IGFBP6 is involved in the promotion effect of ADMPC-CM on HPDL cytodifferentiation

  20. Trophic factors from adipose tissue-derived multi-lineage progenitor cells promote cytodifferentiation of periodontal ligament cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sawada, Keigo [Department of Periodontology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka (Japan); Takedachi, Masahide, E-mail: takedati@dent.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Periodontology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka (Japan); Yamamoto, Satomi; Morimoto, Chiaki; Ozasa, Masao; Iwayama, Tomoaki [Department of Periodontology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka (Japan); Lee, Chun Man [Medical Center for Translational Research, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka (Japan); Okura, Hanayuki; Matsuyama, Akifumi [Research on Disease Bioresources, Platform of Therapeutics for Rare Disease, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Osaka (Japan); Kitamura, Masahiro; Murakami, Shinya [Department of Periodontology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka (Japan)

    2015-08-14

    Stem and progenitor cells are currently being investigated for their applicability in cell-based therapy for periodontal tissue regeneration. We recently demonstrated that the transplantation of adipose tissue-derived multi-lineage progenitor cells (ADMPCs) enhances periodontal tissue regeneration in beagle dogs. However, the molecular mechanisms by which transplanted ADMPCs induce periodontal tissue regeneration remain to be elucidated. In this study, trophic factors released by ADMPCs were examined for their paracrine effects on human periodontal ligament cell (HPDL) function. ADMPC conditioned medium (ADMPC-CM) up-regulated osteoblastic gene expression, alkaline phosphatase activity and calcified nodule formation in HPDLs, but did not significantly affect their proliferative response. ADMPCs secreted a number of growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP6), hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Among these, IGFBP6 was most highly expressed. Interestingly, the positive effects of ADMPC-CM on HPDL differentiation were significantly suppressed by transfecting ADMPCs with IGFBP6 siRNA. Our results suggest that ADMPCs transplanted into a defect in periodontal tissue release trophic factors that can stimulate the differentiation of HPDLs to mineralized tissue-forming cells, such as osteoblasts and cementoblasts. IGFBP6 may play crucial roles in ADMPC-induced periodontal regeneration. - Highlights: • ADMPC-derived humoral factors stimulate cytodifferentiation of HPDLs. • ADMPCs secret growth factors including IGFBP6, VEGF and HGF. • IGFBP6 is involved in the promotion effect of ADMPC-CM on HPDL cytodifferentiation.

  1. Blastema cells derived from New Zealand white rabbit's pinna carry stemness properties as shown by differentiation into insulin producing, neural, and osteogenic lineages representing three embryonic germ layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeinasab, Morvarid; Matin, Maryam M; Rassouli, Fatemeh B; Bahrami, Ahmad Reza

    2016-05-01

    Stem cells (SCs) are known as undifferentiated cells with self-renewal and differentiation capacities. Regeneration is a phenomenon that occurs in a limited number of animals after injury, during which blastema tissue is formed. It has been hypothesized that upon injury, the dedifferentiation of surrounding tissues leads into the appearance of cells with SC characteristics. In present study, stem-like cells (SLCs) were obtained from regenerating tissue of New Zealand white rabbit's pinna and their stemness properties were examined by their capacity to differentiate toward insulin producing cells (IPCs), as well as neural and osteogenic lineages. Differentiation was induced by culture of SLCs in defined medium, and cell fates were monitored by specific staining, RT-PCR and flow cytometry assays. Our results revealed that dithizone positive cells, which represent IPCs, and islet-like structures appeared 1 week after induction of SLCs, and this observation was confirmed by the elevated expression of Ins, Pax6 and Glut4 at mRNA level. Furthermore, SLCs were able to express neural markers as early as 1 week after retinoic acid treatment. Finally, SLCs were able to differentiate into osteogenic lineage, as confirmed by Alizarin Red S staining and RT-PCR studies. In conclusion, SLCs, which could successfully differentiate into cells derived from all three germ layers, can be considered as a valuable model to study developmental biology and regenerative medicine.

  2. Hypoxia Enhances Differentiation of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells toward the Smooth Muscle Phenotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang Wang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Smooth muscle differentiated adipose tissue-derived stem cells are a valuable resource for regeneration of gastrointestinal tissues, such as the gut and sphincters. Hypoxia has been shown to promote adipose tissue-derived stem cells proliferation and maintenance of pluripotency, but the influence of hypoxia on their smooth myogenic differentiation remains unexplored. This study investigated the phenotype and contractility of adipose-derived stem cells differentiated toward the smooth myogenic lineage under hypoxic conditions. Oxygen concentrations of 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% were used during differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells. Real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression of smooth muscle cells-specific markers, including early marker smooth muscle alpha actin, middle markers calponin, caldesmon, and late marker smooth muscle myosin heavy chain. The specific contractile properties of cells were verified with both a single cell contraction assay and a gel contraction assay. Five percent oxygen concentration significantly increased the expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin, calponin, and myosin heavy chain in adipose-derived stem cell cultures after 2 weeks of induction (p < 0.01. Cells differentiated in 5% oxygen conditions showed greater contraction effect (p < 0.01. Hypoxia influences differentiation of smooth muscle cells from adipose stem cells and 5% oxygen was the optimal condition to generate smooth muscle cells that contract from adipose stem cells.

  3. Cell lineage branching as a strategy for proliferative control.

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    Buzi, Gentian; Lander, Arthur D; Khammash, Mustafa

    2015-02-19

    How tissue and organ sizes are specified is one of the great unsolved mysteries in biology. Experiments and mathematical modeling implicate feedback control of cell lineage progression, but a broad understanding of what lineage feedback accomplishes is lacking. By exploring the possible effects of various biologically relevant disturbances on the dynamic and steady state behaviors of stem cell lineages, we find that the simplest and most frequently studied form of lineage feedback - which we term renewal control - suffers from several serious drawbacks. These reflect fundamental performance limits dictated by universal conservation-type laws, and are independent of parameter choice. Here we show that introducing lineage branches can circumvent all such limitations, permitting effective attenuation of a wide range of perturbations. The type of feedback that achieves such performance - which we term fate control - involves promotion of lineage branching at the expense of both renewal and (primary) differentiation. We discuss the evidence that feedback of just this type occurs in vivo, and plays a role in tissue growth control. Regulated lineage branching is an effective strategy for dealing with disturbances in stem cell systems. The existence of this strategy provides a dynamics-based justification for feedback control of cell fate in vivo.

  4. Inductive differentiation of two neural lineages reconstituted in a microculture system from Xenopus early gastrula cells.

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    Mitani, S; Okamoto, H

    1991-05-01

    Neural induction of ectoderm cells has been reconstituted and examined in a microculture system derived from dissociated early gastrula cells of Xenopus laevis. We have used monoclonal antibodies as specific markers to monitor cellular differentiation from three distinct ectoderm lineages in culture (N1 for CNS neurons from neural tube, Me1 for melanophores from neural crest and E3 for skin epidermal cells from epidermal lineages). CNS neurons and melanophores differentiate when deep layer cells of the ventral ectoderm (VE, prospective epidermis region; 150 cells/culture) and an appropriate region of the marginal zone (MZ, prospective mesoderm region; 5-150 cells/culture) are co-cultured, but not in cultures of either cell type on their own; VE cells cultured alone yield epidermal cells as we have previously reported. The extent of inductive neural differentiation in the co-culture system strongly depends on the origin and number of MZ cells initially added to culture wells. The potency to induce CNS neurons is highest for dorsal MZ cells and sharply decreases as more ventrally located cells are used. The same dorsoventral distribution of potency is seen in the ability of MZ cells to inhibit epidermal differentiation. In contrast, the ability of MZ cells to induce melanophores shows the reverse polarity, ventral to dorsal. These data indicate that separate developmental mechanisms are used for the induction of neural tube and neural crest lineages. Co-differentiation of CNS neurons or melanophores with epidermal cells can be obtained in a single well of co-cultures of VE cells (150) and a wide range of numbers of MZ cells (5 to 100). Further, reproducible differentiation of both neural lineages requires intimate association between cells from the two gastrula regions; virtually no differentiation is obtained when cells from the VE and MZ are separated in a culture well. These results indicate that the inducing signals from MZ cells for both neural tube and neural

  5. Acute leukemias of ambiguous lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Béné, Marie C; Porwit, Anna

    2012-02-01

    The 2008 edition of the WHO Classification of Tumors of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues recognizes a special category called "leukemias of ambiguous lineage." The vast majority of these rare leukemias are classified as mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL), although acute undifferentiated leukemias and natural killer lymphoblastic leukemias are also included. The major immunophenotypic markers used by the WHO 2008 to determine the lineage for these proliferations are myeloperoxidase, CD19, and cytoplasmic CD3. However, extensive immunophenotyping is necessary to confirm that the cells indeed belong to 2 different lineages or coexpress differentiation antigens of more than 1 lineage. Specific subsets of MPAL are defined by chromosomal anomalies such as the t(9;22) Philadelphia chromosome BCR-ABL1 or involvement of the MLL gene on chromosome 11q23. Other MPAL are divided into B/myeloid NOS, T/myeloid NOS, B/T NOS, and B/T/myeloid NOS. MPAL are usually of dire prognosis, respond variably to chemotherapy of acute lymphoblastic or acute myeloblastic type, and benefit most from rapid allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

  6. Expansion of Adult Human Pancreatic Tissue Yields Organoids Harboring Progenitor Cells with Endocrine Differentiation Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cindy J.M. Loomans

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Generating an unlimited source of human insulin-producing cells is a prerequisite to advance β cell replacement therapy for diabetes. Here, we describe a 3D culture system that supports the expansion of adult human pancreatic tissue and the generation of a cell subpopulation with progenitor characteristics. These cells display high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (ALDHhi, express pancreatic progenitors markers (PDX1, PTF1A, CPA1, and MYC, and can form new organoids in contrast to ALDHlo cells. Interestingly, gene expression profiling revealed that ALDHhi cells are closer to human fetal pancreatic tissue compared with adult pancreatic tissue. Endocrine lineage markers were detected upon in vitro differentiation. Engrafted organoids differentiated toward insulin-positive (INS+ cells, and circulating human C-peptide was detected upon glucose challenge 1 month after transplantation. Engrafted ALDHhi cells formed INS+ cells. We conclude that adult human pancreatic tissue has potential for expansion into 3D structures harboring progenitor cells with endocrine differentiation potential. : In the context of β cell replacement therapy for diabetes, de Koning and colleagues describe a 3D culture platform that supports ex vivo expansion of human pancreatic tissue as organoids. These organoids harbor a subpopulation of ALDHhi cells that display proliferative capacity and can differentiate to an endocrine fate. Keywords: pancreas, organoid, human, ALDH, endocrine differentiation, beta cells, insulin, progenitor, fetal, diabetes

  7. Effects of ultrasound on the proliferation and differentiation of cementoblast lineage cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Inubushi, T.; Tanaka, E.; Rego, E.B.; Kitagawa, M.; Kawazoe, A.; Ohta, A.; Okada, H.; Koolstra, J.H.; Miyauchi, M.; Takata, T.; Tanne, K.

    2008-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulation on the proliferation and differentiation of cementoblast lineage cells. Methods: An immortalized human periodontal ligament cell line (HPL) showing immature cementoblastic

  8. Mechanical modulation of nascent stem cell lineage commitment in tissue engineering scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Min Jae; Dean, David; Knothe Tate, Melissa L

    2013-07-01

    Taking inspiration from tissue morphogenesis in utero, this study tests the concept of using tissue engineering scaffolds as delivery devices to modulate emergent structure-function relationships at early stages of tissue genesis. We report on the use of a combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, advanced manufacturing methods, and experimental fluid mechanics (micro-piv and strain mapping) for the prospective design of tissue engineering scaffold geometries that deliver spatially resolved mechanical cues to stem cells seeded within. When subjected to a constant magnitude global flow regime, the local scaffold geometry dictates the magnitudes of mechanical stresses and strains experienced by a given cell, and in a spatially resolved fashion, similar to patterning during morphogenesis. In addition, early markers of mesenchymal stem cell lineage commitment relate significantly to the local mechanical environment of the cell. Finally, by plotting the range of stress-strain states for all data corresponding to nascent cell lineage commitment (95% CI), we begin to "map the mechanome", defining stress-strain states most conducive to targeted cell fates. In sum, we provide a library of reference mechanical cues that can be delivered to cells seeded on tissue engineering scaffolds to guide target tissue phenotypes in a temporally and spatially resolved manner. Knowledge of these effects allows for prospective scaffold design optimization using virtual models prior to prototyping and clinical implementation. Finally, this approach enables the development of next generation scaffolds cum delivery devices for genesis of complex tissues with heterogenous properties, e.g., organs, joints or interface tissues such as growth plates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Gelatin-Based Hydrogels Promote Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamon, Achim; van Vlierberghe, Sandra; van Nieuwenhove, Ine; Baudisch, Frank; Graulus, Geert-Jan; Benecke, Verena; Alberti, Kristin; Neumann, Hans-Georg; Rychly, Joachim; Martins, José C.; Dubruel, Peter; Peters, Kirsten

    2014-01-01

    Due to the weak regeneration potential of cartilage, there is a high clinical incidence of articular joint disease, leading to a strong demand for cartilaginous tissue surrogates. The aim of this study was to evaluate a gelatin-based hydrogel for its suitability to support chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Gelatin-based hydrogels are biodegradable, show high biocompatibility, and offer possibilities to introduce functional groups and/or ligands. In order to prove their chondrogenesis-supporting potential, a hydrogel film was developed and compared with standard cell culture polystyrene regarding the differentiation behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells. Cellular basis for this study were human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which exhibit differentiation potential along the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic lineage. The results obtained show a promotive effect of gelatin-based hydrogels on chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and therefore encourage subsequent in vivo studies. PMID:28788517

  10. Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Ying; Wang, Kai; Chandramouli, Gadisetti V.R.; Knott, Jason G.; Leach, Richard

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Epithelial-like phenotype of trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells. •Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells exhibit trophoblast function. •Trophoblasts from iPS cells provides a proof-of-concept in regenerative medicine. -- Abstract: Background: During implantation, the blastocyst trophectoderm attaches to the endometrial epithelium and continues to differentiate into all trophoblast subtypes, which are the major components of a placenta. Aberrant trophoblast proliferation and differentiation are associated with placental diseases. However, due to ethical and practical issues, there is almost no available cell or tissue source to study the molecular mechanism of human trophoblast differentiation, which further becomes a barrier to the study of the pathogenesis of trophoblast-associated diseases of pregnancy. In this study, our goal was to generate a proof-of-concept model for deriving trophoblast lineage cells from induced pluripotency stem (iPS) cells from human fibroblasts. In future studies the generation of trophoblast lineage cells from iPS cells established from patient’s placenta will be extremely useful for studying the pathogenesis of individual trophoblast-associated diseases and for drug testing. Methods and results: Combining iPS cell technology with BMP4 induction, we derived trophoblast lineage cells from human iPS cells. The gene expression profile of these trophoblast lineage cells was distinct from fibroblasts and iPS cells. These cells expressed markers of human trophoblasts. Furthermore, when these cells were differentiated they exhibited invasive capacity and placental hormone secretive capacity, suggesting extravillous trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. Conclusion: Trophoblast lineage cells can be successfully derived from human iPS cells, which provide a proof-of-concept tool to recapitulate pathogenesis of patient placental trophoblasts in vitro

  11. Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Ying, E-mail: ying.chen@hc.msu.edu [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, 333 Bostwick NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Wang, Kai; Chandramouli, Gadisetti V.R. [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, 333 Bostwick NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Knott, Jason G. [Developmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University (United States); Leach, Richard, E-mail: Richard.leach@hc.msu.edu [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, 333 Bostwick NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, Spectrum Health Medical Group (United States)

    2013-07-12

    Highlights: •Epithelial-like phenotype of trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells. •Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells exhibit trophoblast function. •Trophoblasts from iPS cells provides a proof-of-concept in regenerative medicine. -- Abstract: Background: During implantation, the blastocyst trophectoderm attaches to the endometrial epithelium and continues to differentiate into all trophoblast subtypes, which are the major components of a placenta. Aberrant trophoblast proliferation and differentiation are associated with placental diseases. However, due to ethical and practical issues, there is almost no available cell or tissue source to study the molecular mechanism of human trophoblast differentiation, which further becomes a barrier to the study of the pathogenesis of trophoblast-associated diseases of pregnancy. In this study, our goal was to generate a proof-of-concept model for deriving trophoblast lineage cells from induced pluripotency stem (iPS) cells from human fibroblasts. In future studies the generation of trophoblast lineage cells from iPS cells established from patient’s placenta will be extremely useful for studying the pathogenesis of individual trophoblast-associated diseases and for drug testing. Methods and results: Combining iPS cell technology with BMP4 induction, we derived trophoblast lineage cells from human iPS cells. The gene expression profile of these trophoblast lineage cells was distinct from fibroblasts and iPS cells. These cells expressed markers of human trophoblasts. Furthermore, when these cells were differentiated they exhibited invasive capacity and placental hormone secretive capacity, suggesting extravillous trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. Conclusion: Trophoblast lineage cells can be successfully derived from human iPS cells, which provide a proof-of-concept tool to recapitulate pathogenesis of patient placental trophoblasts in vitro.

  12. Bioenergetic Changes during Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells along the Hepatic Lineage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hopkinson, Branden M; Madsen, Claus Desler; Kalisz, Mark

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondrial dysfunction has been demonstrated to result in premature aging due to its effects on stem cells. Nevertheless, a full understanding of the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics through differentiation is still lacking. Here we show the bioenergetics profile of human stem cells...... of embryonic origin differentiating along the hepatic lineage. Our study reveals especially the transition between hepatic specification and hepatic maturation as dependent on mitochondrial respiration and demonstrates that even though differentiating cells are primarily dependent on glycolysis until induction...

  13. Gelatin-Based Hydrogels Promote Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Achim Salamon

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Due to the weak regeneration potential of cartilage, there is a high clinical incidence of articular joint disease, leading to a strong demand for cartilaginous tissue surrogates. The aim of this study was to evaluate a gelatin-based hydrogel for its suitability to support chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Gelatin-based hydrogels are biodegradable, show high biocompatibility, and offer possibilities to introduce functional groups and/or ligands. In order to prove their chondrogenesis-supporting potential, a hydrogel film was developed and compared with standard cell culture polystyrene regarding the differentiation behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells. Cellular basis for this study were human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which exhibit differentiation potential along the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic lineage. The results obtained show a promotive effect of gelatin-based hydrogels on chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and therefore encourage subsequent in vivo studies.

  14. Identification and Characterization of Mouse Otic Sensory Lineage Genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byron H. Hartman

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Vertebrate embryogenesis gives rise to all cell types of an organism through the development of many unique lineages derived from the three primordial germ layers. The otic sensory lineage arises from the otic vesicle, a structure formed through invagination of placodal non-neural ectoderm. This developmental lineage possesses unique differentiation potential, giving rise to otic sensory cell populations including hair cells, supporting cells, and ganglion neurons of the auditory and vestibular organs. Here we present a systematic approach to identify transcriptional features that distinguish the otic sensory lineage (from early otic progenitors to otic sensory populations from other major lineages of vertebrate development. We used a microarray approach to analyze otic sensory lineage populations including microdissected otic vesicles (embryonic day 10.5 as well as isolated neonatal cochlear hair cells and supporting cells at postnatal day 3. Non-otic tissue samples including periotic tissues and whole embryos with otic regions removed were used as reference populations to evaluate otic specificity. Otic populations shared transcriptome-wide correlations in expression profiles that distinguish members of this lineage from non-otic populations. We further analyzed the microarray data using comparative and dimension reduction methods to identify individual genes that are specifically expressed in the otic sensory lineage. This analysis identified and ranked top otic sensory lineage-specific transcripts including Fbxo2, Col9a2, and Oc90, and additional novel otic lineage markers. To validate these results we performed expression analysis on select genes using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Fbxo2 showed the most striking pattern of specificity to the otic sensory lineage, including robust expression in the early otic vesicle and sustained expression in prosensory progenitors and auditory and vestibular hair cells and supporting

  15. Multiple mesodermal lineage differentiation of Apodemus sylvaticus embryonic stem cells in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Weihua

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Embryonic stem (ES cells have attracted significant attention from researchers around the world because of their ability to undergo indefinite self-renewal and produce derivatives from the three cell lineages, which has enormous value in research and clinical applications. Until now, many ES cell lines of different mammals have been established and studied. In addition, recently, AS-ES1 cells derived from Apodemus sylvaticus were established and identified by our laboratory as a new mammalian ES cell line. Hence further research, in the application of AS-ES1 cells, is warranted. Results Herein we report the generation of multiple mesodermal AS-ES1 lineages via embryoid body (EB formation by the hanging drop method and the addition of particular reagents and factors for induction at the stage of EB attachment. The AS-ES1 cells generated separately in vitro included: adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes and cardiomyocytes. Histochemical staining, immunofluorescent staining and RT-PCR were carried out to confirm the formation of multiple mesodermal lineage cells. Conclusions The appropriate reagents and culture milieu used in mesodermal differentiation of mouse ES cells also guide the differentiation of in vitro AS-ES1 cells into distinct mesoderm-derived cells. This study provides a better understanding of the characteristics of AS-ES1 cells, a new species ES cell line and promotes the use of Apodemus ES cells as a complement to mouse ES cells in future studies.

  16. Biomimetic extracellular matrix mediated somatic stem cell differentiation: applications in dental pulp tissue regeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravindran, Sriram; George, Anne

    2015-01-01

    Dental caries is one of the most widely prevalent infectious diseases in the world. It affects more than half of the world's population. The current treatment for necrotic dental pulp tissue arising from dental caries is root canal therapy. This treatment results in loss of tooth sensitivity and vitality making it prone for secondary infections. Over the past decade, several tissue-engineering approaches have attempted regeneration of the dental pulp tissue. Although several studies have highlighted the potential of dental stem cells, none have transitioned into a clinical setting owing to limited availability of dental stem cells and the need for growth factor delivery systems. Our strategy is to utilize the intact ECM of pulp cells to drive lineage specific differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells. From a clinical perspective, pulp ECM scaffolds can be generated using cell lines and patient specific somatic stem cells can be used for regeneration. Our published results have shown the feasibility of using pulp ECM scaffolds for odontogenic differentiation of non-dental mesenchymal cells. This focused review discusses the issues surrounding dental pulp tissue regeneration and the potential of our strategy to overcome these issues. PMID:25954205

  17. Epigenetic Reprogramming of Lineage-Committed Human Mammary Epithelial Cells Requires DNMT3A and Loss of DOT1L

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerrica L. Breindel

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Organogenesis and tissue development occur through sequential stepwise processes leading to increased lineage restriction and loss of pluripotency. An exception to this appears in the adult human breast, where rare variant epithelial cells exhibit pluripotency and multilineage differentiation potential when removed from the signals of their native microenvironment. This phenomenon provides a unique opportunity to study mechanisms that lead to cellular reprogramming and lineage plasticity in real time. Here, we show that primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs lose expression of differentiated mammary epithelial markers in a manner dependent on paracrine factors and epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HMEC reprogramming is dependent on gene silencing by the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A and loss of histone transcriptional marks following downregulation of the methyltransferase DOT1L. These results demonstrate that lineage commitment in adult tissues is context dependent and highlight the plasticity of somatic cells when removed from their native tissue microenvironment.

  18. Tissue-resident natural killer (NK) cells are cell lineages distinct from thymic and conventional splenic NK cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sojka, Dorothy K; Plougastel-Douglas, Beatrice; Yang, Liping; Pak-Wittel, Melissa A; Artyomov, Maxim N; Ivanova, Yulia; Zhong, Chao; Chase, Julie M; Rothman, Paul B; Yu, Jenny; Riley, Joan K; Zhu, Jinfang; Tian, Zhigang; Yokoyama, Wayne M

    2014-01-01

    Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system; they can control virus infections and developing tumors by cytotoxicity and producing inflammatory cytokines. Most studies of mouse NK cells, however, have focused on conventional NK (cNK) cells in the spleen. Recently, we described two populations of liver NK cells, tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells and those resembling splenic cNK cells. However, their lineage relationship was unclear; trNK cells could be developing cNK cells, related to thymic NK cells, or a lineage distinct from both cNK and thymic NK cells. Herein we used detailed transcriptomic, flow cytometric, and functional analysis and transcription factor-deficient mice to determine that liver trNK cells form a distinct lineage from cNK and thymic NK cells. Taken together with analysis of trNK cells in other tissues, there are at least four distinct lineages of NK cells: cNK, thymic, liver (and skin) trNK, and uterine trNK cells. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01659.001 PMID:24714492

  19. Identification and Differentiation of Verticillium Species and V. longisporum Lineages by Simplex and Multiplex PCR Assays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inderbitzin, Patrik; Davis, R. Michael; Bostock, Richard M.; Subbarao, Krishna V.

    2013-01-01

    Accurate species identification is essential for effective plant disease management, but is challenging in fungi including Verticillium sensu stricto (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Plectosphaerellaceae), a small genus of ten species that includes important plant pathogens. Here we present fifteen PCR assays for the identification of all recognized Verticillium species and the three lineages of the diploid hybrid V. longisporum. The assays were based on DNA sequence data from the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region, and coding and non-coding regions of actin, elongation factor 1-alpha, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and tryptophan synthase genes. The eleven single target (simplex) PCR assays resulted in amplicons of diagnostic size for V. alfalfae, V. albo-atrum, V. dahliae including V. longisporum lineage A1/D3, V. isaacii, V. klebahnii, V. nonalfalfae, V. nubilum, V. tricorpus, V. zaregamsianum, and Species A1 and Species D1, the two undescribed ancestors of V. longisporum. The four multiple target (multiplex) PCR assays simultaneously differentiated the species or lineages within the following four groups: Verticillium albo-atrum, V. alfalfae and V. nonalfalfae; Verticillium dahliae and V. longisporum lineages A1/D1, A1/D2 and A1/D3; Verticillium dahliae including V. longisporum lineage A1/D3, V. isaacii, V. klebahnii and V. tricorpus; Verticillium isaacii, V. klebahnii and V. tricorpus. Since V. dahliae is a parent of two of the three lineages of the diploid hybrid V. longisporum, no simplex PCR assay is able to differentiate V. dahliae from all V. longisporum lineages. PCR assays were tested with fungal DNA extracts from pure cultures, and were not evaluated for detection and quantification of Verticillium species from plant or soil samples. The DNA sequence alignments are provided and can be used for the design of additional primers. PMID:23823707

  20. Telomerase Protects Werner Syndrome Lineage-Specific Stem Cells from Premature Aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoi-Hung Cheung

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Werner syndrome (WS patients exhibit premature aging predominantly in mesenchyme-derived tissues, but not in neural lineages, a consequence of telomere dysfunction and accelerated senescence. The cause of this lineage-specific aging remains unknown. Here, we document that reprogramming of WS fibroblasts to pluripotency elongated telomere length and prevented telomere dysfunction. To obtain mechanistic insight into the origin of tissue-specific aging, we differentiated iPSCs to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs. We observed recurrence of premature senescence associated with accelerated telomere attrition and defective synthesis of the lagging strand telomeres in MSCs, but not in NPCs. We postulate this “aging” discrepancy is regulated by telomerase. Expression of hTERT or p53 knockdown ameliorated the accelerated aging phenotypein MSC, whereas inhibition of telomerase sensitized NPCs to DNA damage. Our findings unveil a role for telomerase in the protection of accelerated aging in a specific lineage of stem cells.

  1. High Yield of Adult Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells Obtained from Meningeal Biopsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sissi Dolci

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Oligodendrocyte loss can lead to cognitive and motor deficits. Current remyelinating therapeutic strategies imply either modulation of endogenous oligodendrocyte precursors or transplantation of in vitro expanded oligodendrocytes. Cell therapy, however, still lacks identification of an adequate source of oligodendrocyte present in adulthood and able to efficiently produce transplantable cells. Recently, a neural stem cell-like population has been identified in meninges. We developed a protocol to obtain high yield of oligodendrocyte lineage cells from one single biopsy of adult rat meningeal tissue. From 1 cm2 of adult rat spinal cord meninges, we efficiently expanded a homogenous culture of 10 millions of meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells in a short period of time (approximately 4 weeks. Meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells show typical mature oligodendrocyte morphology and express specific oligodendrocyte markers, such as galactosylceramidase and myelin basic protein. Moreover, when transplanted in a chemically demyelinated spinal cord model, meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells display in vivo-remyelinating potential. This oligodendrocyte lineage cell population derives from an accessible and adult source, being therefore a promising candidate for autologous cell therapy of demyelinating diseases. In addition, the described method to differentiate meningeal-derived neural stem cells into oligodendrocyte lineage cells may represent a valid in vitro model to dissect oligodendrocyte differentiation and to screen for drugs capable to promote oligodendrocyte regeneration.

  2. Characterization of glucose‐related metabolic pathways in differentiated rat oligodendrocyte lineage cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral, Ana I.; Hadera, Mussie G.; Tavares, Joana M.

    2015-01-01

    Although oligodendrocytes constitute a significant proportion of cells in the central nervous system (CNS), little is known about their intermediary metabolism. We have, therefore, characterized metabolic functions of primary oligodendrocyte precursor cell cultures at late stages of differentiation using isotope‐labelled metabolites. We report that differentiated oligodendrocyte lineage cells avidly metabolize glucose in the cytosol and pyruvate derived from glucose in the mitochondria. The labelling patterns of metabolites obtained after incubation with [1,2‐13C]glucose demonstrated that the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is highly active in oligodendrocytes (approximately 10% of glucose is metabolized via the PPP as indicated by labelling patterns in phosphoenolpyruvate). Mass spectrometry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses of metabolites after incubation of cells with [1‐13C]lactate or [1,2‐13C]glucose, respectively, demonstrated that anaplerotic pyruvate carboxylation, which was thought to be exclusive to astrocytes, is also active in oligodendrocytes. Using [1,2‐13C]acetate, we show that oligodendrocytes convert acetate into acetyl CoA which is metabolized in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Analysis of labelling patterns of alanine after incubation of cells with [1,2‐13C]acetate and [1,2‐13C]glucose showed catabolic oxidation of malate or oxaloacetate. In conclusion, we report that oligodendrocyte lineage cells at late differentiation stages are metabolically highly active cells that are likely to contribute considerably to the metabolic activity of the CNS. GLIA 2016;64:21–34 PMID:26352325

  3. Stochastic differentiation into an osteoclast lineage from cloned macrophage-like cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Shin-Ichi, E-mail: shayashi@med.tottori-u.ac.jp [Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503 (Japan); Murata, Akihiko; Okuyama, Kazuki; Shimoda, Yuhki; Hikosaka, Mari [Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503 (Japan); Yasuda, Hisataka [Planning and Development, Bioindustry Division, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 174-8505 (Japan); Yoshino, Miya [Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503 (Japan)

    2012-11-16

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The frequency of C7 differentiation into osteoclast was low and constant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Only extended C7 cell cultures exponentially increased osteoclast+ cultures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer C7 cell differentiation into committed osteoclast precursors is on 'autopilot'. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The system may maintain the stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. -- Abstract: Differentiation into osteoclasts is induced by a macrophage colony-stimulating factor and receptor activator of nuclear-factor {kappa}B ligand. The macrophage-like cell line, C7 has the potential to differentiate into osteoclasts when it is cultured with both factors for 6 days. Although C7 is an established cell line, the frequency of differentiation into this lineage was less than 10%, and the ratio was maintained at a constant level, even after repeated cloning. In this study, to increase the differentiation of C7 cells to osteoclasts, C7 derivative treatments with several activators and/or inhibitors were performed for 3 days prior to setting osteoclast induction analysis; however, a reagent to significantly up-regulate the frequency of differentiation was not found. Only extended cultures for osteoclastogenesis exponentially increased the frequency of osteoclast precursors. It is likely that C7 cell differentiation into committed osteoclast precursors is on 'autopilot' rather than requiring specific signals to drive this process.

  4. Stochastic differentiation into an osteoclast lineage from cloned macrophage-like cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Shin-Ichi; Murata, Akihiko; Okuyama, Kazuki; Shimoda, Yuhki; Hikosaka, Mari; Yasuda, Hisataka; Yoshino, Miya

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The frequency of C7 differentiation into osteoclast was low and constant. ► Only extended C7 cell cultures exponentially increased osteoclast+ cultures. ► C7 cell differentiation into committed osteoclast precursors is on ‘autopilot’. ► The system may maintain the stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. -- Abstract: Differentiation into osteoclasts is induced by a macrophage colony-stimulating factor and receptor activator of nuclear-factor κB ligand. The macrophage-like cell line, C7 has the potential to differentiate into osteoclasts when it is cultured with both factors for 6 days. Although C7 is an established cell line, the frequency of differentiation into this lineage was less than 10%, and the ratio was maintained at a constant level, even after repeated cloning. In this study, to increase the differentiation of C7 cells to osteoclasts, C7 derivative treatments with several activators and/or inhibitors were performed for 3 days prior to setting osteoclast induction analysis; however, a reagent to significantly up-regulate the frequency of differentiation was not found. Only extended cultures for osteoclastogenesis exponentially increased the frequency of osteoclast precursors. It is likely that C7 cell differentiation into committed osteoclast precursors is on ‘autopilot’ rather than requiring specific signals to drive this process.

  5. Cryptic lineage differentiation among Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the northwest Indian Ocean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, H W I; Nishida, S; Welch, A J; Moura, A E; Tanabe, S; Kiani, M S; Culloch, R; Möller, L; Natoli, A; Ponnampalam, L S; Minton, G; Gore, M; Collins, T; Willson, A; Baldwin, R; Hoelzel, A R

    2018-05-01

    Phylogeography can provide insight into the potential for speciation and identify geographic regions and evolutionary processes associated with species richness and evolutionary endemism. In the marine environment, highly mobile species sometimes show structured patterns of diversity, but the processes isolating populations and promoting differentiation are often unclear. The Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) are a striking case in point and, in particular, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Understanding the radiation of species in this genus is likely to provide broader inference about the processes that determine patterns of biogeography and speciation, because both fine-scale structure over a range of kilometers and relative panmixia over an oceanic range are known for Tursiops populations. In our study, novel Tursiops spp. sequences from the northwest Indian Ocean (including mitogenomes and two nuDNA loci) are included in a worldwide Tursiops spp. phylogeographic analysis. We discover a new 'aduncus' type lineage in the Arabian Sea (off India, Pakistan and Oman) that diverged from the Australasian lineage ∼261 Ka. Effective management of coastal dolphins in the region will need to consider this new lineage as an evolutionarily significant unit. We propose that the establishment of this lineage could have been in response to climate change during the Pleistocene and show data supporting hypotheses for multiple divergence events, including vicariance across the Indo-Pacific barrier and in the northwest Indian Ocean. These data provide valuable transferable inference on the potential mechanisms for population and species differentiation across this geographic range. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Changes in glycosaminoglycan structure on differentiation of human embryonic stem cells towards mesoderm and endoderm lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasimli, Leyla; Hickey, Anne Marie; Yang, Bo; Li, Guoyun; dela Rosa, Mitche; Nairn, Alison V; Kulik, Michael J; Dordick, Jonathan S; Moremen, Kelley W; Dalton, Stephen; Linhardt, Robert J

    2014-06-01

    Proteoglycans are found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix, and serve as prime sites for interaction with signaling molecules. Proteoglycans help regulate pathways that control stem cell fate, and therefore represent an excellent tool to manipulate these pathways. Despite their importance, there is a dearth of data linking glycosaminoglycan structure within proteoglycans with stem cell differentiation. Human embryonic stem cell line WA09 (H9) was differentiated into early mesoderm and endoderm lineages, and the glycosaminoglycanomic changes accompanying these transitions were studied using transcript analysis, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and disaccharide analysis. Pluripotent H9 cell lumican had no glycosaminoglycan chains whereas in splanchnic mesoderm lumican was glycosaminoglycanated. H9 cells have primarily non-sulfated heparan sulfate chains. On differentiation towards splanchnic mesoderm and hepatic lineages N-sulfo group content increases. Differences in transcript expression of NDST1, HS6ST2 and HS6ST3, three heparan sulfate biosynthetic enzymes, within splanchnic mesoderm cells compared to H9 cells correlate to changes in glycosaminoglycan structure. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells markedly changes the proteoglycanome. The glycosaminoglycan biosynthetic pathway is complex and highly regulated, and therefore, understanding the details of this pathway should enable better control with the aim of directing stem cell differentiation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of tissue-harvesting site on yield of stem cells derived from adipose tissue: implications for cell-based therapies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jurgens, W.J.F.M.; Oedayrajsingh-Varma, M.J.; Helder, M.N.; Zandieh Doulabi, B.; Schouten, T.E.; Kuik, D.J.; Ritt, M.J.P.F.; van Milligen-Kummer, F.J.

    2008-01-01

    The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue contains an abundant population of multipotent adipose-tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) that possess the capacity to differentiate into cells of the mesodermal lineage in vitro. For cell-based therapies, an advantageous approach would be to

  8. The fps/fes proto-oncogene regulates hematopoietic lineage output.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangrar, Waheed; Gao, Yan; Zirngibl, Ralph A; Scott, Michelle L; Greer, Peter A

    2003-12-01

    The fps/fes proto-oncogene is abundantly expressed in myeloid cells, and the Fps/Fes cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase is implicated in signaling downstream from hematopoietic cytokines, including interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and erythropoietin (EPO). Studies using leukemic cell lines have previously suggested that Fps/Fes contributes to granulomonocytic differentiation, and that it might play a more selective role in promoting survival and differentiation along the monocytic pathway. In this study we have used a genetic approach to explore the role of Fps/Fes in hematopoiesis. We used transgenic mice that tissue-specifically express a mutant human fps/fes transgene (fps(MF)) that was engineered to encode Fps/Fes kinase that is activated through N-terminal myristoylation (MFps). Hematopoietic function was assessed using lineage analysis, hematopoietic progenitor cell colony-forming assays, and biochemical approaches. fps(MF) transgenic mice displayed a skewed hematopoietic output reflected by increased numbers of circulating granulocytic and monocytic cells and a corresponding decrease in lymphoid cells. Bone marrow colony assays of progenitor cells revealed a significant increase in the number of both granulomonocytic and multi-lineage progenitors. A molecular analysis of signaling in mature monocytic cells showed that MFps promoted GM-CSF-induced STAT3, STAT5, and ERK1/2 activation. These observations support a role for Fps/Fes in signaling pathways that contribute to lineage determination at the level of multi-lineage hematopoietic progenitors as well as the more committed granulomonocytic progenitors.

  9. Foetal stem cell derivation & characterization for osteogenic lineage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  10. The influence of life-history strategy on genetic differentiation and lineage divergence in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fluker, Brook L; Kuhajda, Bernard R; Harris, Phillip M

    2014-11-01

    Recent studies determined that darters with specialized breeding strategies can exhibit deep lineage divergence over fine geographic scales without apparent physical barriers to gene flow. However, the extent to which intrinsic characteristics interact with extrinsic factors to influence population divergence and lineage diversification in darters is not well understood. This study employed comparative phylogeographic and population genetic methods to investigate the influence of life history on gene flow, dispersal ability, and lineage divergence in two sympatric sister darters with differing breeding strategies. Our results revealed highly disparate phylogeographic histories, patterns of genetic structure, and dispersal abilities between the two species suggesting that life history may contribute to lineage diversification in darters, especially by limiting dispersal among large river courses. Both species also showed striking differences in demographic history, indicating that extrinsic factors differentially affected each species during the Pleistocene. Collectively, our results indicate that intrinsic and extrinsic factors have influenced levels of gene flow among populations within both species examined. However, we suggest that life-history strategy may play a more important role in lineage diversification in darters than previously appreciated, a finding that has potentially important implications for understanding diversification of the rich North American freshwater fish fauna. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  11. Comprehensive evaluation of leukocyte lineage derived from human hematopoietic cells in humanized mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Masayuki; Tsujimura, Noriyuki; Otsuka, Kensuke; Yoshino, Tomoko; Mori, Tetsushi; Matsunaga, Tadashi; Nakasono, Satoshi

    2012-04-01

    Recently, humanized animals whereby a part of the animal is biologically engineered using human genes or cells have been utilized to overcome interspecific differences. Herein, we analyzed the detail of the differentiation states of various human leukocyte subpopulations in humanized mouse and evaluated comprehensively the similarity of the leukocyte lineage between humanized mice and humans. Humanized mice were established by transplanting human CD34(+) cord blood cells into irradiated severely immunodeficient NOD/Shi-scid/IL2Rγ(null) (NOG) mice, and the phenotypes of human cells contained in bone marrow, thymus, spleen and peripheral blood from the mice were analyzed at monthly intervals until 4 months after cell transplantation. The analysis revealed that transplanted human hematopoietic stem cells via the caudal vein homed and engrafted themselves successfully at the mouse bone marrow. Subsequently, the differentiated leukocytes migrated to the various tissues. Almost all of the leukocytes within the thymus were human cells. Furthermore, analysis of the differentiation states of human leukocytes in various tissues and organs indicated that it is highly likely that the human-like leukocyte lineage can be developed in mice. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Phylogenetics and differentiation of Salmonella Newport lineages by whole genome sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guojie Cao

    Full Text Available Salmonella Newport has ranked in the top three Salmonella serotypes associated with foodborne outbreaks from 1995 to 2011 in the United States. In the current study, we selected 26 S. Newport strains isolated from diverse sources and geographic locations and then conducted 454 shotgun pyrosequencing procedures to obtain 16-24 × coverage of high quality draft genomes for each strain. Comparative genomic analysis of 28 S. Newport strains (including 2 reference genomes and 15 outgroup genomes identified more than 140,000 informative SNPs. A resulting phylogenetic tree consisted of four sublineages and indicated that S. Newport had a clear geographic structure. Strains from Asia were divergent from those from the Americas. Our findings demonstrated that analysis using whole genome sequencing data resulted in a more accurate picture of phylogeny compared to that using single genes or small sets of genes. We selected loci around the mutS gene of S. Newport to differentiate distinct lineages, including those between invH and mutS genes at the 3' end of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 (SPI-1, ste fimbrial operon, and Clustered, Regularly Interspaced, Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR associated-proteins (cas. These genes in the outgroup genomes held high similarity with either S. Newport Lineage II or III at the same loci. S. Newport Lineages II and III have different evolutionary histories in this region and our data demonstrated genetic flow and homologous recombination events around mutS. The findings suggested that S. Newport Lineages II and III diverged early in the serotype evolution and have evolved largely independently. Moreover, we identified genes that could delineate sublineages within the phylogenetic tree and that could be used as potential biomarkers for trace-back investigations during outbreaks. Thus, whole genome sequencing data enabled us to better understand the genetic background of pathogenicity and evolutionary history of S

  13. Contrasting sodic and mildly potassic magma differentiation lineages at The Pleaides volcanic complex, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J.; Park, J. W.; Lee, J.; Kyle, P. R.; Lee, M. J.

    2017-12-01

    The magma evolution of The Pleiades, a Quaternary alkaline volcanic complex in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, is investigated using major and trace elements, and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic data. The volcanic rocks can be subdivided into two distinct magmatic lineages based on petrography and whole-rock compositions: (1) a sodic silica-undersaturated alkaline lineage with abundant kaersutite phenocrysts, and (2) a mildly-potassic and mildly-alkaline, nearly silica-saturated lineage containing olivine but not kaersutite. The basanite and trachybasalt of both lineages exhibit similar degrees of negative K anomalies, moderately steep rare earth element patterns, and elevated trace element ratios such as Ce/Pb (> 20) and Nb/U (> 38), suggesting their primary magmas were generated by low degree (≤3%) of partial melting of amphibole and garnet-bearing mantle sources. The sodic lineage is characterized by elevated 206Pb/204Pb (>19.5) ratios and narrow ranges of 87Sr/86Sr (0.70313-0.70327) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.51289-0.51290) ratios consistent with a significant HIMU component typical of Neogene volcanic rocks in Antarctica. The mafic rocks of the potassic lineage have isotopic compositions similar to those of the sodic lineage, however the evolved lavas in the lineage have higher 87Sr/86Sr (> 0.7035) and lower 143Nd/144Nd (< 0.51285) and 206Pb/204Pb (< 19.3) ratios than the mafic rocks, suggesting significant amounts of crustal contamination. The pressure-temperature paths estimated by clinopyroxene-liquid thermobarometry are similar in each lineage. The mafic magmas were emplaced at Moho depths ( 1.2 GPa) and the evolved magmas pooled at middle-crustal depths ( 0.7 GPa). Mass-balance calculations based on whole-rock and mineral compositions show that kaersutite fractionation has played a major role in magma differentiation of the sodic lineage whereas the compositional variations of the potassic lineage can be ascribed to fractionation of a kaersutite-free mineral

  14. Genotypic lineages and restriction fragment length polymorphism of canine distemper virus isolates in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtanakatikanon, Araya; Keawcharoen, Juthatip; Charoenvisal, Na Taya; Poovorawan, Yong; Prompetchara, Eakachai; Yamaguchi, Ryoji; Techangamsuwan, Somporn

    2013-09-27

    Canine distemper virus (CDV) is known to cause multisystemic disease in all families of terrestrial carnivores. Attenuated live vaccines have been used to control CDV in a variety of species for many decades, yet a number of CDV infections in vaccinated dogs are still observed. The aims of this study were to investigate the genetic diversity of CDV lineages based on phosphoprotein (P), hemagglutinin (H) and fusion protein (F) genes and to develop the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique for effective differentiation among individual wild-type and vaccine lineages in Thailand. Four commercial vaccine products, thirteen conjunctival swabs and various tissues from 9 necropsied dogs suspected of having CDV infections were included. Virus isolation was performed using Vero cell expressing canine signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (Vero-DST cells). Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on 3 gene regions from the dog derived specimens and the vaccines were carried out, then RFLP analysis upon F-gene amplified fragments was developed. Nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analysis were compared with other CDV lineages in Genbank. Phylogenetic relationships revealed that CDV field isolates were separated from the vaccine lineage and could be divided into two clusters; one of which belonged to the Asia-1 lineage and another, not related to any previous recognized lineages was proposed as 'Asia-4'. RFLP patterns demonstrating concordance with phylogenetic trees of the distemper virus allowed for differentiation between the Asia-1, Asia-4 and vaccine lineages. Thus, RFLP technique is able to effectively distinguish individual wild-type canine distemper virus from vaccine lineages in Thailand. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Two hemocyte lineages exist in silkworm larval hematopoietic organ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakahara, Yuichi; Kanamori, Yasushi; Kiuchi, Makoto; Kamimura, Manabu

    2010-07-28

    Insects have multiple hemocyte morphotypes with different functions as do vertebrates, however, their hematopoietic lineages are largely unexplored with the exception of Drosophila melanogaster. To study the hematopoietic lineage of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we investigated in vivo and in vitro differentiation of hemocyte precursors in the hematopoietic organ (HPO) into the four mature hemocyte subsets, namely, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, oenocytoids, and spherulocytes. Five days after implantation of enzymatically-dispersed HPO cells from a GFP-expressing transgenic line into the hemocoel of normal larvae, differentiation into plasmatocytes, granulocytes and oenocytoids, but not spherulocytes, was observed. When the HPO cells were cultured in vitro, plasmatocytes appeared rapidly, and oenocytoids possessing prophenol oxidase activity appeared several days later. HPO cells were also able to differentiate into a small number of granulocytes, but not into spherulocytes. When functionally mature plasmatocytes were cultured in vitro, oenocytoids were observed 10 days later. These results suggest that the hemocyte precursors in HPO first differentiate into plasmatocytes, which further change into oenocytoids. From these results, we propose that B. mori hemocytes can be divided into two major lineages, a granulocyte lineage and a plasmatocyte-oenocytoid lineage. The origins of the spherulocytes could not be determined in this study. We construct a model for the hematopoietic lineages at the larval stage of B. mori.

  16. Human mesenchymal stem cells derived from limb bud can differentiate into all three embryonic germ layers lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Fei; Wang, Juan; Dong, Zhao-Lun; Wu, Min-Juan; Zhao, Ting-Bao; Li, Dan-Dan; Wang, Xin

    2012-08-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been isolated from many sources, including adults and fetuses. Previous studies have demonstrated that, compared with their adult counterpart, fetal MSCs with several remarkable advantages may be a better resource for clinical applications. In this study, we successfully isolated a rapidly proliferating cell population from limb bud of aborted fetus and termed them "human limb bud-derived mesenchymal stem cells" (hLB-MSCs). Characteristics of their morphology, phenotype, cell cycle, and differentiation properties were analyzed. These adherent cell populations have a typically spindle-shaped morphology. Flow cytometry analysis showed that hLB-MSCs are positive for CD13, CD29, CD90, CD105, and CD106, but negative for CD3, CD4, CD5, CD11b, CD14, CD15, CD34, CD45, CD45RA, and HLA-DR. The detection of cell cycle from different passages indicated that hLB-MSCs have a similar potential for propagation during long culture in vitro. The most novel finding here is that, in addition to their mesodermal differentiation (osteoblasts and adipocytes), hLB-MSCs can also differentiated into extramesenchymal lineages, such as neural (ectoderm) and hepatic (endoderm) progenies. These results indicate that hLB-MSCs have a high level of plasticity and can differentiate into cell lineages from all three embryonic layers in vitro.

  17. Adipose tissue macrophages impair preadipocyte differentiation in humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Fen Liu

    Full Text Available The physiologic mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance are not fully understood. Impaired adipocyte differentiation and localized inflammation characterize adipose tissue from obese, insulin-resistant humans. The directionality of this relationship is not known, however. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether adipose tissue inflammation is causally-related to impaired adipocyte differentiation.Abdominal subcutaneous(SAT and visceral(VAT adipose tissue was obtained from 20 human participants undergoing bariatric surgery. Preadipocytes were isolated, and cultured in the presence or absence of CD14+ macrophages obtained from the same adipose tissue sample. Adipocyte differentiation was quantified after 14 days via immunofluorescence, Oil-Red O, and adipogenic gene expression. Cytokine secretion by mature adipocytes cultured with or without CD14+macrophages was quantified.Adipocyte differentiation was significantly lower in VAT than SAT by all measures (p<0.001. With macrophage removal, SAT preadipocyte differentiation increased significantly as measured by immunofluorescence and gene expression, whereas VAT preadipocyte differentiation was unchanged. Adipocyte-secreted proinflammatory cytokines were higher and adiponectin lower in media from VAT vs SAT: macrophage removal reduced inflammatory cytokine and increased adiponectin secretion from both SAT and VAT adipocytes. Differentiation of preadipocytes from SAT but not VAT correlated inversely with systemic insulin resistance.The current results reveal that proinflammatory immune cells in human SAT are causally-related to impaired preadipocyte differentiation, which in turn is associated with systemic insulin resistance. In VAT, preadipocyte differentiation is poor even in the absence of tissue macrophages, pointing to inherent differences in fat storage potential between the two depots.

  18. Determining Lineage Pathways from Cellular Barcoding Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leïla Perié

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Cellular barcoding and other single-cell lineage-tracing strategies form experimental methodologies for analysis of in vivo cell fate that have been instrumental in several significant recent discoveries. Due to the highly nonlinear nature of proliferation and differentiation, interrogation of the resulting data for evaluation of potential lineage pathways requires a new quantitative framework complete with appropriate statistical tests. Here, we develop such a framework, illustrating its utility by analyzing data from barcoded multipotent cells of the blood system. This application demonstrates that the data require additional paths beyond those found in the classical model, which leads us to propose that hematopoietic differentiation follows a loss of potential mechanism and to suggest further experiments to test this deduction. Our quantitative framework can evaluate the compatibility of lineage trees with barcoded data from any proliferating and differentiating cell system.

  19. Immunoliposome-mediated delivery of neomycin phosphotransferase for the lineage-specific selection of differentiated/committed stem cell progenies: potential advantages over transfection with marker genes, fluorescence-activated and magnetic affinity cell-sorting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heng, Boon Chin; Cao, Tong

    2005-01-01

    A major challenge in the therapeutic application of stem cells in regenerative medicine is the lineage-specific selection of their committed/differentiated progenies for transplantation. This is necessary to avoid engraftment of undesired lineages at the transplantation site, i.e. fibroblastic scar tissue, as well as to enhance the efficacy of transplantation therapy. Commonly used techniques for lineage-specific selection of committed/differentiated stem cell progenies include marker gene transfection, fluorescence-activated (FACS) and magnetic-affinity (MACS) cell-sorting. Nevertheless, these have their disadvantages for therapeutic applications. Marker gene transfection invariably leads to permanent genetic modification of stem cells, which in turn limits their use in human clinical therapy due to overwhelming ethical and safety concerns. FACS requires expensive instrumentation and highly-skilled personnel, and is unsuited for handling bulk quantities of cells that would almost certainly be required for transplantation therapy. MACS is a cheaper alternative, but the level of purity attained is also reduced. A possible novel approach that has yet to be investigated is immunoliposome-mediated delivery of neomycin phosphotranferase (NPT) for lineage-specific selection of stem cell progenies. This would avoid permanent genetic modification to the cell, unlike recombinant NPT expression linked to activation of specific promoter sequences. Moreover, it could potentially provide a much more practical and cost-effective alternative for handling bulk quantities of cells that would be required for transplantation therapy, as compared to FACS or MACS. As such, this alternative approach needs to be rigorously investigated, in view of its potentially useful applications in stem cell therapeutics.

  20. Two hemocyte lineages exist in silkworm larval hematopoietic organ.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuichi Nakahara

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Insects have multiple hemocyte morphotypes with different functions as do vertebrates, however, their hematopoietic lineages are largely unexplored with the exception of Drosophila melanogaster. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To study the hematopoietic lineage of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we investigated in vivo and in vitro differentiation of hemocyte precursors in the hematopoietic organ (HPO into the four mature hemocyte subsets, namely, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, oenocytoids, and spherulocytes. Five days after implantation of enzymatically-dispersed HPO cells from a GFP-expressing transgenic line into the hemocoel of normal larvae, differentiation into plasmatocytes, granulocytes and oenocytoids, but not spherulocytes, was observed. When the HPO cells were cultured in vitro, plasmatocytes appeared rapidly, and oenocytoids possessing prophenol oxidase activity appeared several days later. HPO cells were also able to differentiate into a small number of granulocytes, but not into spherulocytes. When functionally mature plasmatocytes were cultured in vitro, oenocytoids were observed 10 days later. These results suggest that the hemocyte precursors in HPO first differentiate into plasmatocytes, which further change into oenocytoids. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: From these results, we propose that B. mori hemocytes can be divided into two major lineages, a granulocyte lineage and a plasmatocyte-oenocytoid lineage. The origins of the spherulocytes could not be determined in this study. We construct a model for the hematopoietic lineages at the larval stage of B. mori.

  1. 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

  2. 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.

  3. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac progenitors differentiate to cardiomyocytes and form biosynthetic tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Christoforou

    Full Text Available The mammalian heart has little capacity to regenerate, and following injury the myocardium is replaced by non-contractile scar tissue. Consequently, increased wall stress and workload on the remaining myocardium leads to chamber dilation, dysfunction, and heart failure. Cell-based therapy with an autologous, epigenetically reprogrammed, and cardiac-committed progenitor cell source could potentially reverse this process by replacing the damaged myocardium with functional tissue. However, it is unclear whether cardiac progenitor cell-derived cardiomyocytes are capable of attaining levels of structural and functional maturity comparable to that of terminally-fated cardiomyocytes. Here, we first describe the derivation of mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells, which once differentiated allow for the enrichment of Nkx2-5(+ cardiac progenitors, and the cardiomyocyte-specific expression of the red fluorescent protein. We show that the cardiac progenitors are multipotent and capable of differentiating into endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cardiac progenitor selection corresponds to cKit(+ cell enrichment, while cardiomyocyte cell-lineage commitment is concomitant with dual expression of either cKit/Flk1 or cKit/Sca-1. We proceed to show that the cardiac progenitor-derived cardiomyocytes are capable of forming electrically and mechanically coupled large-scale 2D cell cultures with mature electrophysiological properties. Finally, we examine the cell progenitors' ability to form electromechanically coherent macroscopic tissues, using a physiologically relevant 3D culture model and demonstrate that following long-term culture the cardiomyocytes align, and form robust electromechanical connections throughout the volume of the biosynthetic tissue construct. We conclude that the iPS cell-derived cardiac progenitors are a robust cell source for tissue engineering applications and a 3D culture platform for pharmacological

  4. Light-sheet fluorescence imaging to localize cardiac lineage and protein distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yichen; Lee, Juhyun; Ma, Jianguo; Sung, Kevin; Yokota, Tomohiro; Singh, Neha; Dooraghi, Mojdeh; Abiri, Parinaz; Wang, Yibin; Kulkarni, Rajan P.; Nakano, Atsushi; Nguyen, Thao P.; Fei, Peng; Hsiai, Tzung K.

    2017-02-01

    Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) serves to advance developmental research and regenerative medicine. Coupled with the paralleled advances in fluorescence-friendly tissue clearing technique, our cardiac LSFM enables dual-sided illumination to rapidly uncover the architecture of murine hearts over 10 by 10 by 10 mm3 in volume; thereby allowing for localizing progenitor differentiation to the cardiomyocyte lineage and AAV9-mediated expression of exogenous transmembrane potassium channels with high contrast and resolution. Without the steps of stitching image columns, pivoting the light-sheet and sectioning the heart mechanically, we establish a holistic strategy for 3-dimentional reconstruction of the “digital murine heart” to assess aberrant cardiac structures as well as the spatial distribution of the cardiac lineages in neonates and ion-channels in adults.

  5. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Sphincter Regeneration: Role of Laminin Isoforms upon Myogenic Differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seeger, Tanja; Hart, Melanie; Patarroyo, Manuel; Rolauffs, Bernd; Aicher, Wilhelm K.; Klein, Gerd

    2015-01-01

    Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are well known for their tri-lineage potential and ability to differentiate in vitro into osteogenic, chondrogenic or adipogenic lineages. By selecting appropriate conditions MSCs can also be differentiated in vitro into the myogenic lineage and are therefore a promising option for cell-based regeneration of muscle tissue such as an aged or damaged sphincter muscle. For the differentiation into the myogenic lineage there is still a need to evaluate the effects of extracellular matrix proteins such as laminins (LM) which are crucial for different stem cell types and for normal muscle function. The laminin family consists of 16 functionally different isoforms with LM-211 being the most abundant isoform of adult muscle tissues. In the sphincter tissue a strong expression of the isoforms LM-211/221, LM-411/421 and LM-511/521 can be detected in the different cell layers. Bone marrow-derived MSCs in culture, however, mainly express the isoforms LM-411 and LM-511, but not LM-211. Even after myogenic differentiation, LM-211 can hardly be detected. All laminin isoforms tested (LM-211, LM-411, LM-511 and LM-521) showed a significant inhibition of the proliferation of undifferentiated MSCs but, with the exception of LM-521, they had no influence on the proliferation of MSCs cultivated in myogenic medium. The strongest cellular adhesion of MSCs was to LM-511 and LM-521, whereas LM-211 was only a weakly-adhesive substrate for MSCs. Myogenic differentiation of MSCs even reduced the interaction with LM-211, but it did not affect the interaction with LM-511 and LM-521. Since during normal myogenesis the latter two isoforms are the major laminins surrounding developing myogenic progenitors, α5 chain-containing laminins are recommended for further improvements of myogenic differentiation protocols of MSCs into smooth muscle cells. PMID:26406476

  6. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Sphincter Regeneration: Role of Laminin Isoforms upon Myogenic Differentiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanja Seeger

    Full Text Available Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs are well known for their tri-lineage potential and ability to differentiate in vitro into osteogenic, chondrogenic or adipogenic lineages. By selecting appropriate conditions MSCs can also be differentiated in vitro into the myogenic lineage and are therefore a promising option for cell-based regeneration of muscle tissue such as an aged or damaged sphincter muscle. For the differentiation into the myogenic lineage there is still a need to evaluate the effects of extracellular matrix proteins such as laminins (LM which are crucial for different stem cell types and for normal muscle function. The laminin family consists of 16 functionally different isoforms with LM-211 being the most abundant isoform of adult muscle tissues. In the sphincter tissue a strong expression of the isoforms LM-211/221, LM-411/421 and LM-511/521 can be detected in the different cell layers. Bone marrow-derived MSCs in culture, however, mainly express the isoforms LM-411 and LM-511, but not LM-211. Even after myogenic differentiation, LM-211 can hardly be detected. All laminin isoforms tested (LM-211, LM-411, LM-511 and LM-521 showed a significant inhibition of the proliferation of undifferentiated MSCs but, with the exception of LM-521, they had no influence on the proliferation of MSCs cultivated in myogenic medium. The strongest cellular adhesion of MSCs was to LM-511 and LM-521, whereas LM-211 was only a weakly-adhesive substrate for MSCs. Myogenic differentiation of MSCs even reduced the interaction with LM-211, but it did not affect the interaction with LM-511 and LM-521. Since during normal myogenesis the latter two isoforms are the major laminins surrounding developing myogenic progenitors, α5 chain-containing laminins are recommended for further improvements of myogenic differentiation protocols of MSCs into smooth muscle cells.

  7. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for optical soft tissue differentiation as remote feedback control for tissue-specific laser surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stelzle, Florian; Tangermann-Gerk, Katja; Adler, Werner; Zam, Azhar; Schmidt, Michael; Douplik, Alexandre; Nkenke, Emeka

    2010-04-01

    Laser surgery does not provide haptic feedback for operating layer-by-layer and thereby preserving vulnerable anatomical structures like nerve tissue or blood vessels. Diffuse reflectance spectra can facilitate remote optical tissue differentiation. It is the aim of the study to use this technique on soft tissue samples, to set a technological basis for a remote optical feedback system for tissue-specific laser surgery. Diffuse reflectance spectra (wavelength range: 350-650 nm) of ex vivo types of soft tissue (a total of 10,800 spectra) of the midfacial region of domestic pigs were remotely measured under reduced environmental light conditions and analyzed in order to differentiate between skin, mucosa, muscle, subcutaneous fat, and nerve tissue. We performed a principal components (PC) analysis (PCA) to reduce the number of variables. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was utilized for classification. For the tissue differentiation, we calculated the specificity and sensitivity by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the area under curve (AUC). Six PCs were found to be adequate for tissue differentiation with diffuse reflectance spectra using LDA. All of the types of soft tissue could be differentiated with high specificity and sensitivity. Only the tissue pairs nervous tissue/fatty tissue and nervous tissue/mucosa showed a decline of differentiation due to bio-structural similarity. However, both of these tissue pairs could still be differentiated with a specificity and sensitivity of more than 90%. Analyzing diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with PCA and LDA allows for remote differentiation of biological tissue. Considering the limitations of the ex vivo conditions, the obtained results are promising and set a basis for the further development of a feedback system for tissue-specific laser surgery. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  8. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L.; Gomes, Manuela E.

    2015-11-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages.

  9. Patient-specific cardiovascular progenitor cells derived from integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells for vascular tissue regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jiang; Wang, Yongyu; Jiao, Jiao; Liu, Zhongning; Zhao, Chao; Zhou, Zhou; Zhang, Zhanpeng; Forde, Kaitlynn; Wang, Lunchang; Wang, Jiangang; Baylink, David J; Zhang, Xiao-Bing; Gao, Shaorong; Yang, Bo; Chen, Y Eugene; Ma, Peter X

    2015-12-01

    Tissue-engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) are promising in regenerating a live vascular replacement. However, the vascular cell source is limited, and it is crucial to develop a scaffold that accommodates new type of vascular progenitor cells and facilitates in vivo lineage specification of the cells into functional vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to regenerate vascular tissue. In the present study, integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were established from patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells through episomal vector nucleofection of reprogramming factors. The established hiPSCs were then induced into mesoderm-originated cardiovascular progenitor cells (CVPCs) with a highly efficient directed lineage specification method. The derived CVPCs were demonstrated to be able to differentiate into functional VSMCs. Subcutaneous implantation of CVPCs seeded on macroporous nanofibrous poly(l-lactide) scaffolds led to in vivo VSMC lineage specification and matrix deposition inside the scaffolds. In summary, we established integration-free patient-specific hiPSCs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, derived CVPCs through directed lineage specification, and developed an advanced scaffold for these progenitor cells to further differentiate in vivo into VSMCs and regenerate vascular tissue in a subcutaneous implantation model. This study has established an efficient patient-specific approach towards in vivo regeneration of vascular tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Non-viral gene therapy for bone tissue engineering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wegman, F.

    2013-01-01

    In bone tissue engineering bone morphogentic protein-2 (BMP-2) is one of the most commonly used growth factors. It induces stem cells to differentiate into the osteogenic lineage to form new bone. Clinically however, high dosages of protein are administered due to fast degradation, which is

  11. ROCK inhibitor primes human induced pluripotent stem cells to selectively differentiate towards mesendodermal lineage via epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like modulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maricela Maldonado

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Robust control of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC differentiation is essential to realize its patient-tailored therapeutic potential. Here, we demonstrate a novel application of Y-27632, a small molecule Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK inhibitor, to significantly influence the differentiation of hIPSCs in a lineage-specific manner. The application of Y-27632 to hIPSCs resulted in a decrease in actin bundling and disruption of colony formation in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Such changes in cell and colony morphology were associated with decreased expression of E-cadherin, a cell-cell junctional protein, proportional to the increased exposure to Y-27632. Interestingly, gene and protein expression of pluripotency markers such as NANOG and OCT4 were not downregulated by an exposure to Y-27632 up to 36 h. Simultaneously, epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT transition markers were upregulated with an exposure to Y-27632. These EMT-like changes in the cells with longer exposure to Y-27632 resulted in a significant increase in the subsequent differentiation efficiency towards mesendodermal lineage. In contrast, an inhibitory effect was observed when cells were subjected to ectodermal differentiation after prolonged exposure to Y-27632. Collectively, these results present a novel method for priming hIPSCs to modulate their differentiation potential with a simple application of Y-27632.

  12. Pancreas lineage allocation and specification are regulated by sphingosine-1-phosphate signalling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafimidis, Ioannis; Rodriguez-Aznar, Eva; Lesche, Mathias; Yoshioka, Kazuaki; Takuwa, Yoh; Dahl, Andreas; Pan, Duojia; Gavalas, Anthony

    2017-01-01

    During development, progenitor expansion, lineage allocation, and implementation of differentiation programs need to be tightly coordinated so that different cell types are generated in the correct numbers for appropriate tissue size and function. Pancreatic dysfunction results in some of the most debilitating and fatal diseases, including pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Several transcription factors regulating pancreas lineage specification have been identified, and Notch signalling has been implicated in lineage allocation, but it remains unclear how these processes are coordinated. Using a combination of genetic approaches, organotypic cultures of embryonic pancreata, and genomics, we found that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1p), signalling through the G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) S1pr2, plays a key role in pancreas development linking lineage allocation and specification. S1pr2 signalling promotes progenitor survival as well as acinar and endocrine specification. S1pr2-mediated stabilisation of the yes-associated protein (YAP) is essential for endocrine specification, thus linking a regulator of progenitor growth with specification. YAP stabilisation and endocrine cell specification rely on Gαi subunits, revealing an unexpected specificity of selected GPCR intracellular signalling components. Finally, we found that S1pr2 signalling posttranscriptionally attenuates Notch signalling levels, thus regulating lineage allocation. Both S1pr2-mediated YAP stabilisation and Notch attenuation are necessary for the specification of the endocrine lineage. These findings identify S1p signalling as a novel key pathway coordinating cell survival, lineage allocation, and specification and linking these processes by regulating YAP levels and Notch signalling. Understanding lineage allocation and specification in the pancreas will shed light in the origins of pancreatic diseases and may suggest novel therapeutic approaches. PMID:28248965

  13. Genome-Nuclear Lamina Interactions Regulate Cardiac Stem Cell Lineage Restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poleshko, Andrey; Shah, Parisha P; Gupta, Mudit; Babu, Apoorva; Morley, Michael P; Manderfield, Lauren J; Ifkovits, Jamie L; Calderon, Damelys; Aghajanian, Haig; Sierra-Pagán, Javier E; Sun, Zheng; Wang, Qiaohong; Li, Li; Dubois, Nicole C; Morrisey, Edward E; Lazar, Mitchell A; Smith, Cheryl L; Epstein, Jonathan A; Jain, Rajan

    2017-10-19

    Progenitor cells differentiate into specialized cell types through coordinated expression of lineage-specific genes and modification of complex chromatin configurations. We demonstrate that a histone deacetylase (Hdac3) organizes heterochromatin at the nuclear lamina during cardiac progenitor lineage restriction. Specification of cardiomyocytes is associated with reorganization of peripheral heterochromatin, and independent of deacetylase activity, Hdac3 tethers peripheral heterochromatin containing lineage-relevant genes to the nuclear lamina. Deletion of Hdac3 in cardiac progenitor cells releases genomic regions from the nuclear periphery, leading to precocious cardiac gene expression and differentiation into cardiomyocytes; in contrast, restricting Hdac3 to the nuclear periphery rescues myogenesis in progenitors otherwise lacking Hdac3. Our results suggest that availability of genomic regions for activation by lineage-specific factors is regulated in part through dynamic chromatin-nuclear lamina interactions and that competence of a progenitor cell to respond to differentiation signals may depend upon coordinated movement of responding gene loci away from the nuclear periphery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The impact of laser ablation on optical soft tissue differentiation for tissue specific laser surgery-an experimental ex vivo study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stelzle Florian

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Optical diffuse reflectance can remotely differentiate various bio tissues. To implement this technique in an optical feedback system to guide laser surgery in a tissue-specific way, the alteration of optical tissue properties by laser ablation has to be taken into account. It was the aim of this study to evaluate the general feasibility of optical soft tissue differentiation by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy under the influence of laser ablation, comparing the tissue differentiation results before and after laser intervention. Methods A total of 70 ex vivo tissue samples (5 tissue types were taken from 14 bisected pig heads. Diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded before and after Er:YAG-laser ablation. The spectra were analyzed and differentiated using principal component analysis (PCA, followed by linear discriminant analysis (LDA. To assess the potential of tissue differentiation, area under the curve (AUC, sensitivity and specificity was computed for each pair of tissue types before and after laser ablation, and compared to each other. Results Optical tissue differentiation showed good results before laser exposure (total classification error 13.51%. However, the tissue pair nerve and fat yielded lower AUC results of only 0.75. After laser ablation slightly reduced differentiation results were found with a total classification error of 16.83%. The tissue pair nerve and fat showed enhanced differentiation (AUC: 0.85. Laser ablation reduced the sensitivity in 50% and specificity in 80% of the cases of tissue pair comparison. The sensitivity of nerve–fat differentiation was enhanced by 35%. Conclusions The observed results show the general feasibility of tissue differentiation by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy even under conditions of tissue alteration by laser ablation. The contrast enhancement for the differentiation between nerve and fat tissue after ablation is assumed to be due to laser removal of the

  15. Recruitment of Mediator Complex by Cell Type and Stage-Specific Factors Required for Tissue-Specific TAF Dependent Gene Activation in an Adult Stem Cell Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chenggang; Fuller, Margaret T

    2015-12-01

    Onset of terminal differentiation in adult stem cell lineages is commonly marked by robust activation of new transcriptional programs required to make the appropriate differentiated cell type(s). In the Drosophila male germ line stem cell lineage, the switch from proliferating spermatogonia to spermatocyte is accompanied by one of the most dramatic transcriptional changes in the fly, as over 1000 new transcripts turn on in preparation for meiosis and spermatid differentiation. Here we show that function of the coactivator complex Mediator is required for activation of hundreds of new transcripts in the spermatocyte program. Mediator appears to act in a sequential hierarchy, with the testis activating Complex (tMAC), a cell type specific form of the Mip/dREAM general repressor, required to recruit Mediator subunits to the chromatin, and Mediator function required to recruit the testis TAFs (tTAFs), spermatocyte specific homologs of subunits of TFIID. Mediator, tMAC and the tTAFs co-regulate expression of a major set of spermatid differentiation genes. The Mediator subunit Med22 binds the tMAC component Topi when the two are coexpressed in S2 cells, suggesting direct recruitment. Loss of Med22 function in spermatocytes causes meiosis I maturation arrest male infertility, similar to loss of function of the tMAC subunits or the tTAFs. Our results illuminate how cell type specific versions of the Mip/dREAM complex and the general transcription machinery cooperate to drive selective gene activation during differentiation in stem cell lineages.

  16. ROCK inhibitor primes human induced pluripotent stem cells to selectively differentiate towards mesendodermal lineage via epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado, Maricela; Luu, Rebeccah J; Ramos, Michael E P; Nam, Jin

    2016-09-01

    Robust control of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) differentiation is essential to realize its patient-tailored therapeutic potential. Here, we demonstrate a novel application of Y-27632, a small molecule Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, to significantly influence the differentiation of hIPSCs in a lineage-specific manner. The application of Y-27632 to hIPSCs resulted in a decrease in actin bundling and disruption of colony formation in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Such changes in cell and colony morphology were associated with decreased expression of E-cadherin, a cell-cell junctional protein, proportional to the increased exposure to Y-27632. Interestingly, gene and protein expression of pluripotency markers such as NANOG and OCT4 were not downregulated by an exposure to Y-27632 up to 36h. Simultaneously, epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition markers were upregulated with an exposure to Y-27632. These EMT-like changes in the cells with longer exposure to Y-27632 resulted in a significant increase in the subsequent differentiation efficiency towards mesendodermal lineage. In contrast, an inhibitory effect was observed when cells were subjected to ectodermal differentiation after prolonged exposure to Y-27632. Collectively, these results present a novel method for priming hIPSCs to modulate their differentiation potential with a simple application of Y-27632. Copyright © 2016 Helmholtz Zentrum München. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. BRD4 localization to lineage-specific enhancers is associated with a distinct transcription factor repertoire

    OpenAIRE

    Najafova, Zeynab; Tirado-Magallanes, Roberto; Subramaniam, Malayannan; Hossan, Tareq; Schmidt, Geske; Nagarajan, Sankari; Baumgart, Simon J.; Mishra, Vivek?Kumar; Bedi, Upasana; Hesse, Eric; Knapp, Stefan; Hawse, John R.; Johnsen, Steven A.

    2016-01-01

    Proper temporal epigenetic regulation of gene expression is essential for cell fate determination and tissue development. The Bromodomain-containing Protein-4 (BRD4)was previously shown to control the transcription of defined subsets of genes in various cell systems. In this study we examined the role of BRD4 in promoting lineage-specific gene expression and show that BRD4 is essential for osteoblast differentiation. Genome-wide analyses demonstrate that BRD4 is rec...

  18. Maternal Grandmothers Do Go the Extra Mile: Factoring Distance and Lineage into Differential Contact with Grandchildren

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas V. Pollet

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Several studies conducted from an evolutionary perspective have documented differential investment in grandchildren by lineage. The majority of these studies have used retrospective ratings by grandchildren, but only a fraction of these studies have examined actual grandparental behavior. Here we focus on the interaction between distance and lineage on face-to-face contact with a (random grandchild in a large scale sample. Our main prediction is that maternal grandparents are significantly more willing to travel in order to see their grandchild. While controlling for initiative of contact, urbanization, sex and age of the grandchild, educational attainment, marital status and age we found a significant interaction between distance and grandparent type on frequency of contact with a grandchild. Maternal grandmothers were significantly more inclined than paternal grandfathers and grandmothers to maintain frequent face-to-face contact, as distance between grandparent and grandchild increased. The results are discussed with reference to evolutionary theories of grandparental investment.

  19. Genome-wide patterns of differentiation and spatially varying selection between postglacial recolonization lineages of Populus alba (Salicaceae), a widespread forest tree.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stölting, Kai N; Paris, Margot; Meier, Cécile; Heinze, Berthold; Castiglione, Stefano; Bartha, Denes; Lexer, Christian

    2015-08-01

    Studying the divergence continuum in plants is relevant to fundamental and applied biology because of the potential to reveal functionally important genetic variation. In this context, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides the necessary rigour for uncovering footprints of selection. We resequenced populations of two divergent phylogeographic lineages of Populus alba (n = 48), thoroughly characterized by microsatellites (n = 317), and scanned their genomes for regions of unusually high allelic differentiation and reduced diversity using > 1.7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from WGS. Results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. On average, 9134 high-differentiation (≥ 4 standard deviations) outlier SNPs were uncovered between populations, 848 of which were shared by ≥ three replicate comparisons. Annotation revealed that 545 of these were located in 437 predicted genes. Twelve percent of differentiation outlier genome regions exhibited significantly reduced genetic diversity. Gene ontology (GO) searches were successful for 327 high-differentiation genes, and these were enriched for 63 GO terms. Our results provide a snapshot of the roles of 'hard selective sweeps' vs divergent selection of standing genetic variation in distinct postglacial recolonization lineages of P. alba. Thus, this study adds to our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the origin of functionally relevant variation in temperate trees. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  20. MicroRNA Levels as Prognostic Markers for the Differentiation Potential of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Donors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Georgi, Nicole; Taipaleenmaeki, H.; Raiss, C.C.; Groen, N.; Portalska, K.K.; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; de Boer, Jan; Post, Janine Nicole; van Wijnen, A.; Karperien, Hermanus Bernardus Johannes

    2015-01-01

    The ability of human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hMSCs) to differentiate into various mesenchymal cell lineages makes them a promising cell source for the use in tissue repair strategies. Because the differentiation potential of hMSCs differs between donors, it is necessary to establish

  1. Role of IGF1R in breast cancer subtypes, stemness, and lineage differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan M Farabaugh

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Insulin-like growth factor (IGF signaling is fundamental for growth and survival. A large body of evidence (laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical implicates the exploitation of this pathway in cancer. Up to 50% of breast tumors express the activated form of the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R. Breast cancers are categorized into subtypes based upon hormone and ERRB2 receptor expression and/or gene expression profiling. Even though IGF1R influences tumorigenic phenotypes and drug resistance across all breast cancer subtypes, it has specific expression and function in each. In some subtypes, IGF1R levels correlate with a favorable prognosis, while in others it is associated with recurrence and poor prognosis, suggesting different actions based upon cellular and molecular contexts. In this review, we examine IGF1R expression and function as it relates to breast cancer subtype and therapy-acquired resistance. Additionally, we discuss the role of IGF1R in stem cell maintenance and lineage differentiation and how these cell fate influences may alter the differentiation potential and cellular composition of breast tumors.

  2. Andrographolide Promotes Neural Differentiation of Rat Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells through Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Liang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs are a high-yield source of pluripotent stem cells for use in cell-based therapies. We explored the effect of andrographolide (ANDRO, one of the ingredients of the medicinal herb extract on the neural differentiation of rat ADSCs and associated molecular mechanisms. We observed that rat ADSCs were small and spindle-shaped and expressed multiple stem cell markers including nestin. They were multipotent as evidenced by adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and neural differentiation under appropriate conditions. The proportion of cells exhibiting neural-like morphology was higher, and neurites developed faster in the ANDRO group than in the control group in the same neural differentiation medium. Expression levels of the neural lineage markers MAP2, tau, GFAP, and β-tubulin III were higher in the ANDRO group. ANDRO induced a concentration-dependent increase in Wnt/β-catenin signaling as evidenced by the enhanced expression of nuclear β-catenin and the inhibited form of GSK-3β (pSer9. Thus, this study shows for the first time how by enhancing the neural differentiation of ADSCs we expect that ANDRO pretreatment may increase the efficacy of adult stem cell transplantation in nervous system diseases, but more exploration is needed.

  3. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L. [3Bs Research Group–Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Guimarães (Portugal); ICVS/3Bs–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal); Gomes, Manuela E., E-mail: megomes@dep.uminho.pt [3Bs Research Group–Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Guimarães (Portugal); ICVS/3Bs–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal)

    2015-11-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. - Highlights: • Cellular viability was not negatively influenced by the nanoparticles. • Chondrogenic medium influences more the synthesis of cartilage-like ECM than MNPs. • Synergetic effect among

  4. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L.; Gomes, Manuela E.

    2015-01-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. - Highlights: • Cellular viability was not negatively influenced by the nanoparticles. • Chondrogenic medium influences more the synthesis of cartilage-like ECM than MNPs. • Synergetic effect among

  5. 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Remodeling Precedes Lineage Specification during Differentiation of Human CD4+ T Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colm E. Nestor

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available 5-methylcytosine (5mC is converted to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC by the TET family of enzymes as part of a recently discovered active DNA de-methylation pathway. 5hmC plays important roles in regulation of gene expression and differentiation and has been implicated in T cell malignancies and autoimmunity. Here, we report early and widespread 5mC/5hmC remodeling during human CD4+ T cell differentiation ex vivo at genes and cell-specific enhancers with known T cell function. We observe similar DNA de-methylation in CD4+ memory T cells in vivo, indicating that early remodeling events persist long term in differentiated cells. Underscoring their important function, 5hmC loci were highly enriched for genetic variants associated with T cell diseases and T-cell-specific chromosomal interactions. Extensive functional validation of 22 risk variants revealed potentially pathogenic mechanisms in diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Our results support 5hmC-mediated DNA de-methylation as a key component of CD4+ T cell biology in humans, with important implications for gene regulation and lineage commitment.

  6. A fat option for the pig: Hepatocytic differentiated mesenchymal stem cells for translational research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brückner, Sandra, E-mail: sandra.brueckner@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); Tautenhahn, Hans-Michael, E-mail: hans-michael.tautenhahn@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); TRM, Translational Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); Winkler, Sandra, E-mail: sandra.pelz@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); Stock, Peggy, E-mail: peggy.stock@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); Dollinger, Matthias, E-mail: matthias.dollinger@uniklinik-ulm.de [University Hospital Ulm, First Department of Medicine, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, Ulm D-89081 (Germany); Christ, Bruno, E-mail: bruno.christ@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany); TRM, Translational Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, Leipzig D-04103 (Germany)

    2014-02-15

    Study background: Extended liver resection is the only curative treatment option of liver cancer. Yet, the residual liver may not accomplish the high metabolic and regenerative capacity needed, which frequently leads to acute liver failure. Because of their anti-inflammatory and -apoptotic as well as pro-proliferative features, mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells might provide functional and regenerative compensation. Clinical translation of basic research requires pre-clinical approval in large animals. Therefore, we characterized porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from adipose tissue and bone marrow and their hepatocyte differentiation potential for future assessment of functional liver support after surgical intervention in the pig model. Methods: Mesenchymal surface antigens and multi-lineage differentiation potential of porcine MSC isolated by collagenase digestion either from bone marrow or adipose tissue (subcutaneous/visceral) were assessed by flow cytometry. Morphology and functional properties (urea-, glycogen synthesis and cytochrome P450 activity) were determined during culture under differentiation conditions and compared with primary porcine hepatocytes. Results: MSC from porcine adipose tissue and from bone marrow express the typical mesenchymal markers CD44, CD29, CD90 and CD105 but not haematopoietic markers. MSC from both sources displayed differentiation into the osteogenic as well as adipogenic lineage. After hepatocyte differentiation, expression of CD105 decreased significantly and cells adopted the typical polygonal morphology of hepatocytes. Glycogen storage was comparable in adipose tissue- and bone marrow-derived cells. Urea synthesis was about 35% lower in visceral than in subcutaneous adipose tissue-derived MSC. Cytochrome P450 activity increased significantly during differentiation and was twice as high in hepatocyte-like cells generated from bone marrow as from adipose tissue. Conclusion: The hepatocyte

  7. A fat option for the pig: Hepatocytic differentiated mesenchymal stem cells for translational research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brückner, Sandra; Tautenhahn, Hans-Michael; Winkler, Sandra; Stock, Peggy; Dollinger, Matthias; Christ, Bruno

    2014-01-01

    Study background: Extended liver resection is the only curative treatment option of liver cancer. Yet, the residual liver may not accomplish the high metabolic and regenerative capacity needed, which frequently leads to acute liver failure. Because of their anti-inflammatory and -apoptotic as well as pro-proliferative features, mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells might provide functional and regenerative compensation. Clinical translation of basic research requires pre-clinical approval in large animals. Therefore, we characterized porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from adipose tissue and bone marrow and their hepatocyte differentiation potential for future assessment of functional liver support after surgical intervention in the pig model. Methods: Mesenchymal surface antigens and multi-lineage differentiation potential of porcine MSC isolated by collagenase digestion either from bone marrow or adipose tissue (subcutaneous/visceral) were assessed by flow cytometry. Morphology and functional properties (urea-, glycogen synthesis and cytochrome P450 activity) were determined during culture under differentiation conditions and compared with primary porcine hepatocytes. Results: MSC from porcine adipose tissue and from bone marrow express the typical mesenchymal markers CD44, CD29, CD90 and CD105 but not haematopoietic markers. MSC from both sources displayed differentiation into the osteogenic as well as adipogenic lineage. After hepatocyte differentiation, expression of CD105 decreased significantly and cells adopted the typical polygonal morphology of hepatocytes. Glycogen storage was comparable in adipose tissue- and bone marrow-derived cells. Urea synthesis was about 35% lower in visceral than in subcutaneous adipose tissue-derived MSC. Cytochrome P450 activity increased significantly during differentiation and was twice as high in hepatocyte-like cells generated from bone marrow as from adipose tissue. Conclusion: The hepatocyte

  8. Lineage specific expression of Polycomb Group Proteins in human embryonic stem cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pethe, Prasad; Pursani, Varsha; Bhartiya, Deepa

    2015-05-01

    Human embryonic (hES) stem cells are an excellent model to study lineage specification and differentiation into various cell types. Differentiation necessitates repression of specific genes not required for a particular lineage. Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins are key histone modifiers, whose primary function is gene repression. PcG proteins form complexes called Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRCs), which catalyze histone modifications such as H2AK119ub1, H3K27me3, and H3K9me3. PcG proteins play a crucial role during differentiation of stem cells. The expression of PcG transcripts during differentiation of hES cells into endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm lineage is yet to be shown. In-house derived hES cell line KIND1 was differentiated into endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm lineages; followed by characterization using RT-PCR for HNF4A, CDX2, MEF2C, TBX5, SOX1, and MAP2. qRT-PCR and western blotting was performed to compare expression of PcG transcripts and proteins across all the three lineages. We observed that cells differentiated into endoderm showed upregulation of RING1B, BMI1, EZH2, and EED transcripts. Mesoderm differentiation was characterized by significant downregulation of all PcG transcripts during later stages. BMI1 and RING1B were upregulated while EZH2, SUZ12, and EED remained low during ectoderm differentiation. Western blotting also showed distinct expression of BMI1 and EZH2 during differentiation into three germ layers. Our study shows that hES cells differentiating into endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm lineages show distinct PcG expression profile at transcript and protein level. © 2015 International Federation for Cell Biology.

  9. Recruitment of Mediator Complex by Cell Type and Stage-Specific Factors Required for Tissue-Specific TAF Dependent Gene Activation in an Adult Stem Cell Lineage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenggang Lu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Onset of terminal differentiation in adult stem cell lineages is commonly marked by robust activation of new transcriptional programs required to make the appropriate differentiated cell type(s. In the Drosophila male germ line stem cell lineage, the switch from proliferating spermatogonia to spermatocyte is accompanied by one of the most dramatic transcriptional changes in the fly, as over 1000 new transcripts turn on in preparation for meiosis and spermatid differentiation. Here we show that function of the coactivator complex Mediator is required for activation of hundreds of new transcripts in the spermatocyte program. Mediator appears to act in a sequential hierarchy, with the testis activating Complex (tMAC, a cell type specific form of the Mip/dREAM general repressor, required to recruit Mediator subunits to the chromatin, and Mediator function required to recruit the testis TAFs (tTAFs, spermatocyte specific homologs of subunits of TFIID. Mediator, tMAC and the tTAFs co-regulate expression of a major set of spermatid differentiation genes. The Mediator subunit Med22 binds the tMAC component Topi when the two are coexpressed in S2 cells, suggesting direct recruitment. Loss of Med22 function in spermatocytes causes meiosis I maturation arrest male infertility, similar to loss of function of the tMAC subunits or the tTAFs. Our results illuminate how cell type specific versions of the Mip/dREAM complex and the general transcription machinery cooperate to drive selective gene activation during differentiation in stem cell lineages.

  10. MicroRNA expression profiling in neurogenesis of adipose tissue

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are one population of adult stem cells that can self renew and differentiate into multiple lineages. Because of advantages in method and quantity of acquisition, ADSCs are gaining attention as an alternative source of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we ...

  11. Hypoxia and Stem Cell-Based Engineering of Mesenchymal Tissues

    OpenAIRE

    Ma, Teng; Grayson, Warren L.; Fröhlich, Mirjam; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana

    2009-01-01

    Stem cells have the ability for prolonged self-renewal and differentiation into mature cells of various lineages, which makes them important cell sources for tissue engineering applications. Their remarkable ability to replenish and differentiate in vivo is regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic cellular mechanisms. The anatomical location where the stem cells reside, known as the “stem cell niche or microenvironment,” provides signals conducive to the maintenance of definitive stem cell p...

  12. Strong and stable geographic differentiation of swamp buffalo maternal and paternal lineages indicates domestication in the China/Indochina border region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Lu, Yongfang; Yindee, Marnoch; Li, Kuan-Yi; Kuo, Hsiao-Yun; Ju, Yu-Ten; Ye, Shaohui; Faruque, Md Omar; Li, Qiang; Wang, Yachun; Cuong, Vu Chi; Pham, Lan Doan; Bouahom, Bounthong; Yang, Bingzhuang; Liang, Xianwei; Cai, Zhihua; Vankan, Dianne; Manatchaiworakul, Wallaya; Kowlim, Nonglid; Duangchantrasiri, Somphot; Wajjwalku, Worawidh; Colenbrander, Ben; Zhang, Yuan; Beerli, Peter; Lenstra, Johannes A; Barker, J Stuart F

    2016-04-01

    The swamp type of the Asian water buffalo is assumed to have been domesticated by about 4000 years BP, following the introduction of rice cultivation. Previous localizations of the domestication site were based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within China, accounting only for the maternal lineage. We carried out a comprehensive sampling of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Nepal and Bangladesh and sequenced the mtDNA Cytochrome b gene and control region and the Y-chromosomal ZFY, SRY and DBY sequences. Swamp buffalo has a higher diversity of both maternal and paternal lineages than river buffalo, with also a remarkable contrast between a weak phylogeographic structure of river buffalo and a strong geographic differentiation of swamp buffalo. The highest diversity of the swamp buffalo maternal lineages was found in south China and north Indochina on both banks of the Mekong River, while the highest diversity in paternal lineages was in the China/Indochina border region. We propose that domestication in this region was later followed by introgressive capture of wild cows west of the Mekong. Migration to the north followed the Yangtze valley as well as a more eastern route, but also involved translocations of both cows and bulls over large distances with a minor influence of river buffaloes in recent decades. Bayesian analyses of various migration models also supported domestication in the China/Indochina border region. Coalescence analysis yielded consistent estimates for the expansion of the major swamp buffalo haplogroups with a credibility interval of 900 to 3900 years BP. The spatial differentiation of mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotype distributions indicates a lack of gene flow between established populations that is unprecedented in livestock. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Nonstimulated human uncommitted mesenchymal stem cells express cell markers of mesenchymal and neural lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minguell, José J; Fierro, Fernando A; Epuñan, María J; Erices, Alejandro A; Sierralta, Walter D

    2005-08-01

    Ex vivo cultures of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contain subsets of progenitors exhibiting dissimilar properties. One of these subsets comprises uncommitted progenitors displaying distinctive features, such as morphology, a quiescent condition, growth factor production, and restricted tissue biodistribution after transplantation. In this study, we assessed the competence of these cells to express, in the absence of differentiation stimuli, markers of mesoderm and ectodermic (neural) cell lineages. Fluorescence microscopy analysis showed a unique pattern of expression of osteogenic, chondrogenic, muscle, and neural markers. The depicted "molecular signature" of these early uncommitted progenitors, in the absence of differentiation stimuli, is consistent with their multipotentiality and plasticity as suggested by several in vitro and in vivo studies.

  14. Determination of osteogenic or adipogenic lineages in muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) by a collagen-binding peptide (CBP) derived from bone sialoprotein (BSP)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Yoon Jung [Dental Regenerative Biotechnology Major, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jue Yeon [Research Institute, Nano Intelligent Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC), Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Seung Jin [Department of Industrial Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Chong-Pyoung, E-mail: ccpperio@snu.ac.kr [Research Institute, Nano Intelligent Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC), Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yoon Jeong, E-mail: parkyj@snu.ac.kr [Dental Regenerative Biotechnology Major, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-749 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute, Nano Intelligent Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC), Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-09

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CBP sequence is identified from BSP and has collagen binding activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CBP directly activates the MAPK signaling, especially ERK1/2. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CBP increase osteoblastic differentiation by the activation of Runx2. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CBP decrease adipogenic differentiation by the inhibition of PPAR{gamma}. -- Abstract: Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a mineralized, tissue-specific, non-collagenous protein that is normally expressed only in mineralized tissues such as bone, dentin, cementum, and calcified cartilage, and at sites of new mineral formation. The binding of BSP to collagen is thought to be important for initiating bone mineralization and bone cell adhesion to the mineralized matrix. Several recent studies have isolated stem cells from muscle tissue, but their functional properties are still unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of a synthetic collagen-binding peptide (CBP) on the differentiation efficiency of muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs). The CBP sequence (NGVFKYRPRYYLYKHAYFYPHLKRFPVQ) corresponds to residues 35-62 of bone sialoprotein (BSP), which are located within the collagen-binding domain in BSP. Interestingly, this synthetic CBP inhibited adipogenic differentiation but increased osteogenic differentiation in MDSCs. The CBP also induced expression of osteoblastic marker proteins, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type I collagen, Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and osteocalcin; prevented adipogenic differentiation in MDSCs; and down-regulated adipose-specific mRNAs, such as adipocyte protein 2 (aP2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma}. The CBP increased Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 protein phosphorylation, which is important in lineage determination. These observations suggest that this CBP determines the osteogenic or adipogenic lineage in MDSCs by activating ERK1/2. Taken together, a

  15. Experimental models of testicular development and function using human tissue and cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tharmalingam, Melissa D; Jorgensen, Anne; Mitchell, Rod T

    2018-01-01

    . In this review, we outline experimental approaches used to sustain cells and tissue from human testis at different developmental time-points and discuss relevant end-points. These include survival, proliferation and differentiation of cell lineages within the testis as well as autocrine, paracrine and endocrine...

  16. Pre-transplantation specification of stem cells to cardiac lineage for regeneration of cardiac tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayorga, Maritza; Finan, Amanda; Penn, Marc

    2009-03-01

    Myocardial infarction (MI) is a lead cause of mortality in the Western world. Treatment of acute MI is focused on restoration of antegrade flow which inhibits further tissue loss, but does not restore function to damaged tissue. Chronic therapy for injured myocardial tissue involves medical therapy that attempts to minimize pathologic remodeling of the heart. End stage therapy for chronic heart failure (CHF) involves inotropic therapy to increase surviving cardiac myocyte function or mechanical augmentation of cardiac performance. Not until the point of heart transplantation, a limited resource at best, does therapy focus on the fundamental problem of needing to replace injured tissue with new contractile tissue. In this setting, the potential for stem cell therapy has garnered significant interest for its potential to regenerate or create new contractile cardiac tissue. While to date adult stem cell therapy in clinical trials has suggested potential benefit, there is waning belief that the approaches used to date lead to regeneration of cardiac tissue. As the literature has better defined the pathways involved in cardiac differentiation, preclinical studies have suggested that stem cell pretreatment to direct stem cell differentiation prior to stem cell transplantation may be a more efficacious strategy for inducing cardiac regeneration. Here we review the available literature on pre-transplantation conditioning of stem cells in an attempt to better understand stem cell behavior and their readiness in cell-based therapy for myocardial regeneration.

  17. Differential trypanocidal activity of novel macrolide antibiotics; correlation to genetic lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquilino, Carolina; Gonzalez Rubio, Maria Luisa; Seco, Elena Maria; Escudero, Leticia; Corvo, Laura; Soto, Manuel; Fresno, Manuel; Malpartida, Francisco; Bonay, Pedro

    2012-01-01

    Here we report the systematic study of the anti-trypanocidal activity of some new products derived from S. diastatus on 14 different T. cruzi strains spanning the six genetic lineages of T. cruzi. As the traditional growth inhibition curves giving similar IC(50) showed great differences on antibiotic and lineage tested, we decided to preserve the wealth of information derived from each inhibition curve and used an algorithm related to potency of the drugs, combined in a matrix data set used to generate a cluster tree. The cluster thus generated based just on drug susceptibility data closely resembles the phylogenies of the lineages derived from genetic data and provides a novel approach to correlate genetic data with phenotypes related to pathogenesis of Chagas disease. Furthermore we provide clues on the drugs mechanism of action.

  18. Mito-nuclear discord in six congeneric lineages of Holarctic ducks (genus Anas).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Jeffrey L; Winker, Kevin; Millam, Kendra C; Lavretsky, Philip; Kulikova, Irina; Wilson, Robert E; Zhuravlev, Yuri N; McCracken, Kevin G

    2014-06-01

    Many species have Holarctic distributions that extend across Europe, Asia and North America. Most genetics research on these species has examined only mitochondrial (mt) DNA, which has revealed wide variance in divergence between Old World (OW) and New World (NW) populations, ranging from shallow, unstructured genealogies to deeply divergent lineages. In this study, we sequenced 20 nuclear introns to test for concordant patterns of OW-NW differentiation between mtDNA and nuclear (nu) DNA for six lineages of Holarctic ducks (genus Anas). Genetic differentiation for both marker types varied widely among these lineages (idiosyncratic population histories), but mtDNA and nuDNA divergence within lineages was not significantly correlated. Moreover, compared with the association between mtDNA and nuDNA divergence observed among different species, OW-NW nuDNA differentiation was generally lower than mtDNA divergence, at least for lineages with deeply divergent mtDNA. Furthermore, coalescent estimates indicated significantly higher rates of gene flow for nuDNA than mtDNA for four of the six lineages. Thus, Holarctic ducks show prominent mito-nuclear discord between OW and NW populations, and we reject differences in sorting rates as the sole cause of the within-species discord. Male-mediated intercontinental gene flow is likely a leading contributor to this discord, although selection could also cause increased mtDNA divergence relative to weak nuDNA differentiation. The population genetics of these ducks contribute to growing evidence that mtDNA can be an unreliable indicator of stage of speciation and that more holistic approaches are needed for species delimitation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. In vitro differentiation of human skin-derived multipotent stromal cells into putative endothelial-like cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vishnubalaji Radhakrishnan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Multipotent stem cells have been successfully isolated from various tissues and are currently utilized for tissue-engineering and cell-based therapies. Among the many sources, skin has recently emerged as an attractive source for multipotent cells because of its abundance. Recent literature showed that skin stromal cells (SSCs possess mesoderm lineage differentiation potential; however, the endothelial differentiation and angiogenic potential of SSC remains elusive. In our study, SSCs were isolated from human neonatal foreskin (hNFSSCs and adult dermal skin (hADSSCs using explants cultures and were compared with bone marrow (hMSC-TERT and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs for their potential differentiation into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and endothelial cells. Results Concordant with previous studies, both MSCs and SSCs showed similar morphology, surface protein expression, and were able to differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes. Using an endothelial induction culture system combined with an in vitro matrigel angiogenesis assay, hNFSSCs and hADSSCs exhibited the highest tube-forming capability, which was similar to those formed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC, with hNFSSCs forming the most tightly packed, longest, and largest diameter tubules among the three cell types. CD146 was highly expressed on hNFSSCs and HUVEC followed by hADSSCs, and hMSC-TERT, while its expression was almost absent on hADMSCs. Similarly, higher vascular density (based on the expression of CD31, CD34, vWF, CD146 and SMA was observed in neonatal skin, followed by adult dermal skin and adipose tissue. Thus, our preliminary data indicated a plausible relationship between vascular densities, and the expression of CD146 on multipotent cells derived from those tissues. Conclusions Our data is the first to demonstrate that human dermal skin stromal cells can be differentiated into endothelial lineage. Hence, SSCs

  20. Quantitative metabolic imaging using endogenous fluorescence to detect stem cell differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinn, Kyle P.; Sridharan, Gautham V.; Hayden, Rebecca S.; Kaplan, David L.; Lee, Kyongbum; Georgakoudi, Irene

    2013-12-01

    The non-invasive high-resolution spatial mapping of cell metabolism within tissues could provide substantial advancements in assessing the efficacy of stem cell therapy and understanding tissue development. Here, using two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy, we elucidate the relationships among endogenous cell fluorescence, cell redox state, and the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into adipogenic and osteoblastic lineages. Using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantitative PCR, we evaluate the sensitivity of an optical redox ratio of FAD/(NADH + FAD) to metabolic changes associated with stem cell differentiation. Furthermore, we probe the underlying physiological mechanisms, which relate a decrease in the redox ratio to the onset of differentiation. Because traditional assessments of stem cells and engineered tissues are destructive, time consuming, and logistically intensive, the development and validation of a non-invasive, label-free approach to defining the spatiotemporal patterns of cell differentiation can offer a powerful tool for rapid, high-content characterization of cell and tissue cultures.

  1. Adipose stem cells for bone tissue repair

    OpenAIRE

    Ciuffi, Simone; Zonefrati, Roberto; Brandi, Maria Luisa

    2017-01-01

    Adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs), together with adipocytes, vascular endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells, are contained in fat tissue. ASCs, like the human bone marrow stromal/stem cells (BMSCs), can differentiate into several lineages (adipose cells, fibroblast, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, neuronal cells, endothelial cells, myocytes, and cardiomyocytes). They have also been shown to be immunoprivileged, and genetically stable in long-term cultures. Nevertheless, unlik...

  2. Differential trypanocidal activity of novel macrolide antibiotics; correlation to genetic lineage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Aquilino

    Full Text Available Here we report the systematic study of the anti-trypanocidal activity of some new products derived from S. diastatus on 14 different T. cruzi strains spanning the six genetic lineages of T. cruzi. As the traditional growth inhibition curves giving similar IC(50 showed great differences on antibiotic and lineage tested, we decided to preserve the wealth of information derived from each inhibition curve and used an algorithm related to potency of the drugs, combined in a matrix data set used to generate a cluster tree. The cluster thus generated based just on drug susceptibility data closely resembles the phylogenies of the lineages derived from genetic data and provides a novel approach to correlate genetic data with phenotypes related to pathogenesis of Chagas disease. Furthermore we provide clues on the drugs mechanism of action.

  3. Prospective identification and skeletal localization of cells capable of multilineage differentiation in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taichman, Russell S; Wang, Zhuo; Shiozawa, Yusuke; Jung, Younghun; Song, Junhui; Balduino, Alex; Wang, Jincheng; Patel, Lalit R; Havens, Aaron M; Kucia, Magdalena; Ratajczak, Mariusz Z; Krebsbach, Paul H

    2010-10-01

    A prospective in vivo assay was used to identify cells with potential for multiple lineage differentiation. With this assay, it was first determined that the 5-fluorouracil resistant cells capable of osseous tissue formation in vivo also migrated toward stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in vitro. In parallel, an isolation method based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting was employed to identify a very small cell embryonic-like Lin-/Sca-1+CD45- cell that with as few as 500 cells was capable of forming bone-like structures in vivo. Differential marrow fractionation studies determined that the majority of the Lin-Sca-1+CD45- cells reside in the subendosteal regions of marrow. To determine whether these cells were capable of differentiating into multiple lineages, stromal cells harvested from Col2.3 Delta TK mice were implanted with a gelatin sponge into SCID mice to generate thymidine kinase sensitive ossicles. At 1.5 months, 2,000 green fluorescent protein (GFP)+ Lin-Sca-1+CD45- cells were injected into the ossicles. At harvest, colocalization of GFP-expressing cells with antibodies to the osteoblast-specific marker Runx-2 and the adipocyte marker PPAP gamma were observed. Based on the ability of the noncultured cells to differentiate into multiple mesenchymal lineages in vivo and the ability to generate osseous tissues at low density, we propose that this population fulfills many of the characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells.

  4. Pathology of fatal lineage 1 and 2 West Nile virus infections in horses in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    June H. Williams

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Since 2007, West Nile virus (WNV has been reported in South African horses, causing severe neurological signs. All cases were of lineage 2, except for one case that clustered with lineage 1 viruses. In the present study, gross and microscopic lesions of six South African lineage 2-infected horses and the one lineage 1 case are described. Diagnoses were confirmed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR of central nervous system (CNS tissue and one by RT-PCR of a brain virus isolate. The CNS of all cases was negative by RT-PCR or immunohistochemistry (IHC for African horse sickness (AHS, equine encephalosis virus, equine herpes viruses 1 and 4, other zoonotic flaviviruses, alphaviruses, and shunivirus, and either by immunofluorescence or IHC for rabies. Gross visceral lesions were nonspecific but often mimicked those of AHS. The CNS histopathology of WNV lineage 2 cases resembled the nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis reported in the Northern Hemisphere lineage 1 and recent Hungarian lineage 2 cases. Occasional meningitis, focal spinal ventral horn poliomalacia, dorsal and lateral horn poliomyelitis, leucomyelitis, asymmetrical ventral motor spinal neuritis and frequent olfactory region involvement were also seen. Lineage 2 cases displayed marked variations in CNS lesion severity, type and distribution, and suggested various viral entry routes into the CNS, based on findings in experimental mice and hamsters. Lineage 1 lesions were comparable to the milder lineage 2 cases. West Nile virus IHC on CNS sections with marked lesions from all cases elicited only two antigen-positive cells in the olfactory cortex of one case. The presence in the CNS of T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophage-monocytes was confirmed by cluster of differentiation (CD 3, CD20, multiple myeloma oncogene 1 (MUM1 and macrophage (MAC 387 IHC.

  5. Fluorescent Reporters in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Contributions to Cardiac Differentiation and Their Applications in Cardiac Disease and Toxicity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Hartogh, Sabine C.; Passier, Petrus Christianus Johannes Josephus

    2016-01-01

    In the last decade, since the first report of induced pluripotent stem cells, the stem cell field has made remarkable progress in the differentiation to specialized cell-types of various tissues and organs, including the heart. Cardiac lineage- and tissue-specific human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)

  6. Robust Differentiation of mRNA-Reprogrammed Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Toward a Retinal Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sridhar, Akshayalakshmi; Ohlemacher, Sarah K; Langer, Kirstin B; Meyer, Jason S

    2016-04-01

    The derivation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from patient-specific sources has allowed for the development of novel approaches to studies of human development and disease. However, traditional methods of generating hiPSCs involve the risks of genomic integration and potential constitutive expression of pluripotency factors and often exhibit low reprogramming efficiencies. The recent description of cellular reprogramming using synthetic mRNA molecules might eliminate these shortcomings; however, the ability of mRNA-reprogrammed hiPSCs to effectively give rise to retinal cell lineages has yet to be demonstrated. Thus, efforts were undertaken to test the ability and efficiency of mRNA-reprogrammed hiPSCs to yield retinal cell types in a directed, stepwise manner. hiPSCs were generated from human fibroblasts via mRNA reprogramming, with parallel cultures of isogenic human fibroblasts reprogrammed via retroviral delivery of reprogramming factors. New lines of mRNA-reprogrammed hiPSCs were established and were subsequently differentiated into a retinal fate using established protocols in a directed, stepwise fashion. The efficiency of retinal differentiation from these lines was compared with retroviral-derived cell lines at various stages of development. On differentiation, mRNA-reprogrammed hiPSCs were capable of robust differentiation to a retinal fate, including the derivation of photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells, at efficiencies often equal to or greater than their retroviral-derived hiPSC counterparts. Thus, given that hiPSCs derived through mRNA-based reprogramming strategies offer numerous advantages owing to the lack of genomic integration or constitutive expression of pluripotency genes, such methods likely represent a promising new approach for retinal stem cell research, in particular, those for translational applications. In the current report, the ability to derive mRNA-reprogrammed human induced pluripotent stem cells (hi

  7. Degree of Tissue Differentiation Dictates Susceptibility to BRAF-Driven Colorectal Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Tong

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Oncogenic mutations in BRAF are believed to initiate serrated colorectal cancers; however, the mechanisms of BRAF-driven colon cancer are unclear. We find that oncogenic BRAF paradoxically suppresses stem cell renewal and instead promotes differentiation. Correspondingly, tumor formation is inefficient in BRAF-driven mouse models of colon cancer. By reducing levels of differentiation via genetic manipulation of either of two distinct differentiation-promoting factors (Smad4 or Cdx2, stem cell activity is restored in BRAFV600E intestines, and the oncogenic capacity of BRAFV600E is amplified. In human patients, we observe that reduced levels of differentiation in normal tissue is associated with increased susceptibility to serrated colon tumors. Together, these findings help resolve the conditions necessary for BRAF-driven colon cancer initiation. Additionally, our results predict that genetic and/or environmental factors that reduce tissue differentiation will increase susceptibility to serrated colon cancer. These findings offer an opportunity to identify susceptible individuals by assessing their tissue-differentiation status.

  8. Lipocalin-2 inhibits osteoclast formation by suppressing the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclast lineage cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyun-Ju, E-mail: biohjk@knu.ac.kr [Department of Molecular Medicine, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, Clinical Trial Center, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Hye-Jin [Department of Molecular Medicine, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, Clinical Trial Center, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Kyung-Ae [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Skeletal Diseases Genome Research Center, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Gwon, Mi-Ri; Jin Seong, Sook [Department of Molecular Medicine, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, Clinical Trial Center, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Suk, Kyoungho [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Shin-Yoon [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Skeletal Diseases Genome Research Center, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Young-Ran, E-mail: yry@knu.ac.kr [Department of Molecular Medicine, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, Clinical Trial Center, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-10

    Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a member of the lipocalin superfamily and plays a critical role in the regulation of various physiological processes, such as inflammation and obesity. In this study, we report that LCN2 negatively modulates the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclast precursors, resulting in impaired osteoclast formation. The overexpression of LCN2 in bone marrow-derived macrophages or the addition of recombinant LCN2 protein inhibits the formation of multinuclear osteoclasts. LCN2 suppresses macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-induced proliferation of osteoclast precursor cells without affecting their apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, LCN2 decreases the expression of the M-CSF receptor, c-Fms, and subsequently blocks its downstream signaling cascades. In addition, LCN2 inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and attenuates the expression of c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1), which are important modulators in osteoclastogenesis. Mechanistically, LCN2 inhibits NF-κB signaling pathways, as demonstrated by the suppression of IκBα phosphorylation, nuclear translocation of p65, and NF-κB transcriptional activity. Thus, LCN2 is an anti-osteoclastogenic molecule that exerts its effects by retarding the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclast lineage cells. - Highlights: • LCN2 expression is regulated during osteoclast development. • LCN2 suppresses M-CSF-mediated osteoclast precursor proliferation. • LCN2 inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation.

  9. Sensitivity of tissue differentiation and bone healing predictions to tissue properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Isaksson, H.E.; Donkelaar, van C.C.; Ito, K.

    2009-01-01

    Computational models are employed as tools to investigate possible mechano-regulation pathways for tissue differentiation and bone healing. However, current models do not account for the uncertainty in input parameters, and often include assumptions about parameter values that are not yet

  10. Lineage-specific enhancers activate self-renewal genes in macrophages and embryonic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soucie, Erinn L; Weng, Ziming; Geirsdóttir, Laufey; Molawi, Kaaweh; Maurizio, Julien; Fenouil, Romain; Mossadegh-Keller, Noushine; Gimenez, Gregory; VanHille, Laurent; Beniazza, Meryam; Favret, Jeremy; Berruyer, Carole; Perrin, Pierre; Hacohen, Nir; Andrau, J-C; Ferrier, Pierre; Dubreuil, Patrice; Sidow, Arend; Sieweke, Michael H

    2016-02-12

    Differentiated macrophages can self-renew in tissues and expand long term in culture, but the gene regulatory mechanisms that accomplish self-renewal in the differentiated state have remained unknown. Here we show that in mice, the transcription factors MafB and c-Maf repress a macrophage-specific enhancer repertoire associated with a gene network that controls self-renewal. Single-cell analysis revealed that, in vivo, proliferating resident macrophages can access this network by transient down-regulation of Maf transcription factors. The network also controls embryonic stem cell self-renewal but is associated with distinct embryonic stem cell-specific enhancers. This indicates that distinct lineage-specific enhancer platforms regulate a shared network of genes that control self-renewal potential in both stem and mature cells. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  11. Instruction of hematopoietic lineage choice by cytokine signaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Endele, Max; Etzrodt, Martin; Schroeder, Timm, E-mail: timm.schroeder@bsse.ethz.ch

    2014-12-10

    Hematopoiesis is the cumulative consequence of finely tuned signaling pathways activated through extrinsic factors, such as local niche signals and systemic hematopoietic cytokines. Whether extrinsic factors actively instruct the lineage choice of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells or are only selectively allowing survival and proliferation of already intrinsically lineage-committed cells has been debated over decades. Recent results demonstrated that cytokines can instruct lineage choice. However, the precise function of individual cytokine-triggered signaling molecules in inducing cellular events like proliferation, lineage choice, and differentiation remains largely elusive. Signal transduction pathways activated by different cytokine receptors are highly overlapping, but support the production of distinct hematopoietic lineages. Cellular context, signaling dynamics, and the crosstalk of different signaling pathways determine the cellular response of a given extrinsic signal. New tools to manipulate and continuously quantify signaling events at the single cell level are therefore required to thoroughly interrogate how dynamic signaling networks yield a specific cellular response. - Highlights: • Recent studies provided definite proof for lineage-instructive action of cytokines. • Signaling pathways involved in hematopoietic lineage instruction remain elusive. • New tools are emerging to quantitatively study dynamic signaling networks over time.

  12. Drosophila type II neuroblast lineages keep Prospero levels low to generate large clones that contribute to the adult brain central complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drummond Michael L

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Tissue homeostasis depends on the ability of stem cells to properly regulate self-renewal versus differentiation. Drosophila neural stem cells (neuroblasts are a model system to study self-renewal and differentiation. Recent work has identified two types of larval neuroblasts that have different self-renewal/differentiation properties. Type I neuroblasts bud off a series of small basal daughter cells (ganglion mother cells that each generate two neurons. Type II neuroblasts bud off small basal daughter cells called intermediate progenitors (INPs, with each INP generating 6 to 12 neurons. Type I neuroblasts and INPs have nuclear Asense and cytoplasmic Prospero, whereas type II neuroblasts lack both these transcription factors. Here we test whether Prospero distinguishes type I/II neuroblast identity or proliferation profile, using several newly characterized Gal4 lines. We misexpress prospero using the 19H09-Gal4 line (expressed in type II neuroblasts but no adjacent type I neuroblasts or 9D11-Gal4 line (expressed in INPs but not type II neuroblasts. We find that differential prospero expression does not distinguish type I and type II neuroblast identities, but Prospero regulates proliferation in both type I and type II neuroblast lineages. In addition, we use 9D11 lineage tracing to show that type II lineages generate both small-field and large-field neurons within the adult central complex, a brain region required for locomotion, flight, and visual pattern memory.

  13. Self-organization is a dynamic and lineage-intrinsic property of mammary epithelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chanson, L. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Switzerland). Inst. of Bioengineering; Brownfield, D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Bioengineering; Garbe, J. C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.; Kuhn, I. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.; Stampfer, M. R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.; Bissell, M. J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.; LaBarge, M. A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Div.

    2011-02-07

    Loss of organization is a principle feature of cancers; therefore it is important to understand how normal adult multilineage tissues, such as bilayered secretory epithelia, establish and maintain their architectures. The self-organization process that drives heterogeneous mixtures of cells to form organized tissues is well studied in embryology and with mammalian cell lines that were abnormal or engineered. Here we used a micropatterning approach that confined cells to a cylindrical geometry combined with an algorithm to quantify changes of cellular distribution over time to measure the ability of different cell types to self-organize relative to each other. Using normal human mammary epithelial cells enriched into pools of the two principal lineages, luminal and myoepithelial cells, we demonstrated that bilayered organization in mammary epithelium was driven mainly by lineage-specific differential E-cadherin expression, but that P-cadherin contributed specifically to organization of the myoepithelial layer. Disruption of the actomyosin network or of adherens junction proteins resulted in either prevention of bilayer formation or loss of preformed bilayers, consistent with continual sampling of the local microenvironment by cadherins. Together these data show that self-organization is an innate and reversible property of communities of normal adult human mammary epithelial cells.

  14. Agminated Fibroblastic Conective Tissue Nevus: A New Clinical Presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downey, Camila; Requena, Luis; Bagué, Silvia; Sánchez Martínez, Miquel Ángel; Lloreta, Josep; Baselga, Eulalia

    2016-07-01

    Connective tissue nevi are benign hamartomatous lesions in which one or several of the components of the dermis (collagen, elastin, glicosaminoglycans) show predominance or depletion. Recently, de Feraudy et al broadened the spectrum of connective tissue nevus, describing fibroblastic connective tissue nevus (FCTN), which is characterized by proliferation of CD34(+) cells of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic lineage. Only solitary papules and nodules have been described. We present the first case of FCTN with multiple agminated lesions on the leg of an infant and the difficulties encountered in the differential diagnosis with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Generation of stomach tissue from mouse embryonic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, Taka-aki K; Ninomiya, Naoto; Sekine, Mari; Komazaki, Shinji; Wang, Pi-Chao; Asashima, Makoto; Kurisaki, Akira

    2015-08-01

    Successful pluripotent stem cell differentiation methods have been developed for several endoderm-derived cells, including hepatocytes, β-cells and intestinal cells. However, stomach lineage commitment from pluripotent stem cells has remained a challenge, and only antrum specification has been demonstrated. We established a method for stomach differentiation from embryonic stem cells by inducing mesenchymal Barx1, an essential gene for in vivo stomach specification from gut endoderm. Barx1-inducing culture conditions generated stomach primordium-like spheroids, which differentiated into mature stomach tissue cells in both the corpus and antrum by three-dimensional culture. This embryonic stem cell-derived stomach tissue (e-ST) shared a similar gene expression profile with adult stomach, and secreted pepsinogen as well as gastric acid. Furthermore, TGFA overexpression in e-ST caused hypertrophic mucus and gastric anacidity, which mimicked Ménétrier disease in vitro. Thus, in vitro stomach tissue derived from pluripotent stem cells mimics in vivo development and can be used for stomach disease models.

  16. Differentiation of a medulloblastoma cell line towards an astrocytic lineage using the human T lymphotropic retrovirus-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giraudon, P; Dufay, N; Hardin, H; Reboul, A; Tardy, M; Belin, M F

    1993-02-01

    Constituent cells of medulloblastoma, the most common brain tumor occurring in childhood, resemble the primitive neuroepithelial cells normally found in the developing nervous system. However, mutational events prevent their further differentiation. We used the human T cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 to activate these deregulated immature cells by means of its transactivating protein Tax. Concomitant with viral infection was a decrease in cell proliferation characterized by inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation and in the number of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Morphological changes suggested that medulloblastoma cells differentiated along the astrocytic lineage. The glial phenotype was confirmed by the induction of the glial fibrillary acidic protein and the glial enzyme glutamine synthetase. A direct viral effect and/or secondary effects to viral infection via paracrine/autocrine pathways could counterbalance the maturational defect in these medulloblastoma cells.

  17. Two Hemocyte Lineages Exist in Silkworm Larval Hematopoietic Organ

    OpenAIRE

    Nakahara, Yuichi; Kanamori, Yasushi; Kiuchi, Makoto; Kamimura, Manabu

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Insects have multiple hemocyte morphotypes with different functions as do vertebrates, however, their hematopoietic lineages are largely unexplored with the exception of Drosophila melanogaster. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To study the hematopoietic lineage of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we investigated in vivo and in vitro differentiation of hemocyte precursors in the hematopoietic organ (HPO) into the four mature hemocyte subsets, namely, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, oenocyto...

  18. Exploiting Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Human Neurogenesis—Controlling Lineage Specification and Fate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chieh Yu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Unspecialized, self-renewing stem cells have extraordinary application to regenerative medicine due to their multilineage differentiation potential. Stem cell therapies through replenishing damaged or lost cells in the injured area is an attractive treatment of brain trauma and neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Several stem cell types have neurogenic potential including neural stem cells (NSCs, embryonic stem cells (ESCs, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. Currently, effective use of these cells is limited by our lack of understanding and ability to direct lineage commitment and differentiation of neural lineages. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs are ubiquitous proteins within the stem cell microenvironment or niche and are found localized on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix (ECM, where they interact with numerous signaling molecules. The glycosaminoglycan (GAG chains carried by HSPGs are heterogeneous carbohydrates comprised of repeating disaccharides with specific sulfation patterns that govern ligand interactions to numerous factors including the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs and wingless-type MMTV integration site family (Wnts. As such, HSPGs are plausible targets for guiding and controlling neural stem cell lineage fate. In this review, we provide an overview of HSPG family members syndecans and glypicans, and perlecan and their role in neurogenesis. We summarize the structural changes and subsequent functional implications of heparan sulfate as cells undergo neural lineage differentiation as well as outline the role of HSPG core protein expression throughout mammalian neural development and their function as cell receptors and co-receptors. Finally, we highlight suitable biomimetic approaches for exploiting the role of HSPGs in mammalian neurogenesis to control and tailor cell differentiation into specific lineages. An improved ability to control stem cell specific neural

  19. Human and murine very small embryonic-like cells represent multipotent tissue progenitors, in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havens, Aaron M; Sun, Hongli; Shiozawa, Yusuke; Jung, Younghun; Wang, Jingcheng; Mishra, Anjali; Jiang, Yajuan; O'Neill, David W; Krebsbach, Paul H; Rodgerson, Denis O; Taichman, Russell S

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the lineage progression of human and murine very small embryonic-like (HuVSEL or MuVSEL) cells in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, HuVSEL and MuVSEL cells differentiated into cells of all three embryonic germ layers. HuVSEL cells produced robust mineralized tissue of human origin compared with controls in calvarial defects. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the HuVSEL cells gave rise to neurons, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts within the calvarial defects. MuVSEL cells were also able to differentiate into similar lineages. First round serial transplants of MuVSEL cells into irradiated osseous sites demonstrated that ∼60% of the cells maintained their VSEL cell phenotype while other cells differentiated into multiple tissues at 3 months. Secondary transplants did not identify donor VSEL cells, suggesting limited self renewal but did demonstrate VSEL cell derivatives in situ for up to 1 year. At no point were teratomas identified. These studies show that VSEL cells produce multiple cellular structures in vivo and in vitro and lay the foundation for future cell-based regenerative therapies for osseous, neural, and connective tissue disorders.

  20. Pioneer factors govern super-enhancer dynamics in stem cell plasticity and lineage choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam, Rene C.; Yang, Hanseul; Rockowitz, Shira; Larsen, Samantha B.; Nikolova, Maria; Oristian, Daniel S.; Polak, Lisa; Kadaja, Meelis; Asare, Amma; Zheng, Deyou; Fuchs, Elaine

    2015-01-01

    Adult stem cells (SCs) reside in niches which balance self-renewal with lineage selection and progression during tissue homeostasis. Following injury, culture or transplantation, SCs outside their niche often display fate flexibility1-4. Here we show that super-enhancers5 underlie the identity, lineage commitment and plasticity of adult SCs in vivo. Using hair follicle (HF) as model, we map the global chromatin domains of HFSCs and their committed progenitors in their native microenvironments. We show that super-enhancers and their dense clusters (‘epicenters’) of transcription factor (TF) binding sites change upon lineage progression. New fate is acquired by decommissioning old and establishing new super-enhancers and/or epicenters, an auto-regulatory process that abates one master regulator subset while enhancing another. We further show that when outside their niche, either in vitro or in wound-repair, HFSCs dynamically remodel super-enhancers in response to changes in their microenvironment. Intriguingly, some key super-enhancers shift epicenters, enabling them to remain active and maintain a transitional state in an ever-changing transcriptional landscape. Finally, we identify SOX9 as a crucial chromatin rheostat of HFSC super-enhancers, and provide functional evidence that super-enhancers are dynamic, dense TF-binding platforms which are acutely sensitive to pioneer master regulators whose levels define not only spatial and temporal features of lineage-status, but also stemness, plasticity in transitional states and differentiation. PMID:25799994

  1. Hepatic differentiation potential of commercially available human mesenchymal stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Shin-Yeu; Dai, Hui; Leong, Kam W

    2006-12-01

    The ready availability and low immunogenicity of commercially available mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) render them a potential cell source for the development of therapeutic products. With cell source a major bottleneck in hepatic tissue engineering, we investigated whether commercially available human MSC (hMSC) can transdifferentiate into the hepatic lineage. Based on previous studies that find rapid gain of hepatic genes in bone marrow-derived stem cells cocultured with liver tissue, we used a similar approach to drive hepatic differentiation by coculturing the hMSC with rat livers treated or untreated with gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)). After a 24-hour coculture period with liver tissue injured by GdCl(3) in a Transwell configuration, approximately 34% of the cells differentiated into albumin-expressing cells. Cocultured cells were subsequently maintained with growth factors to complete the hepatic differentiation. Cocultured cells expressed more hepatic gene markers, and had higher metabolic functions and P450 activity than cells that were only differentiated with growth factors. In conclusion, commercially available hMSC do show hepatic differentiation potential, and a liver microenvironment in culture can provide potent cues to accelerate and deepen the differentiation. The ability to generate hepatocyte-like cells from a commercially available cell source would find interesting applications in liver tissue engineering.

  2. Mechanisms Underlying the Osteo- and Adipo-Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Zhang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs are considered a promising cell source for regenerative medicine, because they have the potential to differentiate into a variety of lineages among which the mesoderm-derived lineages such adipo- or osteogenesis are investigated best. Human MSCs can be harvested in reasonable to large amounts from several parts of the patient’s body and due to this possible autologous origin, allorecognition can be avoided. In addition, even in allogenic origin-derived donor cells, hMSCs generate a local immunosuppressive microenvironment, causing only a weak immune reaction. There is an increasing need for bone replacement in patients from all ages, due to a variety of reasons such as a new recreational behavior in young adults or age-related diseases. Adipogenic differentiation is another interesting lineage, because fat tissue is considered to be a major factor triggering atherosclerosis that ultimately leads to cardiovascular diseases, the main cause of death in industrialized countries. However, understanding the differentiation process in detail is obligatory to achieve a tight control of the process for future clinical applications to avoid undesired side effects. In this review, the current findings for adipo- and osteo-differentiation are summarized together with a brief statement on first clinical trials.

  3. Pax7 lineage contributions to the mammalian neural crest.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Murdoch

    Full Text Available Neural crest cells are vertebrate-specific multipotent cells that contribute to a variety of tissues including the peripheral nervous system, melanocytes, and craniofacial bones and cartilage. Abnormal development of the neural crest is associated with several human maladies including cleft/lip palate, aggressive cancers such as melanoma and neuroblastoma, and rare syndromes, like Waardenburg syndrome, a complex disorder involving hearing loss and pigment defects. We previously identified the transcription factor Pax7 as an early marker, and required component for neural crest development in chick embryos. In mammals, Pax7 is also thought to play a role in neural crest development, yet the precise contribution of Pax7 progenitors to the neural crest lineage has not been determined.Here we use Cre/loxP technology in double transgenic mice to fate map the Pax7 lineage in neural crest derivates. We find that Pax7 descendants contribute to multiple tissues including the cranial, cardiac and trunk neural crest, which in the cranial cartilage form a distinct regional pattern. The Pax7 lineage, like the Pax3 lineage, is additionally detected in some non-neural crest tissues, including a subset of the epithelial cells in specific organs.These results demonstrate a previously unappreciated widespread distribution of Pax7 descendants within and beyond the neural crest. They shed light regarding the regionally distinct phenotypes observed in Pax3 and Pax7 mutants, and provide a unique perspective into the potential roles of Pax7 during disease and development.

  4. SIRPA, VCAM1 and CD34 identify discrete lineages during early human cardiovascular development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rhys J.P. Skelton

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The study of human cardiogenesis would benefit from a detailed cell lineage fate map akin to that established for the haematopoietic lineages. Here we sought to define cell lineage relationships based on the expression of NKX2-5 and the cell surface markers VCAM1, SIRPA and CD34 during human cardiovascular development. Expression of NKX2-5GFP was used to identify cardiac progenitors and cardiomyocytes generated during the differentiation of NKX2-5GFP/w human embryonic stem cells (hESCs. Cardiovascular cell lineages sub-fractionated on the basis of SIRPA, VCAM1 and CD34 expression were assayed for differentiation potential and gene expression. The NKX2-5posCD34pos population gave rise to endothelial cells that rapidly lost NKX2-5 expression in culture. Conversely, NKX2-5 expression was maintained in myocardial committed cells, which progressed from being NKX2-5posSIRPApos to NKX2-5posSIRPAposVCAM1pos. Up-regulation of VCAM1 was accompanied by the expression of myofilament markers and reduced clonal capacity, implying a restriction of cell fate potential. Combinatorial expression of NKX2-5, SIRPA, VCAM1 and CD34 can be used to define discrete stages of cardiovascular cell lineage differentiation. These markers identify specific stages of cardiomyocyte and endothelial lineage commitment and, thus provide a scaffold for establishing a fate map of early human cardiogenesis.

  5. Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Catherine M.

    2013-01-01

    The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity. PMID:23878131

  6. Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Catherine M; Jenner, Richard G

    2013-11-01

    The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity.

  7. Protection of horses from West Nile virus Lineage 2 challenge following immunization with a whole, inactivated WNV lineage 1 vaccine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Richard A; Bosco-Lauth, Angela; Syvrud, Kevin; Thomas, Anne; Meinert, Todd R; Ludlow, Deborah R; Cook, Corey; Salt, Jeremy; Ons, Ellen

    2014-09-22

    Over the last years West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 has spread from the African to the European continent. This study was conducted to demonstrate efficacy of an inactivated, lineage 1-based, WNV vaccine (Equip WNV) against intrathecal challenge of horses with a recent isolate of lineage 2 WNV. Twenty horses, sero-negative for WNV, were enrolled and were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups: an unvaccinated control group (T01, n=10) and a group administered with Equip WNV (T02, n=10). Horses were vaccinated at Day 0 and 21 and were challenged at day 42 with WNV lineage 2, Nea Santa/Greece/2010. Personnel performing clinical observations were blinded to treatment allocation. Sixty percent of the controls had to be euthanized after challenge compared to none of the vaccinates. A significantly lower percentage of the vaccinated animals showed clinical disease (two different clinical observations present on the same day) on six different days of study and the percentage of days with clinical disease was significantly lower in the vaccinated group. A total of 80% of the non-vaccinated horses showed viremia while only one vaccinated animal was positive by virus isolation on a single occasion. Vaccinated animals started to develop antibodies against WNV lineage 2 from day 14 (2 weeks after the first vaccination) and at day 42 (the time of onset of immunity) they had all developed a strong antibody response. Histopathology scores for all unvaccinated animals ranged from mild to very severe in each of the tissues examined (cervical spinal cord, medulla and pons), whereas in vaccinated horses 8 of 10 animals had no lesions and 2 had minimal lesions in one tissue. In conclusion, Equip WNV significantly reduced the number of viremic horses, the duration and severity of clinical signs of disease and mortality following challenge with lineage 2 WNV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Differential radiosensitivity on a tissue level in Delphinium ajacis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandal, S K; Basu, R K [Bose Research Inst., Calcutta (India). Cryogenetics Lab.

    1980-09-01

    Root, leaf, pollen mother cell and endosperm of D.ajacis showed differential sensitivity as measured by X-ray-induced chromosomal aberrations at mitotic anaphase and telophase stages of the first and second division cycles after irradiation. These tissues differed significantly in Interphase Chromosome Volume (ICV) values. In all the tissues the percentage of aberrant cells increased linearly with increase in X-ray dose. Though endosperm had the largest ICV value it was the most radioresistant tissue tested. The relative radiosensitivity of the other 3 tissues was positively correlated with ICV value. The radioresistance of endosperm is probably due to factors unique to this tissue which remained obscure.

  9. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Nerve Regeneration and Immunomodulation after Composite Tissue Allotransplantation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-01

    10-1-0927 TITLE: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Nerve Regeneration and Immunomodulation after Composite Tissue Allotransplantation...immunosuppression. Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are pluripotent cells, capable of differentiation along multiple mesenchymal lineages into...As part of implemented transition from University of Pittsburgh to Johns Hopkins University, we optimized our mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolation

  10. Comparative genomic analysis of Helicobacter pylori from Malaysia identifies three distinct lineages suggestive of differential evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Narender; Mariappan, Vanitha; Baddam, Ramani; Lankapalli, Aditya K; Shaik, Sabiha; Goh, Khean-Lee; Loke, Mun Fai; Perkins, Tim; Benghezal, Mohammed; Hasnain, Seyed E; Vadivelu, Jamuna; Marshall, Barry J; Ahmed, Niyaz

    2015-01-01

    The discordant prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and its related diseases, for a long time, fostered certain enigmatic situations observed in the countries of the southern world. Variation in H. pylori infection rates and disease outcomes among different populations in multi-ethnic Malaysia provides a unique opportunity to understand dynamics of host-pathogen interaction and genome evolution. In this study, we extensively analyzed and compared genomes of 27 Malaysian H. pylori isolates and identified three major phylogeographic lineages: hspEastAsia, hpEurope and hpSouthIndia. The analysis of the virulence genes within the core genome, however, revealed a comparable pathogenic potential of the strains. In addition, we identified four genes limited to strains of East-Asian lineage. Our analyses identified a few strain-specific genes encoding restriction modification systems and outlined 311 core genes possibly under differential evolutionary constraints, among the strains representing different ethnic groups. The cagA and vacA genes also showed variations in accordance with the host genetic background of the strains. Moreover, restriction modification genes were found to be significantly enriched in East-Asian strains. An understanding of these variations in the genome content would provide significant insights into various adaptive and host modulation strategies harnessed by H. pylori to effectively persist in a host-specific manner. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  11. Ezh2 represses the basal cell lineage during lung endoderm development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snitow, Melinda E; Li, Shanru; Morley, Michael P; Rathi, Komal; Lu, Min Min; Kadzik, Rachel S; Stewart, Kathleen M; Morrisey, Edward E

    2015-01-01

    The development of the lung epithelium is regulated in a stepwise fashion to generate numerous differentiated and stem cell lineages in the adult lung. How these different lineages are generated in a spatially and temporally restricted fashion remains poorly understood, although epigenetic regulation probably plays an important role. We show that the Polycomb repressive complex 2 component Ezh2 is highly expressed in early lung development but is gradually downregulated by late gestation. Deletion of Ezh2 in early lung endoderm progenitors leads to the ectopic and premature appearance of Trp63+ basal cells that extend the entire length of the airway. Loss of Ezh2 also leads to reduced secretory cell differentiation. In their place, morphologically similar cells develop that express a subset of basal cell genes, including keratin 5, but no longer express high levels of either Trp63 or of standard secretory cell markers. This suggests that Ezh2 regulates the phenotypic switch between basal cells and secretory cells. Together, these findings show that Ezh2 restricts the basal cell lineage during normal lung endoderm development to allow the proper patterning of epithelial lineages during lung formation. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  12. Hippo Signaling Influences HNF4A and FOXA2 Enhancer Switching during Hepatocyte Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivia Alder

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Cell fate acquisition is heavily influenced by direct interactions between master regulators and tissue-specific enhancers. However, it remains unclear how lineage-specifying transcription factors, which are often expressed in both progenitor and mature cell populations, influence cell differentiation. Using in vivo mouse liver development as a model, we identified thousands of enhancers that are bound by the master regulators HNF4A and FOXA2 in a differentiation-dependent manner, subject to chromatin remodeling, and associated with differentially expressed target genes. Enhancers exclusively occupied in the embryo were found to be responsive to developmentally regulated TEAD2 and coactivator YAP1. Our data suggest that Hippo signaling may affect hepatocyte differentiation by influencing HNF4A and FOXA2 interactions with temporal enhancers. In summary, transcription factor-enhancer interactions are not only tissue specific but also differentiation dependent, which is an important consideration for researchers studying cancer biology or mammalian development and/or using transformed cell lines. : It is unclear how key transcription factors are critical for both lineage specification during embryonic development and maintenance of a differentiated, adult phenotype. By profiling the enhancer occupancy of the key transcription factors HNF4A and FOXA2 during mouse liver development, Alder et al. have found that YAP1 can influence enhancer interactions and target gene expression levels. Enhancer switching enables HNF4A and FOXA2 to fulfill distinct roles during organ development.

  13. Lineage tracing of lamellocytes demonstrates Drosophila macrophage plasticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Stofanko

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Leukocyte-like cells called hemocytes have key functions in Drosophila innate immunity. Three hemocyte types occur: plasmatocytes, crystal cells, and lamellocytes. In the absence of qimmune challenge, plasmatocytes are the predominant hemocyte type detected, while crystal cells and lamellocytes are rare. However, upon infestation by parasitic wasps, or in melanotic mutant strains, large numbers of lamellocytes differentiate and encapsulate material recognized as "non-self". Current models speculate that lamellocytes, plasmatocytes and crystal cells are distinct lineages that arise from a common prohemocyte progenitor. We show here that over-expression of the CoREST-interacting transcription factor Chn in plasmatocytes induces lamellocyte differentiation, both in circulation and in lymph glands. Lamellocyte increases are accompanied by the extinction of plasmatocyte markers suggesting that plasmatocytes are transformed into lamellocytes. Consistent with this, timed induction of Chn over-expression induces rapid lamellocyte differentiation within 18 hours. We detect double-positive intermediates between plasmatocytes and lamellocytes, and show that isolated plasmatocytes can be triggered to differentiate into lamellocytes in vitro, either in response to Chn over-expression, or following activation of the JAK/STAT pathway. Finally, we have marked plasmatocytes and show by lineage tracing that these differentiate into lamellocytes in response to the Drosophila parasite model Leptopilina boulardi. Taken together, our data suggest that lamellocytes arise from plasmatocytes and that plasmatocytes may be inherently plastic, possessing the ability to differentiate further into lamellocytes upon appropriate challenge.

  14. Ascl1 (Mash1) lineage cells contribute to discrete cell populations in CNS architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Euiseok J; Battiste, James; Nakagawa, Yasushi; Johnson, Jane E

    2008-08-01

    Ascl1 (previously Mash1) is a bHLH transcription factor essential for neuronal differentiation and specification in the nervous system. Although it has been studied for its role in several neural lineages, the full complement of lineages arising from Ascl1 progenitor cells remains unknown. Using an inducible Cre-flox genetic fate-mapping strategy, Ascl1 lineages were determined throughout the brain. Ascl1 is present in proliferating progenitor cells but these cells are actively differentiating as evidenced by rapid migration out of germinal zones. Ascl1 lineage cells contribute to distinct cell types in each major brain division: the forebrain including the cerebral cortex, olfactory bulb, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, and thalamic nuclei, the midbrain including superior and inferior colliculi, and the hindbrain including Purkinje and deep cerebellar nuclei cells and cells in the trigeminal sensory system. Ascl1 progenitor cells at early stages in each CNS region preferentially become neurons, and at late stages they become oligodendrocytes. In conclusion, Ascl1-expressing progenitor cells in the brain give rise to multiple, but not all, neuronal subtypes and oligodendrocytes depending on the temporal and spatial context, consistent with a broad role in neural differentiation with some subtype specification.

  15. Differentiation of diffuse liver disease with computer-aided tissue echo quantification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cha, Joo Hee; Choi, Byung Ihm; Yun, Eun Joo; Ko, Young Hwan; Song, Chi Sung; Kim, Seung Hyup; Han, Joon Koo; Kim, Tae Kyoung; Lee, Dong Hyuk; Kim, Jong Hyo

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of computer-aided tissue echo quantification technique in the differentiation of diffuse liver diseases. Sixty-five patients with chronic liver disease including chronic hepatitis in 21 patients, fatty liver in 11, and liver cirrhosis in 33, and 55 normal volunteers were included in this study. The sonographic images by the Sono-PACS(MARO, Seoul) was recalled and the analysis was done for the hepatic parenchymal coarseness by the program using Visual C++. Difference histogram variation (DHV), edge density (ED) and intertia of concurrence matrix (ICM) were used as the coarseness index. These three indexes were statistically significant (p<0.05) in the differentiation of these four groups. The accuracy of the differentiation between any two of four groups was 83.0%. The accuracy of the differentiation of these four groups was 70.8% at the same time. The computer-aided tissue echo quantification technique is a complementary study for the differentiation of diffuse liver disease.

  16. DNA Methyltransferases Modulate Hepatogenic Lineage Plasticity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chien-Wei Lee

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The irreversibility of developmental processes in mammalian cells has been challenged by rising evidence that de-differentiation of hepatocytes occurs in adult liver. However, whether reversibility exists in mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC-derived hepatocytes (dHeps remains elusive. In this study, we find that hepatogenic differentiation (HD of MSCs is a reversible process and is modulated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs. DNMTs are regulated by transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1, which in turn controls hepatogenic differentiation and de-differentiation. In addition, a stepwise reduction in TGFβ1 concentrations in culture media increases DNMT1 and decreases DNMT3 in primary hepatocytes (Heps and confers Heps with multi-differentiation potentials similarly to MSCs. Hepatic lineage reversibility of MSCs and lineage conversion of Heps are regulated by DNMTs in response to TGFβ1. This previously unrecognized TGFβ1-DNMTs-MSC-HD axis may further increase the understanding the normal and pathological processes in the liver, as well as functions of MSCs after transplantation to treat liver diseases.

  17. Lineage plasticity-mediated therapy resistance in prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blee, Alexandra M; Huang, Haojie

    2018-06-12

    Therapy resistance is a significant challenge for prostate cancer treatment in clinic. Although targeted therapies such as androgen deprivation and androgen receptor (AR) inhibition are effective initially, tumor cells eventually evade these strategies through multiple mechanisms. Lineage reprogramming in response to hormone therapy represents a key mechanism that is increasingly observed. The studies in this area have revealed specific combinations of alterations present in adenocarcinomas that provide cells with the ability to transdifferentiate and perpetuate AR-independent tumor growth after androgen-based therapies. Interestingly, several master regulators have been identified that drive plasticity, some of which also play key roles during development and differentiation of the cell lineages in the normal prostate. Thus, further study of each AR-independent tumor type and understanding underlying mechanisms are warranted to develop combinational therapies that combat lineage plasticity in prostate cancer.

  18. Optical biopsy of breast tissue using differential path-length spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veen, Robert L P van; Amelink, Arjen; Menke-Pluymers, Marian; Pol, Carmen van der; Sterenborg, Henricus J C M

    2005-01-01

    Differential path-length spectroscopy (DPS) was used to determine the local optical properties of breast tissue in vivo. DPS measurements were made on healthy and malignant breast tissue using a fibre-optic needle probe, and were correlated to the histological outcome of core-needle biopsies taken from the same location as the measurements. DPS yields information on the local tissue blood content, the local blood oxygenation, the average micro-vessel diameter, the β-carotene concentration and the scatter slope. Our data show that malignant breast tissue is characterized by a significant decrease in tissue oxygenation and a higher blood content compared to normal breast tissue

  19. PCL-PDMS-PCL copolymer-based microspheres mediate cardiovascular differentiation from embryonic stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Liqing

    Poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) based copolymers have received much attention as drug or growth factor delivery carriers and tissue engineering scaffolds due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tunable biophysical properties. Copolymers of PCL and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) also have shape memory behaviors and can be made into thermoresponsive shape memory polymers for various biomedical applications such as smart sutures and vascular stents. However, the influence of biophysical properties of PCL-PDMS-PCL copolymers on stem cell lineage commitment is not well understood. In this study, PDMS was used as soft segments of varying length to tailor the biophysical properties of PCL-based co-polymers. While low elastic modulus (affected cardiovascular differentiation of embryonic stem cells, the range of 60-100 MPa PCL-PDMS-PCL showed little influence on the differentiation. Then different size (30-140 mum) of microspheres were fabricated from PCL-PDMS-PCL copolymers and incorporated within embryoid bodies (EBs). Mesoderm differentiation was induced using bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4 for cardiovascular differentiation. Differential expressions of mesoderm progenitor marker KDR and vascular markers CD31 and VE-cadherin were observed for the cells differentiated from EBs incorporated with microspheres of different size, while little difference was observed for cardiac marker alpha-actinin expression. Small size of microspheres (30 mum) resulted in higher expression of KDR while medium size of microspheres (94 mum) resulted in higher CD31 and VE-cadherin expression. This study indicated that the biophysical properties of PCL-based copolymers impacted stem cell lineage commitment, which should be considered for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.

  20. STEM CELL ORIGIN DIFFERENTLY AFFECTS BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING STRATEGIES.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica eMattioli-Belmonte

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Bone tissue engineering is a promising research area for the improvement of traditional bone grafting procedure drawbacks. Thanks to the capability of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation, stem cells are one of the major actors in tissue engineering approaches, and adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are considered to be appropriate for regenerative medicine strategies. Bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs are the earliest- discovered and well-known stem cell population used in bone tissue engineering. However, several factors hamper BM-MSC clinical application and subsequently, new stem cell sources have been investigated for these purposes. The successful identification and combination of tissue engineering, scaffold, progenitor cells, and physiologic signalling molecules enabled the surgeon to design, recreate the missing tissue in its near natural form. On the basis of these considerations, we analysed the capability of two different scaffolds, planned for osteochondral tissue regeneration, to modulate differentiation of adult stem cells of dissimilar local sources (i.e. periodontal ligament, maxillary periosteum as well as adipose-derived stem cells, in view of possible craniofacial tissue engineering strategies. We demonstrated that cells are differently committed toward the osteoblastic phenotype and therefore, considering their peculiar features, they may alternatively represent interesting cell sources in different stem cell-based bone/periodontal tissue regeneration approaches.

  1. Mechanical stretching for tissue engineering: two-dimensional and three-dimensional constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riehl, Brandon D; Park, Jae-Hong; Kwon, Il Keun; Lim, Jung Yul

    2012-08-01

    Mechanical cell stretching may be an attractive strategy for the tissue engineering of mechanically functional tissues. It has been demonstrated that cell growth and differentiation can be guided by cell stretch with minimal help from soluble factors and engineered tissues that are mechanically stretched in bioreactors may have superior organization, functionality, and strength compared with unstretched counterparts. This review explores recent studies on cell stretching in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) setups focusing on the applications of stretch stimulation as a tool for controlling cell orientation, growth, gene expression, lineage commitment, and differentiation and for achieving successful tissue engineering of mechanically functional tissues, including cardiac, muscle, vasculature, ligament, tendon, bone, and so on. Custom stretching devices and lab-specific mechanical bioreactors are described with a discussion on capabilities and limitations. While stretch mechanotransduction pathways have been examined using 2D stretch, studying such pathways in physiologically relevant 3D environments may be required to understand how cells direct tissue development under stretch. Cell stretch study using 3D milieus may also help to develop tissue-specific stretch regimens optimized with biochemical feedback, which once developed will provide optimal tissue engineering protocols.

  2. 4E-BP1 regulates the differentiation of white adipose tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsukiyama-Kohara, Kyoko; Katsume, Asao; Kimura, Kazuhiro; Saito, Masayuki; Kohara, Michinori

    2013-07-01

    4E Binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) suppresses translation initiation. The absence of 4E-BP1 drastically reduces the amount of adipose tissue in mice. To address the role of 4E-BP1 in adipocyte differentiation, we characterized 4E-BP1(-/-) mice in this study. The lack of 4E-BP1 decreased the amount of white adipose tissue and increased the amount of brown adipose tissue. In 4E-BP1(-/-) MEF cells, PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) expression increased and exogenous 4E-BP1 expression suppressed PGC-1α expression. The level of 4E-BP1 expression was higher in white adipocytes than in brown adipocytes and showed significantly greater up-regulation in white adipocytes than in brown adipocytes during preadipocyte differentiation into mature adipocytes. The amount of PGC-1α was consistently higher in HB cells (a brown preadipocyte cell line) than in HW cells (a white preadipocyte cell line) during differentiation. Moreover, the ectopic over-expression of 4E-BP1 suppressed PGC-1α expression in white adipocytes, but not in brown adipocytes. Thus, the results of our study indicate that 4E-BP1 may suppress brown adipocyte differentiation and PGC-1α expression in white adipose tissues. © 2013 The Authors Genes to Cells © 2013 by the Molecular Biology Society of Japan and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  3. Specific expression of bioluminescence reporter gene in cardiomyocyte regulated by tissue specific promoter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen, Vu Hong; Tae, Seong Ho; Le, Nguyen Uyen Chi; Min, Jung Joon [Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2007-07-01

    As the human heart is not capable of regenerating the great numbers of cardiac cells that are lost after myocardial infarction, impaired cardiac function is the inevitable result of ischemic disease. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have gained popularity as a potentially ideal cell candidate for tissue regeneration. In particular, hESCs are capable of cardiac lineage-specific differentiation and confer improvement of cardiac function following transplantation into animal models. Although such data are encouraging, the specific strategy for in vivo and non-invasive detection of differentiated cardiac lineage is still limited. Therefore, in the present study, we established the gene construction in which the optical reporter gene Firefly luciferase was controlled by Myosin Heavy Chain promoter for specific expressing in heart cells. The vector consisting of - MHC promoter and a firefly luciferase coding sequence flanked by full-length bovine growth hormone (BGH) 3'-polyadenylation sequence based on pcDNA3.1- vector backbone. To test the specific transcription of this promoter in g of MHC-Fluc or CMV-Flue (for control) plasmid DNA in myocardial tissue, 20 phosphate-buffered saline was directly injected into mouse myocardium through a midline sternotomy and liver. After 1 week of injection, MHC-Fluc expression was detected from heart region which was observed under cooled CCD camera of in vivo imaging system but not from liver. In control group injected with CMV-Flue, the bioluminescence was detected from all these organs. The expression of Flue under control of Myosin Heavy Chain promoter may become a suitable optical reporter gene for stem cell-derived cardiac lineage differentiation study.

  4. Imaging and differentiation of mouse embryo tissues by ToF-SIMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, L; Lu, X; Kulp, K; Knize, M; Berman, E; Nelson, E; Felton, J; Wu, K J

    2006-06-16

    Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) equipped with a gold ion gun was used to image mouse embryos and differentiate tissue types (brain, spinal cord, skull, rib, heart and liver). Embryos were paraffin-embedded and then de-paraffinized. The robustness and repeatability of the method was determined by analyzing nine tissue slices from three different embryos over a period of several weeks. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce the spectral data generated by ToF-SIMS, histopathologically identified tissue types of the mouse embryos can be differentiated based on the characteristic differences in their mass spectra. These results demonstrate the ability of ToF-SIMS to determine subtle chemical differences even in fixed histological specimens.

  5. Cell-State Transitions Regulated by SLUG Are Critical for Tissue Regeneration and Tumor Initiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Phillips

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Perturbations in stem cell activity and differentiation can lead to developmental defects and cancer. We use an approach involving a quantitative model of cell-state transitions in vitro to gain insights into how SLUG/SNAI2, a key developmental transcription factor, modulates mammary epithelial stem cell activity and differentiation in vivo. In the absence of SLUG, stem cells fail to transition into basal progenitor cells, while existing basal progenitor cells undergo luminal differentiation; together, these changes result in abnormal mammary architecture and defects in tissue function. Furthermore, we show that in the absence of SLUG, mammary stem cell activity necessary for tissue regeneration and cancer initiation is lost. Mechanistically, SLUG regulates differentiation and cellular plasticity by recruiting the chromatin modifier lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1 to promoters of lineage-specific genes to repress transcription. Together, these results demonstrate that SLUG plays a dual role in repressing luminal epithelial differentiation while unlocking stem cell transitions necessary for tumorigenesis.

  6. Ascl1 (Mash1) lineage cells contribute to discrete cell populations in CNS architecture

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Euiseok J.; Battiste, James; Nakagawa, Yasushi; Johnson, Jane E.

    2008-01-01

    Ascl1 (previously Mash1) is a bHLH transcription factor essential for neuronal differentiation and specification in the nervous system. Although it has been studied for its role in several neural lineages, the full complement of lineages arising from Ascl1 progenitor cells remains unknown. Using an inducible Cre-flox genetic fate mapping strategy, Ascl1 lineages were determined throughout the brain. Ascl1 is present in proliferating progenitor cells but these cells are actively differentiatin...

  7. Modulation of differentiation and self-renewal of tissue specific stem cells for effective mitigation of radiation injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandekar, Mayuri; Patwardhan, R.S.; Maurya, Dharmendra K.; Bhilwade, Hari N.; Sharma, Deepak; Sandur, Santosh Kumar

    2017-01-01

    The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine for the treatment of various human diseases is one of the active research areas. The aim of regenerative medicine is to restore normal tissue functions by replenishing injured tissues using either cell-based therapy or by inducing certain factors that can aid endogenous repair and regeneration. The approach for inducing endogenous repair and regeneration requires in vivo modulation of tissue-specific stem cells by therapeutic agents and enhance their abundance through activation, proliferation, differentiation, or reprogramming. Here we describe three different approaches to enhance the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells in vivo for mitigation of radiation induced toxicity. Baicalein, a flavonoid derived from Chinese and Indian medicinal plants like Scutellaria baicalensis and Terminalia ariuna enhanced the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells through activation of Nrf-2 in the lineage negative cells. Another anti-oxidant, chlorophyllin derived from green plant pigment, chlorophyll also enhanced the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells through modulation of cell cycle in cells of the bone marrow. Treatment of mice with Cobaltus chloride (CoCl_2), a well-known activator of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIP-1α), also led to increase in the number of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Whereas chlorophyllin offered up to 100 % protection against whole body irradiation (WBI, 8 Gy) induced mortality in mice, baicalein offered up to70%protection. Cobaltus chloride treatment offered 40% protection against 8 Gy of WBI. These studies indicate potential use of stem cell modulating agents as effective mitigators of radiation induced toxicity in vivo. (author)

  8. Manipulating the cell differentiation through lentiviral vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coppola, Valeria; Galli, Cesare; Musumeci, Maria; Bonci, Désirée

    2010-01-01

    The manipulation of cell differentiation is important to create new sources for the treatment of degenerative diseases or solve cell depletion after aggressive therapy against cancer. In this chapter, the use of a tissue-specific promoter lentiviral vector to obtain a myocardial pure lineage from murine embryonic stem cells (mES) is described in detail. Since the cardiac isoform of troponin I gene product is not expressed in skeletal or other muscle types, short mouse cardiac troponin proximal promoter is used to drive reporter genes. Cells are infected simultaneously with two lentiviral vectors, the first expressing EGFP to monitor the transduction efficiency, and the other expressing a puromycin resistance gene to select the specific cells of interest. This technical approach describes a method to obtain a pure cardiomyocyte population and can be applied to other lineages of interest.

  9. REST/NRSF Knockdown Alters Survival, Lineage Differentiation and Signaling in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaushali Thakore-Shah

    Full Text Available REST (RE1 silencing transcription factor, also known as NRSF (neuron-restrictive silencer factor, is a well-known transcriptional repressor of neural genes in non-neural tissues and stem cells. Dysregulation of REST activity is thought to play a role in diverse diseases including epilepsy, cancer, Down's syndrome and Huntington's disease. The role of REST/NRSF in control of human embryonic stem cell (hESC fate has never been examined. To evaluate the role of REST in hESCs we developed an inducible REST knockdown system and examined both growth and differentiation over short and long term culture. Interestingly, we have found that altering REST levels in multiple hESC lines does not result in loss of self-renewal but instead leads to increased survival. During differentiation, REST knockdown resulted in increased MAPK/ERK and WNT signaling and increased expression of mesendoderm differentiation markers. Therefore we have uncovered a new role for REST in regulation of growth and early differentiation decisions in human embryonic stem cells.

  10. Lipid Profiling of In Vitro Cell Models of Adipogenic Differentiation: Relationships With Mouse Adipose Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaw, Lucy; Prudovsky, Igor; Koza, Robert A; Anunciado-Koza, Rea V; Siviski, Matthew E; Lindner, Volkhard; Friesel, Robert E; Rosen, Clifford J; Baker, Paul R S; Simons, Brigitte; Vary, Calvin P H

    2016-09-01

    Our objective was to characterize lipid profiles in cell models of adipocyte differentiation in comparison to mouse adipose tissues in vivo. A novel lipid extraction strategy was combined with global lipid profiling using direct infusion and sequential precursor ion fragmentation, termed MS/MS(ALL) . Perirenal and inguinal white adipose tissue and interscapular brown adipose tissues from adult C57BL/6J mice were analyzed. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, ear mesenchymal progenitor cells, and brown adipose-derived BAT-C1 cells were also characterized. Over 3000 unique lipid species were quantified. Principal component analysis showed that perirenal versus inguinal white adipose tissues varied in lipid composition of triacyl- and diacylglycerols, sphingomyelins, glycerophospholipids and, notably, cardiolipin CL 72:3. In contrast, hexosylceramides and sphingomyelins distinguished brown from white adipose. Adipocyte differentiation models showed broad differences in lipid composition among themselves, upon adipogenic differentiation, and with adipose tissues. Palmitoyl triacylglycerides predominate in 3T3-L1 differentiation models, whereas cardiolipin CL 72:1 and SM 45:4 were abundant in brown adipose-derived cell differentiation models, respectively. MS/MS(ALL) data suggest new lipid biomarkers for tissue-specific lipid contributions to adipogenesis, thus providing a foundation for using in vitro models of adipogenesis to reflect potential changes in adipose tissues in vivo. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2182-2193, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Transcription factor expression uniquely identifies most postembryonic neuronal lineages in the Drosophila thoracic central nervous system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacin, Haluk; Zhu, Yi; Wilson, Beth A; Skeath, James B

    2014-03-01

    Most neurons of the adult Drosophila ventral nerve cord arise from a burst of neurogenesis during the third larval instar stage. Most of this growth occurs in thoracic neuromeres, which contain 25 individually identifiable postembryonic neuronal lineages. Initially, each lineage consists of two hemilineages--'A' (Notch(On)) and 'B' (Notch(Off))--that exhibit distinct axonal trajectories or fates. No reliable method presently exists to identify these lineages or hemilineages unambiguously other than labor-intensive lineage-tracing methods. By combining mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) analysis with gene expression studies, we constructed a gene expression map that enables the rapid, unambiguous identification of 23 of the 25 postembryonic lineages based on the expression of 15 transcription factors. Pilot genetic studies reveal that these transcription factors regulate the specification and differentiation of postembryonic neurons: for example, Nkx6 is necessary and sufficient to direct axonal pathway selection in lineage 3. The gene expression map thus provides a descriptive foundation for the genetic and molecular dissection of adult-specific neurogenesis and identifies many transcription factors that are likely to regulate the development and differentiation of discrete subsets of postembryonic neurons.

  12. Three-dimensional bioprinting of thick vascularized tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolesky, David B.; Homan, Kimberly A.; Skylar-Scott, Mark A.; Lewis, Jennifer A.

    2016-03-01

    The advancement of tissue and, ultimately, organ engineering requires the ability to pattern human tissues composed of cells, extracellular matrix, and vasculature with controlled microenvironments that can be sustained over prolonged time periods. To date, bioprinting methods have yielded thin tissues that only survive for short durations. To improve their physiological relevance, we report a method for bioprinting 3D cell-laden, vascularized tissues that exceed 1 cm in thickness and can be perfused on chip for long time periods (>6 wk). Specifically, we integrate parenchyma, stroma, and endothelium into a single thick tissue by coprinting multiple inks composed of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and human neonatal dermal fibroblasts (hNDFs) within a customized extracellular matrix alongside embedded vasculature, which is subsequently lined with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). These thick vascularized tissues are actively perfused with growth factors to differentiate hMSCs toward an osteogenic lineage in situ. This longitudinal study of emergent biological phenomena in complex microenvironments represents a foundational step in human tissue generation.

  13. Role of RHEB in Regulating Differentiation Fate of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Cartilage and Bone Regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajjad Ashraf

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Advances in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and cell replacement therapies are promising approaches to treat cartilage and bone defects since substantial differentiation capacities of MSCs match the demands of tissue regeneration. Our understanding of the dynamic process requiring indispensable differentiation of MSCs remains limited. Herein, we describe the role of RHEB (Ras homolog enriched in brain regulating gene signature for differentiation of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs into chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic lineages. RHEB-overexpression increases the proliferation of the ASCs. RHEB enhances the chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs in 3D culture via upregulation of SOX9 with concomitant increase in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs, and type II collagen (COL2. RHEB increases the osteogenesis via upregulation of runt related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2 with an increase in the calcium and phosphate contents. RHEB also increases the expression of osteogenic markers, osteonectin and osteopontin. RHEB knockdown ASCs were incapable of expressing sufficient SRY (Sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9 and RUNX2, and therefore had decreased chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation. RHEB-overexpression impaired ASCs differentiation into adipogenic lineage, through downregulation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ. Conversely, RHEB knockdown abolished the negative regulation of adipogenesis. We demonstrate that RHEB is a novel regulator, with a critical role in ASCs lineage determination, and RHEB-modulated ASCs may be useful as a cell therapy for cartilage and bone defect treatments.

  14. Functional Characterization of DNA Methylation in the Oligodendrocyte Lineage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Moyon

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Oligodendrocytes derive from progenitors (OPCs through the interplay of epigenomic and transcriptional events. By integrating high-resolution methylomics, RNA-sequencing, and multiple transgenic lines, this study defines the role of DNMT1 in developmental myelination. We detected hypermethylation of genes related to cell cycle and neurogenesis during differentiation of OPCs, yet genetic ablation of Dnmt1 resulted in inefficient OPC expansion and severe hypomyelination associated with ataxia and tremors in mice. This phenotype was not caused by lineage switch or massive apoptosis but was characterized by a profound defect of differentiation associated with changes in exon-skipping and intron-retention splicing events and by the activation of an endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Therefore, loss of Dnmt1 in OPCs is not sufficient to induce a lineage switch but acts as an important determinant of the coordination between RNA splicing and protein synthesis necessary for myelin formation.

  15. Regulatory T Cells in Skin Facilitate Epithelial Stem Cell Differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Niwa; Zirak, Bahar; Rodriguez, Robert Sanchez; Pauli, Mariela L; Truong, Hong-An; Lai, Kevin; Ahn, Richard; Corbin, Kaitlin; Lowe, Margaret M; Scharschmidt, Tiffany C; Taravati, Keyon; Tan, Madeleine R; Ricardo-Gonzalez, Roberto R; Nosbaum, Audrey; Bertolini, Marta; Liao, Wilson; Nestle, Frank O; Paus, Ralf; Cotsarelis, George; Abbas, Abul K; Rosenblum, Michael D

    2017-06-01

    The maintenance of tissue homeostasis is critically dependent on the function of tissue-resident immune cells and the differentiation capacity of tissue-resident stem cells (SCs). How immune cells influence the function of SCs is largely unknown. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in skin preferentially localize to hair follicles (HFs), which house a major subset of skin SCs (HFSCs). Here, we mechanistically dissect the role of Tregs in HF and HFSC biology. Lineage-specific cell depletion revealed that Tregs promote HF regeneration by augmenting HFSC proliferation and differentiation. Transcriptional and phenotypic profiling of T regs and HFSCs revealed that skin-resident Tregs preferentially express high levels of the Notch ligand family member, Jagged 1 (Jag1). Expression of Jag1 on Tregs facilitated HFSC function and efficient HF regeneration. Taken together, our work demonstrates that Tregs in skin play a major role in HF biology by promoting the function of HFSCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Imaging retinal progenitor lineages in developing zebrafish embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jusuf, Patricia; Harris, William A; Poggi, Lucia

    2013-03-01

    In this protocol, we describe how to make and analyze four dimensional (4D) movies of retinal lineage in the zebrafish embryo in vivo. 4D consists of three spatial dimensions (3D) reconstructed from stacks of confocal planes plus one time dimension. Our imaging is performed on transgenic cells that express fluorescent proteins under the control of cell-specific promoters or on cells that transiently express such reporters in specific retinal cell progenitors. An important aspect of lineage tracing is the ability to follow individual cells as they undergo multiple cell divisions, final migration, and differentiation. This may mean many hours of 4D imaging, requiring that cells be kept healthy and maintained under conditions suitable for normal development. The longest movies we have made are ∼50 h. By analyzing these movies, we can see when a specific cell was born and who its sister was, allowing us to reconstruct its retinal lineages in vivo.

  17. Culture on fibrin matrices maintains the colony-forming capacity and osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colley, Helen; McArthur, Sally L; Stolzing, Alexandra; Scutt, Andy

    2012-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into a number of mesenchymal tissues including bone, cartilage, and tendon. Low numbers in vivo means exponential growth is needed in culture to enable therapeutic applications. MSC can expand rapidly in culture but usually lose their extensive capacity for differentiation that makes them therapeutically attractive. To try and maintain their capacity for differentiation and expansion in vitro, we cultured MSC on fibrin gels of different concentrations to create more physiological growth conditions for the cells. The cells were then re-plated onto tissue culture plastic and analysed. The cells that had been pre-cultured for seven days on fibrin, proliferated and maintained their differential potential to the osteogenic lineage better than tissue culture plastic expanded MSC. A concentration relationship between colony number and fibrin concentration was seen with decreasing numbers as fibrin concentration increased. These data support the concept that substrate signals significantly influence MSC growth and differentiation and that growth on a fibrin matrix could be used to maintain a stem cell phenotype during MSC expansion. (paper)

  18. Collagen-Coated Polytetrafluoroethane Membrane Inserts Enhances Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Cord Blood Multi-Lineage Progenitor Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munir, Samir; Søballe, Kjeld; Ulrich-Vinther, Michael

    culturing resulted in a multicellular layer tissue with formation of more cartilaginous tissue compared to micromass or CPP culture. In the membrane system MLPCs produced pellucid discs, 12 mm in diameter by 1 mm in thickness from 2x10^6 cells. The discs had hyaline-like cartilage extracellular matrix......Background: Articular chondrocytes and bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the favoured cells for cartilage tissue engineering. Umbilical cord blood has proven an alternative source of MSCs and moreover they may be more potent chondroprogenitor cells than bonemarrow...... with micromass or CPP cultures. Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrate that MLPCs possess’ chondrogenic potency, which increased when cultured scaffold-free on membrane inserts resulting in multicellular-layered hyaline-like cartilage tissue. Evaluating the effect of culturing pre-differentiated MLPCs on CPP...

  19. The Role of Bioreactors in Ligament and Tendon Tissue Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mace, James; Wheelton, Andy; Khan, Wasim S; Anand, Sanj

    2016-01-01

    Bioreactors are pivotal to the emerging field of tissue engineering. The formation of neotissue from pluripotent cell lineages potentially offers a source of tissue for clinical use without the significant donor site morbidity associated with many contemporary surgical reconstructive procedures. Modern bioreactor design is becoming increasingly complex to provide a both an expandable source of readily available pluripotent cells and to facilitate their controlled differentiation into a clinically applicable ligament or tendon like neotissue. This review presents the need for such a method, challenges in the processes to engineer neotissue and the current designs and results of modern bioreactors in the pursuit of engineered tendon and ligament.

  20. Diversity in TAF proteomics: consequences for cellular differentiation and migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazantseva, Jekaterina; Palm, Kaia

    2014-09-19

    Development is a highly controlled process of cell proliferation and differentiation driven by mechanisms of dynamic gene regulation. Specific DNA binding factors for establishing cell- and tissue-specific transcriptional programs have been characterised in different cell and animal models. However, much less is known about the role of "core transcription machinery" during cell differentiation, given that general transcription factors and their spatiotemporally patterned activity govern different aspects of cell function. In this review, we focus on the role of TATA-box associated factor 4 (TAF4) and its functional isoforms generated by alternative splicing in controlling lineage-specific differentiation of normal mesenchymal stem cells and cancer stem cells. In the light of our recent findings, induction, control and maintenance of cell differentiation status implies diversification of the transcription initiation apparatus orchestrated by alternative splicing.

  1. Osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells on modified chitosan scaffold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Wen-Ta, E-mail: f10549@ntut.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Wu, Pai-Shuen [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Ko, Chih-Sheng [PhytoHealth Corporation, Maywufa Biopharma Group, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Huang, Te-Yang [Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2014-08-01

    Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Strontium has an important function in bone remodeling because it can simulate bone formation and decrease bone resorption. In this study, the effects of strontium phosphate on the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs were investigated. Strontium phosphate was found to enhance the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs with up-regulated osteoblast-related gene expression. The proliferation of SHEDs was slightly inhibited by chitosan scaffolds; however, type-I collagen expression, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium deposition on chitosan scaffolds containing strontium were significantly enhanced. Furthermore, cells seeded in a 3D scaffold under dynamic culture at an optimal fluid rate might enhance cellular differentiation than static culture in osteoblastic gene expression. This experiment might provide a useful cell resource and dynamic 3D culture for tissue engineering and bone repair. - Highlights: • SHEDs have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering • Strontium phosphate can enhance the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs • 3D scaffold under dynamic culture with optimal fluid rate enhance cellular differentiation.

  2. Osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells on modified chitosan scaffold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Wen-Ta; Wu, Pai-Shuen; Ko, Chih-Sheng; Huang, Te-Yang

    2014-01-01

    Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Strontium has an important function in bone remodeling because it can simulate bone formation and decrease bone resorption. In this study, the effects of strontium phosphate on the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs were investigated. Strontium phosphate was found to enhance the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs with up-regulated osteoblast-related gene expression. The proliferation of SHEDs was slightly inhibited by chitosan scaffolds; however, type-I collagen expression, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium deposition on chitosan scaffolds containing strontium were significantly enhanced. Furthermore, cells seeded in a 3D scaffold under dynamic culture at an optimal fluid rate might enhance cellular differentiation than static culture in osteoblastic gene expression. This experiment might provide a useful cell resource and dynamic 3D culture for tissue engineering and bone repair. - Highlights: • SHEDs have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering • Strontium phosphate can enhance the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs • 3D scaffold under dynamic culture with optimal fluid rate enhance cellular differentiation

  3. Concomitant multipotent and unipotent dental pulp progenitors and their respective contribution to mineralised tissue formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Dimitrova-Nakov

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Upon in vitro induction or in vivo implantation, the stem cells of the dental pulp display hallmarks of odontoblastic, osteogenic, adipogenic or neuronal cells. However, whether these phenotypes result from genuine multipotent cells or from coexistence of distinct progenitors is still an open question. Furthermore, determining whether a single cell-derived progenitor is capable of undergoing a differentiation cascade leading to tissue repair in situ is important for the development of cell therapy strategies. Three clonal pulp precursor cell lines (A4, C5, H8, established from embryonic ED18 first molars of mouse transgenic for a recombinant plasmid adeno-SV40, were induced to differentiate towards the odonto/osteogenic, chondrogenic or adipogenic programme. Expression of phenotypic markers of each lineage was evaluated by RT-PCR, histochemistry or immunocytochemistry. The clones were implanted into mandibular incisors or calvaria of adult mice. The A4 clone was capable of being recruited towards at least 3 mesodermal lineages in vitro and of contributing to dentin-like or bone formation, in vivo, thus behaving as a multipotent cell. In contrast, the C5 and H8 clones displayed a more restricted potential. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that isolated monopotent and multipotent clones could be distinguished by a differential expression of CD90. Altogether, isolation of these clonal lines allowed demonstrating the coexistence of multipotential and restricted-lineage progenitors in the mouse pulp. These cells may further permit unravelling specificities of the different types of pulp progenitors, hence facilitating the development of cell-based therapies of the dental pulp or other cranio-facial tissues.

  4. TLX activates MASH1 for induction of neuronal lineage commitment of adult hippocampal neuroprogenitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmi, Muna; Matsumoto, Yoshiki; Zeng, Zhao-jun; Lakshminarasimhan, Pavithra; Yang, Weiwen; Uemura, Akiyoshi; Nishikawa, Shin-ichi; Moshiri, Alicia; Tajima, Nobuyoshi; Agren, Hans; Funa, Keiko

    2010-10-01

    The orphan nuclear receptor TLX has been proposed to act as a repressor of cell cycle inhibitors to maintain the neural stem cells in an undifferentiated state, and prevents commitment into astrocyte lineages. However, little is known about the mechanism of TLX in neuronal lineage commitment and differentiation. A majority of adult rat hippocampus-derived progenitors (AHPs) cultured in the presence of FGF express a high level of TLX and a fraction of these cells also express the proneural gene MASH1. Upon FGF withdrawal, TLX rapidly decreased, while MASH1 was intensely expressed within 1h, decreasing gradually to disappear at 24h. Adenoviral transduction of TLX in AHP cells in the absence of FGF transiently increased cell proliferation, however, later resulted in neuronal differentiation by inducing MASH1, Neurogenin1, DCX, and MAP2ab. Furthermore, TLX directly targets and activates the MASH1 promoter through interaction with Sp1, recruiting co-activators whereas dismissing the co-repressor HDAC4. Conversely, silencing of TLX in AHPs decreased beta-III tubulin and DCX expression and promoted glial differentiation. Our results thus suggest that TLX not only acts as a repressor of cell cycle and glial differentiation but also activates neuronal lineage commitment in AHPs. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Evaluation of Motor Neuron-Like Cell Differentiation of hEnSCs on Biodegradable PLGA Nanofiber Scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi-Barough, Somayeh; Norouzi Javidan, Abbas; Saberi, Hoshangh; Joghataei, Mohammad Tghi; Rahbarghazi, Reza; Mirzaei, Esmaeil; Faghihi, Faezeh; Shirian, Sadegh; Ai, Armin; Ai, Jafar

    2015-12-01

    Human endometrium is a high-dynamic tissue that contains human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) which can be differentiated into a number of cell lineages. The differentiation of hEnSCs into many cell lineages such as osteoblast, adipocyte, and neural cells has been investigated previously. However, the differentiation of these stem cells into motor neuron-like cells has not been investigated yet. Different biochemical and topographical cues can affect the differentiation of stem cells into a specific cell. The aim of this study was to investigate the capability of hEnSCs to be differentiated into motor neuron-like cells under biochemical and topographical cues. The biocompatible and biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) electrospun nanofibrous scaffold was used as a topographical cue. Human EnSCs were cultured on the PLGA scaffold and tissue culture polystyrene (TCP), then differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells under induction media including retinoic acid (RA) and sonic hedgehog (Shh) were evaluated for 15 days. The proliferation rate of cells was assayed by using MTT assay. The morphology of cells was studied by scanning electron microscopy imaging, and the expression of motor neuron-specific markers by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry. Results showed that survival and differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells on the PLGA scaffold were better than those on the TCP group. Taken together, the results suggest that differentiated hEnSCs on PLGA can provide a suitable, three-dimensional situation for neuronal survival and outgrowth for regeneration of the central nervous system, and these cells may be a potential candidate in cellular therapy for motor neuron diseases.

  6. Concise Review: Human Dermis as an Autologous Source of Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vapniarsky, Natalia; Arzi, Boaz; Hu, Jerry C; Nolta, Jan A; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A

    2015-10-01

    The exciting potential for regenerating organs from autologous stem cells is on the near horizon, and adult dermis stem cells (DSCs) are particularly appealing because of the ease and relative minimal invasiveness of skin collection. A substantial number of reports have described DSCs and their potential for regenerating tissues from mesenchymal, ectodermal, and endodermal lineages; however, the exact niches of these stem cells in various skin types and their antigenic surface makeup are not yet clearly defined. The multilineage potential of DSCs appears to be similar, despite great variability in isolation and in vitro propagation methods. Despite this great potential, only limited amounts of tissues and clinical applications for organ regeneration have been developed from DSCs. This review summarizes the literature on DSCs regarding their niches and the specific markers they express. The concept of the niches and the differentiation capacity of cells residing in them along particular lineages is discussed. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of widely used methods to demonstrate lineage differentiation are considered. In addition, safety considerations and the most recent advancements in the field of tissue engineering and regeneration using DSCs are discussed. This review concludes with thoughts on how to prospectively approach engineering of tissues and organ regeneration using DSCs. Our expectation is that implementation of the major points highlighted in this review will lead to major advancements in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Autologous dermis-derived stem cells are generating great excitement and efforts in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The substantial impact of this review lies in its critical coverage of the available literature and in providing insight regarding niches, characteristics, and isolation methods of stem cells derived from the human dermis. Furthermore, it provides

  7. Tissue differentiation by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for automated oral and maxillofacial laser surgery: ex vivo pilot study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zam, Azhar; Stelzle, Florian; Tangermann-Gerk, Katja; Adler, Werner; Nkenke, Emeka; Schmidt, Michael; Douplik, Alexandre

    2010-02-01

    Remote laser surgery lacks of haptic feedback during the laser ablation of tissue. Hence, there is a risk of iatrogenic damage or destruction of anatomical structures like nerves or salivary glands. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy provides a straightforward and simple approach for optical tissue differentiation. We measured diffuse reflectance from seven various tissue types ex vivo. We applied Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to differentiate the seven tissue types and computed the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Special emphasis was taken on the identification of nerves and salivary glands as the most crucial tissue for maxillofacial surgery. The results show a promise for differentiating tissues as guidance for oral and maxillofacial laser surgery by means of diffuse reflectance.

  8. Functional characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells derived from the adipose tissue of a patient with achondroplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jeong-Ran; Lee, Hanbyeol; Kim, Chung-Hyo; Hong, Seok-Ho; Ha, Kwon-Soo; Yang, Se-Ran

    2016-05-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from various tissues including bone marrow, adipose tissue, skin dermis, and umbilical Wharton's jelly as well as injured tissues. MSCs possess the capacity for self-renewal and the potential for differentiation into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. However, the characteristics of MSCs in injured tissues, such as achondroplasia (ACH), are not well known. In this study, we isolated MSCs from human subcutaneous adipose (ACH-SAMSCs) tissue and circumjacent human adipose tissue of the cartilage (ACH-CAMSCs) from a patient with ACH. We then analyzed the characterization of ACH-SAMSCs and ACH-CAMSCs, compared with normal human dermis-derived MSCs (hDMSCs). In flow cytometry analysis, the isolated ACH-MSCs expressed low levels of CD73, CD90, and CD105, compared with hDMSCs. Moreover, both ACH- SAMSCs and ACH-CAMSCs had constitutionally overactive fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) and exhibited significantly reduced osteogenic differentiation, compared to enhanced adipogenic differentiation. The activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK) was increased in ACH-MSCs. In addition, the efficacy of osteogenic differentiation was slightly restored in osteogenic differentiation medium with MAPKs inhibitors. These results suggest that they play essential roles in MSC differentiation toward adipogenesis in ACH pathology. In conclusion, the identification of the characteristics of ACH-MSCs and the favoring of adipogenic differentiation via the FGFR3/MAPK axis might help to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms relevant to other skeletal diseases and could provide targets for therapeutic interventions.

  9. Engineered Murine HSCs Reconstitute Multi-lineage Hematopoiesis and Adaptive Immunity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Fen Lu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC transplantation is curative for malignant and genetic blood disorders, but is limited by donor availability and immune-mismatch. Deriving HSCs from patient-matched embryonic/induced-pluripotent stem cells (ESCs/iPSCs could address these limitations. Prior efforts in murine models exploited ectopic HoxB4 expression to drive self-renewal and enable multi-lineage reconstitution, yet fell short in delivering robust lymphoid engraftment. Here, by titrating exposure of HoxB4-ESC-HSC to Notch ligands, we report derivation of engineered HSCs that self-renew, repopulate multi-lineage hematopoiesis in primary and secondary engrafted mice, and endow adaptive immunity in immune-deficient recipients. Single-cell analysis shows that following engraftment in the bone marrow niche, these engineered HSCs further specify to a hybrid cell type, in which distinct gene regulatory networks of hematopoietic stem/progenitors and differentiated hematopoietic lineages are co-expressed. Our work demonstrates engineering of fully functional HSCs via modulation of genetic programs that govern self-renewal and lineage priming.

  10. Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Peripheral Nerve Regeneration In Vivo without Differentiation into Schwann-Like Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowa, Yoshihiro; Kishida, Tsunao; Imura, Tetsuya; Numajiri, Toshiaki; Nishino, Kenichi; Tabata, Yasuhiko; Mazda, Osam

    2016-02-01

    During recent decades, multipotent stem cells were found to reside in the adipose tissue, and these adipose-derived stem cells were shown to play beneficial roles, like those of Schwann cells, in peripheral nerve regeneration. However, it has not been well established whether adipose-derived stem cells offer beneficial effects to peripheral nerve injuries in vivo as Schwann cells do. Furthermore, the in situ survival and differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells after transplantation at the injured peripheral nerve tissue remain to be fully elucidated. Adipose-derived stem cells and Schwann cells were transplanted with gelatin hydrogel tubes at the artificially blunted sciatic nerve lesion in mice. Neuroregenerative abilities of them were comparably estimated. Cre-loxP-mediated fate tracking was performed to visualize survival in vivo of transplanted adipose-derived stem cells and to investigate whether they differentiated into Schwann linage cells at the peripheral nerve injury site. The transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells promoted regeneration of axons, formation of myelin, and restoration of denervation muscle atrophy to levels comparable to those achieved by Schwann cell transplantation. The adipose-derived stem cells survived for at least 4 weeks after transplantation without differentiating into Schwann cells. Transplanted adipose-derived stem cells did not differentiate into Schwann cells but promoted peripheral nerve regeneration at the injured site. The neuroregenerative ability was comparable to that of Schwann cells. Adipose-derived stem cells at an undifferentiated stage may be used as an alternative cell source for autologous cell therapy for patients with peripheral nerve injury.

  11. Perspectives of purinergic signaling in stem cell differentiation and tissue regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaser, Talita; Cappellari, Angélica Regina; Pillat, Micheli Mainardi; Iser, Isabele Cristiana; Wink, Márcia Rosângela; Battastini, Ana Maria Oliveira; Ulrich, Henning

    2012-09-01

    Replacement of lost or dysfunctional tissues by stem cells has recently raised many investigations on therapeutic applications. Purinergic signaling has been shown to regulate proliferation, differentiation, cell death, and successful engraftment of stem cells originated from diverse origins. Adenosine triphosphate release occurs in a controlled way by exocytosis, transporters, and lysosomes or in large amounts from damaged cells, which is then subsequently degraded into adenosine. Paracrine and autocrine mechanisms induced by immune responses present critical factors for the success of stem cell therapy. While P1 receptors generally exert beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory activity, P2 receptor-mediated actions depend on the subtype of stimulated receptors and localization of tissue repair. Pro-inflammatory actions and excitatory tissue damages mainly result from P2X7 receptor activation, while other purinergic receptor subtypes participate in proliferation and differentiation, thereby providing adequate niches for stem cell engraftment and novel mechanisms for cell therapy and endogenous tissue repair. Therapeutic applications based on regulation of purinergic signaling are foreseen for kidney and heart muscle regeneration, Clara-like cell replacement for pulmonary and bronchial epithelial cells as well as for induction of neurogenesis in case of neurodegenerative diseases.

  12. Adipogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alters Their Immunomodulatory Properties in a Tissue-Specific Manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munir, Hafsa; Ward, Lewis S C; Sheriff, Lozan; Kemble, Samuel; Nayar, Saba; Barone, Francesca; Nash, Gerard B; McGettrick, Helen M

    2017-06-01

    Chronic inflammation is associated with formation of ectopic fat deposits that might represent damage-induced aberrant mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Such deposits are associated with increased levels of inflammatory infiltrate and poor prognosis. Here we tested the hypothesis that differentiation from MSC to adipocytes in inflamed tissue might contribute to chronicity through loss of immunomodulatory function. We assessed the effects of adipogenic differentiation of MSC isolated from bone marrow or adipose tissue on their capacity to regulate neutrophil recruitment by endothelial cells and compared the differentiated cells to primary adipocytes from adipose tissue. Bone marrow derived MSC were immunosuppressive, inhibiting neutrophil recruitment to TNFα-treated endothelial cells (EC), but MSC-derived adipocytes were no longer able to suppress neutrophil adhesion. Changes in IL-6 and TGFβ1 signalling appeared critical for the loss of the immunosuppressive phenotype. In contrast, native stromal cells, adipocytes derived from them, and mature adipocytes from adipose tissue were all immunoprotective. Thus disruption of normal tissue stroma homeostasis, as occurs in chronic inflammatory diseases, might drive "abnormal" adipogenesis which adversely influences the behavior of MSC and contributes to pathogenic recruitment of leukocytes. Interestingly, stromal cells programmed in native fat tissue retain an immunoprotective phenotype. Stem Cells 2017;35:1636-1646. © 2017 The Authors STEM CELLS published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

  13. Development of Synthetic and Natural Materials for Tissue Engineering Applications Using Adipose Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunfan He

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Adipose stem cells have prominent implications in tissue regeneration due to their abundance and relative ease of harvest from adipose tissue and their abilities to differentiate into mature cells of various tissue lineages and secrete various growth cytokines. Development of tissue engineering techniques in combination with various carrier scaffolds and adipose stem cells offers great potential in overcoming the existing limitations constraining classical approaches used in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, as most tissue engineering techniques are new and highly experimental, there are still many practical challenges that must be overcome before laboratory research can lead to large-scale clinical applications. Tissue engineering is currently a growing field of medical research; in this review, we will discuss the progress in research on biomaterials and scaffolds for tissue engineering applications using adipose stem cells.

  14. High and Low LET Radiation Differentially Induce Normal Tissue Damage Signals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemantsverdriet, Maarten; Goethem, Marc-Jan van; Bron, Reinier; Hogewerf, Wytse; Brandenburg, Sytze; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Luijk, Peter van; Coppes, Robert P.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Radiotherapy using high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation is aimed at efficiently killing tumor cells while minimizing dose (biological effective) to normal tissues to prevent toxicity. It is well established that high LET radiation results in lower cell survival per absorbed dose than low LET radiation. However, whether various mechanisms involved in the development of normal tissue damage may be regulated differentially is not known. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate whether two actions related to normal tissue toxicity, p53-induced apoptosis and expression of the profibrotic gene PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1), are differentially induced by high and low LET radiation. Methods and Materials: Cells were irradiated with high LET carbon ions or low LET photons. Cell survival assays were performed, profibrotic PAI-1 expression was monitored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and apoptosis was assayed by annexin V staining. Activation of p53 by phosphorylation at serine 315 and serine 37 was monitored by Western blotting. Transfections of plasmids expressing p53 mutated at serines 315 and 37 were used to test the requirement of these residues for apoptosis and expression of PAI-1. Results: As expected, cell survival was lower and induction of apoptosis was higher in high -LET irradiated cells. Interestingly, induction of the profibrotic PAI-1 gene was similar with high and low LET radiation. In agreement with this finding, phosphorylation of p53 at serine 315 involved in PAI-1 expression was similar with high and low LET radiation, whereas phosphorylation of p53 at serine 37, involved in apoptosis induction, was much higher after high LET irradiation. Conclusions: Our results indicate that diverse mechanisms involved in the development of normal tissue damage may be differentially affected by high and low LET radiation. This may have consequences for the development and manifestation of normal tissue damage.

  15. Invited review: mesenchymal progenitor cells in intramuscular connective tissue development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Z G; Zhang, L P; Fu, X; Yang, Q Y; Zhu, M J; Dodson, M V; Du, M

    2016-01-01

    The abundance and cross-linking of intramuscular connective tissue contributes to the background toughness of meat, and is thus undesirable. Connective tissue is mainly synthesized by intramuscular fibroblasts. Myocytes, adipocytes and fibroblasts are derived from a common pool of progenitor cells during the early embryonic development. It appears that multipotent mesenchymal stem cells first diverge into either myogenic or non-myogenic lineages; non-myogenic mesenchymal progenitors then develop into the stromal-vascular fraction of skeletal muscle wherein adipocytes, fibroblasts and derived mesenchymal progenitors reside. Because non-myogenic mesenchymal progenitors mainly undergo adipogenic or fibrogenic differentiation during muscle development, strengthening progenitor proliferation enhances the potential for both intramuscular adipogenesis and fibrogenesis, leading to the elevation of both marbling and connective tissue content in the resulting meat product. Furthermore, given the bipotent developmental potential of progenitor cells, enhancing their conversion to adipogenesis reduces fibrogenesis, which likely results in the overall improvement of marbling (more intramuscular adipocytes) and tenderness (less connective tissue) of meat. Fibrogenesis is mainly regulated by the transforming growth factor (TGF) β signaling pathway and its regulatory cascade. In addition, extracellular matrix, a part of the intramuscular connective tissue, provides a niche environment for regulating myogenic differentiation of satellite cells and muscle growth. Despite rapid progress, many questions remain in the role of extracellular matrix on muscle development, and factors determining the early differentiation of myogenic, adipogenic and fibrogenic cells, which warrant further studies.

  16. In vitro mesenchymal trilineage differentiation and extracellular matrix production by adipose and bone marrow derived adult equine multipotent stromal cells on a collagen scaffold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Lin; Zhang, Nan; Marsano, Anna; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana; Zhang, Yanru; Lopez, Mandi J

    2013-12-01

    Directed differentiation of adult multipotent stromal cells (MSC) is critical for effective treatment strategies. This study was designed to evaluate the capability of equine MSC from bone marrow (BMSC) and adipose tissue (ASC) on a type I collagen (COLI) scaffold to undergo chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation and form extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro. Following determination of surface antigen expression, MSC were loaded into scaffolds in a perfusion bioreactor and loading efficiency was quantified. Cell-scaffold constructs were assessed after loading and 7, 14 and 21 days of culture in stromal or induction medium. Cell number was determined with DNA content, cell viability and spatial uniformity with confocal laser microscopy and cell phenotype and matrix production with light and scanning electron microscopy and mRNA levels. The MSC were positive for CD29 (>90 %), CD44 (>99 %), and CD105 (>60 %). Loading efficiencies were >70 %. The ASC and BMSC cell numbers on scaffolds were affected by culture in induction medium differently. Viable cells remained uniformly distributed in scaffolds for up to 21 days and could be directed to differentiate or to maintain an MSC phenotype. Micro- and ultrastructure showed lineage-specific cell and ECM changes. Lineage-specific mRNA levels differed between ASC and BMSC with induction and changed with time. Based on these results, equine ASC and BMSC differentiate into chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic lineages and form ECM similarly on COLI scaffolds. The collected data supports the potential for equine MSC-COLI constructs to support diverse equine tissue formation for controlled biological studies.

  17. Differentiation within autologous fibrin scaffolds of porcine dermal cells with the mesenchymal stem cell phenotype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puente, Pilar de la; Ludeña, Dolores; López, Marta; Ramos, Jennifer; Iglesias, Javier

    2013-01-01

    Porcine mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs) are an attractive source of cells for tissue engineering because their properties are similar to those of human stem cells. pMSCs can be found in different tissues but their dermal origin has not been studied in depth. Additionally, MSCs differentiation in monolayer cultures requires subcultured cells, and these cells are at risk of dedifferentiation when implanting them into living tissue. Following this, we attempted to characterize the MSCs phenotype of porcine dermal cells and to evaluate their cellular proliferation and differentiation in autologous fibrin scaffolds (AFSs). Dermal biopsies and blood samples were obtained from 12 pigs. Dermal cells were characterized by flow cytometry. Frozen autologous plasma was used to prepare AFSs. pMSC differentiation was studied in standard structures (monolayers and pellets) and in AFSs. The pMSCs expressed the CD90 and CD29 markers of the mesenchymal lineage. AFSs afforded adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. The porcine dermis can be proposed to be a good source of MSCs with adequate proliferative capacity and a suitable expression of markers. The pMSCs also showed optimal proliferation and differentiation in AFSs, such that these might serve as a promising autologous and implantable material for use in tissue engineering. -- Highlights: ► Low fibrinogen concentration provides a suitable matrix for cell migration and differentiation. ► Autologous fibrin scaffolds is a promising technique in tissue engineering. ► Dermal cells are an easily accessible mesenchymal stem cell source. ► Fibrin scaffolds afforded adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation.

  18. Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells derived from equine adipose tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  19. Investigation of the differentiation of ex vivo nerve and fat tissues using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS): Prospects for tissue-specific laser surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehari, Fanuel; Rohde, Maximillian; Kanawade, Rajesh; Knipfer, Christian; Adler, Werner; Klämpfl, Florian; Stelzle, Florian; Schmidt, Michael

    2016-10-01

    In the present study, the elemental compositions of fat and nerve tissue during their plasma mediated laser ablation are studied in the context of tissue differentiation for laser surgery applications by using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Tissue samples of porcine fat and nerve were prepared as ex vivo experimental objects. Plasma mediated laser ablation is performed using an Nd : YAG laser in open air and under normal stray light conditions. The performed measurements suggest that the two tissue types show a high similarity in terms of qualitative elemental composition while at the same time revealing a distinct difference in the concentration of the constituent elements. Different analysis approaches are evaluated and discussed to optimize the tissue-differentiation performance of the LIBS approach. Plasma mediated laser tissue ablation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Effect of gold nanoparticles on adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohl, Yvonne; Gorjup, Erwin; Katsen-Globa, Alisa; Büchel, Claudia; Briesen, Hagen von; Thielecke, Hagen

    2011-01-01

    Gold nanoparticles are very attractive for biomedical products. However, there is a serious lack of information concerning the biological activity of nanosized gold in human tissue cells. An influence of nanoparticles on stem cells might lead to unforeseen consequences to organ and tissue functions as long as all cells arising from the initial stem cell might be subsequently damaged. Therefore the effect of negatively charged gold nanoparticles (9 and 95 nm), which are certified as reference material for preclinical biomedical research, on the adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) is investigated here. Bone marrow hMSCs are chosen as differentiation model since bone marrow hMSCs are well characterized and their differentiation into the adipogenic lineage shows clear and easily detectable differentiation. In this study effects of gold nanoparticles on adipogenic differentiation are analyzed regarding fat storage and mitochondrial activity after different exposure times (4–21 days). Using time lapse microscopy the differentiation progress under chronically gold nanoparticle treatment is continuously investigated. In this preliminary study, chronically treatment of adipogenic differentiating hMSCs with gold nanoparticles resulted in a reduced number and size of lipid vacuoles and reduced mitochondrial activity depending on the applied concentration and the surface charge of the particles.

  1. Effect of gold nanoparticles on adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohl, Yvonne; Gorjup, Erwin; Katsen-Globa, Alisa; Büchel, Claudia; von Briesen, Hagen; Thielecke, Hagen

    2011-12-01

    Gold nanoparticles are very attractive for biomedical products. However, there is a serious lack of information concerning the biological activity of nanosized gold in human tissue cells. An influence of nanoparticles on stem cells might lead to unforeseen consequences to organ and tissue functions as long as all cells arising from the initial stem cell might be subsequently damaged. Therefore the effect of negatively charged gold nanoparticles (9 and 95 nm), which are certified as reference material for preclinical biomedical research, on the adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) is investigated here. Bone marrow hMSCs are chosen as differentiation model since bone marrow hMSCs are well characterized and their differentiation into the adipogenic lineage shows clear and easily detectable differentiation. In this study effects of gold nanoparticles on adipogenic differentiation are analyzed regarding fat storage and mitochondrial activity after different exposure times (4-21 days). Using time lapse microscopy the differentiation progress under chronically gold nanoparticle treatment is continuously investigated. In this preliminary study, chronically treatment of adipogenic differentiating hMSCs with gold nanoparticles resulted in a reduced number and size of lipid vacuoles and reduced mitochondrial activity depending on the applied concentration and the surface charge of the particles.

  2. Development of human nervous tissue upon differentiation of embryonic stem cells in three-dimensional culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preynat-Seauve, Olivier; Suter, David M; Tirefort, Diderik; Turchi, Laurent; Virolle, Thierry; Chneiweiss, Herve; Foti, Michelangelo; Lobrinus, Johannes-Alexander; Stoppini, Luc; Feki, Anis; Dubois-Dauphin, Michel; Krause, Karl Heinz

    2009-03-01

    Researches on neural differentiation using embryonic stem cells (ESC) require analysis of neurogenesis in conditions mimicking physiological cellular interactions as closely as possible. In this study, we report an air-liquid interface-based culture of human ESC. This culture system allows three-dimensional cell expansion and neural differentiation in the absence of added growth factors. Over a 3-month period, a macroscopically visible, compact tissue developed. Histological coloration revealed a dense neural-like neural tissue including immature tubular structures. Electron microscopy, immunochemistry, and electrophysiological recordings demonstrated a dense network of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes able to propagate signals. Within this tissue, tubular structures were niches of cells resembling germinal layers of human fetal brain. Indeed, the tissue contained abundant proliferating cells expressing markers of neural progenitors. Finally, the capacity to generate neural tissues on air-liquid interface differed for different ESC lines, confirming variations of their neurogenic potential. In conclusion, this study demonstrates in vitro engineering of a human neural-like tissue with an organization that bears resemblance to early developing brain. As opposed to previously described methods, this differentiation (a) allows three-dimensional organization, (b) yields dense interconnected neural tissue with structurally and functionally distinct areas, and (c) is spontaneously guided by endogenous developmental cues.

  3. Laser Fabrication of 3D Gelatin Scaffolds for the Generation of Bioartificial Tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Wilhelmi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, the two-photon polymerization (2PP technique was applied to develop precisely defined biodegradable 3D tissue engineering scaffolds. The scaffolds were fabricated via photopolymerization of gelatin modified with methacrylamide moieties. The results indicate that the gelatin derivative (GelMod preserves its enzymatic degradation capability after photopolymerization. In addition, the developed scaffolds using 2PP support primary adipose-derived stem cell (ASC adhesion, proliferation and differentiation into the anticipated lineage.

  4. Mechanisms of foot-and-mouth disease virus tropism inferred from differential tissue gene expression.

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    James J Zhu

    Full Text Available Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV targets specific tissues for primary infection, secondary high-titer replication (e.g. foot and mouth where it causes typical vesicular lesions and long-term persistence at some primary replication sites. Although integrin αVβ6 receptor has been identified as primary FMDV receptors in animals, their tissue distribution alone fails to explain these highly selective tropism-driven events. Thus, other molecular mechanisms must play roles in determining this tissue specificity. We hypothesized that differences in certain biological activities due to differential gene expression determine FMDV tropism and applied whole genome gene expression profiling to identify genes differentially expressed between FMDV-targeted and non-targeted tissues in terms of supporting primary infection, secondary replication including vesicular lesions, and persistence. Using statistical and bioinformatic tools to analyze the differential gene expression, we identified mechanisms that could explain FMDV tissue tropism based on its association with differential expression of integrin αVβ6 heterodimeric receptor (FMDV receptor, fibronectin (ligand of the receptor, IL-1 cytokines, death receptors and the ligands, and multiple genes in the biological pathways involved in extracellular matrix turnover and interferon signaling found in this study. Our results together with reported findings indicate that differences in (1 FMDV receptor availability and accessibility, (2 type I interferon-inducible immune response, and (3 ability to clear virus infected cells via death receptor signaling play roles in determining FMDV tissue tropism and the additional increase of high extracellular matrix turnover induced by FMDV infection, likely via triggering the signaling of highly expressed IL-1 cytokines, play a key role in the pathogenesis of vesicular lesions.

  5. Chromatin dynamics in Pollen Mother Cells underpin a common scenario at the somatic-to-reproductive fate transition of both the male and female lineages in Arabidopsis

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    Wenjing eShe

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Unlike animals, where the germline is established early during embryogenesis, plants set aside their reproductive lineage late in development in dedicated floral organs. The specification of pollen mother cells (PMCs committed to meiosis takes place in the sporogenous tissue in anther locules and marks the somatic-to-reproductive cell fate transition towards the male reproductive lineage. Here we show that Arabidopsis PMCs differentiation is accompanied by large-scale changes in chromatin organization. This is characterized by significant increase in nuclear volume, chromatin decondensation, reduction in heterochromatin, eviction of linker histones and the H2AZ histone variant. These structural alterations are accompanied by dramatic, quantitative changes in histone modifications levels compared to that of surrounding somatic cells that do not share a sporogenic fate. All these changes are highly reminiscent of those we have formerly described in female megaspore mother cells (MMCs. This indicates that chromatin reprogramming is a common underlying scenario in the somatic-to-reproductive cell fate transition in both male and female lineages.

  6. Differentiation of neuronal stem cells into motor neurons using electrospun poly-L-lactic acid/gelatin scaffold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binan, Loïc; Tendey, Charlène; De Crescenzo, Gregory; El Ayoubi, Rouwayda; Ajji, Abdellah; Jolicoeur, Mario

    2014-01-01

    Neural stem cells (NSCs) provide promising therapeutic potential for cell replacement therapy in spinal cord injury (SCI). However, high increases of cell viability and poor control of cell differentiation remain major obstacles. In this study, we have developed a non-woven material made of co-electrospun fibers of poly L-lactic acid and gelatin with a degradation rate and mechanical properties similar to peripheral nerve tissue and investigated their effect on cell survival and differentiation into motor neuronal lineages through the controlled release of retinoic acid (RA) and purmorphamine. Engineered Neural Stem-Like Cells (NSLCs) seeded on these fibers, with and without the instructive cues, differentiated into β-III-tubulin, HB-9, Islet-1, and choactase-positive motor neurons by immunostaining, in response to the release of the biomolecules. In addition, the bioactive material not only enhanced the differentiation into motor neuronal lineages but also promoted neurite outgrowth. This study elucidated that a combination of electrospun fiber scaffolds, neural stem cells, and controlled delivery of instructive cues could lead to the development of a better strategy for peripheral nerve injury repair. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Stem cell plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakshmipathy, Uma; Verfaillie, Catherine

    2005-01-01

    The central dogma in stem cell biology has been that cells isolated from a particular tissue can renew and differentiate into lineages of the tissue it resides in. Several studies have challenged this idea by demonstrating that tissue specific cell have considerable plasticity and can cross-lineage restriction boundary and give rise to cell types of other lineages. However, the lack of a clear definition for plasticity has led to confusion with several reports failing to demonstrate that a single cell can indeed differentiate into multiple lineages at significant levels. Further, differences between results obtained in different labs has cast doubt on some results and several studies still await independent confirmation. In this review, we critically evaluate studies that report stem cell plasticity using three rigid criteria to define stem cell plasticity; differentiation of a single cell into multiple cell lineages, functionality of differentiated cells in vitro and in vivo, robust and persistent engraft of transplanted cells.

  8. Extracellular matrix of dental pulp stem cells: Applications in pulp tissue engineering using somatic MSCs

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    Sriram eRavindran

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Dental Caries affects approximately 90% of the world’s population. At present, the clinical treatment for dental caries is root canal therapy. This treatment results in loss of tooth sensitivity and vitality. Tissue engineering can potentially solve this problem by enabling regeneration of a functional pulp tissue. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs have been shown to be an excellent source for pulp regeneration. However, limited availability of these cells hinders its potential for clinical translation. We have investigated the possibility of using somatic mesenchymal stem cells from other sources for dental pulp tissue regeneration using a biomimetic dental pulp extracellular matrix (ECM incorporated scaffold. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs and human bone marrow stromal cells (HMSCs were investigated for their ability to differentiate towards an odontogenic lineage. In vitro real-time PCR results coupled with histological and immunohistochemical examination of the explanted tissues confirmed the ability of PDLSCs and HMSCs to form a vascularized pulp-like tissue. These findings indicate that the dental pulp stem derived ECM scaffold stimulated odontogenic differentiation of PDLSCs and HMSCs without the need for exogenous addition of growth and differentiation factors. This study represents a translational perspective toward possible therapeutic application of using a combination of somatic stem cells and extracellular matrix for pulp regeneration.

  9. Osteoblastic cells: differentiation and trans-differentiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kassem, Moustapha; Abdallah, Basem; Saeed, Hamid

    2008-01-01

    The osteoblast is the bone forming cell and is derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) present among the bone marrow stroma. MSC are capable of multi-lineage differentiation into mesoderm-type cells such as osteoblasts and adipocytes. Understanding the mechanisms underlying osteoblast different...

  10. In vitro differentiation of neural cells from human adipose tissue derived stromal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Shruti D; Patel, Chetan N; Vanikar, Aruna V; Trivedi, Hargovind L

    2018-01-01

    Stem cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs), are endowed with self-renewal capability and hence hold great opportunity for the institution of replacement/protective therapy. We propose a method for in vitro generation of stromal cells from human adipose tissue and their differentiation into neural cells. Ten grams of donor adipose tissue was surgically resected from the abdominal wall of the human donor after the participants' informed consents. The resected adipose tissue was minced and incubated for 1 hour in the presence of an enzyme (collagenase-type I) at 37 0 C followed by its centrifugation. After centrifugation, the supernatant and pellets were separated and cultured in a medium for proliferation at 37 0 C with 5% CO2 for 9-10 days in separate tissue culture dishes for generation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). At the end of the culture, MSC were harvested and analyzed. The harvested MSC were subjected for further culture for their differentiation into neural cells for 5-7 days using differentiation medium mainly comprising of neurobasal medium. At the end of the procedure, culture cells were isolated and studied for expression of transcriptional factor proteins: orthodenticle homolog-2 (OTX-2), beta-III-tubulin (β3-Tubulin), glial-fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and synaptophysin-β2. In total, 50 neural cells-lines were generated. In vitro generated MSC differentiated neural cells' mean quantum was 5.4 ± 6.9 ml with the mean cell count being, 5.27 ± 2.65 × 10 3/ μl. All of them showed the presence of OTX-2, β3-Tubulin, GFAP, synaptophysin-β2. Neural cells can be differentiated in vitro from MSC safely and effectively. In vitro generated neural cells represent a potential therapy for recovery from spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative disease.

  11. Human colon tissue in organ culture: calcium and multi-mineral-induced mucosal differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dame, Michael K; Veerapaneni, Indiradevi; Bhagavathula, Narasimharao; Naik, Madhav; Varani, James

    2011-01-01

    We have recently shown that a multi-mineral extract from the marine red algae, Lithothamnion calcareum, suppresses colon polyp formation and inflammation in mice. In the present study, we used intact human colon tissue in organ culture to compare responses initiated by Ca(2+) supplementation versus the multi-mineral extract. Normal human colon tissue was treated for 2 d in culture with various concentrations of calcium or the mineral-rich extract. The tissue was then prepared for histology/immunohistochemistry, and the culture supernatants were assayed for levels of type I procollagen and type I collagen. At higher Ca(2+) concentrations or with the mineral-rich extract, proliferation of epithelial cells at the base and walls of the mucosal crypts was suppressed, as visualized by reduced Ki67 staining. E-cadherin, a marker of differentiation, was more strongly expressed at the upper third of the crypt and at the luminal surface. Treatment with Ca(2+) or with the multi-mineral extract influenced collagen turnover, with decreased procollagen and increased type I collagen. These data suggest that calcium or mineral-rich extract has the capacity to (1) promote differentiation in human colon tissue in organ culture and (2) modulate stromal function as assessed by increased levels of type I collagen. Taken together, these data suggest that human colon tissue in organ culture (supporting in vivo finding in mice) will provide a valuable model for the preclinical assessment of agents that regulate growth and differentiation in the colonic mucosa.

  12. Defining the cellular lineage hierarchy in the interfollicular epidermis of adult skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sada, Aiko; Jacob, Fadi; Leung, Eva; Wang, Sherry; White, Brian S; Shalloway, David; Tumbar, Tudorita

    2016-06-01

    The interfollicular epidermis regenerates from heterogeneous basal skin cell populations that divide at different rates. It has previously been presumed that infrequently dividing basal cells known as label-retaining cells (LRCs) are stem cells, whereas non-LRCs are short-lived progenitors. Here we employ the H2B-GFP pulse-chase system in adult mouse skin and find that epidermal LRCs and non-LRCs are molecularly distinct and can be differentiated by Dlx1(CreER) and Slc1a3(CreER) genetic marking, respectively. Long-term lineage tracing and mathematical modelling of H2B-GFP dilution data show that LRCs and non-LRCs constitute two distinct stem cell populations with different patterns of proliferation, differentiation and upward cellular transport. During homeostasis, these populations are enriched in spatially distinct skin territories and can preferentially produce unique differentiated lineages. On wounding or selective killing, they can temporarily replenish each other's territory. These two discrete interfollicular stem cell populations are functionally interchangeable and intrinsically well adapted to thrive in distinct skin environments.

  13. CRX is a diagnostic marker of retinal and pineal lineage tumors.

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    Sandro Santagata

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available CRX is a homeobox transcription factor whose expression and function is critical to maintain retinal and pineal lineage cells and their progenitors. To determine the biologic and diagnostic potential of CRX in human tumors of the retina and pineal, we examined its expression in multiple settings.Using situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry we show that Crx RNA and protein expression are exquisitely lineage restricted to retinal and pineal cells during normal mouse and human development. Gene expression profiling analysis of a wide range of human cancers and cancer cell lines also supports that CRX RNA is highly lineage restricted in cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis of 22 retinoblastomas and 13 pineal parenchymal tumors demonstrated strong expression of CRX in over 95% of these tumors. Importantly, CRX was not detected in the majority of tumors considered in the differential diagnosis of pineal region tumors (n = 78. The notable exception was medulloblastoma, 40% of which exhibited CRX expression in a heterogeneous pattern readily distinguished from that seen in retino-pineal tumors.These findings describe new potential roles for CRX in human cancers and highlight the general utility of lineage restricted transcription factors in cancer biology. They also identify CRX as a sensitive and specific clinical marker and a potential lineage dependent therapeutic target in retinoblastoma and pineoblastoma.

  14. Preclinical study of mouse pluripotent parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell derivatives for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Yang; Cui, Jihong; Yin, Lu; Liu, Wei; Liu, Wenguang; Sun, Mei; Yan, Xingrong; Wang, Ling; Chen, Fulin

    2016-10-22

    Embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivatives hold great promise for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalents (TESE). However, harvesting of ESCs destroys viable embryos and may lead to political and ethical concerns over their application. In the current study, we directed mouse parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) to differentiate into fibroblasts, constructed TESE, and evaluated its function in vivo. The stemness marker expression and the pluripotent differentiation ability of pESCs were tested. After embryoid body (EB) formation and adherence culture, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were enriched and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. Characteristics of derived fibroblasts were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Functional ability of the constructed TESE was tested by a mouse skin defects repair model. Mouse pESCs expressed stemness marker and could form teratoma containing three germ layers. MSCs could be enriched from outgrowths of EBs and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. These cells express a high level of growth factors including FGF, EGF, VEGF, TGF, PDGF, and IGF1, similar to those of ESC-derived fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts. Seeded into collagen gels, the fibroblasts derived from pESCs could form TESE. Mouse skin defects could be successfully repaired 15 days after transplantation of TESE constructed by fibroblasts derived from pESCs. pESCs could be induced to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage, which could be applied to the construction of TESE and skin defect repair. Particularly, pESC derivatives avoid the limitations of political and ethical concerns, and provide a promising source for regenerative medicine.

  15. All-trans retinoic acid promotes neural lineage entry by pluripotent embryonic stem cells via multiple pathways

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    Fang Bo

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background All-trans retinoic acid (RA is one of the most important morphogens with pleiotropic actions. Its embryonic distribution correlates with neural differentiation in the developing central nervous system. To explore the precise effects of RA on neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs, we detected expression of RA nuclear receptors and RA-metabolizing enzymes in mouse ESCs and investigated the roles of RA in adherent monolayer culture. Results Upon addition of RA, cell differentiation was directed rapidly and exclusively into the neural lineage. Conversely, pharmacological interference with RA signaling suppressed this neural differentiation. Inhibition of fibroblast growth factor (FGF signaling did not suppress significantly neural differentiation in RA-treated cultures. Pharmacological interference with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK pathway or activation of Wnt pathway effectively blocked the RA-promoted neural specification. ERK phosphorylation was enhanced in RA-treated cultures at the early stage of differentiation. Conclusion RA can promote neural lineage entry by ESCs in adherent monolayer culture systems. This effect depends on RA signaling and its crosstalk with the ERK and Wnt pathways.

  16. Identification of two invasive Cacopsylla chinensis (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) lineages based on two mitochondrial sequences and restriction fragment length polymorphism of cytochrome oxidase I amplicon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hsien-Chung; Yang, Man-Miao; Yeh, Wen-Bin

    2008-08-01

    The occurrence of pear decline, a disease found in some pear (Pyrus spp.) orchards of Taiwan in recent years, is accompanied by an outbreak of Cacopsylla chinensis (Yang & Li). Two major morphological forms (summer and winter forms) with a variety of intermediate body color and two phylogenetic lineages of this psyllid have been described. The work herein used sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 16S rDNA regions to delineate the genetic differentiation of this color-variable insect and to elucidate their relationship. Sequence divergence and phylogenetic analysis have shown that C. chinensis individuals could be divided into two lineages with 3.3 and 2.3% divergence of COI and 16S rDNA, respectively. All specimens from China were found to belong to lineage I. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of COI with restriction enzymes AcuI, AseI, BccI, and FokI on 263 specimens of six populations from Taiwan produced two digestion patterns, which are in agreement with the two lineages described above. Both patterns could be found in each population, with most individuals belonging to lineage I and 5-21% of the individuals belonging to lineage II. Because these two lineages included summer as well as winter morphological forms, the lineage differentiation is apparently not related to morphological characters of this psyllid. Because the invasive records are not in favor of a sympatric differentiation, this psyllid is more likely introduced as different populations from countries in temperate regions.

  17. Disruption of stomatal lineage signaling or transcriptional regulators has differential effects on mesophyll development, but maintains coordination of gas exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dow, Graham J; Berry, Joseph A; Bergmann, Dominique C

    2017-10-01

    Stomata are simultaneously tasked with permitting the uptake of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis while limiting water loss from the plant. This process is mainly regulated by guard cell control of the stomatal aperture, but recent advancements have highlighted the importance of several genes that control stomatal development. Using targeted genetic manipulations of the stomatal lineage and a combination of gas exchange and microscopy techniques, we show that changes in stomatal development of the epidermal layer lead to coupled changes in the underlying mesophyll tissues. This coordinated response tends to match leaf photosynthetic potential (V cmax ) with gas-exchange capacity (g smax ), and hence the uptake of carbon dioxide for water lost. We found that different genetic regulators systematically altered tissue coordination in separate ways: the transcription factor SPEECHLESS (SPCH) primarily affected leaf size and thickness, whereas peptides in the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR (EPF) family altered cell density in the mesophyll. It was also determined that interlayer coordination required the cell-surface receptor TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM). These results demonstrate that stomata-specific regulators can alter mesophyll properties, which provides insight into how molecular pathways can organize leaf tissues to coordinate gas exchange and suggests new strategies for improving plant water-use efficiency. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Tracking of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells using two magnetic nanoparticle types

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasten, Annika; Siegmund, Birte J. [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 35 D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Grüttner, Cordula [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Warnemünde, D-18115 Rostock (Germany); Kühn, Jens-Peter [Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Greifswald University Medical Center, D-17475 Greifswald (Germany); Frerich, Bernhard, E-mail: bernhard.frerich@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 35 D-18057 Rostock (Germany)

    2015-04-15

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to be considered as an emerging detection technique for cell tracking experiments to evaluate the fate of transplanted progenitor cells and develop successful cell therapies for tissue engineering. Adipose tissue engineering using adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells has been advocated for the cure of soft tissue defects or for persistent soft tissue augmentation. Adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells were differentiated into the adipogenic lineage and labeled with two different types of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in varying concentrations which resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction of gene expression of adipogenic differentiation markers, adiponectin and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), whereas the metabolic activity was not altered. As a result, only low nanoparticle concentrations for labeling were used for in vivo experiments. Cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds and subcutaneously implanted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. At 24 h as well as 28 days after implantation, MRI analyses were performed visualizing nanoparticle-labeled cells using T2-weighted sequences. The quantification of absolute volume of the scaffolds revealed a decrease of volume over time in all experimental groups. The distribution of nanoparticle-labeled cells within the scaffolds varied likewise over time. - Highlights: • Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASC) were labeled with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. • Nanoparticles influenced the adipogenic differentiation of ASC. • Labeled cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds and implanted in SCID mice. • Nanoparticle-labeled cells were visualized in vivo using T2-weighted sequences. • Volume of collagen scaffolds was decreased over time after implantation.

  19. Tracking of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells using two magnetic nanoparticle types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasten, Annika; Siegmund, Birte J.; Grüttner, Cordula; Kühn, Jens-Peter; Frerich, Bernhard

    2015-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to be considered as an emerging detection technique for cell tracking experiments to evaluate the fate of transplanted progenitor cells and develop successful cell therapies for tissue engineering. Adipose tissue engineering using adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells has been advocated for the cure of soft tissue defects or for persistent soft tissue augmentation. Adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells were differentiated into the adipogenic lineage and labeled with two different types of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in varying concentrations which resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction of gene expression of adipogenic differentiation markers, adiponectin and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), whereas the metabolic activity was not altered. As a result, only low nanoparticle concentrations for labeling were used for in vivo experiments. Cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds and subcutaneously implanted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. At 24 h as well as 28 days after implantation, MRI analyses were performed visualizing nanoparticle-labeled cells using T2-weighted sequences. The quantification of absolute volume of the scaffolds revealed a decrease of volume over time in all experimental groups. The distribution of nanoparticle-labeled cells within the scaffolds varied likewise over time. - Highlights: • Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASC) were labeled with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. • Nanoparticles influenced the adipogenic differentiation of ASC. • Labeled cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds and implanted in SCID mice. • Nanoparticle-labeled cells were visualized in vivo using T2-weighted sequences. • Volume of collagen scaffolds was decreased over time after implantation

  20. Prox1 Inhibits Proliferation and Is Required for Differentiation of the Oligodendrocyte Cell Lineage in the Mouse.

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    Kentaro Kato

    Full Text Available Central nervous system injury induces a regenerative response in ensheathing glial cells comprising cell proliferation, spontaneous axonal remyelination, and limited functional recovery, but the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In Drosophila, this involves the genes prospero and Notch controlling the balance between glial proliferation and differentiation, and manipulating their levels in glia can switch the response to injury from prevention to promotion of repair. In the mouse, Notch1 maintains NG2 oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs in a progenitor state, but what factor may enable oligodendrocyte (OL differentiation and functional remyelination is not understood. Here, we asked whether the mammalian homologue of prospero, Prox1, is involved. Our data show that Prox1 is distributed in NG2+ OPCs and in OLs in primary cultured cells, and in the mouse spinal cord in vivo. siRNA prox1 knockdown in primary OPCs increased cell proliferation, increased NG2+ OPC cell number and decreased CC1+ OL number. Prox1 conditional knockout in the OL cell lineage in mice increased NG2+ OPC cell number, and decreased CC1+ OL number. Lysolecithin-induced demyelination injury caused a reduction in CC1+ OLs in homozygous Prox1-/- conditional knockout mice compared to controls. Remarkably, Prox1-/- conditional knockout mice had smaller lesions than controls. Altogether, these data show that Prox1 is required to inhibit OPC proliferation and for OL differentiation, and could be a relevant component of the regenerative glial response. Therapeutic uses of glia and stem cells to promote regeneration and repair after central nervous system injury would benefit from manipulating Prox1.

  1. Nanoscale biomaterial interface modification for advanced tissue engineering applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Safonov, V; Zykova, A; Smolik, J; Rogovska, R; Donkov, N; Goltsev, A; Dubrava, T; Rassokha, I; Georgieva, V

    2012-01-01

    Recently, various stem cells, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have been found to have considerable potential for application in tissue engineering and future advanced therapies due to their biological capability to differentiate into specific lineages. Modified surface properties, such as composition, nano-roughness and wettability, affect the most important processes at the biomaterial interface. The aim of the present is work is to study the stem cells' (MSCs) adhesive potential, morphology, phenotypical characteristics in in vitro tests, and to distinguish betwen the different factors influencing the cell/biomaterial interaction, such as nano-topography, surface chemistry and surface free energy.

  2. In Vitro Osteogenic and Odontogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Seeded on Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Hydroxyapatite Hybrid Hydrogel.

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    Gabriella eTeti

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Stem cells from human dental pulp have been considered as an alternative source of adult stem cells in tissue engineering because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages.Recently, polysaccharide based hydrogels have become especially attractive as matrices for the repair and regeneration of a wide variety of tissues and organs. The incorporation of inorganic minerals as hydroxyapatite nanoparticles can modulate the performance of the scaffolds with potential applications in tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to verify the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs cultured on a carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel. Human DPSCs were seeded on carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel and on carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel for 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 days. Cell viability assay and ultramorphological analysis were carried out to evaluate biocompatibility and cell adhesion. Real Time PCR was carried out to demonstrate the expression of osteogenic and odontogenic markers. Results showed a good adhesion and viability in cells cultured on carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel, while a low adhesion and viability was observed in cells cultured on carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel. Real Time PCR data demonstrated a temporal up-regulation of osteogenic and odontogenic markers in dental pulp stem cells cultured on carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel. In conclusion, our in vitro data confirms the ability of DPSCs to differentiate toward osteogenic and odontogenic lineages in presence of a carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel. Taken together, our results provide evidence that DPSCs and carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel could be considered promising candidates for dental pulp complex and periodontal tissue engineering.

  3. Cell differentiation through tissue elasticity-coupled, myosin-driven remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zajac, Allison L; Discher, Dennis E

    2008-12-01

    Cells may lack eyes to see and ears to hear, but cells do seem to have a sense of 'touch' that allows them to feel their microenvironment. This is achieved in part through contractility coupled adhesion to physically flexible 'soft' tissue. Here we summarize some of the known variations in elasticity of solid tissue and review some of the long-term effects of cells 'feeling' this elasticity, focusing on differentiation processes of both committed cell types and stem cells. We then highlight what is known of molecular remodeling in cells under stress on short time scales. Key roles for forces generated by ubiquitous and essential myosin-II motors in feedback remodeling are emphasized throughout.

  4. Single cell lineage analysis of mouse embryonic stem cells at the exit from pluripotency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie Trott

    2013-08-01

    Understanding how interactions between extracellular signalling pathways and transcription factor networks influence cellular decision making will be crucial for understanding mammalian embryogenesis and for generating specialised cell types in vitro. To this end, pluripotent mouse Embryonic Stem (mES cells have proven to be a useful model system. However, understanding how transcription factors and signalling pathways affect decisions made by individual cells is confounded by the fact that measurements are generally made on groups of cells, whilst individual mES cells differentiate at different rates and towards different lineages, even in conditions that favour a particular lineage. Here we have used single-cell measurements of transcription factor expression and Wnt/β-catenin signalling activity to investigate their effects on lineage commitment decisions made by individual cells. We find that pluripotent mES cells exhibit differing degrees of heterogeneity in their expression of important regulators from pluripotency, depending on the signalling environment to which they are exposed. As mES cells differentiate, downregulation of Nanog and Oct4 primes cells for neural commitment, whilst loss of Sox2 expression primes cells for primitive streak commitment. Furthermore, we find that Wnt signalling acts through Nanog to direct cells towards a primitive streak fate, but that transcriptionally active β-catenin is associated with both neural and primitive streak commitment. These observations confirm and extend previous suggestions that pluripotency genes influence lineage commitment and demonstrate how their dynamic expression affects the direction of lineage commitment, whilst illustrating two ways in which the Wnt signalling pathway acts on this network during cell fate assignment.

  5. Defining the Minimal Factors Required for Erythropoiesis through Direct Lineage Conversion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Capellera-Garcia

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Erythroid cell commitment and differentiation proceed through activation of a lineage-restricted transcriptional network orchestrated by a group of well characterized genes. However, the minimal set of factors necessary for instructing red blood cell (RBC development remains undefined. We employed a screen for transcription factors allowing direct lineage reprograming from fibroblasts to induced erythroid progenitors/precursors (iEPs. We show that Gata1, Tal1, Lmo2, and c-Myc (GTLM can rapidly convert murine and human fibroblasts directly to iEPs. The transcriptional signature of murine iEPs resembled mainly that of primitive erythroid progenitors in the yolk sac, whereas addition of Klf1 or Myb to the GTLM cocktail resulted in iEPs with a more adult-type globin expression pattern. Our results demonstrate that direct lineage conversion is a suitable platform for defining and studying the core factors inducing the different waves of erythroid development.

  6. FDG-PET for preoperative differential diagnosis between benign and malignant soft tissue masses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, J.; Koyama, Y.; Sato, N.; Watanabe, H.; Shinozaki, T.; Takagishi, K.; Tokunaga, M.; Endo, K.

    2003-01-01

    To evaluate the standardized uptake value (SUV) of [ 18 F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose at positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for preoperative differential diagnosis between benign and malignant soft tissue masses.Design One hundred and fourteen soft tissue masses (80 benign, 34 malignant) were examined by FDG-PET prior to tissue diagnosis. The SUVs were calculated and compared between benign and malignant lesions and among different histologic subgroups which included three or more cases. There was a statistically significant difference in SUV between benign (1.80±1.42 [SD]) and malignant (4.20±3.16) soft tissue masses in total (P<0.0001). However, a considerable overlap in SUV was observed between many benign and malignant lesions. Liposarcomas (2.16±1.72) and synovial sarcomas (1.60±0.43) did not show significantly higher SUV than any benign lesions. Metastases (4.23±2.35) showed no statistically significant difference in SUV as compared with schwannomas (1.75±0.84), desmoids (2.77±1.32), sarcoidosis (3.62±1.53), or giant cell tumors of tendon sheath (GCT of TS; 5.06±1.63). Even malignant fibrous histiocytomas (5.37±1.40) could not be differentiated from sarcoidosis or GCT of TS, based on the SUV. A large accumulation of FDG can be observed in both benign and malignant histiocytic, fibroblastic, or neurogenic lesions. SUV at conventional FDG-PET is limited to differentiating benign from malignant soft tissue masses, when all kinds of histologic subtypes are included. (orig.)

  7. Chondro-osseous differentiation in fat tissue tumors: magnetic resonance imaging with pathological correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orui, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Akira; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Takahara, Masatoshi; Ogino, Toshihiko; Ito, Masafumi

    2000-01-01

    Chondro-osseous differentiation of three benign or malignant fat tissue tumors - two chondrolipomas and a liposarcoma with cartilaginous metaplasia - was studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and compared with their pathological findings. The results suggest that demarcation of cartilage tisssue can be clearly defined on MR imaging when the size of the cartilaginous area is large. Myxoid matrix, degenerative fat tissue and lipodystrophic change may decrease the delineation of the cartilage tissue. (orig.)

  8. Chondro-osseous differentiation in fat tissue tumors: magnetic resonance imaging with pathological correlation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orui, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Akira; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Takahara, Masatoshi; Ogino, Toshihiko [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamagata University School of Medicine (Japan); Ito, Masafumi [1. Dept. of Pathology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata (Japan)

    2000-08-01

    Chondro-osseous differentiation of three benign or malignant fat tissue tumors - two chondrolipomas and a liposarcoma with cartilaginous metaplasia - was studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and compared with their pathological findings. The results suggest that demarcation of cartilage tisssue can be clearly defined on MR imaging when the size of the cartilaginous area is large. Myxoid matrix, degenerative fat tissue and lipodystrophic change may decrease the delineation of the cartilage tissue. (orig.)

  9. A Comparison of Tissue Spray and Lipid Extract Direct Injection Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for the Differentiation of Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrial Tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chagovets, Vitaliy; Wang, Zhihao; Kononikhin, Alexey; Starodubtseva, Natalia; Borisova, Anna; Salimova, Dinara; Popov, Igor; Kozachenko, Andrey; Chingin, Konstantin; Chen, Huanwen; Frankevich, Vladimir; Adamyan, Leila; Sukhikh, Gennady

    2018-02-01

    Recent research revealed that tissue spray mass spectrometry enables rapid molecular profiling of biological tissues, which is of great importance for the search of disease biomarkers as well as for online surgery control. However, the payback for the high speed of analysis in tissue spray analysis is the generally lower chemical sensitivity compared with the traditional approach based on the offline chemical extraction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detection. In this study, high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of endometrium tissues of different localizations obtained using direct tissue spray mass spectrometry in positive ion mode is compared with the results of electrospray ionization analysis of lipid extracts. Identified features in both cases belong to three lipid classes: phosphatidylcholines, phosphoethanolamines, and sphingomyelins. Lipids coverage is validated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry of lipid extracts. Multivariate analysis of data from both methods reveals satisfactory differentiation of eutopic and ectopic endometrium tissues. Overall, our results indicate that the chemical information provided by tissue spray ionization is sufficient to allow differentiation of endometrial tissues by localization with similar reliability but higher speed than in the traditional approach relying on offline extraction.

  10. Endometrial Cancer Side-Population Cells Show Prominent Migration and Have a Potential to Differentiate into the Mesenchymal Cell Lineage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Kiyoko; Takao, Tomoka; Kuboyama, Ayumi; Tanaka, Yoshihiro; Ohgami, Tatsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Shinichiro; Adachi, Sawako; Yoneda, Tomoko; Ueoka, Yousuke; Kato, Keiji; Hayashi, Shinichi; Asanoma, Kazuo; Wake, Norio

    2010-01-01

    Cancer stem-like cell subpopulations, referred to as “side-population” (SP) cells, have been identified in several tumors based on their ability to efflux the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Although SP cells have been identified in the normal human endometrium and endometrial cancer, little is known about their characteristics. In this study, we isolated and characterized the SP cells in human endometrial cancer cells and in rat endometrial cells expressing oncogenic human K-Ras protein. These SP cells showed i) reduction in the expression levels of differentiation markers; ii) long-term proliferative capacity of the cell cultures; iii) self-renewal capacity in vitro; iv) enhancement of migration, lamellipodia, and, uropodia formation; and v) enhanced tumorigenicity. In nude mice, SP cells formed large, invasive tumors, which were composed of both tumor cells and stromal-like cells with enriched extracellular matrix. The expression levels of vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, and collagen III were enhanced in SP tumors compared with the levels in non-SP tumors. In addition, analysis of microdissected samples and fluorescence in situ hybridization of Hec1-SP-tumors showed that the stromal-like cells with enriched extracellular matrix contained human DNA, confirming that the stromal-like cells were derived from the inoculated cells. Moreober, in a Matrigel assay, SP cells differentiated into α-smooth muscle actin-expressing cells. These findings demonstrate that SP cells have cancer stem-like cell features, including the potential to differentiate into the mesenchymal cell lineage. PMID:20008133

  11. Hypoxic stress induces, but cannot sustain trophoblast stem cell differentiation to labyrinthine placenta due to mitochondrial insufficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yufen Xie

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Dysfunctional stem cell differentiation into placental lineages is associated with gestational diseases. Of the differentiated lineages available to trophoblast stem cells (TSC, elevated O2 and mitochondrial function are necessary to placental lineages at the maternal–placental surface and important in the etiology of preeclampsia. TSC lineage imbalance leads to embryonic failure during uterine implantation. Stress at implantation exacerbates stem cell depletion by decreasing proliferation and increasing differentiation. In an implantation site O2 is normally ~2%. In culture, exposure to 2% O2 and fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4 enabled the highest mouse TSC multipotency and proliferation. In contrast, hypoxic stress (0.5% O2 initiated the most TSC differentiation after 24 h despite exposure to FGF4. However, hypoxic stress supported differentiation poorly after 4–7 days, despite FGF4 removal. At all tested O2 levels, FGF4 maintained Warburg metabolism; mitochondrial inactivity and aerobic glycolysis. However, hypoxic stress suppressed mitochondrial membrane potential and maintained low mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (oxidative phosphorylation/OxPhos, and high pyruvate kinase M2 (glycolysis despite FGF4 removal. Inhibiting OxPhos inhibited optimum differentiation at 20% O2. Moreover, adding differentiation-inducing hyperosmolar stress failed to induce differentiation during hypoxia. Thus, differentiation depended on OxPhos at 20% O2; hypoxic and hyperosmolar stresses did not induce differentiation at 0.5% O2. Hypoxia-limited differentiation and mitochondrial inhibition and activation suggest that differentiation into two lineages of the labyrinthine placenta requires O2 > 0.5–2% and mitochondrial function. Stress-activated protein kinase increases an early lineage and suppresses later lineages in proportion to the deviation from optimal O2 for multipotency, thus it is the first enzyme reported to prioritize differentiation.

  12. Lineage fate of ductular reactions in liver injury and carcinogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jörs, Simone; Jeliazkova, Petia; Ringelhan, Marc; Thalhammer, Julian; Dürl, Stephanie; Ferrer, Jorge; Sander, Maike; Heikenwalder, Mathias; Schmid, Roland M; Siveke, Jens T; Geisler, Fabian

    2015-06-01

    Ductular reactions (DRs) are observed in virtually all forms of human liver disease; however, the histogenesis and function of DRs in liver injury are not entirely understood. It is widely believed that DRs contain bipotential liver progenitor cells (LPCs) that serve as an emergency cell pool to regenerate both cholangiocytes and hepatocytes and may eventually give rise to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we used a murine model that allows highly efficient and specific lineage labeling of the biliary compartment to analyze the histogenesis of DRs and their potential contribution to liver regeneration and carcinogenesis. In multiple experimental and genetic liver injury models, biliary cells were the predominant precursors of DRs but lacked substantial capacity to produce new hepatocytes, even when liver injuries were prolonged up to 12 months. Genetic modulation of NOTCH and/or WNT/β-catenin signaling within lineage-tagged DRs impaired DR expansion but failed to redirect DRs from biliary differentiation toward the hepatocyte lineage. Further, lineage-labeled DRs did not produce tumors in genetic and chemical HCC mouse models. In summary, we found no evidence in our system to support mouse biliary-derived DRs as an LPC pool to replenish hepatocytes in a quantitatively relevant way in injury or evidence that DRs give rise to HCCs.

  13. Comparison of nucleotide sequences of recent and previous lineages of peste-des-petits-ruminants viruses of sheep and goats in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Mantip

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV is a highly contagious, fatal and economically important viral disease of small ruminants that is still endemic and militates against the production of sheep and goats in endemic areas of the world. The aim of this study was to describe the viral strains within the country. This was carried out by collecting tissue and swab samples from sheep and goats in various agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. The phylogeny of archived PPRV strains or isolates and those circulating and causing recent outbreaks was determined by sequencing of the nucleoprotein (N-gene. Twenty tissue and swab samples from apparently healthy and sick sheep and goats were collected randomly from 18 states, namely 3 states in each of the 6 agro-ecological zones visited. A total of 360 samples were collected. A total of 35 samples of 360 (9.7% tested positive by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction, of which 25 were from oculo-nasal swabs and 10 were from tissue samples. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analysis using Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (PAUP identified four different lineages, that is, lineages I, II, III and IV. Interestingly, the Nigerian strains described in this study grouped in two separate major lineages, that is, lineages II and IV. Strains from Sokoto, Oyo, Plateau and Ondo states grouped according to the historical distribution of PPRV together with the Nigerian 75/1 strain of lineage II, while other strains from Sokoto, Oyo, Plateau, Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, Kaduna, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger and Kano states grouped together with the East African and Asian strains of lineage IV. This finding confirms that both lineage II and IV strains of PPRV are circulating in Nigeria. Previously, only strains of lineage II were found to be present in the country.

  14. Probing stem cell differentiation using atomic force microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Xiaobin; Shi, Xuetao; Ostrovidov, Serge; Wu, Hongkai; Nakajima, Ken

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation. • The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. • AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring stem cell differentiation in a non-invasive manner. - Abstract: A real-time method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation by measuring the mechanical properties of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. It is clear that AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring the differentiation of stem cells in a non-invasive manner.

  15. Probing stem cell differentiation using atomic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Xiaobin [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Shi, Xuetao, E-mail: mrshixuetao@gmail.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641 (China); Ostrovidov, Serge [WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); Wu, Hongkai, E-mail: chhkwu@ust.hk [Department of Chemistry & Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Nakajima, Ken [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

    2016-03-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation. • The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. • AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring stem cell differentiation in a non-invasive manner. - Abstract: A real-time method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation by measuring the mechanical properties of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. It is clear that AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring the differentiation of stem cells in a non-invasive manner.

  16. Tracking niche variation over millennial timescales in sympatric killer whale lineages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foote, Andrew David; Newton, Jason; Avila Arcos, Maria del Carmen

    2013-01-01

    and investigate the evolutionary outcomes. Isotopic ratios were measured from tissue samples of sympatric killer whale Orcinus orca lineages from the North Sea, spanning over 10 000 years. Isotopic ratios spanned a range similar to the difference in isotopic values of two known prey items, herring Clupea harengus...

  17. Stem Cells from Cryopreserved Human Dental Pulp Tissues Sequentially Differentiate into Definitive Endoderm and Hepatocyte-Like Cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Young-Jin; Kang, Young-Hoon; Shivakumar, Sarath Belame; Bharti, Dinesh; Son, Young-Bum; Choi, Yong-Ho; Park, Won-Uk; Byun, June-Ho; Rho, Gyu-Jin; Park, Bong-Wook

    2017-01-01

    We previously described a novel tissue cryopreservation protocol to enable the safe preservation of various autologous stem cell sources. The present study characterized the stem cells derived from long-term cryopreserved dental pulp tissues (hDPSCs-cryo) and analyzed their differentiation into definitive endoderm (DE) and hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) in vitro . Human dental pulp tissues from extracted wisdom teeth were cryopreserved as per a slow freezing tissue cryopreservation protocol for at least a year. Characteristics of hDPSCs-cryo were compared to those of stem cells from fresh dental pulps (hDPSCs-fresh). hDPSCs-cryo were differentiated into DE cells in vitro with Activin A as per the Wnt3a protocol for 6 days. These cells were further differentiated into HLCs in the presence of growth factors until day 30. hDPSCs-fresh and hDPSCs-cryo displayed similar cell growth morphology, cell proliferation rates, and mesenchymal stem cell character. During differentiation into DE and HLCs in vitro , the cells flattened and became polygonal in shape, and finally adopted a hepatocyte-like shape. The differentiated DE cells at day 6 and HLCs at day 30 displayed significantly increased DE- and hepatocyte-specific markers at the mRNA and protein level, respectively. In addition, the differentiated HLCs showed detoxification and glycogen storage capacities, indicating they could share multiple functions with real hepatocytes. These data conclusively show that hPDSCs-cryo derived from long-term cryopreserved dental pulp tissues can be successfully differentiated into DE and functional hepatocytes in vitro . Thus, preservation of dental tissues could provide a valuable source of autologous stem cells for tissue engineering.

  18. Pathologic Stimulus Determines Lineage Commitment of Cardiac C-kit+ Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhongming; Zhu, Wuqiang; Bender, Ingrid; Gong, Wuming; Kwak, Il-Youp; Yellamilli, Amritha; Hodges, Thomas J; Nemoto, Natsumi; Zhang, Jianyi; Garry, Daniel J; van Berlo, Jop H

    2017-12-12

    Although cardiac c-kit + cells are being tested in clinical trials, the circumstances that determine lineage differentiation of c-kit + cells in vivo are unknown. Recent findings suggest that endogenous cardiac c-kit + cells rarely contribute cardiomyocytes to the adult heart. We assessed whether various pathological stimuli differentially affect the eventual cell fates of c-kit + cells. We used single-cell sequencing and genetic lineage tracing of c-kit + cells to determine whether various pathological stimuli would result in different fates of c-kit + cells. Single-cell sequencing of cardiac CD45 - c-kit + cells showed innate heterogeneity, indicative of the existence of vascular and mesenchymal c-kit + cells in normal hearts. Cardiac pressure overload resulted in a modest increase in c-kit-derived cardiomyocytes, with significant increases in the numbers of endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity did not increase c-kit-derived endothelial cell fates but instead induced cardiomyocyte differentiation. Mechanistically, doxorubicin-induced DNA damage in c-kit + cells resulted in expression of p53. Inhibition of p53 blocked cardiomyocyte differentiation in response to doxorubicin, whereas stabilization of p53 was sufficient to increase c-kit-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation. These results demonstrate that different pathological stimuli induce different cell fates of c-kit + cells in vivo. Although the overall rate of cardiomyocyte formation from c-kit + cells is still below clinically relevant levels, we show that p53 is central to the ability of c-kit + cells to adopt cardiomyocyte fates, which could lead to the development of strategies to preferentially generate cardiomyocytes from c-kit + cells. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  19. Isolation, characterization, and differentiation of multipotent neural progenitor cells from human cerebrospinal fluid in fetal cystic myelomeningocele

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Marotta

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Despite benefits of prenatal in utero repair of myelomeningocele, a severe type of spina bifida aperta, many of these patients will still suffer mild to severe impairment. One potential source of stem cells for new regenerative medicine-based therapeutic approaches for spinal cord injury repair is neural progenitor cells (NPCs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF. To this aim, we extracted CSF from the cyst surrounding the exposed neural placode during the surgical repair of myelomeningocele in 6 fetuses (20 to 26 weeks of gestation. In primary cultured CSF-derived cells, neurogenic properties were confirmed by in vitro differentiation into various neural lineage cell types, and NPC markers expression (TBR2, CD15, SOX2 were detected by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR analysis. Differentiation into three neural lineages was corroborated by arbitrary differentiation (depletion of growths factors or explicit differentiation as neuronal, astrocyte, or oligodendrocyte cell types using specific induction mediums. Differentiated cells showed the specific expression of neural differentiation markers (βIII-tubulin, GFAP, CNPase, oligo-O1. In myelomeningocele patients, CSF-derived cells could become a potential source of NPCs with neurogenic capacity. Our findings support the development of innovative stem-cell-based therapeutics by autologous transplantation of CSF-derived NPCs in damaged spinal cords, such as myelomeningocele, thus promoting neural tissue regeneration in fetuses.

  20. Stem cell technology using bioceramics: hard tissue regeneration towards clinical application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroe Ohnishi, Yasuaki Oda and Hajime Ohgushi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are adult stem cells which show differentiation capabilities toward various cell lineages. We have already used MSCs for treatments of osteoarthritis, bone necrosis and bone tumor. For this purpose, culture expanded MSCs were combined with various ceramics and then implanted. Because of rejection response to allogeneic MSC implantation, we have utilized patients' own MSCs for the treatment. Bone marrow is a good cell source of MSCs, although the MSCs also exist in adipose tissue. When comparing osteogenic differentiation of these MSCs, bone marrow MSCs show more extensive bone forming capability than adipose MSCs. Thus, the bone marrow MSCs are useful for bone tissue regeneration. However, the MSCs show limited proliferation and differentiation capabilities that hindered clinical applications in some cases. Recent advances reveal that transduction of plural transcription factors into human adult cells results in generation of new type of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells. A drawback of the iPS cells for clinical applications is tumor formation after their in vivo implantation; therefore it is difficult to use iPS cells for the treatment. To circumvent the problem, we transduced a single factor of either SOX2 or NANOG into the MSCs and found high proliferation as well as osteogenic differentiation capabilities of the MSCs. The stem cells could be combined with bioceramics for clinical applications. Here, we summarize our recent technologies using adult stem cells in viewpoints of bone tissue regeneration.

  1. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zuanfang; Li, Chao; Lin, Duo; Huang, Zufang; Pan, Jianji; Chen, Guannan; Lin, Juqiang; Liu, Nenrong; Yu, Yun; Feng, Shangyuan; Chen, Rong

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of applying silver nano-particle based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to discriminate different types of human thyroid tissues. SERS measurements were performed on three groups of tissue samples including thyroid cancers (n = 32), nodular goiters (n = 20) and normal thyroid tissues (n = 25). Tentative assignments of the measured tissue SERS spectra suggest interesting cancer specific biomolecular differences. The principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminate analysis (LDA) together with the leave-one-out, cross-validated technique yielded diagnostic sensitivities of 92%, 75% and 87.5%; and specificities of 82.6%, 89.4% and 84.4%, respectively, for differentiation among normal, nodular and malignant thyroid tissue samples. This work demonstrates that tissue SERS spectroscopy associated with multivariate analysis diagnostic algorithms has great potential for detection of thyroid cancer at the molecular level.

  2. Lineage-Specific Expansion of the Chalcone Synthase Gene Family in Rosids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kattina Zavala

    Full Text Available Rosids are a monophyletic group that includes approximately 70,000 species in 140 families, and they are found in a variety of habitats and life forms. Many important crops such as fruit trees and legumes are rosids. The evolutionary success of this group may have been influenced by their ability to produce flavonoids, secondary metabolites that are synthetized through a branch of the phenylpropanoid pathway where chalcone synthase is a key enzyme. In this work, we studied the evolution of the chalcone synthase gene family in 12 species belonging to the rosid clade. Our results show that the last common ancestor of the rosid clade possessed six chalcone synthase gene lineages that were differentially retained during the evolutionary history of the group. In fact, of the six gene lineages that were present in the last common ancestor, 7 species retained 2 of them, whereas the other 5 only retained one gene lineage. We also show that one of the gene lineages was disproportionately expanded in species that belonged to the order Fabales (soybean, barrel medic and Lotus japonicas. Based on the available literature, we suggest that this gene lineage possesses stress-related biological functions (e.g., response to UV light, pathogen defense. We propose that the observed expansion of this clade was a result of a selective pressure to increase the amount of enzymes involved in the production of phenylpropanoid pathway-derived secondary metabolites, which is consistent with the hypothesis that suggested that lineage-specific expansions fuel plant adaptation.

  3. Lineage-specific function of Engrailed-2 in the progression of chronic myelogenous leukemia to T-cell blast crisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abollo-Jiménez, Fernando; Campos-Sánchez, Elena; Toboso-Navasa, Amparo; Vicente-Dueñas, Carolina; González-Herrero, Inés; Alonso-Escudero, Esther; González, Marcos; Segura, Víctor; Blanco, Oscar; Martínez-Climent, José Angel; Sánchez-García, Isidro; Cobaleda, César

    2014-01-01

    In hematopoietic malignancies, oncogenic alterations interfere with cellular differentiation and lead to tumoral development. Identification of the proteins regulating differentiation is essential to understand how they are altered in malignancies. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a biphasic disease initiated by an alteration taking place in hematopoietic stem cells. CML progresses to a blast crisis (BC) due to a secondary differentiation block in any of the hematopoietic lineages. However, the molecular mechanisms of CML evolution to T-cell BC remain unclear. Here, we have profiled the changes in DNA methylation patterns in human samples from BC-CML, in order to identify genes whose expression is epigenetically silenced during progression to T-cell lineage-specific BC. We have found that the CpG-island of the ENGRAILED-2 (EN2) gene becomes methylated in this progression. Afterwards, we demonstrate that En2 is expressed during T-cell development in mice and humans. Finally, we further show that genetic deletion of En2 in a CML transgenic mouse model induces a T-cell lineage BC that recapitulates human disease. These results identify En2 as a new regulator of T-cell differentiation whose disruption induces a malignant T-cell fate in CML progression, and validate the strategy used to identify new developmental regulators of hematopoiesis.

  4. AMPK governs lineage specification through Tfeb-dependent regulation of lysosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Nathan P; Kamireddy, Anwesh; Van Nostrand, Jeanine L; Eichner, Lillian J; Shokhirev, Maxim Nikolaievich; Dayn, Yelena; Shaw, Reuben J

    2016-03-01

    Faithful execution of developmental programs relies on the acquisition of unique cell identities from pluripotent progenitors, a process governed by combinatorial inputs from numerous signaling cascades that ultimately dictate lineage-specific transcriptional outputs. Despite growing evidence that metabolism is integrated with many molecular networks, how pathways that control energy homeostasis may affect cell fate decisions is largely unknown. Here, we show that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a central metabolic regulator, plays critical roles in lineage specification. Although AMPK-deficient embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were normal in the pluripotent state, these cells displayed profound defects upon differentiation, failing to generate chimeric embryos and preferentially adopting an ectodermal fate at the expense of the endoderm during embryoid body (EB) formation. AMPK(-/-) EBs exhibited reduced levels of Tfeb, a master transcriptional regulator of lysosomes, leading to diminished endolysosomal function. Remarkably, genetic loss of Tfeb also yielded endodermal defects, while AMPK-null ESCs overexpressing this transcription factor normalized their differential potential, revealing an intimate connection between Tfeb/lysosomes and germ layer specification. The compromised endolysosomal system resulting from AMPK or Tfeb inactivation blunted Wnt signaling, while up-regulating this pathway restored expression of endodermal markers. Collectively, these results uncover the AMPK pathway as a novel regulator of cell fate determination during differentiation. © 2016 Young et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  5. B lymphocyte lineage cells and the respiratory system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Atsushi; Hulse, Kathryn E.; Tan, Bruce K.; Schleimer, Robert P.

    2013-01-01

    Adaptive humoral immune responses in the airways are mediated by B cells and plasma cells that express highly evolved and specific receptors and produce immunoglobulins of most isotypes. In some cases, such as autoimmune diseases or inflammatory diseases caused by excessive exposure to foreign antigens, these same immune cells can cause disease by virtue of overly vigorous responses. This review discusses the generation, differentiation, signaling, activation and recruitment pathways of B cells and plasma cells, with special emphasis on unique characteristics of subsets of these cells functioning within the respiratory system. The primary sensitization events that generate B cells responsible for effector responses throughout the airways usually occur in the upper airways, in tonsils and adenoid structures that make up Waldeyer’s Ring. Upon secondary exposure to antigen in the airways, antigen-processing dendritic cells migrate into secondary lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes that drain the upper and lower airways and further B cell expansion takes place at those sites. Antigen exposure in the upper or lower airways can also drive expansion of B lineage cells in the airway mucosal tissue and lead to the formation of inducible lymphoid follicles or aggregates that can mediate local immunity or disease. PMID:23540615

  6. Bioprinting and Differentiation of Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott A. Irvine

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The 3D bioprinting of stem cells directly into scaffolds offers great potential for the development of regenerative therapies; in particular for the fabrication of organ and tissue substitutes. For this to be achieved; the lineage fate of bioprinted stem cell must be controllable. Bioprinting can be neutral; allowing culture conditions to trigger differentiation or alternatively; the technique can be designed to be stimulatory. Such factors as the particular bioprinting technique; bioink polymers; polymer cross-linking mechanism; bioink additives; and mechanical properties are considered. In addition; it is discussed that the stimulation of stem cell differentiation by bioprinting may lead to the remodeling and modification of the scaffold over time matching the concept of 4D bioprinting. The ability to tune bioprinting properties as an approach to fabricate stem cell bearing scaffolds and to also harness the benefits of the cells multipotency is of considerable relevance to the field of biomaterials and bioengineering.

  7. In vitro differentiation of rat spermatogonia into round spermatids in tissue culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reda, A; Hou, M; Winton, T R; Chapin, R E; Söder, O; Stukenborg, J-B

    2016-09-01

    Do the organ culture conditions, previously defined for in vitro murine male germ cell differentiation, also result in differentiation of rat spermatogonia into post-meiotic germ cells exhibiting specific markers for haploid germ cells? We demonstrated the differentiation of rat spermatogonia into post-meiotic cells in vitro, with emphasis on exhibiting, protein markers described for round spermatids. Full spermatogenesis in vitro from immature germ cells using an organ culture technique in mice was first reported 5 years ago. However, no studies reporting the differentiation of rat spermatogonia into post-meiotic germ cells exhibiting the characteristic protein expression profile or into functional sperm have been reported. Organ culture of testicular fragments of 5 days postpartum (dpp) neonatal rats was performed for up to 52 days. Evaluation of microscopic morphology, testosterone levels, mRNA and protein expression as measured by RT-qPCR and immunostaining were conducted to monitor germ cell differentiation in vitro. Potential effects of melatonin, Glutamax® medium, retinoic acid and the presence of epidydimal fat tissue on the spermatogenic process were evaluated. A minimum of three biological replicates were performed for all experiments presented in this study. One-way ANOVA, ANOVA on ranks and student's t-test were applied to perform the statistical analysis. Male germ cells, present in testicular tissue pieces grown from 5 dpp rats, exhibited positive protein expression for Acrosin and Crem (cAMP (cyclic adenosine mono phosphate) response element modulator) after 52 days of culture in vitro. Intra-testicular testosterone production could be observed after 3 days of culture, while when epididymal fat tissue was added, spontaneous contractility of cultured seminiferous tubules could be observed after 21 days. However, no supportive effect of the supplementation with any factor or the co-culturing with epididymal fat tissue on germ cell differentiation in

  8. Soft tissue metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed by {sup 18}F FDG PET-CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Califano, Ines; Quildrian, Sergio; Otero, Jose; Coduti, Martin; Califano, Leonardo; Rojas Bilbao, Erica, E-mail: ines.m.califano@gmail.com [Instituto de Oncologia Angel H. Roffo, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2013-06-15

    Distant metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer are unusual; lung and bones are the most frequently affected sites. Soft tissue metastases (STM) are extremely rare. We describe two cases of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer metastasizing to soft tissues. Both patients had widespread metastatic disease; clinically asymptomatic soft tissue metastases were found by 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ({sup 18}F FDG PET-CT), and confirmed by cytological and/or histopathological studies. These findings underscore the ability of {sup 18}F FDG PET-CT in accurately assessing the extent of the disease, as well as the utility of the method to evaluate regions of the body that are not routinely explored. (author)

  9. Bistable switches control memory and plasticity in cellular differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Walker, Brandon L.; Iannaccone, Stephen; Bhatt, Devang; Kennedy, Patrick J.; Tse, William T.

    2009-01-01

    Development of stem and progenitor cells into specialized tissues in multicellular organisms involves a series of cell fate decisions. Cellular differentiation in higher organisms is generally considered irreversible, and the idea of developmental plasticity in postnatal tissues is controversial. Here, we show that inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in a human bone marrow stromal cell-derived myogenic subclone suppresses their myogenic ability and converts them into satellite cell-like precursors that respond to osteogenic stimulation. Clonal analysis of the induced osteogenic response reveals ultrasensitivity and an “all-or-none” behavior, hallmarks of a bistable switch mechanism with stochastic noise. The response demonstrates cellular memory, which is contingent on the accumulation of an intracellular factor and can be erased by factor dilution through cell divisions or inhibition of protein synthesis. The effect of MAPK inhibition also exhibits memory and appears to be controlled by another bistable switch further upstream that determines cell fate. Once the memory associated with osteogenic differentiation is erased, the cells regain their myogenic ability. These results support a model of cell fate decision in which a network of bistable switches controls inducible production of lineage-specific differentiation factors. A competitive balance between these factors determines cell fate. Our work underscores the dynamic nature of cellular differentiation and explains mechanistically the dual properties of stability and plasticity associated with the process. PMID:19366677

  10. Ectopic Hard Tissue Formation by Odonto/Osteogenically In Vitro Differentiated Human Deciduous Teeth Pulp Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seunghye; Song, Je Seon; Jeon, Mijeong; Shin, Dong Min; Kim, Seong-Oh; Lee, Jae Ho

    2015-07-01

    There have been many attempts to use the pulp tissue from human deciduous teeth for dentin or bone regeneration. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of odonto/osteogenic in vitro differentiation of deciduous teeth pulp stem cells (DTSCs) on their in vivo hard tissue-forming potential. DTSCs were isolated from extracted deciduous teeth using the outgrowth method. These cells were exposed to odonto/osteogenic stimuli for 4 and 8 days (Day 4 and Day 8 groups, respectively), while cells in the control group were cultured in normal medium. The in vitro differentiated DTSCs and the control DTSCs were transplanted subcutaneously into immunocompromised mice with macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate and sacrificed at 8 weeks post-implantation. The effect of odonto/osteogenic in vitro differentiation was evaluated using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The in vivo effect was evaluated by qualitative RT-PCR, assessment of ALP activity, histologic analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. The amount of hard tissue was greater in Day 4 group than Day 8 group (p = 0.014). However, Day 8 group generated lamellar bone-like structure, which was immunonegative to anti-human dentin sialoprotein with significantly low expression level of DSPP compared with the control group (p = 0.008). This study demonstrates that odonto/osteogenic in vitro differentiation of DTSCs enhances the formation of bone-like tissue, instead of dentin-like tissue, when transplanted subcutaneously using MBCP as a carrier. The odonto/osteogenic in vitro differentiation of DTSCs may be an effective modification that enhances in vivo bone formation by DTSCs.

  11. Synergy between Allopatry and Ecology in Population Differentiation and Speciation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yann Surget-Groba

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The general diversity pattern of the Caribbean anole radiation has been described in detail; however, the actual mechanisms at the origin of their diversification remain controversial. In particular, the role of ecological speciation, and the relative importance of divergence in allopatry and in parapatry, is debated. We describe the genetic structure of anole populations across lineage contact zones and ecotones to investigate the effect of allopatric divergence, natural selection, and the combination of both factors on population differentiation. Allopatric divergence had no significant impact on differentiation across the lineage boundary, while a clear bimodality in genetic and morphological characters was observed across an ecotone within a single lineage. Critically, the strongest differentiation was observed when allopatry and ecology act together, leading to a sharp reduction in gene flow between two lineages inhabiting different habitats. We suggest that, for Caribbean anoles to reach full speciation, a synergistic combination of several historical and ecological factors may be requisite.

  12. Micro-/Nano- sized hydroxyapatite directs differentiation of rat bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells towards an osteoblast lineage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yan; Zhou, Gang; Zheng, Lisha; Liu, Haifeng; Niu, Xufeng; Fan, Yubo

    2012-03-01

    Regenerative medicine consisting of cells and materials provides a new way for the repair and regeneration of tissues and organs. Nano-biomaterials are highlighted due to their advantageous features compared with conventional micro-materials. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of micro-/nano- sized hydroxyapatite (μ/n-HA) on the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). μ/n-HA were prepared by a microwave synthesizer and precipitation method, respectively. Different sizes of μ/n-HA were characterized by IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and co-cultured with rBMSCs. It was shown that rBMSCs expressed higher levels of osteoblast-related markers by n-HA than μ-HA stimulation. The size of HA is an important factor for affecting the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. This provides a new avenue for mechanistic studies of stem cell differentiation and a new approach to obtain more committed differentiated cells.

  13. Nanoceramics on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in bone tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethu, Sai Nievethitha; Namashivayam, Subhapradha; Devendran, Saravanan; Nagarajan, Selvamurugan; Tsai, Wei-Bor; Narashiman, Srinivasan; Ramachandran, Murugesan; Ambigapathi, Moorthi

    2017-05-01

    Bone, a highly dynamic connective tissue, consist of a bioorganic phase comprising osteogenic cells and proteins which lies over an inorganic phase predominantly made of CaPO 4 (biological apatite). Injury to bone can be due to mechanical, metabolic or inflammatory agents also owing pathological conditions like fractures, osteomyelitis, osteolysis or cysts may arise in enameloid, chondroid, cementum, or chondroid bone which forms the intermediate tissues of the body. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) applies bioactive scaffolds, host cells and osteogenic signals for restoring damaged or diseased tissues. Various bioceramics used in BTE can be bioactive (like glass ceramics and hydroxyapatite bioactive glass), bioresorbable (like tricalcium phosphates) or bioinert (like zirconia and alumina). Limiting the size of these materials to nano-scale has resulted in a higher surface area to volume ratio thereby improving multi-functionality, solubility, surface catalytic activity, high heat and electrical conductivity. Nanoceramics have been found to induce osteoconduction, osteointegration, osteogenesis and osteoinduction. The present review aims at summarizing the interactions of nanoceramics and osteoblast/stem cells for promoting the proliferation and differentiation of the osteoblast cells by nanoceramics as superior bone substitutes in bone tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Corroboration of mechanoregulatory algorithms for tissue differentiation during fracture healing: comparison with in vivo results

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Isaksson, H.E.; Donkelaar, van C.C.; Huiskes, R.; Ito, K.

    2006-01-01

    Several mechanoregulation algorithms proposed to control tissue differentiation during bone healing have been shown to accurately predict temporal and spatial tissue distributions during normal fracture healing. As these algorithms are different in nature and biophysical parameters, it raises the

  15. Identification of transcript regulatory patterns in cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gusnanto, Arief; Gosling, John Paul; Pope, Christopher

    2017-10-15

    Studying transcript regulatory patterns in cell differentiation is critical in understanding its complex nature of the formation and function of different cell types. This is done usually by measuring gene expression at different stages of the cell differentiation. However, if the gene expression data available are only from the mature cells, we have some challenges in identifying transcript regulatory patterns that govern the cell differentiation. We propose to exploit the information of the lineage of cell differentiation in terms of correlation structure between cell types. We assume that two different cell types that are close in the lineage will exhibit many common genes that are co-expressed relative to those that are far in the lineage. Current analysis methods tend to ignore this correlation by testing for differential expression assuming some sort of independence between cell types. We employ a Bayesian approach to estimate the posterior distribution of the mean of expression in each cell type, by taking into account the cell formation path in the lineage. This enables us to infer genes that are specific in each cell type, indicating the genes are involved in directing the cell differentiation to that particular cell type. We illustrate the method using gene expression data from a study of haematopoiesis. R codes to perform the analysis are available in http://www1.maths.leeds.ac.uk/∼arief/R/CellDiff/. a.gusnanto@leeds.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  16. Multilayered dense collagen-silk fibroin hybrid: a platform for mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghezzi, Chiara E; Marelli, Benedetto; Donelli, Ilaria; Alessandrino, Antonio; Freddi, Giuliano; Nazhat, Showan N

    2017-07-01

    Type I collagen is a major structural and functional protein in connective tissues. However, collagen gels exhibit unstable geometrical properties, arising from extensive cell-mediated contraction. In an effort to stabilize collagen-based hydrogels, plastic compression was used to hybridize dense collagen (DC) with electrospun silk fibroin (SF) mats, generating multilayered DC-SF-DC constructs. Seeded mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-mediated DC-SF-DC contraction, as well as growth and differentiation under chondrogenic and osteogenic supplements, were compared to those seeded in DC and on SF alone. The incorporation of SF within DC prevented extensive cell-mediated collagen gel contraction. The effect of the multilayered hybrid on MSC remodelling capacity was also evident at the transcription level, where the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitor (MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP13 and Timp1) by MSCs within DC-SF-DC were comparable to those on SF and significantly downregulated in comparison to DC, except for Timp1. Chondrogenic supplements stimulated extracellular matrix production within the construct, stabilizing its multilayered structure and promoting MSC chondrogenic differentiation, as indicated by the upregulation of the genes Col2a1 and Agg and the production of collagen type II. In osteogenic medium there was an upregulation in ALP and OP along with the presence of an apatitic phase, indicating MSC osteoblastic differentiation and matrix mineralization. In sum, these results have implications on the modulation of three-dimensional collagen-based gel structural stability and on the stimulation and maintenance of the MSC committed phenotype inherent to the in vitro formation of chondral tissue and bone, as well as on potential multilayered complex tissues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Differentiation of retinal ganglion cells and photoreceptor precursors from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells carrying an Atoh7/Math5 lineage reporter.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin-Bin Xie

    Full Text Available The neural retina is a critical component of the visual system, which provides the majority of sensory input in humans. Various retinal degenerative diseases can result in the permanent loss of retinal neurons, especially the light-sensing photoreceptors and the centrally projecting retinal ganglion cells (RGCs. The replenishment of lost RGCs and the repair of optic nerve damage are particularly challenging, as both RGC specification and their subsequent axonal growth and projection involve complex and precise regulation. To explore the developmental potential of pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors, we have established mouse iPS cells that allow cell lineage tracing of progenitors that have expressed Atoh7/Math5, a bHLH transcription factor required for RGC production. These Atoh7 lineage reporter iPS cells encode Cre to replace one copy of the endogenous Atoh7 gene and a Cre-dependent YFP reporter in the ROSA locus. In addition, they express pluripotent markers and are capable of generating teratomas in vivo. Under anterior neural induction and neurogenic conditions in vitro, the Atoh7-Cre/ROSA-YFP iPS cells differentiate into neurons that co-express various RGC markers and YFP, indicating that these neurons are derived from Atoh7-expressing progenitors. Consistent with previous in vivo cell lineage studies, the Atoh7-Cre/ROSA-YFP iPS cells also give rise to a subset of Crx-positive photoreceptor precursors. Furthermore, inhibition of Notch signaling in the iPSC cultures results in a significant increase of YFP-positive RGCs and photoreceptor precursors. Together, these results show that Atoh7-Cre/ROSA-YFP iPS cells can be used to monitor the development and survival of RGCs and photoreceptors from pluripotent stem cells.

  18. Mouse androgenetic embryonic stem cells differentiated to multiple cell lineages in three embryonic germ layers in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teramura, Takeshi; Onodera, Yuta; Murakami, Hideki; Ito, Syunsuke; Mihara, Toshihiro; Takehara, Toshiyuki; Kato, Hiromi; Mitani, Tasuku; Anzai, Masayuki; Matsumoto, Kazuya; Saeki, Kazuhiro; Fukuda, Kanji; Sagawa, Norimasa; Osoi, Yoshihiko

    2009-06-01

    The embryos of some rodents and primates can precede early development without the process of fertilization; however, they cease to develop after implantation because of restricted expressions of imprinting genes. Asexually developed embryos are classified into parthenote/gynogenote and androgenote by their genomic origins. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from asexual origins have also been reported. To date, ESCs derived from parthenogenetic embryos (PgESCs) have been established in some species, including humans, and the possibility to be alternative sources for autologous cell transplantation in regenerative medicine has been proposed. However, some developmental characteristics, which might be important for therapeutic applications, such as multiple differentiation capacity and transplantability of the ESCs of androgenetic origin (AgESCs) are uncertain. Here, we induced differentiation of mouse AgESCs and observed derivation of neural cells, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes in vitro. Following differentiated embryoid body (EB) transplantation in various mouse strains including the strain of origin, we found that the EBs could engraft in theoretically MHC-matched strains. Our results indicate that AgESCs possess at least two important characteristics, multiple differentiation properties in vitro and transplantability after differentiation, and suggest that they can also serve as a source of histocompatible tissues for transplantation.

  19. Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth on poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers containing strontium phosphate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Wen-Ta, E-mail: f10549@ntut.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Wu, Pai-Shuen [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Huang, Te-Yang [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2015-01-01

    Mimicking the architecture of the extracellular matrix is an effective strategy for tissue engineering. Composite nanofibers similar to natural bone structure can be prepared via an electrospinning technique and used in biomedical applications. Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) can differentiate into multiple cell lineages, such as cells that are alternative sources of stem cells for tissue engineering. Strontium has important functions in bone remodeling; for example, this element can simulate bone formation and decrease bone resorption. Incorporating strontium phosphate into nanofibers provides a potential material for bone tissue engineering. This study investigated the potential of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers coated or blended with strontium phosphate for the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. Cellular morphology and MTT assay revealed that nanofibers effectively support cellular attachment, spreading, and proliferation. Strontium-loaded PCL nanofibers exhibited higher expressions of collagen type I, alkaline phosphatase, biomineralization, and bone-related genes than pure PCL nanofibers during the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. This study demonstrated that strontium can be an effective inducer of osteogenesis for SHEDs. Understanding the function of bioceramics (such as strontium) is useful in designing and developing strategies for bone tissue engineering. - Highlights: • SHEDs have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering. • Strontium phosphate into nanofibers provides a potential material for bone tissue engineering. • Nanofibers coated or blended with strontium phosphate for the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs.

  20. Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth on poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers containing strontium phosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Wen-Ta; Wu, Pai-Shuen; Huang, Te-Yang

    2015-01-01

    Mimicking the architecture of the extracellular matrix is an effective strategy for tissue engineering. Composite nanofibers similar to natural bone structure can be prepared via an electrospinning technique and used in biomedical applications. Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) can differentiate into multiple cell lineages, such as cells that are alternative sources of stem cells for tissue engineering. Strontium has important functions in bone remodeling; for example, this element can simulate bone formation and decrease bone resorption. Incorporating strontium phosphate into nanofibers provides a potential material for bone tissue engineering. This study investigated the potential of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers coated or blended with strontium phosphate for the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. Cellular morphology and MTT assay revealed that nanofibers effectively support cellular attachment, spreading, and proliferation. Strontium-loaded PCL nanofibers exhibited higher expressions of collagen type I, alkaline phosphatase, biomineralization, and bone-related genes than pure PCL nanofibers during the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. This study demonstrated that strontium can be an effective inducer of osteogenesis for SHEDs. Understanding the function of bioceramics (such as strontium) is useful in designing and developing strategies for bone tissue engineering. - Highlights: • SHEDs have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering. • Strontium phosphate into nanofibers provides a potential material for bone tissue engineering. • Nanofibers coated or blended with strontium phosphate for the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs

  1. Fibroblast growth factor-2 stimulates adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakudo, Natsuko; Shimotsuma, Ayuko; Kusumoto, Kenji

    2007-01-01

    Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have demonstrated a capacity for differentiating into a variety of lineages, including bone, cartilage, or fat, depending on the inducing stimuli and specific growth and factors. It is acknowledged that fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) promotes chondrogenic and inhibits osteogenic differentiation of ASCs, but thorough investigations of its effects on adipogenic differentiation are lacking. In this study, we demonstrate at the cellular and molecular levels the effect of FGF-2 on adipogenic differentiation of ASCs, as induced by an adipogenic hormonal cocktail consisting of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), dexamethasone, insulin, and indomethacin. FGF-2 significantly enhances the adipogenic differentiation of human ASCs. Furthermore, in cultures receiving FGF-2 before adipogenic induction, mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2), a key transcription factor in adipogenesis, was upregulated. The results of FGF-2 supplementation suggest the potential applications of FGF-2 and ASCs in adipose tissue regeneration

  2. Matrix-directed differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells to dermal-like fibroblasts that produce extracellular matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivan, Unnikrishnan; Jayakumar, K; Krishnan, Lissy K

    2016-10-01

    Commercially available skin substitutes lack essential non-immune cells for adequate tissue regeneration of non-healing wounds. A tissue-engineered, patient-specific, dermal substitute could be an attractive option for regenerating chronic wounds, for which adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) could become an autologous source. However, ADMSCs are multipotent in nature and may differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes in vitro, and may develop into undesirable tissues upon transplantation. Therefore, ADMSCs committed to the fibroblast lineage could be a better option for in vitro or in vivo skin tissue engineering. The objective of this study was to standardize in vitro culture conditions for ADMSCs differentiation into dermal-like fibroblasts which can synthesize extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Biomimetic matrix composite, deposited on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), and differentiation medium (DM), supplemented with fibroblast-conditioned medium and growth factors, were used as a fibroblast-specific niche (FSN) for cell culture. For controls, ADMSCs were cultured on bare TCPS with either DM or basal medium (BM). Culture of ADMSCs on FSN upregulated the expression of differentiation markers such as fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and a panel of ECM molecules specific to the dermis, such as fibrillin-1, collagen I, collagen IV and elastin. Immunostaining showed the deposition of dermal-specific ECM, which was significantly higher in FSN compared to control. Fibroblasts derived from ADMSCs can synthesize elastin, which is an added advantage for successful skin tissue engineering as compared to fibroblasts from skin biopsy. To obtain rapid differentiation of ADMSCs to dermal-like fibroblasts for regenerative medicine, a matrix-directed differentiation strategy may be employed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Role of differential physical properties in the collective mechanics and dynamics of tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Moumita

    Living cells and tissues are highly mechanically sensitive and active. Mechanical stimuli influence the shape, motility, and functions of cells, modulate the behavior of tissues, and play a key role in several diseases. In this talk I will discuss how collective biophysical properties of tissues emerge from the interplay between differential mechanical properties and statistical physics of underlying components, focusing on two complementary tissue types whose properties are primarily determined by (1) the extracellular matrix (ECM), and (2) individual and collective cell properties. I will start with the structure-mechanics-function relationships in articular cartilage (AC), a soft tissue that has very few cells, and its mechanical response is primarily due to its ECM. AC is a remarkable tissue: it can support loads exceeding ten times our body weight and bear 60+ years of daily mechanical loading despite having minimal regenerative capacity. I will discuss the biophysical principles underlying this exceptional mechanical response using the framework of rigidity percolation theory, and compare our predictions with experiments done by our collaborators. Next I will discuss ongoing theoretical work on how the differences in cell mechanics, motility, adhesion, and proliferation in a co-culture of breast cancer cells and healthy breast epithelial cells may modulate experimentally observed differential migration and segregation. Our results may provide insights into the mechanobiology of tissues with cell populations with different physical properties present together such as during the formation of embryos or the initiation of tumors. This work was partially supported by a Cottrell College Science Award.

  4. Mouse prenatal platelet-forming lineages share a core transcriptional program but divergent dependence on MPL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potts, Kathryn S; Sargeant, Tobias J; Dawson, Caleb A; Josefsson, Emma C; Hilton, Douglas J; Alexander, Warren S; Taoudi, Samir

    2015-08-06

    The thrombopoietic environment of the neonate is established during prenatal life; therefore, a comprehensive understanding of platelet-forming cell development during embryogenesis is critical to understanding the etiology of early-onset thrombocytopenia. The recent discovery that the first platelet-forming cells of the conceptus are not megakaryocytes (MKs) but diploid platelet-forming cells (DPFCs) revealed a previously unappreciated complexity in thrombopoiesis. This raises important questions, including the following. When do conventional MKs appear? Do pathogenic genetic lesions of adult MKs affect DPFCs? What role does myeloproliferative leukemia virus (MPL), a key regulator of adult megakaryopoiesis, play in prenatal platelet-forming lineages? We performed a comprehensive study to determine the spatial and temporal appearance of prenatal platelet-forming lineages. We demonstrate that DPFCs originate in the yolk sac and then rapidly migrate to other extra- and intraembryonic tissues. Using gene disruption models of Gata1 and Nfe2, we demonstrate that perturbing essential adult MK genes causes an analogous phenotype in the early embryo before the onset of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell-driven (definitive) hematopoiesis. Finally, we present the surprising finding that DPFC and MK commitment from their respective precursors is MPL independent in vivo but that completion of MK differentiation and establishment of the prenatal platelet mass is dependent on MPL expression. © 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.

  5. Feedback, Lineages and Self-Organizing Morphogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sameeran Kunche

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Feedback regulation of cell lineage progression plays an important role in tissue size homeostasis, but whether such feedback also plays an important role in tissue morphogenesis has yet to be explored. Here we use mathematical modeling to show that a particular feedback architecture in which both positive and negative diffusible signals act on stem and/or progenitor cells leads to the appearance of bistable or bi-modal growth behaviors, ultrasensitivity to external growth cues, local growth-driven budding, self-sustaining elongation, and the triggering of self-organization in the form of lamellar fingers. Such behaviors arise not through regulation of cell cycle speeds, but through the control of stem or progenitor self-renewal. Even though the spatial patterns that arise in this setting are the result of interactions between diffusible factors with antagonistic effects, morphogenesis is not the consequence of Turing-type instabilities.

  6. Feedback, Lineages and Self-Organizing Morphogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calof, Anne L.; Lowengrub, John S.; Lander, Arthur D.

    2016-01-01

    Feedback regulation of cell lineage progression plays an important role in tissue size homeostasis, but whether such feedback also plays an important role in tissue morphogenesis has yet to be explored. Here we use mathematical modeling to show that a particular feedback architecture in which both positive and negative diffusible signals act on stem and/or progenitor cells leads to the appearance of bistable or bi-modal growth behaviors, ultrasensitivity to external growth cues, local growth-driven budding, self-sustaining elongation, and the triggering of self-organization in the form of lamellar fingers. Such behaviors arise not through regulation of cell cycle speeds, but through the control of stem or progenitor self-renewal. Even though the spatial patterns that arise in this setting are the result of interactions between diffusible factors with antagonistic effects, morphogenesis is not the consequence of Turing-type instabilities. PMID:26989903

  7. Dynamics of lineage commitment revealed by single-cell transcriptomics of differentiating embryonic stem cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Semrau, Stefan; Goldmann, Johanna E; Soumillon, Magali; Mikkelsen, Tarjei S; Jaenisch, Rudolf; van Oudenaarden, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    Gene expression heterogeneity in the pluripotent state of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) has been increasingly well-characterized. In contrast, exit from pluripotency and lineage commitment have not been studied systematically at the single-cell level. Here we measure the gene expression

  8. Identification of novel adipokines in the joint. Differential expression in healthy and osteoarthritis tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Conde

    Full Text Available Emerging data suggest that several metabolic factors, released mainly by white adipose tissue (WAT and joint tissues, and collectively named adipokines, might have a role in the pathophysiology of OA. Recently, novel adipokines such as SERPINE2, WISP2, GPNMB and ITIH5 have been identified in WAT. The main goal of this study was to analyse the expression of these novel adipokines in synovium, infrapatellar fat pad and chondrocytes and to compare the expression of these molecules in healthy and OA tissues.Synovial tissues, infrapatellar fat pad and chondrocytes were obtained from 36 OA patients (age 52-85; mean BMI 28.9 who underwent total knee replacement surgery. Healthy synovial tissues and infrapatellar fat pad were obtained from 15 traumatic knee patients (age 23-53; mean BMI 23.5. mRNA and protein expression were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis respectively.All the novel adipokines, matter of our study, are expressed in OA synovium, infrapatellar fat pad and chondrocytes. Moreover, we detected a differential expression of SERPINE2 and ITIH5 in OA synovial tissues as compared to healthy samples. Finally, we also observed an increased expression of WISP2 in OA infrapatellar fat pad in comparison to healthy controls.In this study we demonstrated for the first time the expression of four novel adipokines in different joint tissues and how these molecules are differentially expressed in healthy and OA joint tissues.

  9. Genetic differentiation associated with host plants and geography among six widespread lineages of South American Blepharoneura fruit flies (Tephritidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tropical herbivorous insects are astonishingly diverse and many are highly host-specific. Much evidence suggests that herbivorous insect diversity is a function of host-plant diversity; yet, the diversity of some lineages exceeds the diversity of plants. Although most lineages of herbivorous fruit f...

  10. Using Polymer Confinement for Stem Cell Differentiation: 3D Printed vs Molded Scaffolds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafailovich, Miriam

    Additive manufacturing technologies are increasingly being used to replace standard extrusion or molding methods in engineering polymeric biomedical implants, which can be further seeded with cells for tissue regeneration. The principal advantage of this new technology is the ability to print directly from a scan and hence produce parts which are an ideal fit for an individual, eliminating much of the sizing and fitting associated with standard manufacturing methods. The question though arises whether devices which may be macroscopically similar, serve identical functions and are produced from the same material, interact in the same manner with cells and living tissue. Here we show that fundamental differences can exist between 3-D printed and extruded scaffolds which can impact stem cell differentiation and lineage selection. We will show how polymer confinement inherent in these methods affect the printed features on multiple length scales. We will also and how the differentiation of stem cells is affected by substrate heterogeneity in both morphological and mechanical features. NSF-Inspire award # 1344267.

  11. Distinct GAGE and MAGE-A expression during early human development indicate specific roles in lineage differentiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjerstorff, Morten; Harkness, Linda; Kassem, Moustapha

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Expression of cancer/testis-associated proteins (CTAs) has traditionally been considered to be restricted to germ cells in normal tissues and to different types of malignancies. We have evaluated the potential role of CTAs in early human development. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry...... and RT-PCR, we investigated the expression of CTAs in differentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and in late embryos and early fetuses. RESULTS: We found that melanoma antigen A (MAGE-A) family members were expressed during differentiation of hESC to embryoid bodies and in teratomas, and overlapped...... with expression of the neuroectodermal markers beta-tubulin 3, Pax6 and nestin. A widespread expression of MAGE-A was also observed in neurons of the early developing central nervous system and peripheral nerves. G antigen (GAGE) expression was present in the early ectoderm of embryos, including cells...

  12. Substrate stiffness and oxygen as regulators of stem cell differentiation during skeletal tissue regeneration: a mechanobiological model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darren Paul Burke

    Full Text Available Extrinsic mechanical signals have been implicated as key regulators of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC differentiation. It has been possible to test different hypotheses for mechano-regulated MSC differentiation by attempting to simulate regenerative events such as bone fracture repair, where repeatable spatial and temporal patterns of tissue differentiation occur. More recently, in vitro studies have identified other environmental cues such as substrate stiffness and oxygen tension as key regulators of MSC differentiation; however it remains unclear if and how such cues determine stem cell fate in vivo. As part of this study, a computational model was developed to test the hypothesis that substrate stiffness and oxygen tension regulate stem cell differentiation during fracture healing. Rather than assuming mechanical signals act directly on stem cells to determine their differentiation pathway, it is postulated that they act indirectly to regulate angiogenesis and hence partially determine the local oxygen environment within a regenerating tissue. Chondrogenesis of MSCs was hypothesized to occur in low oxygen regions, while in well vascularised regions of the regenerating tissue a soft local substrate was hypothesised to facilitate adipogenesis while a stiff substrate facilitated osteogenesis. Predictions from the model were compared to both experimental data and to predictions of a well established computational mechanobiological model where tissue differentiation is assumed to be regulated directly by the local mechanical environment. The model predicted all the major events of fracture repair, including cartilaginous bridging, endosteal and periosteal bony bridging and bone remodelling. It therefore provides support for the hypothesis that substrate stiffness and oxygen play a key role in regulating MSC fate during regenerative events such as fracture healing.

  13. Bioactive nanofibers for fibroblastic differentiation of mesenchymal precursor cells for ligament/tendon tissue engineering applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Sambit; Ang, Lay-Teng; Cho-Hong Goh, James; Toh, Siew-Lok

    2010-02-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells and precursor cells are ideal candidates for tendon and ligament tissue engineering; however, for the stem cell-based approach to succeed, these cells would be required to proliferate and differentiate into tendon/ligament fibroblasts on the tissue engineering scaffold. Among the various fiber-based scaffolds that have been used in tendon/ligament tissue engineering, hybrid fibrous scaffolds comprising both microfibers and nanofibers have been recently shown to be particularly promising. With the nanofibrous coating presenting a biomimetic surface, the scaffolds can also potentially mimic the natural extracellular matrix in function by acting as a depot for sustained release of growth factors. In this study, we demonstrate that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) could be successfully incorporated, randomly dispersed within blend-electrospun nanofibers and released in a bioactive form over 1 week. The released bioactive bFGF activated tyrosine phosphorylation signaling within seeded BMSCs. The bFGF-releasing nanofibrous scaffolds facilitated BMSC proliferation, upregulated gene expression of tendon/ligament-specific ECM proteins, increased production and deposition of collagen and tenascin-C, reduced multipotency of the BMSCs and induced tendon/ligament-like fibroblastic differentiation, indicating their potential in tendon/ligament tissue engineering applications. 2009 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Isolation and Multiple Differentiation Potential Assessment of Human Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Gao

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to isolate human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs from the gingiva (GMSCs and confirm their multiple differentiation potentials, including the odontogenic lineage. GMSCs, periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs and dermal stem cells (DSCs cultures were analyzed for cell shape, cell cycle, colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F and stem cell markers. Cells were then induced for osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation and analyzed for differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase (ALP activity, mineralization nodule formation and Runx2, ALP, osteocalcin (OCN and collagen I expressions for the osteogenic differentiation, and lipid vacuole formation and PPARγ-2 expression for the adipogenic differentiation. Besides, the odontogenic differentiation potential of GMSCs induced with embryonic tooth germ cell-conditioned medium (ETGC-CM was observed. GMSCs, PDLSCs and DSCs were all stromal origin. PDLSCs showed much higher osteogenic differentiation ability but lower adipogenic differentiation potential than DSCs. GMSCs showed the medial osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials between those of PDLSCs and DSCs. GMSCs were capable of expressing the odontogenic genes after ETGC-CM induction. This study provides evidence that GMSCs can be used in tissue engineering/regeneration protocols as an approachable stem cell source.

  15. Local Inflammatory Cues Regulate Differentiation and Persistence of CD8+ Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells

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    Tessa Bergsbaken

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Many pathogens initiate infection at mucosal surfaces, and tissue-resident memory T (Trm cells play an important role in protective immunity, yet the tissue-specific signals that regulate Trm differentiation are poorly defined. During Yersinia infection, CD8+ T cell recruitment to areas of inflammation within the intestine is required for differentiation of the CD103−CD69+ Trm subset. Intestinal proinflammatory microenvironments have elevated interferon (IFN-β and interleukin-12 (IL-12, which regulated Trm markers, including CD103. Type I interferon-receptor- or IL-12-receptor-deficient T cells functioned similarly to wild-type (WT cells during infection; however, the inability of T cells to respond to inflammation resulted in defective differentiation of CD103−CD69+ Trm cells and reduced Trm persistence. Intestinal macrophages were the main producers of IFN-β and IL-12 during infection, and deletion of CCR2+ IL-12-producing cells reduced the size of the CD103− Trm population. These data indicate that intestinal inflammation drives phenotypic diversity and abundance of Trm cells for optimal tissue-specific immunity.

  16. Time-dependent regulation of morphological changes and cartilage differentiation markers in the mouse pubic symphysis during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castelucci, Bianca Gazieri; Consonni, Sílvio Roberto; Rosa, Viviane Souza; Sensiate, Lucimara Aparecida; Delatti, Paula Cristina Rugno; Alvares, Lúcia Elvira; Joazeiro, Paulo Pinto

    2018-01-01

    Animal models commonly serve as a bridge between in vitro experiments and clinical applications; however, few physiological processes in adult animals are sufficient to serve as proof-of-concept models for cartilage regeneration. Intriguingly, some rodents, such as young adult mice, undergo physiological connective tissue modifications to birth canal elements such as the pubic symphysis during pregnancy; therefore, we investigated whether the differential expression of cartilage differentiation markers is associated with cartilaginous tissue morphological modifications during these changes. Our results showed that osteochondral progenitor cells expressing Runx2, Sox9, Col2a1 and Dcx at the non-pregnant pubic symphysis proliferated and differentiated throughout pregnancy, giving rise to a complex osteoligamentous junction that attached the interpubic ligament to the pubic bones until labour occurred. After delivery, the recovery of pubic symphysis cartilaginous tissues was improved by the time-dependent expression of these chondrocytic lineage markers at the osteoligamentous junction. This process potentially recapitulates embryologic chondrocytic differentiation to successfully recover hyaline cartilaginous pads at 10 days postpartum. Therefore, we propose that this physiological phenomenon represents a proof-of-concept model for investigating the mechanisms involved in cartilage restoration in adult animals.

  17. Long-term live cell imaging and automated 4D analysis of drosophila neuroblast lineages.

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    Catarina C F Homem

    Full Text Available The developing Drosophila brain is a well-studied model system for neurogenesis and stem cell biology. In the Drosophila central brain, around 200 neural stem cells called neuroblasts undergo repeated rounds of asymmetric cell division. These divisions typically generate a larger self-renewing neuroblast and a smaller ganglion mother cell that undergoes one terminal division to create two differentiating neurons. Although single mitotic divisions of neuroblasts can easily be imaged in real time, the lack of long term imaging procedures has limited the use of neuroblast live imaging for lineage analysis. Here we describe a method that allows live imaging of cultured Drosophila neuroblasts over multiple cell cycles for up to 24 hours. We describe a 4D image analysis protocol that can be used to extract cell cycle times and growth rates from the resulting movies in an automated manner. We use it to perform lineage analysis in type II neuroblasts where clonal analysis has indicated the presence of a transit-amplifying population that potentiates the number of neurons. Indeed, our experiments verify type II lineages and provide quantitative parameters for all cell types in those lineages. As defects in type II neuroblast lineages can result in brain tumor formation, our lineage analysis method will allow more detailed and quantitative analysis of tumorigenesis and asymmetric cell division in the Drosophila brain.

  18. Pairwise comparisons of ten porcine tissues identify differential transcriptional regulation at the gene, isoform, promoter and transcription start site level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farajzadeh, Leila; Hornshøj, Henrik; Momeni, Jamal; Thomsen, Bo; Larsen, Knud; Hedegaard, Jakob; Bendixen, Christian; Madsen, Lone Bruhn

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Transcriptome sequencing yielded 223 mill porcine RNA-seq reads, and 59,000 transcribed locations. •Establishment of unique transcription profiles for ten porcine tissues including four brain tissues. •Comparison of transcription profiles at gene, isoform, promoter and transcription start site level. •Highlights a high level of regulation of neuro-related genes at both gene, isoform, and TSS level. •Our results emphasize the pig as a valuable animal model with respect to human biological issues. -- Abstract: The transcriptome is the absolute set of transcripts in a tissue or cell at the time of sampling. In this study RNA-Seq is employed to enable the differential analysis of the transcriptome profile for ten porcine tissues in order to evaluate differences between the tissues at the gene and isoform expression level, together with an analysis of variation in transcription start sites, promoter usage, and splicing. Totally, 223 million RNA fragments were sequenced leading to the identification of 59,930 transcribed gene locations and 290,936 transcript variants using Cufflinks with similarity to approximately 13,899 annotated human genes. Pairwise analysis of tissues for differential expression at the gene level showed that the smallest differences were between tissues originating from the porcine brain. Interestingly, the relative level of differential expression at the isoform level did generally not vary between tissue contrasts. Furthermore, analysis of differential promoter usage between tissues, revealed a proportionally higher variation between cerebellum (CBE) versus frontal cortex and cerebellum versus hypothalamus (HYP) than in the remaining comparisons. In addition, the comparison of differential transcription start sites showed that the number of these sites is generally increased in comparisons including hypothalamus in contrast to other pairwise assessments. A comprehensive analysis of one of the tissue contrasts, i

  19. Conditional induction of Math1 specifies embryonic stem cells to cerebellar granule neuron lineage and promotes differentiation into mature granule neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Rupali; Kumar, Manoj; Peineau, Stéphane; Csaba, Zsolt; Mani, Shyamala; Gressens, Pierre; El Ghouzzi, Vincent

    2013-04-01

    Directing differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to specific neuronal subtype is critical for modeling disease pathology in vitro. An attractive means of action would be to combine regulatory differentiation factors and extrinsic inductive signals added to the culture medium. In this study, we have generated mature cerebellar granule neurons by combining a temporally controlled transient expression of Math1, a master gene in granule neuron differentiation, with inductive extrinsic factors involved in cerebellar development. Using a Tetracyclin-On transactivation system, we overexpressed Math1 at various stages of ESCs differentiation and found that the yield of progenitors was considerably increased when Math1 was induced during embryonic body stage. Math1 triggered expression of Mbh1 and Mbh2, two target genes directly involved in granule neuron precursor formation and strong expression of early cerebellar territory markers En1 and NeuroD1. Three weeks after induction, we observed a decrease in the number of glial cells and an increase in that of neurons albeit still immature. Combining Math1 induction with extrinsic factors specifically increased the number of neurons that expressed Pde1c, Zic1, and GABAα6R characteristic of mature granule neurons, formed "T-shaped" axons typical of granule neurons, and generated synaptic contacts and action potentials in vitro. Finally, in vivo implantation of Math1-induced progenitors into young adult mice resulted in cell migration and settling of newly generated neurons in the cerebellum. These results show that conditional induction of Math1 drives ESCs toward the cerebellar fate and indicate that acting on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors is a powerful means to modulate ESCs differentiation and maturation into a specific neuronal lineage. Copyright © 2012 AlphaMed Press.

  20. TOPICAL REVIEW: Stem cell technology using bioceramics: hard tissue regeneration towards clinical application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohnishi, Hiroe; Oda, Yasuaki; Ohgushi, Hajime

    2010-02-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells which show differentiation capabilities toward various cell lineages. We have already used MSCs for treatments of osteoarthritis, bone necrosis and bone tumor. For this purpose, culture expanded MSCs were combined with various ceramics and then implanted. Because of rejection response to allogeneic MSC implantation, we have utilized patients' own MSCs for the treatment. Bone marrow is a good cell source of MSCs, although the MSCs also exist in adipose tissue. When comparing osteogenic differentiation of these MSCs, bone marrow MSCs show more extensive bone forming capability than adipose MSCs. Thus, the bone marrow MSCs are useful for bone tissue regeneration. However, the MSCs show limited proliferation and differentiation capabilities that hindered clinical applications in some cases. Recent advances reveal that transduction of plural transcription factors into human adult cells results in generation of new type of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). A drawback of the iPS cells for clinical applications is tumor formation after their in vivo implantation; therefore it is difficult to use iPS cells for the treatment. To circumvent the problem, we transduced a single factor of either SOX2 or NANOG into the MSCs and found high proliferation as well as osteogenic differentiation capabilities of the MSCs. The stem cells could be combined with bioceramics for clinical applications. Here, we summarize our recent technologies using adult stem cells in viewpoints of bone tissue regeneration.

  1. Combinatorial regulation of tissue specification by GATA and FOG factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chlon, Timothy M.; Crispino, John D.

    2012-01-01

    The development of complex organisms requires the formation of diverse cell types from common stem and progenitor cells. GATA family transcriptional regulators and their dedicated co-factors, termed Friend of GATA (FOG) proteins, control cell fate and differentiation in multiple tissue types from Drosophila to man. FOGs can both facilitate and antagonize GATA factor transcriptional regulation depending on the factor, cell, and even the specific gene target. In this review, we highlight recent studies that have elucidated mechanisms by which FOGs regulate GATA factor function and discuss how these factors use these diverse modes of gene regulation to control cell lineage specification throughout metazoans. PMID:23048181

  2. Differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell spheroids under microgravity conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang H Cerwinka

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available To develop and characterize a novel cell culture method for the generation of undifferentiated and differentiated human mesenchymal stem cell 3D structures, we utilized the RWV system with a gelatin-based scaffold. 3 × 106 cells generated homogeneous spheroids and maximum spheroid loading was accomplished after 3 days of culture. Spheroids cultured in undifferentiated spheroids of 3 and 10 days retained expression of CD44, without expression of differentiation markers. Spheroids cultured in adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation media exhibited oil red O staining and von Kossa staining, respectively. Further characterization of osteogenic lineage, showed that 10 day spheroids exhibited stronger calcification than any other experimental group corresponding with significant expression of vitamin D receptor, alkaline phosphatase, and ERp60 . In conclusion this study describes a novel RWV culture method that allowed efficacious engineering of undifferentiated human mesenchymal stem cell spheroids and rapid osteogenic differentiation. The use of gelatin scaffolds holds promise to design implantable stem cell tissue of various sizes and shapes for future regenerative treatment.

  3. The T-ALL related gene BCL11B regulates the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, V L; Luong, A; Li, F; Casero, D; Malvar, J; Kim, Y M; Bhatia, R; Crooks, G M; Parekh, C

    2017-11-01

    The initial stages of T-cell differentiation are characterized by a progressive commitment to the T-cell lineage, a process that involves the loss of alternative (myelo-erythroid, NK, B) lineage potentials. Aberrant differentiation during these stages can result in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the mechanisms regulating the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation are obscure. Through loss of function studies, we showed BCL11B, a transcription factor recurrently mutated T-ALL, is essential for T-lineage commitment, particularly the repression of NK and myeloid potentials, and the induction of T-lineage genes, during the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation. In gain of function studies, BCL11B inhibited growth of and induced a T-lineage transcriptional program in T-ALL cells. We found previously unknown differentiation stage-specific DNA binding of BCL11B at multiple T-lineage genes; target genes showed BCL11B-dependent expression, suggesting a transcriptional activator role for BCL11B at these genes. Transcriptional analyses revealed differences in the regulatory actions of BCL11B between human and murine thymopoiesis. Our studies show BCL11B is a key regulator of the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation and delineate the BCL11B transcriptional program, enabling the dissection of the underpinnings of normal T-cell differentiation and providing a resource for understanding dysregulations in T-ALL.

  4. 3D Bioprinting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Constructs for In Situ Cell Proliferation and Successive Multilineage Differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Qi; Tomaskovic-Crook, Eva; Wallace, Gordon G; Crook, Jeremy M

    2017-09-01

    The ability to create 3D tissues from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is poised to revolutionize stem cell research and regenerative medicine, including individualized, patient-specific stem cell-based treatments. There are, however, few examples of tissue engineering using iPSCs. Their culture and differentiation is predominantly planar for monolayer cell support or induction of self-organizing embryoids (EBs) and organoids. Bioprinting iPSCs with advanced biomaterials promises to augment efforts to develop 3D tissues, ideally comprising direct-write printing of cells for encapsulation, proliferation, and differentiation. Here, such a method, employing a clinically amenable polysaccharide-based bioink, is described as the first example of bioprinting human iPSCs for in situ expansion and sequential differentiation. Specifically, we have extrusion printed the bioink including iPSCs, alginate (Al; 5% weight/volume [w/v]), carboxymethyl-chitosan (5% w/v), and agarose (Ag; 1.5% w/v), crosslinked the bioink in calcium chloride for a stable and porous construct, proliferated the iPSCs within the construct and differentiated the same iPSCs into either EBs comprising cells of three germ lineages-endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm, or more homogeneous neural tissues containing functional migrating neurons and neuroglia. This defined, scalable, and versatile platform is envisaged being useful in iPSC research and translation for pharmaceuticals development and regenerative medicine. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Adipogenic placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells are not lineage restricted by withdrawing extrinsic factors: developing a novel visual angle in stem cell biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, C; Cao, H; Pan, X; Li, J; He, J; Pan, Q; Xin, J; Yu, X; Li, J; Wang, Y; Zhu, D; Li, L

    2016-03-17

    Current evidence implies that differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) can act as progenitor cells and transdifferentiate across lineage boundaries. However, whether this unrestricted lineage has specificities depending on the stem cell type is unknown. Placental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs), an easily accessible and less invasive source, are extremely useful materials in current stem cell therapies. No studies have comprehensively analyzed the transition in morphology, surface antigens, metabolism and multilineage potency of differentiated PDMSCs after their dedifferentiation. In this study, we showed that after withdrawing extrinsic factors, adipogenic PDMSCs reverted to a primitive cell population and retained stem cell characteristics. The mitochondrial network during differentiation and dedifferentiation may serve as a marker of absent or acquired pluripotency in various stem cell models. The new population proliferated faster than unmanipulated PDMSCs and could be differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes and hepatocytes. The cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) signaling pathway and extracellular matrix (ECM) components modulate cell behavior and enable the cells to proliferate or differentiate during the differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation processes in our study. These observations indicate that the dedifferentiated PDMSCs are distinguishable from the original PDMSCs and may serve as a novel source in stem cell biology and cell-based therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, whether PDMSCs differentiated into other lineages can be dedifferentiated to a primitive cell population needs to be investigated.

  6. Second-harmonic generation microscopy used to evaluate the effect of the dimethyl sulfoxide in the cryopreservation process in collagen fibers of differentiated chondrocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreoli-Risso, M. F.; Duarte, A. S. S.; Ribeiro, T. B.; Bordeaux-Rego, P.; Luzo, A.; Baratti, M. O.; Adur, J.; de Thomaz, A. A.; Pelegati, V. B.; Carvalho, H. F.; Cesar, C. L.; Kharmadayan, P.; Costa, F. F.; Olalla-Saad, S. T.

    2012-03-01

    Cartilaginous lesions are a significant public health problem and the use of adult stem cells represents a promising therapy for this condition. Cryopreservation confers many advantages for practitioners engaged in cell-based therapies. However, conventional slow freezing has always been associated with damage and mortality due to intracellular ice formation, cryoprotectant toxicity, and dehydration. The aim of this work is to observe the effect of the usual Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) cryopreservation process on the architecture of the collagen fiber network of chondrogenic cells from mesenchymal stem cells by Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy. To perform this study we used Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) derived from adipose tissue which presents the capacity to differentiate into other lineages such as osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Mesenchymal stem cells obtained after liposuction were isolated digested by collagenase type I and characterization was carried out by differentiation of mesodermic lineages, and flow cytometry using specific markers. The isolated MSCs were cryopreserved by the DMSO technique and the chondrogenic differentiation was carried out using the micromass technique. We then compared the cryopreserved vs non-cryopreserved collagen fibers which are naturally formed during the differentiation process. We observed that noncryopreserved MSCs presented a directional trend in the collagen fibers formed which was absent in the cryopreserved MSCs. We confirmed this trend quantitatively by the aspect ratio obtained by Fast Fourier Transform which was 0.76 for cryopreserved and 0.52 for non-cryopreserved MSCs, a statistical significant difference.

  7. Comparative study of P19 EC stem cell differentiation in between conventional hanging drop and the zebrafish chorion as a bio-derived material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dae Seok Na; Lee, Hwang; Sun Uk Kim; Chang Nam Hwang; Sang Ho Lee; Ji Yoon Kang; Jai Kyeong Kim; James Jungho Pak

    2008-07-01

    Various materials including glass and polymers have been widely used for stem cell culture due to their biocompatibility. However, the roles of these materials are fundamentally limited because they cannot realize or imitate the complex biological functions of living tissues, except in very simple cases. Here, the development of a bio-derived material suitable for stem cell culture and improvement of differentiation efficiency to specific cell lineages with no stimulating agents by using a chorion obtained from a fertilized zebrafish egg through the removal of the yolk and embryonic cell mass from the egg is reported. Mouse P19 EC stem cells introduced into the empty chorion form a uniform embryoid body (EB) without addition of any inducing agent. It is demonstrated that the zebrafish chorion with nanopores improves efficiencies greatly in the EB formation, cell proliferation, and lineage-specific differentiations compared to those of the conventional hanging drop culture method.

  8. Two pore channel 2 differentially modulates neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhe-Hao Zhang

    Full Text Available Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP is an endogenous Ca(2+ mobilizing nucleotide presented in various species. NAADP mobilizes Ca(2+ from acidic organelles through two pore channel 2 (TPC2 in many cell types and it has been previously shown that NAADP can potently induce neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells. Here we examined the role of TPC2 signaling in the neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES cells. We found that the expression of TPC2 was markedly decreased during the initial ES cell entry into neural progenitors, and the levels of TPC2 gradually rebounded during the late stages of neurogenesis. Correspondingly, TPC2 knockdown accelerated mouse ES cell differentiation into neural progenitors but inhibited these neural progenitors from committing to neurons. Overexpression of TPC2, on the other hand, inhibited mouse ES cell from entering the early neural lineage. Interestingly, TPC2 knockdown had no effect on the differentiation of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes of mouse ES cells. Taken together, our data indicate that TPC2 signaling plays a temporal and differential role in modulating the neural lineage entry of mouse ES cells, in that TPC2 signaling inhibits ES cell entry to early neural progenitors, but is required for late neuronal differentiation.

  9. Quantifying Mosaic Development: Towards an Evo-Devo Postmodern Synthesis of the Evolution of Development via Differentiation Trees of Embryos

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    Bradly Alicea

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Embryonic development proceeds through a series of differentiation events. The mosaic version of this process (binary cell divisions can be analyzed by comparing early development of Ciona intestinalis and Caenorhabditis elegans. To do this, we reorganize lineage trees into differentiation trees using the graph theory ordering of relative cell volume. Lineage and differentiation trees provide us with means to classify each cell using binary codes. Extracting data characterizing lineage tree position, cell volume, and nucleus position for each cell during early embryogenesis, we conduct several statistical analyses, both within and between taxa. We compare both cell volume distributions and cell volume across developmental time within and between single species and assess differences between lineage tree and differentiation tree orderings. This enhances our understanding of the differentiation events in a model of pure mosaic embryogenesis and its relationship to evolutionary conservation. We also contribute several new techniques for assessing both differences between lineage trees and differentiation trees, and differences between differentiation trees of different species. The results suggest that at the level of differentiation trees, there are broad similarities between distantly related mosaic embryos that might be essential to understanding evolutionary change and phylogeny reconstruction. Differentiation trees may therefore provide a basis for an Evo-Devo Postmodern Synthesis.

  10. Cell-surface glycoproteins of human sarcomas: differential expression in normal and malignant tissues and cultured cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rettig, W.F.; Garin-Chesa, P.; Beresford, H.R.; Oettgen, H.F.; Melamed, M.R.; Old, L.J.

    1988-01-01

    Normal differentiation and malignant transformation of human cells are characterized by specific changes in surface antigen phenotype. In the present study, the authors have defined six cell-surface antigens of human sarcomas and normal mesenchymal cells, by using mixed hemadsorption assays and immunochemical methods for the analysis of cultured cells and immunohistochemical staining for the analysis of normal tissues and > 200 tumor specimens. Differential patterns of F19, F24, G171, G253, S5, and Thy-1 antigen expression were found to characterize (i) subsets of cultured sarcoma cell lines, (ii) cultured fibroblasts derived from various organs, (iii) normal resting and activated mesenchymal tissues, and (iv) sarcoma and nonmesenchymal tumor tissues. These results provide a basic surface antigenic map for cultured mesenchymal cells and mesenchymal tissues and permit the classification of human sarcomas according to their antigenic phenotypes

  11. New bioactive motifs and their use in functionalized self-assembling peptides for NSC differentiation and neural tissue engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelain, F.; Cigognini, D.; Caprini, A.; Silva, D.; Colleoni, B.; Donegá, M.; Antonini, S.; Cohen, B. E.; Vescovi, A.

    2012-04-01

    Developing functionalized biomaterials for enhancing transplanted cell engraftment in vivo and stimulating the regeneration of injured tissues requires a multi-disciplinary approach customized for the tissue to be regenerated. In particular, nervous tissue engineering may take a great advantage from the discovery of novel functional motifs fostering transplanted stem cell engraftment and nervous fiber regeneration. Using phage display technology we have discovered new peptide sequences that bind to murine neural stem cell (NSC)-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs), and promote their viability and differentiation in vitro when linked to LDLK12 self-assembling peptide (SAPeptide). We characterized the newly functionalized LDLK12 SAPeptides via atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism and rheology, obtaining nanostructured hydrogels that support human and murine NSC proliferation and differentiation in vitro. One functionalized SAPeptide (Ac-FAQ), showing the highest stem cell viability and neural differentiation in vitro, was finally tested in acute contusive spinal cord injury in rats, where it fostered nervous tissue regrowth and improved locomotor recovery. Interestingly, animals treated with the non-functionalized LDLK12 had an axon sprouting/regeneration intermediate between Ac-FAQ-treated animals and controls. These results suggest that hydrogels functionalized with phage-derived peptides may constitute promising biomimetic scaffolds for in vitro NSC differentiation, as well as regenerative therapy of the injured nervous system. Moreover, this multi-disciplinary approach can be used to customize SAPeptides for other specific tissue engineering applications.Developing functionalized biomaterials for enhancing transplanted cell engraftment in vivo and stimulating the regeneration of injured tissues requires a multi-disciplinary approach customized for the tissue to be regenerated. In particular, nervous tissue engineering may take a great advantage from the

  12. [Research progress of co-culture system for constructing vascularized tissue engineered bone].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Weili; Xiang, Zhou

    2014-02-01

    To review the research progress of the co-culture system for constructing vascularized tissue engineered bone. The recent literature concerning the co-culture system for constructing vascularized tissue engineered bone was reviewed, including the selection of osteogenic and endothelial lineages, the design and surface modification of scaffolds, the models and dimensions of the co-culture system, the mechanism, the culture conditions, and their application progress. The construction of vascularized tissue engineered bone is the prerequisite for their survival and further clinical application in vivo. Mesenchymal stem cells (owning the excellent osteogenic potential) and endothelial progenitor cells (capable of directional differentiation into endothelial cell) are considered as attractive cell types for the co-culture system to construct vascularized tissue engineered bone. The culture conditions need to be further optimized. Furthermore, how to achieve the clinical goals of minimal invasion and autologous transplantation also need to be further studied. The strategy of the co-culture system for constructing vascularized tissue engineered bone would have a very broad prospects for clinical application in future.

  13. Quantitative rather than qualitative differences in gene expression predominate in intestinal cell maturation along distinct cell lineages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velcich, Anna; Corner, Georgia; Paul, Doru; Zhuang Min; Mariadason, John M.; Laboisse, Christian; Augenlicht, Leonard

    2005-01-01

    Several cell types are present in the intestinal epithelium that likely arise from a common precursor, the stem cell, and each mature cell type expresses a unique set of genes that characterizes its functional phenotype. Although the process of differentiation is intimately linked to the cessation of proliferation, the mechanisms that dictate intestinal cell fate determination are not well characterized. To investigate the reprogramming of gene expression during the cell lineage allocation/differentiation process, we took advantage of a unique system of two clonal derivatives of HT29 cells, Cl16E and Cl19A cells, which spontaneously differentiate as mucus producing goblet and chloride-secreting cells, respectively, as a function of time. By profiling gene expression, we found that these two cell lines show remarkably similar kinetics of change in gene expression and common clusters of coordinately regulated genes. This demonstrates that lineage-specific differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells is characterized overall by the sequential recruitment of functionally similar gene sets independent of the final phenotype of the mature cells

  14. Effects of heat stimulation and l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate supplementation on myogenic differentiation of artificial skeletal muscle tissue constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Kazushi; Ito, Akira; Sato, Masanori; Kanno, Shota; Kawabe, Yoshinori; Kamihira, Masamichi

    2017-05-01

    Although skeletal muscle tissue engineering has been extensively studied, the physical forces produced by tissue-engineered skeletal muscles remain to be improved for potential clinical utility. In this study, we examined the effects of mild heat stimulation and supplementation of a l-ascorbic acid derivative, l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AscP), on myoblast differentiation and physical force generation of tissue-engineered skeletal muscles. Compared with control cultures at 37°C, mouse C2C12 myoblast cells cultured at 39°C enhanced myotube diameter (skeletal muscle hypertrophy), whereas mild heat stimulation did not promote myotube formation (differentiation rate). Conversely, AscP supplementation resulted in an increased differentiation rate but did not induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Following combined treatment with mild heat stimulation and AscP supplementation, both skeletal muscle hypertrophy and differentiation rate were enhanced. Moreover, the active tension produced by the tissue-engineered skeletal muscles was improved following combined treatment. These findings indicate that tissue culture using mild heat stimulation and AscP supplementation is a promising approach to enhance the function of tissue-engineered skeletal muscles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. The Effects of High Glucose on Adipogenic and Osteogenic Differentiation of Gestational Tissue-Derived MSCs

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    Weerawan Hankamolsiri

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Most type 2 diabetic patients are obese who have increased number of visceral adipocytes. Those visceral adipocytes release several factors that enhance insulin resistance making diabetic treatment ineffective. It is known that significant percentages of visceral adipocytes are derived from mesenchymal stem cells and high glucose enhances adipogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs. However, the effect of high glucose on adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow and gestational tissue-derived MSCs is still poorly characterized. This study aims to investigate the effects of high glucose on proliferation as well as adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of human MSCs derived from bone marrow and several gestational tissues including chorion, placenta, and umbilical cord. We found that high glucose reduced proliferation but enhanced adipogenic differentiation of all MSCs examined. The expression levels of some adipogenic genes were also upregulated when MSCs were cultured in high glucose. Although high glucose transiently downregulated the expression levels of some osteogenic genes examined, its effect on the osteogenic differentiation levels of the MSCs is not clearly demonstrated. The knowledge gained from this study will increase our understanding about the effect of high glucose on adipogenic differentiation of MSCs and might lead to an improvement in the diabetic treatment in the future.

  16. 1,5-Disubstituted benzimidazoles that direct cardiomyocyte differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okolotowicz, Karl J; Bushway, Paul; Lanier, Marion; Gilley, Cynthia; Mercola, Mark; Cashman, John R

    2015-09-01

    Cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite progress in medical treatments, heart transplantation is one of the only current options for those with infarcted heart muscle. Stem cell differentiation technology may afford cell-based therapeutics that may lead to the generation of new, healthy heart muscle cells from undifferentiated stem cells. Our approach is to use small molecules to stimulate stem cell differentiation. Herein, we describe a novel class of 1,5-disubstituted benzimidazoles that induce differentiation of stem cells into cardiac cells. We report on the evaluation in vitro for cardiomyocyte differentiation and describe structure-activity relationship results that led to molecules with drug-like properties. The results of this study show the promise of small molecules to direct stem cell lineage commitment, to probe signaling pathways and to develop compounds for the stimulation of stem cells to repair damaged heart tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Tissue characterization and differential diagnosis by means of NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iio, M.

    1986-01-01

    MRI is beginning to play an important role in both anatomical and chemical imagings. The University of Tokyo became engaged in NMR evaluation in 1982 using 3 different Japenese made resistive machine of 0.15T. Currently 6 universities and 4 hospitals and research institutes in Japan are investigating these attractive modalities. The first superconductive machine (Magnetom) has been in operation with magnetic field of 0.35T since February 1984 and is now being replaced by 2.0T Magnet to produce a 1.5T field for anantomical imaging and chemical spectroscopy of the human body. Several clinical cases are presented to indicate the MRI capability for better tissue characterization and differential diagnosis. Low grade glioma is frequently difficult to be enhanced by conventional X-CT; however these lesions are clearly separated by MRI. The ability to characterize another tissue is seen in the case of a hematoma

  18. Human dental pulp stem cells derived from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease demonstrate hepatic-like differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y K; Huang, Anderson H C; Chan, Anthony W S; Lin, L M

    2016-06-01

    Reviewing the literature, hepatic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease has not been studied. This study is aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that hDPSCs from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease could possess potential hepatic differentiation. Forty vital extracted teeth with disease recruited for hDPSCs isolation, stem cell characterization and hepatic differentiation were randomly and equally divided into group A (liquid nitrogen-stored dental pulp tissues) and group B (freshly derived dental pulp tissues). Samples of hDPSCs isolated from groups A and B but without hepatic growth factors formed negative controls. A well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma cell line was employed as a positive control. All the isolated hDPSCs from groups A and B showed hepatic-like differentiation with morphological change from a spindle-shaped to a polygonal shape and normal karyotype. Differentiated hDPSCs and the positive control expressed hepatic metabolic function genes and liver-specific genes. Glycogen storage of differentiated hDPSCs was noted from day 7 of differentiation-medium culture. Positive immunofluorescence staining of low-density lipoprotein and albumin was observed from day 14 of differentiation-medium culture; urea production in the medium was noted from week 6. No hepatic differentiation was observed for any of the samples of the negative controls. We not only demonstrated the feasibility of hepatic-like differentiation of hDPSCs from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease but also indicated that the differentiated cells possessed normal karyotype and were functionally close to normal hepatic-like cells. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Differential diagnosis between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors utilizing ultrasound parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morii, Takeshi; Kishino, Tomonori; Shimamori, Naoko; Motohashi, Mitsue; Ohnishi, Hiroaki; Honya, Keita; Aoyagi, Takayuki; Tajima, Takashi; Ichimura, Shoichi

    2018-01-01

    Preoperative discrimination between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors is critical for the prevention of excess application of magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy as well as unplanned resection. Although ultrasound, including power Doppler imaging, is an easy, noninvasive, and cost-effective modality for screening soft tissue tumors, few studies have investigated reliable discrimination between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. To establish a modality for discrimination between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors using ultrasound, we extracted the significant risk factors for malignancy based on ultrasound information from 40 malignant and 56 benign pathologically diagnosed soft tissue tumors and established a scoring system based on these risk factors. The maximum size, tumor margin, and vascularity evaluated using ultrasound were extracted as significant risk factors. Using the odds ratio from a multivariate regression model, a scoring system was established. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed a high area under the curve value (0.85), confirming the accuracy of the scoring system. Ultrasound is a useful modality for establishing the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors.

  20. Activated Fps/Fes tyrosine kinase regulates erythroid differentiation and survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangrar, Waheed; Gao, Yan; Bates, Barbara; Zirngibl, Ralph; Greer, Peter A

    2004-10-01

    A substantial body of evidence implicates the cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase Fps/Fes in regulation of myeloid differentiation and survival. In this study we wished to determine if Fps/Fes also plays a role in the regulation of erythropoiesis. Mice tissue-specifically expressing a "gain-of-function" mutant fps/fes transgene (fps(MF)) encoding an activated variant of Fps/Fes (MFps), were used to explore the in vivo biological role of Fps/Fes. Erythropoiesis in these mice was assessed by hematological analysis, lineage marker analysis, bone-marrow colony assays, and biochemical approaches. fps(MF) mice displayed reductions in peripheral red cell counts. However, there was an accumulation of immature erythroid precursors, which displayed increased survival. Fps/Fes and the related Fer kinase were both detected in early erythroid progenitors/blasts and in mature red cells. Fps/Fes was also activated in response to erythropoietin (EPO) and stem cell factor (SCF), two critical factors in erythroid development. In addition, increased Stat5A/B activation and reduced Erk1/2 phosphorylation was observed in fps(MF) primary erythroid cells in response to EPO or SCF, respectively. These data support a role for Fps/Fes in regulating the survival and differentiation of erythroid cells through modulation of Stat5A/B and Erk kinase pathways induced by EPO and SCF. The increased numbers and survival of erythroid progenitors from fps(MF) mice, and their differential responsiveness to SCF and EPO, implicates Fps/Fes in the commitment of multilineage progenitors to the erythroid lineage. The anemic phenotype in fps(MF) mice suggests that downregulation of Fps/Fes activity might be required for terminal erythroid differentiation.

  1. Accumulation of multipotent progenitors with a basal differentiation bias during aging of human mammary epithelia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garbe, James C; Pepin, Francois; Pelissier, Fanny A

    2012-01-01

    of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlies these observations is lacking. In this study, we generated a large collection of normal human mammary epithelial cell strains from women ages 16 to 91 years, derived from primary tissues, to investigate the molecular changes that occur in aging breast cells....... We found that in finite lifespan cultured and uncultured epithelial cells, aging is associated with a reduction of myoepithelial cells and an increase in luminal cells that express keratin 14 and integrin-a6, a phenotype that is usually expressed exclusively in myoepithelial cells in women younger...... than 30 years. Changes to the luminal lineage resulted from age-dependent expansion of defective multipotent progenitors that gave rise to incompletely differentiated luminal or myoepithelial cells. The aging process therefore results in both a shift in the balance of luminal/myoepithelial lineages...

  2. Differentiation between healthy thyroid remnants and tumor tissue after radioiodine therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma using in-vitro phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moka, D.; Dietlein, M.; Schicha, H.; Raffelt, K.; Hahn, J.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: In many tumors, tumor growth and spread is triggered by changes in cell membrane metabolism, which can lead to systemic alterations in levels of phospholipids. The aim of this study was to differentiate between healthy remnants of thyroid tissue and residual/recurrent tumor tissue or metastases in patients with thyroid carcinoma by measurement of plasma levels of various phospholipids. Phospholipid concentrations was measured by in-vitro phosphorus-31-magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRS) in blood samples from 30 patients with thyroid cancer, who had been rendered hypothyroid in preparation for diagnostic/therapeutic administration of iodine-131. All patients were already thyroidectomized. 131 I-whole-body scintigraphy and measurements of thyroglobulin values in a 2-year-follow-up were used to distinguish between patients in remission, patients with only healthy thyroid remnants and patients with cancerous thyroid tissue and/or metastases. Significantly lower blood plasma levels of systemic sphingomyelin (0.33±0.06 vs. 0.46±0.03 (controls) mmol/l; p 31 P-MRS can be used to differentiate between the presence of tumor tissue, healthy remnants of thyroid tissue not requiring further treatment and remission in patients with thyroid cancer. In future, therefore, plasma 31 P-MRS could be developed as an additional diagnostic tool for the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer. (author)

  3. The brown adipocyte differentiation pathway in birds: An evolutionary road not taken

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mezentseva, Nadejda V; Kumaratilake, Jaliya S; Newman, Stuart A

    2008-01-01

    Background Thermogenic brown adipose tissue has never been described in birds or other non-mammalian vertebrates. Brown adipocytes in mammals are distinguished from the more common white fat adipocytes by having numerous small lipid droplets rather than a single large one, elevated numbers of mitochondria, and mitochondrial expression of the nuclear gene UCP1, the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis. Results We have identified in vitro inductive conditions in which mesenchymal cells isolated from the embryonic chicken limb bud differentiate into avian brown adipocyte-like cells (ABALCs) with the morphological and many of the biochemical properties of terminally differentiated brown adipocytes. Avian, and as we show here, lizard species lack the gene for UCP1, although it is present in amphibian and fish species. While ABALCs are therefore not functional brown adipocytes, they are generated by a developmental pathway virtually identical to brown fat differentiation in mammals: both the common adipogenic transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), and a coactivator of that factor specific to brown fat differentiation in mammals, PGC1α, are elevated in expression, as are mitochondrial volume and DNA. Furthermore, ABALCs induction resulted in strong transcription from a transfected mouse UCP1 promoter. Conclusion These findings strongly suggest that the brown fat differentiation pathway evolved in a common ancestor of birds and mammals and its thermogenicity was lost in the avian lineage, with the degradation of UCP1, after it separated from the mammalian lineage. Since this event occurred no later than the saurian ancestor of birds and lizards, an implication of this is that dinosaurs had neither UCP1 nor canonically thermogenic brown fat. PMID:18426587

  4. Differential effects of phenylephrine and norepinephrine on peripheral tissue oxygenation during general anaesthesia : A randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poterman, Marieke; Vos, Jaap Jan; Vereecke, Hugo E. M.; Struys, Michel M. R. F.; Vanoverschelde, Henk; Scheeren, Thomas W. L.; Kalmar, Alain F.

    BACKGROUND Phenylephrine and norepinephrine are two vasopressors commonly used to counteract anaesthesia-induced hypotension. Their dissimilar working mechanisms may differentially affect the macro and microcirculation, and ultimately tissue oxygenation. OBJECTIVES We investigated the differential

  5. Photobiomodulation of distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts: a rational approach towards the selection of effective light parameters for skin rejuvenation and wound healing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mignon, Charles; Uzunbajakava, Natallia E.; Raafs, Bianca; Moolenaar, Mitchel; Botchkareva, Natalia V.; Tobin, Desmond J.

    2016-03-01

    Distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts play complementary roles in skin rejuvenation and wound healing, which makes them a target of phototherapy. However, knowledge about differential responses of specific cell lineages to different light parameters and moreover the actual molecular targets remain to be unravelled. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of a range of parameters of light on the metabolic activity, collagen production, and cell migration of distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts. A rational approach was used to identify parameters with high therapeutic potential. Fibroblasts exhibited both inhibitory and cytotoxic change when exposed to a high dose of blue and cyan light in tissue culture medium containing photo-reactive species, but were stimulated by high dose red and near infrared light. Cytotoxic effects were eliminated by refreshing the medium after light exposure by removing potential ROS formed by extracellular photo-reactive species. Importantly, distinct lineages of fibroblasts demonstrated opposite responses to low dose blue light treatment when refreshing the medium after exposure. Low dose blue light treatment also significantly increased collagen production by papillary fibroblasts; high dose significantly retarded closure of the scratch wound without signs of cytotoxicity, and this is likely to have involved effects on both cell migration and proliferation. We recommend careful selection of fibroblast subpopulations and their culture conditions, a systematic approach in choosing and translating treatment parameters, and pursuit of fundamental research on identification of photoreceptors and triggered molecular pathways, while seeking effective parameters to address different stages of skin rejuvenation and wound healing.

  6. Magneto-motive detection of tissue-based macrophages by differential phase optical coherence tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Junghwan; Feldman, Marc D; Kim, Jihoon; Kang, Hyun Wook; Sanghi, Pramod; Milner, Thomas E

    2007-03-01

    A novel method to detect tissue-based macrophages using a combination of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and differential phase optical coherence tomography (DP-OCT) with an external oscillating magnetic field is reported. Magnetic force acting on iron-laden tissue-based macrophages was varied by applying a sinusoidal current to a solenoid containing a conical iron core that substantially focused and increased magnetic flux density. Nanoparticle motion was detected with DP-OCT, which can detect tissue movement with nanometer resolution. Frequency response of iron-laden tissue movement was twice the modulation frequency since the magnetic force is proportional to the product of magnetic flux density and gradient. Results of our experiments indicate that DP-OCT can be used to identify tissue-based macrophage when excited by an external focused oscillating magnetic field. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc

  7. Evidence of two distinct functionally specialized fibroblast lineages in breast stroma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morsing, Mikkel; Klitgaard, Marie Christine; Jafari Kermani, Abbas

    2016-01-01

    Background The terminal duct lobular unit (TDLU) is the most dynamic structure in the human breast and the putative site of origin of human breast cancer. Although stromal cells contribute to a specialized microenvironment in many organs, this component remains largely understudied in the human...... conditions followed by analysis of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. To test whether the two fibroblast lineages are functionally imprinted by their site of origin, single cell sorted CD271low/MUC1high normal breast luminal epithelial cells are plated on fibroblast feeders for the observation...... fibroblast lineages exist in the normal human breast, of which the lobular fibroblasts have properties in common with mesenchymal stem cells and support epithelial growth and morphogenesis. We propose that lobular fibroblasts constitute a specialized microenvironment for human breast luminal epithelial...

  8. Endogenous Collagen Influences Differentiation of Human Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fernandes, Hugo; Mentink, Anouk; Bank, Ruud; Stoop, Reinout; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; de Boer, Jan

    Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that, in the presence of appropriate stimuli, can differentiate into different lineages such as the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. In the presence of ascorbic acid, MSCs secrete an extracellular matrix

  9. Endogenous Collagen Influences Differentiation of Human Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fernandes, H.A.M.; Mentink-Leusink, Anouk; Bank, Ruud; Stoop, Reinout; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; de Boer, Jan

    2010-01-01

    Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that, in the presence of appropriate stimuli, can differentiate into different lineages such as the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. In the presence of ascorbic acid, MSCs secrete an extracellular matrix

  10. Endogenous collagen influences differentiation of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fernandes, H.; Mentink, A.; Bank, R.; Stoop, R.; Blitterswijk, C. van; Boer, J. de

    2010-01-01

    Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that, in the presence of appropriate stimuli, can differentiate into different lineages such as the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. In the presence of ascorbic acid, MSCs secrete an extracellular matrix

  11. Use of magnetic forces to promote stem cell aggregation during differentiation, and cartilage tissue modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayol, D; Frasca, G; Le Visage, C; Gazeau, F; Luciani, N; Wilhelm, C

    2013-05-14

    Magnetic forces induce cell condensation necessary for stem cell differentiation into cartilage and elicit the formation of a tissue-like structure: Magnetically driven fusion of aggregates assembled by micromagnets results in the formation of a continuous tissue layer containing abundant cartilage matrix. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. T-lineage blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia: simple record of 4 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kartika W. Taroeno-Hariadi

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Blast crisis (BC transformation in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML can involve each differentiation lineage of the hematopoietic system, i.e. granulocyte, monocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte, and lymphocyte lineage. The lymphoid blast crisis (BC leukemia cells usually belong to B-lineage, commonly having the phenotype of Pre-B stage of the B-lineage, in which cell-surface immunoglobulin (sIg is not yet expressed. In contrast, T-lineage BC of CML is extremely rare. The objective of this study is to describe the fenotype, fusion transcript of bcr-abl, TdT, and cytoplasmic CD3 in T-lineage BC CML cases. Case report study. This report shows a simple summary of 4 cases of T-lineage BC of CML which have been collected in the phenotypic and genotypic analysis study for 17 years (1987-2004. In all cases, the chromosomal analysis revealed the presence of t(9;22(q34;q11 at presentation. Cell surface analysis were done at diagnosis. Cases’ mononuclear cells stored as 10% DMSO were retrieved to be performed reverse transcription (RT PCR BCR-ABL multiplex to demonstrate the presence of the fusion transcript of bcr-abl. RT-PCR was also performed for detecting the expression of cytoplasmic CD3ε and terminal deoxynucleotydil transferase (TdT. The results of cell surface antigen (CSA at presentation showed that 1 case was CD7+, CD5-, and CD2-; 1 case CD7+, CD5+, and CD2-; and 2 cases CD7+, CD5+ and CD2+ indicating that all these T-lineage BC of CML cells show the phenotype of pre-(pro- thymic stage phenotype. In the present study, two cases showed b2a2, one e1a2, and one negative bcr-abl transcript. The RT-PCR revealed the presence of CD3ε mRNA in all cases, and TdT mRNA in only one case. These results can constitute a basis for the future analysis of T-lineage BC of CML from now on. (Med J Indones 2005; 14: 184-9Keywords: chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML, blastic crisis (BC, T-lineage, bcr-abl fusion gene, CDε, TdT

  13. Generation of polyhormonal and multipotent pancreatic progenitor lineages from human pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korytnikov, Roman; Nostro, Maria Cristina

    2016-05-15

    Generation of pancreatic β-cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has enormous importance in type 1 diabetes (T1D), as it is fundamental to a treatment strategy based on cellular therapeutics. Being able to generate β-cells, as well as other mature pancreatic cells, from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) will also enable the development of platforms that can be used for disease modeling and drug testing for a variety of pancreas-associated diseases, including cystic fibrosis. For this to occur, it is crucial to develop differentiation strategies that are robust and reproducible across cell lines and laboratories. In this article we describe two serum-free differentiation protocols designed to generate specific pancreatic lineages from hPSCs. Our approach employs a variety of cytokines and small molecules to mimic developmental pathways active during pancreatic organogenesis and allows for the in vitro generation of distinct pancreatic populations. The first protocol is designed to give rise to polyhormonal cells that have the potential to differentiate into glucagon-producing cells. The second protocol is geared to generate multipotent pancreatic progenitor cells, which harbor the potential to generate all pancreatic lineages including: monohormonal endocrine cells, acinar, and ductal cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Osteoblastic differentiation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth induced by thermosensitive hydrogels with strontium phosphate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Wen-Ta, E-mail: f10549@ntut.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chou, Wei-Ling [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chou, Chih-Ming [Department of Biochemistry, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2015-07-01

    Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are a novel source of multi-potential stem cells for tissue engineering because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Strontium exhibits an important function in bone remodeling because it can simulate bone formation and decrease bone resorption. Hydrogels can mimic the natural cellular environment. The association of hydrogels with cell viability is determined using biological tests, including rheological experiments. In this study, osteogenic differentiation was investigated through SHED encapsulation in hydrogels containing strontium phosphate. Results of 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunofluorescence staining indicated that the cells grew well and SHEDs proliferated in the hydrogels. Strontium-loaded chitosan-based hydrogels induced the biomineralization and high expression of alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, the expression levels of bone-related genes, including type-I collagen, Runx2, osteopontin (OP), and osteonectin (ON), were up-regulated during the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. This study demonstrated that strontium can be an effective inducer of osteogenesis for SHEDs. Elucidating the function of bioceramics (such as strontium) is useful in designing and developing strategies for bone tissue engineering. - Highlights: • SHEDs have been considered as alternative sources of adult stem cells in tissue engineering. • Strontium phosphate can enhance the osteogenic differentiation of SHEDs. • Hydrogels can mimic the natural cellular environment. • Bioceramics (such as strontium) is useful in designing and developing strategies for bone tissue engineering.

  15. Lipid profiling of in vitro cell models of adipogenic differentiation: relationships with mouse adipose tissues

    OpenAIRE

    Liaw, Lucy; Prudovsky, Igor; Koza, Robert A.; Anunciado-Koza, Rea V.; Siviski, Matthew E.; Lindner, Volkhard; Friesel, Robert E.; Rosen, Clifford J.; Baker, Paul R.S.; Simons, Brigitte; Vary, Calvin P.H.

    2016-01-01

    Our objective was to characterize lipid profiles in cell models of adipocyte differentiation in comparison to mouse adipose tissues in vivo. A novel lipid extraction strategy was combined with global lipid profiling using direct infusion and sequential precursor ion fragmentation, termed MS/MSALL. Perirenal and inguinal white adipose tissue and interscapular brown adipose tissues from adult C57BL/6J mice were analyzed. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, ear mesenchymal progenitor cells, and brown adipose-...

  16. The value of virtual touch tissue image (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Feng-Juan; Han, Ruo-Ling; Zhao, Xin-Ming

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • All nodules in the research were confirmed by histopathology. • The classification method of VTI was easy to learn. • VTQ could provide quantitative elasticity measurements for thyroid nodules. • VTI classification could provide semi-quantitative elasticity analysis. • The area ratio could show invasive extent of malignant tumor. - Abstract: Objectives: To explore the value of virtual touch tissue image (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Methods: One-hundred and seven patients with 113 thyroid nodules were performed conventional ultrasound and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography. The stiffness of the nodules on virtual touch tissue image (VTI) was graded, and the area ratios (AR) of nodules on VTI images versus on B-mode images were calculated. Shear wave velocity (SWV) within the thyroid nodules were measured using virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technique. The pathological diagnosis as the gold standard draws the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) to find the cut-off point of VTI grades, AR and SWV to predict thyroid cancer. Results: The difference in VTI grades of malignant and benign nodules was statistically significant (P < 0.05), as well as in AR and SWV. There was no significant difference in the AR of nodules or the SWV of nodules in benign group or in malignant group. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of VTI grades, AR, and SWV in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules were calculated. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy among the three methods. Conclusion: VTI grades, AR of nodules on VTI images versus on B-mode images and SWV within the nodules can help the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules

  17. Lineage-Restricted Mammary Stem Cells Sustain the Development, Homeostasis, and Regeneration of the Estrogen Receptor Positive Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Keymeulen, Alexandra; Fioramonti, Marco; Centonze, Alessia; Bouvencourt, Gaëlle; Achouri, Younes; Blanpain, Cédric

    2017-08-15

    The mammary gland (MG) is composed of different cell lineages, including the basal and the luminal cells (LCs) that are maintained by distinct stem cell (SC) populations. LCs can be subdivided into estrogen receptor (ER) + and ER - cells. LCs act as the cancer cell of origin in different types of mammary tumors. It remains unclear whether the heterogeneity found in luminal-derived mammary tumors arises from a pre-existing heterogeneity within LCs. To investigate LC heterogeneity, we used lineage tracing to assess whether the ER + lineage is maintained by multipotent SCs or by lineage-restricted SCs. To this end, we generated doxycycline-inducible ER-rtTA mice that allowed us to perform genetic lineage tracing of ER + LCs and study their fate and long-term maintenance. Our results show that ER + cells are maintained by lineage-restricted SCs that exclusively contribute to the expansion of the ER + lineage during puberty and their maintenance during adult life. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Endothelium trans differentiated from Wharton's jelly mesenchymal cells promote tissue regeneration: potential role of soluble pro-angiogenic factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilera, Valeria; Briceño, Luis; Contreras, Hector; Lamperti, Liliana; Sepúlveda, Esperanza; Díaz-Perez, Francisca; León, Marcelo; Veas, Carlos; Maura, Rafael; Toledo, Jorge Roberto; Fernández, Paulina; Covarrubias, Ambart; Zuñiga, Felipe Andrés; Radojkovic, Claudia; Escudero, Carlos; Aguayo, Claudio

    2014-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells have a high capacity for trans-differentiation toward many adult cell types, including endothelial cells. Feto-placental tissue, such as Wharton's jelly is a potential source of mesenchymal stem cells with low immunogenic capacity; make them an excellent source of progenitor cells with a potential use for tissue repair. We evaluated whether administration of endothelial cells derived from mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly (hWMSCs) can accelerate tissue repair in vivo. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from human Wharton's jelly by digestion with collagenase type I. Endothelial trans-differentiation was induced for 14 (hWMSC-End14d) and 30 (hWMSC-End30d) days. Cell phenotyping was performed using mesenchymal (CD90, CD73, CD105) and endothelial (Tie-2, KDR, eNOS, ICAM-1) markers. Endothelial trans-differentiation was demonstrated by the expression of endothelial markers and their ability to synthesize nitric oxide (NO). hWMSCs can be differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes, chondrocytes and endothelial cells. Moreover, these cells show high expression of CD73, CD90 and CD105 but low expression of endothelial markers prior to differentiation. hWMSCs-End express high levels of endothelial markers at 14 and 30 days of culture, and also they can synthesize NO. Injection of hWMSC-End30d in a mouse model of skin injury significantly accelerated wound healing compared with animals injected with undifferentiated hWMSC or injected with vehicle alone. These effects were also observed in animals that received conditioned media from hWMSC-End30d cultures. These results demonstrate that mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly can be cultured in vitro and trans-differentiated into endothelial cells. Differentiated hWMSC-End may promote neovascularization and tissue repair in vivo through the secretion of soluble pro-angiogenic factors.

  19. Distribution of type VI collagen in association with osteoblast lineages in the groove of Ranvier during rat postnatal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohara, Yukihiro; Soeta, Satoshi; Izu, Yayoi; Arai, Kiyotaka; Amasaki, Hajime

    2016-11-01

    In the groove of Ranvier (GOR), osteoblast lineages form bone bark, which develops into endosteal cortical bone. This ossification process is thought to be regulated by the microenvironment in the GOR. Type VI collagen (Col VI), an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein found in the periosteum/perichondrium, mediates osteoblast differentiation via the cell-surface receptor neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2) chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. In order to clarify the function of Col VI during osteoblast differentiation in the GOR, in the present study, we examined the distribution of Col VI and osteoblast lineages expressing NG2 in the rat tibia proximal end during postnatal growing periods by immunohistochemistry. Our data revealed that Col VI accumulated in the ECM of the GOR middle layer and that Col VI accumulation was reduced and disappeared in the inner and middle lower regions. Runt-related transcription factor 2-immunoreactive pre-osteoblasts expressed NG2 in Col VI-immunopositive areas. However, Osterix-immunoreactive mature osteoblasts were only found in the Col VI-immunonegative area. These findings indicate that Col VI provided a characteristic microenvironment in the GOR and that NG2-Col VI interactions may regulate the differentiation of osteoblast lineages prior to terminal maturation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  20. Fine mapping of shattering locus Br2 reveals a putative chromosomal inversion polymorphism between the two lineages of Aegilops tauschii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhengzhi; Zhu, Huilan; Gill, Bikram S; Li, Wanlong

    2015-04-01

    This work laid the foundation for cloning of shattering gene Br2 and provided first line of evidence that two major Aegilops tauschii lineages are differentiated by an inversion polymorphism. Chromosome inversions often accompany population differentiation and capture local adaptation during speciation. Aegilops tauschii, the D-genome donor species of hexaploid wheat, consists of two genetically isolated lineages, L1 and L2, but little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying the population differentiation in this diploid species. During fine mapping of the shattering gene Br2 using a large F2 population derived from a cross between TA1604 (an L1 accession) and AL8/78 (an L2 accession), we found contrasting patterns of crossover distribution in the Br2 interval and neighboring regions despite the high local gene synteny with Brachypodium distachyon and rice. Br2 was localized in a 0.08-cM interval, and 13 marker loci formed a block, where single-crossovers were completely suppressed, but double-crossovers were enriched with a recombination rate of ~11 cM/Mb. In contrast, in a neighboring region no double-crossover was recovered, but single-crossover rate reached 24 cM/Mb, which is much higher than the genome-wide average. This result suggests a putative inversion polymorphism between the parental lines in the Br2 region. Genotyping using the markers from the Br2 region divided a collection of 55 randomly sampled A. tauschii accessions into two major groups, and they are largely genetically isolated. The two groups correspond to the L1 and L2 lineages based on their geographic distribution patterns. This provides first evidence that inversions may underlie the evolution of A. tauschii lineages. The presence of inter-lineage inversions may complicate map-based cloning in A. tauschii and transfer of useful traits to wheat.

  1. Smooth muscle-like tissue constructs with circumferentially oriented cells formed by the cell fiber technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Amy Y; Okitsu, Teru; Onoe, Hiroaki; Kiyosawa, Mahiro; Teramae, Hiroki; Iwanaga, Shintaroh; Kazama, Tomohiko; Matsumoto, Taro; Takeuchi, Shoji

    2015-01-01

    The proper functioning of many organs and tissues containing smooth muscles greatly depends on the intricate organization of the smooth muscle cells oriented in appropriate directions. Consequently controlling the cellular orientation in three-dimensional (3D) cellular constructs is an important issue in engineering tissues of smooth muscles. However, the ability to precisely control the cellular orientation at the microscale cannot be achieved by various commonly used 3D tissue engineering building blocks such as spheroids. This paper presents the formation of coiled spring-shaped 3D cellular constructs containing circumferentially oriented smooth muscle-like cells differentiated from dedifferentiated fat (DFAT) cells. By using the cell fiber technology, DFAT cells suspended in a mixture of extracellular proteins possessing an optimized stiffness were encapsulated in the core region of alginate shell microfibers and uniformly aligned to the longitudinal direction. Upon differentiation induction to the smooth muscle lineage, DFAT cell fibers self-assembled to coiled spring structures where the cells became circumferentially oriented. By changing the initial core-shell microfiber diameter, we demonstrated that the spring pitch and diameter could be controlled. 21 days after differentiation induction, the cell fibers contained high percentages of ASMA-positive and calponin-positive cells. Our technology to create these smooth muscle-like spring constructs enabled precise control of cellular alignment and orientation in 3D. These constructs can further serve as tissue engineering building blocks for larger organs and cellular implants used in clinical treatments.

  2. In vitro analysis of the oligodendrocyte lineage in mice during demyelination and remyelination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, R.; Friedrich, V.L. Jr.; Holmes, K.V.; Dubois-Dalcq, M.

    1990-01-01

    A demyelinating disease induced in C57B1/6N mice by intracranial injection of a coronavirus (murine hepatitis virus strain A59) is followed by functional recovery and efficient CNS myelin repair. To study the biological properties of the cells involved in this repair process, glial cells were isolated and cultured from spinal cords of these young adult mice during demyelination and remyelination. Using three-color immunofluorescence combined with [3H]thymidine autoradiography, we have analyzed the antigenic phenotype and mitotic potential of individual glial cells. We identified oligodendrocytes with an antibody to galactocerebroside, astrocytes with an antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein, and oligodendrocyte-type 2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells with the O4 antibody. Cultures from demyelinated tissue differed in several ways from those of age-matched controls: first, the total number of O-2A lineage cells was strikingly increased; second, the O-2A population consisted of a higher proportion of O4-positive astrocytes and cells of mixed oligodendrocyte-astrocyte phenotype; and third, all the cell types within the O-2A lineage showed enhanced proliferation. This proliferation was not further enhanced by adding PDGF, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to the defined medium. However, bFGF and IGF-I seemed to influence the fate of O-2A lineage cells in cultures of demyelinated tissue. Basic FGF decreased the percentage of cells expressing galactocerebroside. In contrast, IGF-I increased the relative proportion of oligodendrocytes. Thus, O-2A lineage cells from adult mice display greater phenotypic plasticity and enhanced mitotic potential in response to an episode of demyelination. These properties may be linked to the efficient remyelination achieved in this demyelinating disease

  3. Concise classification of the genomic porcine endogenous retroviral gamma1 load to defined lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klymiuk, Nikolai; Wolf, Eckhard; Aigner, Bernhard

    2008-02-05

    We investigated the infection history of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) gamma1 by analyzing published env and LTR sequences. PERV sequences from various breeds, porcine cell lines and infected human primary cells were included in the study. We identified a considerable number of retroviral lineages indicating multiple independent colonization events of the porcine genome. A recent boost of the proviral load in an isolated pig herd and exclusive occurrence of distinct lineages in single studies indicated the ongoing colonization of the porcine genome with endogenous retroviruses. Retroviral recombination between co-packaged genomes was a general factor for PERV gamma1 diversity which indicated the simultaneous expression of different proviral loci over a period of time. In total, our detailed description of endogenous retroviral lineages is the prerequisite for breeding approaches to minimize the infectious potential of porcine tissues for the subsequent use in xenotransplantation.

  4. Mesenchymal stem cells from different murine tissues have differential capacity to metabolize extracellular nucleotides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iser, Isabele C; Bracco, Paula A; Gonçalves, Carlos E I; Zanin, Rafael F; Nardi, Nance B; Lenz, Guido; Battastini, Ana Maria O; Wink, Márcia R

    2014-10-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown a great potential for cell-based therapy and many different therapeutic purposes. Despite the recent advances in the knowledge of MSCs biology, their biochemical and molecular properties are still poorly defined. Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eNT/CD73) are widely expressed enzymes that hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides, generating an important cellular signaling cascade. Currently, studies have evidenced the relationship between the purinergic system and the development, maintenance, and differentiation of stem cells. The objective of this study is to identify the NTPDases and eNT/CD73 and compare the levels of nucleotide hydrolysis on MSCs isolated from different murine tissues (bone marrow, lung, vena cava, kidney, pancreas, spleen, skin, and adipose tissue). MSCs from all tissues investigated expressed the ectoenzymes at different levels. In MSCs from pancreas and adipose tissue, the hydrolysis of triphosphonucleosides was significantly higher when compared to the other cells. The diphosphonucleosides were hydrolyzed at a higher rate by MSC from pancreas when compared to MSC from other tissues. The differential nucleotide hydrolysis activity and enzyme expression in these cells suggests that MSCs play different roles in regulating the purinergic system in these tissues. Overall MSCs are an attractive adult-derived cell population for therapies, however, the fact that ecto-nucleotide metabolism can affect the microenvironment, modulating important events, such as immune response, makes the assessment of this metabolism an important part of the characterization of MSCs to be applied therapeutically. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Braided nanofibrous scaffold for tendon and ligament tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barber, John G; Handorf, Andrew M; Allee, Tyler J; Li, Wan-Ju

    2013-06-01

    Tendon and ligament (T/L) injuries present an important clinical challenge due to their intrinsically poor healing capacity. Natural healing typically leads to the formation of scar-like tissue possessing inferior mechanical properties. Therefore, tissue engineering has gained considerable attention as a promising alternative for T/L repair. In this study, we fabricated braided nanofibrous scaffolds (BNFSs) as a potential construct for T/L tissue engineering. Scaffolds were fabricated by braiding 3, 4, or 5 aligned bundles of electrospun poly(L-lactic acid) nanofibers, thus introducing an additional degree of flexibility to alter the mechanical properties of individual scaffolds. We observed that the Young's modulus, yield stress, and ultimate stress were all increased in the 3-bundle compared to the 4- and 5-bundle BNFSs. Interestingly, acellular BNFSs mimicked the normal tri-phasic mechanical behavior of native tendon and ligament (T/L) during loading. When cultured on the BNFSs, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) adhered, aligned parallel to the length of the nanofibers, and displayed a concomitant realignment of the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, the BNFSs supported hMSC proliferation and induced an upregulation in the expression of key pluripotency genes. When cultured on BNFSs in the presence of tenogenic growth factors and stimulated with cyclic tensile strain, hMSCs differentiated into the tenogenic lineage, evidenced most notably by the significant upregulation of Scleraxis gene expression. These results demonstrate that BNFSs provide a versatile scaffold capable of supporting both stem cell expansion and differentiation for T/L tissue engineering applications.

  6. The Effects of Environmental Factors on Smooth Muscle Cells Differentiation from Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Esophagus Tissues Engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Fang

    Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are increasingly being used for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) can be differentiated from ASCs. Oxygen is a key factor influencing the stem cell differentiation. Tissue engineered esophagus has been a preferred solution...... of esophagus was studied. Our results showed that both SMCs and ASCs could attach on the porcine esophageal acellular matrix (EAM) scaffold in vitro after 24 hours and survive until 7 days. Thus ASCs might be a substitute for SMCs in the construction of tissue engineered esophageal muscle layer....

  7. New medium used in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to retinal cells is comparable to fetal human eye tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaobing; Xiong, Kai; Lin, Cong; Lv, Lei; Chen, Jing; Xu, Chongchong; Wang, Songtao; Gu, Dandan; Zheng, Hua; Yu, Hurong; Li, Yan; Xiao, Honglei; Zhou, Guomin

    2015-06-01

    Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential to differentiate along the retinal lineage. However, most induction systems are dependent on multiple small molecular compounds such as Dkk-1, Lefty-A, and retinoic acid. In the present study, we efficiently differentiated hPSCs into retinal cells using a retinal differentiation medium (RDM) without the use of small molecular compounds. This novel differentiation system recapitulates retinal morphogenesis in humans, i.e. hPSCs gradually differentiate into optic vesicle-shaped spheres, followed by optic cup-shaped spheres and, lastly, retinal progenitor cells. Furthermore, at different stages, hPSC-derived retinal cells mirror the transcription factor expression profiles seen in their counterparts during human embryogenesis. Most importantly, hinge epithelium was found between the hPSC-derived neural retina (NR) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). These data suggest that our culture system provides a new method for generating hPSC-derived retinal cells that, for the first time, might be used in human transplantation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. No evidence for Fabaceae Gametophytic self-incompatibility being determined by Rosaceae, Solanaceae, and Plantaginaceae S-RNase lineage genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, Bruno; Vieira, Jorge; Cunha, Ana E; Vieira, Cristina P

    2015-06-02

    Fabaceae species are important in agronomy and livestock nourishment. They have a long breeding history, and most cultivars have lost self-incompatibility (SI), a genetic barrier to self-fertilization. Nevertheless, to improve legume crop breeding, crosses with wild SI relatives of the cultivated varieties are often performed. Therefore, it is fundamental to characterize Fabaceae SI system(s). We address the hypothesis of Fabaceae gametophytic (G)SI being RNase based, by recruiting the same S-RNase lineage gene of Rosaceae, Solanaceae or Plantaginaceae SI species. We first identify SSK1 like genes (described only in species having RNase based GSI), in the Trifolium pratense, Medicago truncatula, Cicer arietinum, Glycine max, and Lupinus angustifolius genomes. Then, we characterize the S-lineage T2-RNase genes in these genomes. In T. pratense, M. truncatula, and C. arietinum we identify S-RNase lineage genes that in phylogenetic analyses cluster with Pyrinae S-RNases. In M. truncatula and C. arietinum genomes, where large scaffolds are available, these sequences are surrounded by F-box genes that in phylogenetic analyses also cluster with S-pollen genes. In T. pratense the S-RNase lineage genes show, however, expression in tissues not involved in GSI. Moreover, levels of diversity are lower than those observed for other S-RNase genes. The M. truncatula and C. arietinum S-RNase and S-pollen like genes phylogenetically related to Pyrinae S-genes, are also expressed in tissues other than those involved in GSI. To address if other T2-RNases could be determining Fabaceae GSI, here we obtained a style with stigma transcriptome of Cytisus striatus, a species that shows significant difference on the percentage of pollen growth in self and cross-pollinations. Expression and polymorphism analyses of the C. striatus S-RNase like genes revealed that none of these genes, is the S-pistil gene. We find no evidence for Fabaceae GSI being determined by Rosaceae, Solanaceae, and

  9. Oesteosarcomagenic doses of radium (224Ra) and infectious endogenous retroviruses enhance proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of skeletal tissue dofferentiating in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, J.; Heermeier, K.; Linzner, U.; Luz, A.; Silbermann, M.; Livne, E.; Erfle, V.

    1994-01-01

    Cartilage tissue from embryonic mice which undergoes osteogenic differentiation during in vitro cultivation was used to study the effect of osteosarcomagenic doses of α-irradiation and bone-tumor-inducing retroviruses on proliferation and phenotypic differentiation of skeletal cells in a defined tissue culture model. Irradiated mandibular condyles showed dose-dependent enhancement of cell proliferation at day 7 of the culture and increased osteogenic differentiation at day 14. Maximal effects were found with 7.4 Bq/ml of 224 Ra-labeled medium. Doses of 740 and 7400 Bq/ml of 224 Ra-labeled medium induced increasing cell death. Retrovirus infection enhanced osteogenic differentiation and extended the viability of irradiated cells. After transplantation none of the treated tissues developed tumors in syngeneic mice. (orig.)

  10. Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon expressing cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timper, Katharina; Seboek, Dalma; Eberhardt, Michael; Linscheid, Philippe; Christ-Crain, Mirjam; Keller, Ulrich; Mueller, Beat; Zulewski, Henryk

    2006-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from mouse bone marrow were shown to adopt a pancreatic endocrine phenotype in vitro and to reverse diabetes in an animal model. MSC from human bone marrow and adipose tissue represent very similar cell populations with comparable phenotypes. Adipose tissue is abundant and easily accessible and could thus also harbor cells with the potential to differentiate in insulin producing cells. We isolated human adipose tissue-derived MSC from four healthy donors. During the proliferation period, the cells expressed the stem cell markers nestin, ABCG2, SCF, Thy-1 as well as the pancreatic endocrine transcription factor Isl-1. The cells were induced to differentiate into a pancreatic endocrine phenotype by defined culture conditions within 3 days. Using quantitative PCR a down-regulation of ABCG2 and up-regulation of pancreatic developmental transcription factors Isl-1, Ipf-1, and Ngn3 were observed together with induction of the islet hormones insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin

  11. Glycosaminoglycan-Mimetic Signals Direct the Osteo/Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Three-Dimensional Peptide Nanofiber Extracellular Matrix Mimetic Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arslan, Elif; Guler, Mustafa O; Tekinay, Ayse B

    2016-04-11

    Recent efforts in bioactive scaffold development focus strongly on the elucidation of complex cellular responses through the use of synthetic systems. Designing synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) materials must be based on understanding of cellular behaviors upon interaction with natural and artificial scaffolds. Hence, due to their ability to mimic both the biochemical and mechanical properties of the native tissue environment, supramolecular assemblies of bioactive peptide nanostructures are especially promising for development of bioactive ECM-mimetic scaffolds. In this study, we used glycosaminoglycan (GAG) mimetic peptide nanofiber gel as a three-dimensional (3D) platform to investigate how cell lineage commitment is altered by external factors. We observed that amount of fetal bovine serum (FBS) presented in the cell media had synergistic effects on the ability of GAG-mimetic nanofiber gel to mediate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. In particular, lower FBS concentration in the culture medium was observed to enhance osteogenic differentiation while higher amount FBS promotes chondrogenic differentiation in tandem with the effects of the GAG-mimetic 3D peptide nanofiber network, even in the absence of externally administered growth factors. We therefore demonstrate that mesenchymal stem cell differentiation can be specifically controlled by the combined influence of growth medium components and a 3D peptide nanofiber environment.

  12. Bridging the gap between postembryonic cell lineages and identified embryonic neuroblasts in the ventral nerve cord of Drosophila melanogaster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Birkholz

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The clarification of complete cell lineages, which are produced by specific stem cells, is fundamental for understanding mechanisms, controlling the generation of cell diversity and patterning in an emerging tissue. In the developing Central Nervous System (CNS of Drosophila, neural stem cells (neuroblasts exhibit two periods of proliferation: During embryogenesis they produce primary lineages, which form the larval CNS. After a phase of mitotic quiescence, a subpopulation of them resumes proliferation in the larva to give rise to secondary lineages that build up the CNS of the adult fly. Within the ventral nerve cord (VNC detailed descriptions exist for both primary and secondary lineages. However, while primary lineages have been linked to identified neuroblasts, the assignment of secondary lineages has so far been hampered by technical limitations. Therefore, primary and secondary neural lineages co-existed as isolated model systems. Here we provide the missing link between the two systems for all lineages in the thoracic and abdominal neuromeres. Using the Flybow technique, embryonic neuroblasts were identified by their characteristic and unique lineages in the living embryo and their further development was traced into the late larval stage. This comprehensive analysis provides the first complete view of which embryonic neuroblasts are postembryonically reactivated along the anterior/posterior-axis of the VNC, and reveals the relationship between projection patterns of primary and secondary sublineages.

  13. In silico analysis of stomach lineage specific gene set expression pattern in gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandi, Narayanan Sathiya; Suganya, Sivagurunathan; Rajendran, Suriliyandi

    2013-10-04

    Stomach lineage specific gene products act as a protective barrier in the normal stomach and their expression maintains the normal physiological processes, cellular integrity and morphology of the gastric wall. However, the regulation of stomach lineage specific genes in gastric cancer (GC) is far less clear. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role and regulation of stomach lineage specific gene set (SLSGS) in GC. SLSGS was identified by comparing the mRNA expression profiles of normal stomach tissue with other organ tissue. The obtained SLSGS was found to be under expressed in gastric tumors. Functional annotation analysis revealed that the SLSGS was enriched for digestive function and gastric epithelial maintenance. Employing a single sample prediction method across GC mRNA expression profiles identified the under expression of SLSGS in proliferative type and invasive type gastric tumors compared to the metabolic type gastric tumors. Integrative pathway activation prediction analysis revealed a close association between estrogen-α signaling and SLSGS expression pattern in GC. Elevated expression of SLSGS in GC is associated with an overall increase in the survival of GC patients. In conclusion, our results highlight that estrogen mediated regulation of SLSGS in gastric tumor is a molecular predictor of metabolic type GC and prognostic factor in GC. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. PHF6 regulates phenotypic plasticity through chromatin organization within lineage-specific genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto-Feliciano, Yadira M; Bartlebaugh, Jordan M E; Liu, Yunpeng; Sánchez-Rivera, Francisco J; Bhutkar, Arjun; Weintraub, Abraham S; Buenrostro, Jason D; Cheng, Christine S; Regev, Aviv; Jacks, Tyler E; Young, Richard A; Hemann, Michael T

    2017-05-15

    Developmental and lineage plasticity have been observed in numerous malignancies and have been correlated with tumor progression and drug resistance. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that enable such plasticity to occur. Here, we describe the function of the plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) in leukemia and define its role in regulating chromatin accessibility to lineage-specific transcription factors. We show that loss of Phf6 in B-cell leukemia results in systematic changes in gene expression via alteration of the chromatin landscape at the transcriptional start sites of B-cell- and T-cell-specific factors. Additionally, Phf6 KO cells show significant down-regulation of genes involved in the development and function of normal B cells, show up-regulation of genes involved in T-cell signaling, and give rise to mixed-lineage lymphoma in vivo. Engagement of divergent transcriptional programs results in phenotypic plasticity that leads to altered disease presentation in vivo, tolerance of aberrant oncogenic signaling, and differential sensitivity to frontline and targeted therapies. These findings suggest that active maintenance of a precise chromatin landscape is essential for sustaining proper leukemia cell identity and that loss of a single factor (PHF6) can cause focal changes in chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning that render cells susceptible to lineage transition. © 2017 Soto-Feliciano et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  15. Role of Galectin-3 in Bone Cell Differentiation, Bone Pathophysiology and Vascular Osteogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Iacobini

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Galectin-3 is expressed in various tissues, including the bone, where it is considered a marker of chondrogenic and osteogenic cell lineages. Galectin-3 protein was found to be increased in the differentiated chondrocytes of the metaphyseal plate cartilage, where it favors chondrocyte survival and cartilage matrix mineralization. It was also shown to be highly expressed in differentiating osteoblasts and osteoclasts, in concomitance with expression of osteogenic markers and Runt-related transcription factor 2 and with the appearance of a mature phenotype. Galectin-3 is expressed also by osteocytes, though its function in these cells has not been fully elucidated. The effects of galectin-3 on bone cells were also investigated in galectin-3 null mice, further supporting its role in all stages of bone biology, from development to remodeling. Galectin-3 was also shown to act as a receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, which have been implicated in age-dependent and diabetes-associated bone fragility. Moreover, its regulatory role in inflammatory bone and joint disorders entitles galectin-3 as a possible therapeutic target. Finally, galectin-3 capacity to commit mesenchymal stem cells to the osteoblastic lineage and to favor transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells into an osteoblast-like phenotype open a new area of interest in bone and vascular pathologies.

  16. A 3D magnetic tissue stretcher for remote mechanical control of embryonic stem cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Vicard; Luciani, Nathalie; Richard, Sophie; Mary, Gaëtan; Gay, Cyprien; Mazuel, François; Reffay, Myriam; Menasché, Philippe; Agbulut, Onnik; Wilhelm, Claire

    2017-09-12

    The ability to create a 3D tissue structure from individual cells and then to stimulate it at will is a major goal for both the biophysics and regenerative medicine communities. Here we show an integrated set of magnetic techniques that meet this challenge using embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We assessed the impact of magnetic nanoparticles internalization on ESCs viability, proliferation, pluripotency and differentiation profiles. We developed magnetic attractors capable of aggregating the cells remotely into a 3D embryoid body. This magnetic approach to embryoid body formation has no discernible impact on ESC differentiation pathways, as compared to the hanging drop method. It is also the base of the final magnetic device, composed of opposing magnetic attractors in order to form embryoid bodies in situ, then stretch them, and mechanically stimulate them at will. These stretched and cyclic purely mechanical stimulations were sufficient to drive ESCs differentiation towards the mesodermal cardiac pathway.The development of embryoid bodies that are responsive to external stimuli is of great interest in tissue engineering. Here, the authors culture embryonic stem cells with magnetic nanoparticles and show that the presence of magnetic fields could affect their aggregation and differentiation.

  17. Tissue-specific 5' heterogeneity of PPARα transcripts and their differential regulation by leptin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma S Garratt

    Full Text Available The genes encoding nuclear receptors comprise multiple 5'untranslated exons, which give rise to several transcripts encoding the same protein, allowing tissue-specific regulation of expression. Both human and mouse peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR α genes have multiple promoters, although their function is unknown. Here we have characterised the rat PPARα promoter region and have identified three alternative PPARα transcripts, which have different transcription start sites owing to the utilisation of distinct first exons. Moreover these alternative PPARα transcripts were differentially expressed between adipose tissue and liver. We show that while the major adipose (P1 and liver (P2 transcripts were both induced by dexamethasone, they were differentially regulated by the PPARα agonist, clofibric acid, and leptin. Leptin had no effect on the adipose-specific P1 transcript, but induced liver-specific P2 promoter activity via a STAT3/Sp1 mechanism. Moreover in Wistar rats, leptin treatment between postnatal day 3-13 led to an increase in P2 but not P1 transcription in adipose tissue which was sustained into adulthood. This suggests that the expression of the alternative PPARα transcripts are in part programmed by early life exposure to leptin leading to persistent change in adipose tissue fatty acid metabolism through specific activation of a quiescent PPARα promoter. Such complexity in the regulation of PPARα may allow the expression of PPARα to be finely regulated in response to environmental factors.

  18. Proteomic cornerstones of hematopoietic stem cell differentiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klimmeck, Daniel; Hansson, Jenny; Raffel, Simon

    2012-01-01

    Regenerative tissues such as the skin epidermis, the intestinal mucosa or the hematopoietic system are organized in a hierarchical manner with stem cells building the top of this hierarchy. Somatic stem cells harbor the highest self-renewal activity and generate a series of multipotent progenitors...... which differentiate into lineage committed progenitors and subsequently mature cells. In this report, we applied an in-depth quantitative proteomic approach to analyze and compare the full proteomes of ex vivo isolated and FACS-sorted populations highly enriched for either multipotent hematopoietic stem....../progenitor cells (HSPCs, Lin(neg)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)) or myeloid committed precursors (Lin(neg)Sca-1(-)c-Kit(+)). By employing stable isotope dimethyl labeling and high-resolution mass spectrometry, more than 5,000 proteins were quantified. From biological triplicate experiments subjected to rigorous statistical...

  19. Uncovering the mutation-fixation correlation in short lineages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vallender Eric J

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We recently reported a highly unexpected positive correlation between the fixation probability of nonsynonymous mutations (estimated by ω and neutral mutation rate (estimated by Ks in mammalian lineages. However, this positive correlation was observed for lineages with relatively long divergence time such as the human-mouse lineage, and was not found for very short lineages such as the human-chimpanzee lineage. It was previously unclear how to interpret this discrepancy. It may indicate that the positive correlation between ω and Ks in long lineages is a false finding. Alternatively, it may reflect a biologically meaningful difference between various lineages. Finally, the lack of positive correlation in short lineages may be the result of methodological artifacts. Results Here we show that a strong positive correlation can indeed be seen in short lineages when a method was introduced to correct for the inherently high levels of stochastic noise in the use of Ks as an estimator of neutral mutation rate. Thus, the previously noted lack of positive correlation between ω and Ks in short lineages is due to stochastic noise in Ks that makes it a far less reliable estimator of neutral mutation rate in short lineages as compared to long lineages. Conclusion A positive correlation between ω and Ks can be observed in all mammalian lineages for which large amounts of sequence data are available, including very short lineages. It confirms the authenticity of this highly unexpected correlation, and argues that the correction likely applies broadly across all mammals and perhaps even non-mammalian species.

  20. Tissues from equine cadaver ligaments up to 72 hours of post-mortem: a promising reservoir of stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shikh Alsook, Mohamad Khir; Gabriel, Annick; Piret, Joëlle; Waroux, Olivier; Tonus, Céline; Connan, Delphine; Baise, Etienne; Antoine, Nadine

    2015-12-18

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from cadaveric tissues represent a promising approach for regenerative medicine. To date, no study has investigated whether viable MSCs could survive in cadaveric tissues from tendon or ligament up to 72 hours of post-mortem. The purpose of the present work was to find out if viable MSCs could survive in cadaveric tissues from adult equine ligaments up to 72 hours of post-mortem, and to assess their ability (i) to remain in an undifferentiated state and (ii) to divide and proliferate in the absence of any specific stimulus. MSCs were isolated from equine cadaver (EC) suspensory ligaments within 48-72 hours of post-mortem. They were evaluated for viability, proliferation, capacity for tri-lineage differentiation, expression of cell surface markers (CD90, CD105, CD73, CD45), pluripotent transcription factor (OCT-4), stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1), neuron-specific class III beta-tubulin (TUJ-1), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). As well, they were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). EC-MSCs were successfully isolated and maintained for 20 passages with high cell viability and proliferation. Phase contrast microscopy revealed that cells with fibroblast-like appearance were predominant in the culture. Differentiation assays proved that EC-MSCs are able to differentiate towards mesodermal lineages (osteogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic). Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that EC-MSCs expressed CD90, CD105, and CD73, while being negative for the leukocyte common antigen CD45. Immunofluorescence analysis showed a high percentage of positive cells for OCT-4 and SSEA-1. Surprisingly, in absence of any stimuli, some adherent cells closely resembling neuronal and glial morphology were also observed. Interestingly, our results revealed that approximately 15 % of the cell populations were TUJ-1 positive, whereas GFAP expression was detected in only a few cells. Furthermore, TEM analysis

  1. Cytogenetic abnormalities in acute leukaemia of ambiguous lineage: an overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manola, Kalliopi N

    2013-10-01

    Acute leukaemia of ambiguous lineage (ALAL) is a rare complex entity with heterogeneous clinical, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular genetic features and adverse outcome. According to World Health Organization 2008 classification, ALAL encompasses those leukaemias that show no clear evidence of differentiation along a single lineage. The rarity of ALAL and the lack of uniform diagnostic criteria have made it difficult to establish its cytogenetic features, although cytogenetic analysis reveals clonal chromosomal abnormalities in 59-91% of patients. This article focuses on the significance of cytogenetic analysis in ALAL supporting the importance of cytogenetic analysis in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, follow up and treatment selection of ALAL. It reviews in detail the types of chromosomal aberrations, their molecular background, their correlation with immunophenotype and age distribution and their prognostic relevance. It also summarizes some novel chromosome aberrations that have been observed only once. Furthermore, it highlights the ongoing and future research on ALAL in the field of cytogenetics. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. LCGbase: A Comprehensive Database for Lineage-Based Co-regulated Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dapeng; Zhang, Yubin; Fan, Zhonghua; Liu, Guiming; Yu, Jun

    2012-01-01

    Animal genes of different lineages, such as vertebrates and arthropods, are well-organized and blended into dynamic chromosomal structures that represent a primary regulatory mechanism for body development and cellular differentiation. The majority of genes in a genome are actually clustered, which are evolutionarily stable to different extents and biologically meaningful when evaluated among genomes within and across lineages. Until now, many questions concerning gene organization, such as what is the minimal number of genes in a cluster and what is the driving force leading to gene co-regulation, remain to be addressed. Here, we provide a user-friendly database-LCGbase (a comprehensive database for lineage-based co-regulated genes)-hosting information on evolutionary dynamics of gene clustering and ordering within animal kingdoms in two different lineages: vertebrates and arthropods. The database is constructed on a web-based Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP framework and effective interactive user-inquiry service. Compared to other gene annotation databases with similar purposes, our database has three comprehensible advantages. First, our database is inclusive, including all high-quality genome assemblies of vertebrates and representative arthropod species. Second, it is human-centric since we map all gene clusters from other genomes in an order of lineage-ranks (such as primates, mammals, warm-blooded, and reptiles) onto human genome and start the database from well-defined gene pairs (a minimal cluster where the two adjacent genes are oriented as co-directional, convergent, and divergent pairs) to large gene clusters. Furthermore, users can search for any adjacent genes and their detailed annotations. Third, the database provides flexible parameter definitions, such as the distance of transcription start sites between two adjacent genes, which is extendable to genes that flanking the cluster across species. We also provide useful tools for sequence alignment, gene

  3. Role of LRF/Pokemon in lineage fate decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunardi, Andrea; Guarnerio, Jlenia; Wang, Guocan

    2013-01-01

    In the human genome, 43 different genes are found that encode proteins belonging to the family of the POK (poxvirus and zinc finger and Krüppel)/ZBTB (zinc finger and broad complex, tramtrack, and bric à brac) factors. Generally considered transcriptional repressors, several of these genes play fundamental roles in cell lineage fate decision in various tissues, programming specific tasks throughout the life of the organism. Here, we focus on functions of leukemia/lymphoma-related factor/POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor, which is probably one of the most exciting and yet enigmatic members of the POK/ZBTB family. PMID:23396304

  4. Activation of GSK3β by Sirt2 is required for early lineage commitment of mouse embryonic stem cell.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoxing Si

    Full Text Available Sirt2, a member of the NAD(+-dependent protein deacetylase family, is increasingly recognized as a critical regulator of the cell cycle, cellular necrosis and cytoskeleton organization. However, its role in embryonic stem cells (ESCs remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that Sirt2 is up-regulated during RA (retinoic acid-induced and embryoid body (EB differentiation of mouse ESCs. Using lentivirus-mediated shRNA methods, we found that knockdown of Sirt2 compromises the differentiation of mouse ESCs into ectoderm while promoting mesoderm and endoderm differentiation. Knockdown of Sirt2 expression also leads to the activation of GSK3β through decreased phosphorylation of the serine at position 9 (Ser9 but not tyrosine at position 216 (Tyr216. Moreover, the constitutive activation of GSK3β during EB differentiation mimics the effect of Sirt2 knockdown, while down-regulation of GSK3β rescues the effect of Sirt2 knockdown on differentiation. In contrast to the effect on lineage differentiation, Sirt2 knockdown and GSK3β up-regulation do not change the self-renewal state of mouse ESCs. Overall, our report reveals a new function for Sirt2 in regulating the proper lineage commitment of mouse ESCs.

  5. Differential expression of conserved germ line markers and delayed segregation of male and female primordial germ cells in a hermaphrodite, the leech helobdella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Sung-Jin; Vallès, Yvonne; Weisblat, David A

    2014-02-01

    In sexually reproducing animals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are often set aside early in embryogenesis, a strategy that minimizes the risk of genomic damage associated with replication and mitosis during the cell cycle. Here, we have used germ line markers (piwi, vasa, and nanos) and microinjected cell lineage tracers to show that PGC specification in the leech genus Helobdella follows a different scenario: in this hermaphrodite, the male and female PGCs segregate from somatic lineages only after more than 20 rounds of zygotic mitosis; the male and female PGCs share the same (mesodermal) cell lineage for 19 rounds of zygotic mitosis. Moreover, while all three markers are expressed in both male and female reproductive tissues of the adult, they are expressed differentially between the male and female PGCs of the developing embryo: piwi and vasa are expressed preferentially in female PGCs at a time when nanos is expressed preferentially in male PGCs. A priori, the delayed segregation of male and female PGCs from somatic tissues and from one another increases the probability of mutations affecting both male and female PGCs of a given individual. We speculate that this suite of features, combined with a capacity for self-fertilization, may contribute to the dramatically rearranged genome of Helobdella robusta relative to other animals.

  6. MLL-AF9-mediated immortalization of human hematopoietic cells along different lineages changes during ontogeny.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Horton, S.J.; Jaques, J.; Woolthuis, C.; Dijk, J. van; Mesuraca, M.; Huls, G.A.; Morrone, G.; Vellenga, E.; Schuringa, J.J.

    2013-01-01

    The MLL-AF9 fusion gene is associated with aggressive leukemias of both the myeloid and lymphoid lineage in infants, whereas in adults, this translocation is mainly associated with acute myeloid leukemia. These observations suggest that differences exist between fetal and adult tissues in terms of

  7. Differential tissue expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein in 'green mice'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, De-Fu; Tezuka, Hideo; Kondo, Tetsuo; Sudo, Katsuko; Niu, Dong-Feng; Nakazawa, Tadao; Kawasaki, Tomonori; Yamane, Tetsu; Nakamura, Nobuki; Katoh, Ryohei

    2010-06-01

    In order to clarify tissue expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in 'green mice' from a transgenic line having an EGFP cDNA under the control of a chicken beta-actin promoter and cytomegalovirus enhancer, we studied the expression of EGFP in various organs and tissues from these 'green mice' by immunohistochemistry with anti- EGFP antibody in conjunction with direct observation for EGFP fluorescence using confocal laser scanning microscopy. On immunohistochemical examination and on direct observation by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the level of EGFP expression varied among organs and tissues. EGFP expression was diffusely and strongly observed in the skin, pituitary, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, heart, gall bladder, pancreas, adrenals and urinary bladder. There was only sporadic and weak expression of EGFP in the epithelium of the trachea, bronchus of the lung, stratified squamous epithelium and gastric glands of the stomach, hepatic bile ducts of the liver, glomeruli and renal tubules of the kidney and endo-metrial glands of the uterus. Furthermore, EGFP was only demonstrated within the goblet and paneth cells in the colon and small intestine, the tall columnar cells in the ductus epididymis, and the leydig cells in the testis. In conclusion, our results show that EGFP is differentially expressed in organs and tissues of 'green mice', which indicates that 'green mice' may prove useful for research involving transplantation and tissue clonality.

  8. Global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences in rice evolution result in two contrasting types of differentially expressed genes

    KAUST Repository

    Horiuchi, Youko

    2015-12-23

    Background Since the development of transcriptome analysis systems, many expression evolution studies characterized evolutionary forces acting on gene expression, without explicit discrimination between global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences. However, different types of gene expression alteration should have different effects on an organism, the evolutionary forces that act on them might be different, and different types of genes might show different types of differential expression between species. To confirm this, we studied differentially expressed (DE) genes among closely related groups that have extensive gene expression atlases, and clarified characteristics of different types of DE genes including the identification of regulating loci for differential expression using expression quantitative loci (eQTL) analysis data. Results We detected differentially expressed (DE) genes between rice subspecies in five homologous tissues that were verified using japonica and indica transcriptome atlases in public databases. Using the transcriptome atlases, we classified DE genes into two types, global DE genes and changed-tissues DE genes. Global type DE genes were not expressed in any tissues in the atlas of one subspecies, however changed-tissues type DE genes were expressed in both subspecies with different tissue specificity. For the five tissues in the two japonica-indica combinations, 4.6 ± 0.8 and 5.9 ± 1.5 % of highly expressed genes were global and changed-tissues DE genes, respectively. Changed-tissues DE genes varied in number between tissues, increasing linearly with the abundance of tissue specifically expressed genes in the tissue. Molecular evolution of global DE genes was rapid, unlike that of changed-tissues DE genes. Based on gene ontology, global and changed-tissues DE genes were different, having no common GO terms. Expression differences of most global DE genes were regulated by cis-eQTLs. Expression

  9. Differential effects of culture senescence and mechanical stimulation on the proliferation and leiomyogenic differentiation of MSC from different sources: implications for engineering vascular grafts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koobatian, Maxwell T; Liang, Mao-Shih; Swartz, Daniel D; Andreadis, Stelios T

    2015-04-01

    We examined the effects of senescence on the proliferation and leiomyogenic differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) or hair follicles (HF-MSCs). To this end, we compared ovine HF-MSCs and BM-MSCs in terms of their proliferation and differentiation potential to the smooth muscle cell lineage. We discovered that HF-MSCs are less susceptible to culture senescence compared with BM-MSCs. We hypothesized that application of mechanical forces may enhance the contractility and mechanical properties of vascular constructs prepared from senescent MSCs. Interestingly, HF-MSCs and BM-MSCs responded differently to changes in the mechanical microenvironment, suggesting that despite phenotypic similarities, MSCs from different anatomic locations may activate different pathways in response to the same microenvironmental factors. In turn, this may also suggest that cell-based tissue regeneration approaches may need to be tailored to the stem cell origin, donor age, and culture time for optimal results.

  10. Parallel signatures of selection in temporally isolated lineages of pink salmon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seeb, L. W.; Waples, R. K.; Limborg, M. T.

    2014-01-01

    Studying the effect of similar environments on diverse genetic backgrounds has long been a goal of evolutionary biologists with studies typically relying on experimental approaches. Pink salmon, a highly abundant and widely ranging salmonid, provide a naturally occurring opportunity to study......-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to discover and genotype approximately 8000 SNP loci in three population pairs of even- and odd-year pink salmon along a latitudinal gradient in North America. We found greater differentiation within the odd-year than within the even-year lineage and greater differentiation...... be particularly informative in understanding adaptive evolution in pink salmon and exploring how differing genetic backgrounds within a species respond to selection from the same natural environment...

  11. Cell cycle-dependent differentiation dynamics balances growth and endocrine differentiation in the pancreas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Yung Hae; Larsen, Hjalte List; Rué, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Organogenesis relies on the spatiotemporal balancing of differentiation and proliferation driven by an expanding pool of progenitor cells. In the mouse pancreas, lineage tracing at the population level has shown that the expanding pancreas progenitors can initially give rise to all endocrine...

  12. Differentiation of the endometrial macrophage during pregnancy in the cow.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian J Oliveira

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The presence of conceptus alloantigens necessitates changes in maternal immune function. One player in this process may be the macrophage. In the cow, there is large-scale recruitment of macrophages expressing CD68 and CD14 to the uterine endometrium during pregnancy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, the function of endometrial macrophages during pregnancy was inferred by comparison of the transcriptome of endometrial CD14(+ cells isolated from pregnant cows as compared to that of blood CD14(+ cells. The pattern of gene expression was largely similar for CD14(+ cells from both sources, suggesting that cells from both tissues are from the monocyte/macrophage lineage. A total of 1,364 unique genes were differentially expressed, with 680 genes upregulated in endometrial CD14(+ cells as compared to blood CD14(+ cells and with 674 genes downregulated in endometrial CD14(+ cells as compared to blood CD14(+ cells. Twelve genes characteristic of M2 activated macrophages (SLCO2B1, GATM, MRC1, ALDH1A1, PTGS1, RNASE6, CLEC7A, DPEP2, CD163, CCL22, CCL24, and CDH1 were upregulated in endometrial CD14(+ cells. M2 macrophages play roles in immune regulation, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and apoptosis. Consistent with a role in tissue remodeling, there was over-representation of differentially expressed genes in endometrium for three ontologies related to proteolysis. A role in apoptosis is suggested by the observation that the most overrepresented gene in endometrial CD14(+ cells was GZMA. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that at least a subpopulation of endometrial macrophages cells differentiates along an M2 activation pathway during pregnancy and that the cells are likely to play roles in immune regulation, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis, and apoptosis.

  13. Universality of clone dynamics during tissue development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rulands, Steffen; Lescroart, Fabienne; Chabab, Samira; Hindley, Christopher J.; Prior, Nicole; Sznurkowska, Magdalena K.; Huch, Meritxell; Philpott, Anna; Blanpain, Cedric; Simons, Benjamin D.

    2018-05-01

    The emergence of complex organs is driven by the coordinated proliferation, migration and differentiation of precursor cells. The fate behaviour of these cells is reflected in the time evolution of their progeny, termed clones, which serve as a key experimental observable. In adult tissues, where cell dynamics is constrained by the condition of homeostasis, clonal tracing studies based on transgenic animal models have advanced our understanding of cell fate behaviour and its dysregulation in disease1,2. But what can be learnt from clonal dynamics in development, where the spatial cohesiveness of clones is impaired by tissue deformations during tissue growth? Drawing on the results of clonal tracing studies, we show that, despite the complexity of organ development, clonal dynamics may converge to a critical state characterized by universal scaling behaviour of clone sizes. By mapping clonal dynamics onto a generalization of the classical theory of aerosols, we elucidate the origin and range of scaling behaviours and show how the identification of universal scaling dependences may allow lineage-specific information to be distilled from experiments. Our study shows the emergence of core concepts of statistical physics in an unexpected context, identifying cellular systems as a laboratory to study non-equilibrium statistical physics.

  14. Biological and phylogenetic characteristics of yellow fever virus lineages from West Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, Nina K; Laraway, Hewád; Faye, Ousmane; Diallo, Mawlouth; Niedrig, Matthias; Sall, Amadou A

    2013-03-01

    The yellow fever virus (YFV), the first proven human-pathogenic virus, although isolated in 1927, is still a major public health problem, especially in West Africa where it causes outbreaks every year. Nevertheless, little is known about its genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics, mainly due to a limited number of genomic sequences from wild virus isolates. In this study, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of 24 full-length genomes from YFV strains isolated between 1973 and 2005 in a sylvatic context of West Africa, including 14 isolates that had previously not been sequenced. By this, we confirmed genetic variability within one genotype by the identification of various YF lineages circulating in West Africa. Further analyses of the biological properties of these lineages revealed differential growth behavior in human liver and insect cells, correlating with the source of isolation and suggesting host adaptation. For one lineage, repeatedly isolated in a context of vertical transmission, specific characteristics in the growth behavior and unique mutations of the viral genome were observed and deserve further investigation to gain insight into mechanisms involved in YFV emergence and maintenance in nature.

  15. In silico analysis of stomach lineage specific gene set expression pattern in gastric cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pandi, Narayanan Sathiya, E-mail: sathiyapandi@gmail.com; Suganya, Sivagurunathan; Rajendran, Suriliyandi

    2013-10-04

    Highlights: •Identified stomach lineage specific gene set (SLSGS) was found to be under expressed in gastric tumors. •Elevated expression of SLSGS in gastric tumor is a molecular predictor of metabolic type gastric cancer. •In silico pathway scanning identified estrogen-α signaling is a putative regulator of SLSGS in gastric cancer. •Elevated expression of SLSGS in GC is associated with an overall increase in the survival of GC patients. -- Abstract: Stomach lineage specific gene products act as a protective barrier in the normal stomach and their expression maintains the normal physiological processes, cellular integrity and morphology of the gastric wall. However, the regulation of stomach lineage specific genes in gastric cancer (GC) is far less clear. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role and regulation of stomach lineage specific gene set (SLSGS) in GC. SLSGS was identified by comparing the mRNA expression profiles of normal stomach tissue with other organ tissue. The obtained SLSGS was found to be under expressed in gastric tumors. Functional annotation analysis revealed that the SLSGS was enriched for digestive function and gastric epithelial maintenance. Employing a single sample prediction method across GC mRNA expression profiles identified the under expression of SLSGS in proliferative type and invasive type gastric tumors compared to the metabolic type gastric tumors. Integrative pathway activation prediction analysis revealed a close association between estrogen-α signaling and SLSGS expression pattern in GC. Elevated expression of SLSGS in GC is associated with an overall increase in the survival of GC patients. In conclusion, our results highlight that estrogen mediated regulation of SLSGS in gastric tumor is a molecular predictor of metabolic type GC and prognostic factor in GC.

  16. In silico analysis of stomach lineage specific gene set expression pattern in gastric cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandi, Narayanan Sathiya; Suganya, Sivagurunathan; Rajendran, Suriliyandi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Identified stomach lineage specific gene set (SLSGS) was found to be under expressed in gastric tumors. •Elevated expression of SLSGS in gastric tumor is a molecular predictor of metabolic type gastric cancer. •In silico pathway scanning identified estrogen-α signaling is a putative regulator of SLSGS in gastric cancer. •Elevated expression of SLSGS in GC is associated with an overall increase in the survival of GC patients. -- Abstract: Stomach lineage specific gene products act as a protective barrier in the normal stomach and their expression maintains the normal physiological processes, cellular integrity and morphology of the gastric wall. However, the regulation of stomach lineage specific genes in gastric cancer (GC) is far less clear. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role and regulation of stomach lineage specific gene set (SLSGS) in GC. SLSGS was identified by comparing the mRNA expression profiles of normal stomach tissue with other organ tissue. The obtained SLSGS was found to be under expressed in gastric tumors. Functional annotation analysis revealed that the SLSGS was enriched for digestive function and gastric epithelial maintenance. Employing a single sample prediction method across GC mRNA expression profiles identified the under expression of SLSGS in proliferative type and invasive type gastric tumors compared to the metabolic type gastric tumors. Integrative pathway activation prediction analysis revealed a close association between estrogen-α signaling and SLSGS expression pattern in GC. Elevated expression of SLSGS in GC is associated with an overall increase in the survival of GC patients. In conclusion, our results highlight that estrogen mediated regulation of SLSGS in gastric tumor is a molecular predictor of metabolic type GC and prognostic factor in GC

  17. hTERT gene immortalized human adipose-derived stem cells and its multiple differentiations: a preliminary investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, L; Song, K; Qu, X; Wang, H; Zhu, H; Xu, X; Zhang, M; Tang, Y; Yang, X

    2013-03-01

    Human adipose-derived adult stem cells (hADSCs) can express human telomerase reverse transcriptase phenotypes under an appropriate culture condition. Because adipose tissue is abundant and easily accessible, hADSCs offer a promising source of stem cells for tissue engineering application and other cell-based therapies. However, the shortage of cells number and the difficulty to proliferate, known as the "Hayflick limit" in vitro, limit their further clinical application. Here, hADSCs were transfected with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene by the lentiviral vector to prolong the lifespan of stem cells and even immortalize them. Following to this, the cellular properties and functionalities of the transfected cell lines were assayed. The results demonstrated that hADSCs had been successfully transfected with hTERT gene (hTERT-ADSCs). Then, hTERT-ADSCs were initially selected by G418 and subsequently expanded over 20 passages in vitro. Moreover, the qualitative and quantitative differentiation criteria for 20 passages of hTERT-ADSCs also demonstrated that hTERT-ADSCs could differentiate into osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, and adipogenesis phenotypes in lineage-specific differentiation media. These findings confirmed that this transfection could prolong the lifespan of hADSCs.

  18. 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

  19. Mueller-matrix mapping of biological tissues in differential diagnosis of optical anisotropy mechanisms of protein networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ushenko, V A; Sidor, M I [Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Chernivtsi (Ukraine); Marchuk, Yu F; Pashkovskaya, N V; Andreichuk, D R [Bukovinian State Medical University, Chernivtsi (Ukraine)

    2015-03-31

    We report a model of Mueller-matrix description of optical anisotropy of protein networks in biological tissues with allowance for the linear birefringence and dichroism. The model is used to construct the reconstruction algorithms of coordinate distributions of phase shifts and the linear dichroism coefficient. In the statistical analysis of such distributions, we have found the objective criteria of differentiation between benign and malignant tissues of the female reproductive system. From the standpoint of evidence-based medicine, we have determined the operating characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy) of the Mueller-matrix reconstruction method of optical anisotropy parameters and demonstrated its effectiveness in the differentiation of benign and malignant tumours. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

  20. Early de novo DNA methylation and prolonged demethylation in the muscle lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsumagari, Koji; Baribault, Carl; Terragni, Jolyon; Varley, Katherine E; Gertz, Jason; Pradhan, Sirharsa; Badoo, Melody; Crain, Charlene M; Song, Lingyun; Crawford, Gregory E; Myers, Richard M; Lacey, Michelle; Ehrlich, Melanie

    2013-03-01

    Myogenic cell cultures derived from muscle biopsies are excellent models for human cell differentiation. We report the first comprehensive analysis of myogenesis-specific DNA hyper- and hypo-methylation throughout the genome for human muscle progenitor cells (both myoblasts and myotubes) and skeletal muscle tissue vs. 30 non-muscle samples using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. We also focused on four genes with extensive hyper- or hypo-methylation in the muscle lineage (PAX3, TBX1, MYH7B/MIR499 and OBSCN) to compare DNA methylation, DNaseI hypersensitivity, histone modification, and CTCF binding profiles. We found that myogenic hypermethylation was strongly associated with homeobox or T-box genes and muscle hypomethylation with contractile fiber genes. Nonetheless, there was no simple relationship between differential gene expression and myogenic differential methylation, rather only for subsets of these genes, such as contractile fiber genes. Skeletal muscle retained ~30% of the hypomethylated sites but only ~3% of hypermethylated sites seen in myogenic progenitor cells. By enzymatic assays, skeletal muscle was 2-fold enriched globally in genomic 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) vs. myoblasts or myotubes and was the only sample type enriched in 5-hmC at tested myogenic hypermethylated sites in PAX3/CCDC140 andTBX1. TET1 and TET2 RNAs, which are involved in generation of 5-hmC and DNA demethylation, were strongly upregulated in myoblasts and myotubes. Our findings implicate de novo methylation predominantly before the myoblast stage and demethylation before and after the myotube stage in control of transcription and co-transcriptional RNA processing. They also suggest that, in muscle, TET1 or TET2 are involved in active demethylation and in formation of stable 5-hmC residues.

  1. Differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben-Zhou Feng

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance. Methods: Preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue were collected and GPR30 expression levels were detected; human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and processed with GRP30 inhibitor and GRP30 agonist combined with hypoxia-reoxygenation respectively, and cell apoptosis as well as pro-angiogenesis molecule and apoptosis molecule contents were detected. Results: mRNA content and protein content of GRP30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue were significantly lower than those in normal placenta tissue; apoptosis rate of G15 group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of H/R group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of G1 group was significantly lower than that of H/R group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly higher than those of H/R group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly lower than those of H/R group. Conclusions: Low expression of GPR30 in placenta tissue is closely associated with the occurrence of preeclampsia, enhancing GPR function can reduce endothelial cell apoptosis and increase the contents of pro-angiogenesis factors, and it has endothelial protection effect.

  2. Modeling lineage and phenotypic diversification in the New World monkey (Platyrrhini, Primates) radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aristide, Leandro; Rosenberger, Alfred L; Tejedor, Marcelo F; Perez, S Ivan

    2015-01-01

    Adaptive radiations that have taken place in the distant past can now be more thoroughly studied with the availability of large molecular phylogenies and comparative data drawn from extant and fossil species. Platyrrhines are a good example of a major mammalian evolutionary radiation confined to a single continent, involving a relatively large temporal scale and documented by a relatively small but informative fossil record. Here, we present comparative evidence using data on extant and fossil species to explore alternative evolutionary models in an effort to better understand the process of platyrrhine lineage and phenotypic diversification. Specifically, we compare the likelihood of null models of lineage and phenotypic diversification versus various models of adaptive evolution. Moreover, we statistically explore the main ecological dimension behind the platyrrhine diversification. Contrary to the previous proposals, our study did not find evidence of a rapid lineage accumulation in the phylogenetic tree of extant platyrrhine species. However, the fossil-based diversity curve seems to show a slowdown in diversification rates toward present times. This also suggests an early high rate of extinction among lineages within crown Platyrrhini. Finally, our analyses support the hypothesis that the platyrrhine phenotypic diversification appears to be characterized by an early and profound differentiation in body size related to a multidimensional niche model, followed by little subsequent change (i.e., stasis). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Is mitochondrial DNA divergence of near easter crested newts, Triturus karelinii group, reflected by differentiation of skull shape

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ivanovic, A.; Uzum, N.; Wielstra, B.M.; Olgun, K.; Litvinchuk, S.N.; Kalezic, M.L.; Arntzen, J.W.

    2013-01-01

    The Eurasian Triturus karelinii group of crested newts comprises three distinct, geographically coherent mitochondrial DNA lineages, designated as the eastern, central and western lineage. These three lineages are genetically as diverged as other, morphologically well-differentiated crested newt

  4. Current View on Osteogenic Differentiation Potential of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Derived from Placental Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kmiecik, Gabriela; Spoldi, Valentina; Silini, Antonietta; Parolini, Ornella

    2015-08-01

    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated from human term placental tissues possess unique characteristics, including their peculiar immunomodulatory properties and their multilineage differentiation potential. The osteogenic differentiation capacity of placental MSC has been widely disputed, and continues to be an issue of debate. This review will briefly discuss the different MSC populations which can be obtained from different regions of human term placenta, along with their unique properties, focusing specifically on their osteogenic differentiation potential. We will present the strategies used to enhance osteogenic differentiation potential in vitro, such as through the selection of subpopulations more prone to differentiate, the modification of the components of osteo-inductive medium, and even mechanical stimulation. Accordingly, the applications of three-dimensional environments in vitro and in vivo, such as non-synthetic, polymer-based, and ceramic scaffolds, will also be discussed, along with results obtained from pre-clinical studies of placental MSC for the regeneration of bone defects and treatment of bone-related diseases.

  5. Ex-Vivo Tissues Engineering Modeling for Reconstructive Surgery Using Human Adult Adipose Stem Cells and Polymeric Nanostructured Matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morena, Francesco; Argentati, Chiara; Calzoni, Eleonora; Cordellini, Marino; Emiliani, Carla; D'Angelo, Francesco; Martino, Sabata

    2016-03-31

    The major challenge for stem cell translation regenerative medicine is the regeneration of damaged tissues by creating biological substitutes capable of recapitulating the missing function in the recipient host. Therefore, the current paradigm of tissue engineering strategies is the combination of a selected stem cell type, based on their capability to differentiate toward committed cell lineages, and a biomaterial, that, due to own characteristics (e.g., chemical, electric, mechanical property, nano-topography, and nanostructured molecular components), could serve as active scaffold to generate a bio-hybrid tissue/organ. Thus, effort has been made on the generation of in vitro tissue engineering modeling. Here, we present an in vitro model where human adipose stem cells isolated from lipoaspirate adipose tissue and breast adipose tissue, cultured on polymeric INTEGRA ® Meshed Bilayer Wound Matrix (selected based on conventional clinical applications) are evaluated for their potential application for reconstructive surgery toward bone and adipose tissue. We demonstrated that human adipose stem cells isolated from lipoaspirate and breast tissue have similar stemness properties and are suitable for tissue engineering applications. Finally, the overall results highlighted lipoaspirate adipose tissue as a good source for the generation of adult adipose stem cells.

  6. Prolonged Expansion Induces Spontaneous Neural Progenitor Differentiation from Human Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajan, Thangavelu Soundara; Scionti, Domenico; Diomede, Francesca; Piattelli, Adriano; Bramanti, Placido; Mazzon, Emanuela; Trubiani, Oriana

    2017-12-01

    Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from dental tissues received considerable interest in regenerative medicine, particularly in nerve regeneration owing to their embryonic origin and ease of harvest. Proliferation efficacy and differentiation capacity into diverse cell lineages propose dental MSCs as an in vitro tool for disease modeling. In this study, we investigated the spontaneous differentiation efficiency of dental MSCs obtained from human gingiva tissue (hGMSCs) into neural progenitor cells after extended passaging. At passage 41, the morphology of hGMSCs changed from typical fibroblast-like shape into sphere-shaped cells with extending processes. Next-generation transcriptomics sequencing showed increased expression of neural progenitor markers such as NES, MEIS2, and MEST. In addition, de novo expression of neural precursor genes, such as NRN1, PHOX2B, VANGL2, and NTRK3, was noticed in passage 41. Immunocytochemistry results showed suppression of neurogenesis repressors TP53 and p21, whereas Western blot results revealed the expression of neurotrophic factors BDNF and NT3 at passage 41. Our results showed the spontaneous efficacy of hGMSCs to differentiate into neural precursor cells over prolonged passages and that these cells may assist in producing novel in vitro disease models that are associated with neural development.

  7. The transcriptional corepressor MTGR1 regulates intestinal secretory lineage allocation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parang, Bobak; Rosenblatt, Daniel; Williams, Amanda D; Washington, Mary K; Revetta, Frank; Short, Sarah P; Reddy, Vishruth K; Hunt, Aubrey; Shroyer, Noah F; Engel, Michael E; Hiebert, Scott W; Williams, Christopher S

    2015-03-01

    Notch signaling largely determines intestinal epithelial cell fate. High Notch activity drives progenitors toward absorptive enterocytes by repressing secretory differentiation programs, whereas low Notch permits secretory cell assignment. Myeloid translocation gene-related 1 (MTGR1) is a transcriptional corepressor in the myeloid translocation gene/Eight-Twenty-One family. Given that Mtgr1(-/-) mice have a dramatic reduction of intestinal epithelial secretory cells, we hypothesized that MTGR1 is a key repressor of Notch signaling. In support of this, transcriptome analysis of laser capture microdissected Mtgr1(-/-) intestinal crypts revealed Notch activation, and secretory markers Mucin2, Chromogranin A, and Growth factor-independent 1 (Gfi1) were down-regulated in Mtgr1(-/-) whole intestines and Mtgr1(-/-) enteroids. We demonstrate that MTGR1 is in a complex with Suppressor of Hairless Homolog, a key Notch effector, and represses Notch-induced Hairy/Enhancer of Split 1 activity. Moreover, pharmacologic Notch inhibition using a γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) rescued the hyperproliferative baseline phenotype in the Mtgr1(-/-) intestine and increased production of goblet and enteroendocrine lineages in Mtgr1(-/-) mice. GSI increased Paneth cell production in wild-type mice but failed to do so in Mtgr1(-/-) mice. We determined that MTGR1 can interact with GFI1, a transcriptional corepressor required for Paneth cell differentiation, and repress GFI1 targets. Overall, the data suggest that MTGR1, a transcriptional corepressor well characterized in hematopoiesis, plays a critical role in intestinal lineage allocation. © FASEB.

  8. Analysis of mitochondrial function and localisation during human embryonic stem cell differentiation in vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew B J Prowse

    Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cell (hESC derivatives show promise as viable cell therapy options for multiple disorders in different tissues. Recent advances in stem cell biology have lead to the reliable production and detailed molecular characterisation of a range of cell-types. However, the role of mitochondria during differentiation has yet to be fully elucidated. Mitochondria mediate a cells response to altered energy requirements (e.g. cardiomyocyte contraction and, as such, the mitochondrial phenotype is likely to change during the dynamic process of hESC differentiation. We demonstrate that manipulating mitochondrial biogenesis alters mesendoderm commitment. To investigate mitochondrial localisation during early lineage specification of hESCs we developed a mitochondrial reporter line, KMEL2, in which sequences encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP are targeted to the mitochondria. Differentiation of KMEL2 lines into the three germ layers showed that the mitochondria in these differentiated progeny are GFP positive. Therefore, KMEL2 hESCs facilitate the study of mitochondria in a range of cell types and, importantly, permit real-time analysis of mitochondria via the GFP tag.

  9. Mirna biogenesis pathway is differentially regulated during adipose derived stromal/stem cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, E C; Qureshi, A T; Llamas, C B; Burow, M E; King, A G; Lee, O C; Dasa, V; Freitas, M A; Forsberg, J A; Elster, E A; Davis, T A; Gimble, J M

    2018-02-07

    Stromal/stem cell differentiation is controlled by a vast array of regulatory mechanisms. Included within these are methods of mRNA gene regulation that occur at the level of epigenetic, transcriptional, and/or posttranscriptional modifications. Current studies that evaluate the posttranscriptional regulation of mRNA demonstrate microRNAs (miRNAs) as key mediators of stem cell differentiation through the inhibition of mRNA translation. miRNA expression is enhanced during both adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation; however, the mechanism by which miRNA expression is altered during stem cell differentiation is less understood. Here we demonstrate for the first time that adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) induced to an adipogenic or osteogenic lineage have differences in strand preference (-3p and -5p) for miRNAs originating from the same primary transcript. Furthermore, evaluation of miRNA expression in ASCs demonstrates alterations in both miRNA strand preference and 5'seed site heterogeneity. Additionally, we show that during stem cell differentiation there are alterations in expression of genes associated with the miRNA biogenesis pathway. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated changes in the Argonautes (AGO1-4), Drosha, and Dicer at intervals of ASC adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation compared to untreated ASCs. Specifically, we demonstrated altered expression of the AGOs occurring during both adipogenesis and osteogenesis, with osteogenesis increasing AGO1-4 expression and adipogenesis decreasing AGO1 gene and protein expression. These data demonstrate changes to components of the miRNA biogenesis pathway during stromal/stem cell differentiation. Identifying regulatory mechanisms for miRNA processing during ASC differentiation may lead to novel mechanisms for the manipulation of lineage differentiation of the ASC through the global regulation of miRNA as opposed to singular regulatory mechanisms.

  10. Equine induced pluripotent stem cells have a reduced tendon differentiation capacity compared to embryonic stem cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma Patricia Bavin

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Tendon injuries occur commonly in horses and their repair through scar tissue formation predisposes horses to a high rate of re-injury. Pluripotent stem cells may provide a cell replacement therapy to improve tendon tissue regeneration and lower the frequency of re-injury. We have previously demonstrated that equine embryonic stem cells (ESCs differentiate into the tendon cell lineage upon injection into the damaged horse tendon and can differentiate into functional tendon cells in vitro to generate artificial tendons. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs have now been derived from horses but, to date, there are no reports on their ability to differentiate into tendon cells. As iPSCs can be produced from adult cell types, they provide a more accessible source of cells than ESCs, which require the use of horse embryos. The aim of this study was to compare tendon differentiation by ESCs and iPSCs produced through two independent methods. In 2-dimensional differentiation assays the iPSCs expressed tendon associated genes and proteins, which were enhanced by the presence of transforming growth factor-β3. However, in 3-dimensional differentiation assays the iPSCs failed to differentiate into functional tendon cells and generate artificial tendons. These results demonstrate the utility of the 3-dimensional in vitro tendon assay for measuring tendon differentiation and the need for more detailed studies to be performed on equine iPSCs to identify and understand their epigenetic differences from pluripotent ESCs prior to their clinical application.

  11. Tissue-Specific 5′ Heterogeneity of PPARα Transcripts and Their Differential Regulation by Leptin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, Emma S.; Vickers, Mark H.; Gluckman, Peter D.; Hanson, Mark A.

    2013-01-01

    The genes encoding nuclear receptors comprise multiple 5′untranslated exons, which give rise to several transcripts encoding the same protein, allowing tissue-specific regulation of expression. Both human and mouse peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) α genes have multiple promoters, although their function is unknown. Here we have characterised the rat PPARα promoter region and have identified three alternative PPARα transcripts, which have different transcription start sites owing to the utilisation of distinct first exons. Moreover these alternative PPARα transcripts were differentially expressed between adipose tissue and liver. We show that while the major adipose (P1) and liver (P2) transcripts were both induced by dexamethasone, they were differentially regulated by the PPARα agonist, clofibric acid, and leptin. Leptin had no effect on the adipose-specific P1 transcript, but induced liver-specific P2 promoter activity via a STAT3/Sp1 mechanism. Moreover in Wistar rats, leptin treatment between postnatal day 3–13 led to an increase in P2 but not P1 transcription in adipose tissue which was sustained into adulthood. This suggests that the expression of the alternative PPARα transcripts are in part programmed by early life exposure to leptin leading to persistent change in adipose tissue fatty acid metabolism through specific activation of a quiescent PPARα promoter. Such complexity in the regulation of PPARα may allow the expression of PPARα to be finely regulated in response to environmental factors. PMID:23825665

  12. Actin depolymerization enhances adipogenic differentiation in human stromal stem cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Chen

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Human stromal stem cells (hMSCs differentiate into adipocytes that play a role in skeletal tissue homeostasis and whole body energy metabolism. During adipocyte differentiation, hMSCs exhibit significant changes in cell morphology suggesting changes in cytoskeletal organization. Here, we examined the effect of direct modulation of actin microfilament dynamics on adipocyte differentiation. Stabilizing actin filaments in hMSCs by siRNA-mediated knock down of the two main actin depolymerizing factors (ADFs: Cofilin 1 (CFL1 and Destrin (DSTN or treating the cells by Phalloidin reduced adipocyte differentiation as evidenced by decreased number of mature adipocytes and decreased adipocyte specific gene expression (ADIPOQ, LPL, PPARG, FABP4. In contrast, disruption of actin cytoskeleton by Cytochalasin D enhanced adipocyte differentiation. Follow up studies revealed that the effects of CFL1 on adipocyte differentiation depended on the activity of LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1 which is the major upstream kinase of CFL1. Inhibiting LIMK by its specific chemical inhibitor LIMKi inhibited the phosphorylation of CFL1 and actin polymerization, and enhanced the adipocyte differentiation. Moreover, treating hMSCs by Cytochalasin D inhibited ERK and Smad2 signaling and this was associated with enhanced adipocyte differentiation. On the other hand, Phalloidin enhanced ERK and Smad2 signaling, but inhibited adipocyte differentiation which was rescued by ERK specific chemical inhibitor U0126. Our data provide a link between restructuring of hMSCs cytoskeleton and hMSCs lineage commitment and differentiation. Keywords: Actin cytoskeleton, Actin depolymerizing factors, Adipocyte differentiation, Human stromal stem cells

  13. Protein profiling in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) leaf tissues by differential centrifugation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Sanghyun; Chisholm, Kenneth; Coffin, Robert H; Peters, Rick D; Al-Mughrabi, Khalil I; Wang-Pruski, Gefu; Pinto, Devanand M

    2012-04-06

    Foliar diseases, such as late blight, result in serious threats to potato production. As such, potato leaf tissue becomes an important substrate to study biological processes, such as plant defense responses to infection. Nonetheless, the potato leaf proteome remains poorly characterized. Here, we report protein profiling of potato leaf tissues using a modified differential centrifugation approach to separate the leaf tissues into cell wall and cytoplasmic fractions. This method helps to increase the number of identified proteins, including targeted putative cell wall proteins. The method allowed for the identification of 1484 nonredundant potato leaf proteins, of which 364 and 447 were reproducibly identified proteins in the cell wall and cytoplasmic fractions, respectively. Reproducibly identified proteins corresponded to over 70% of proteins identified in each replicate. A diverse range of proteins was identified based on their theoretical pI values, molecular masses, functional classification, and biological processes. Such a protein extraction method is effective for the establishment of a highly qualified proteome profile.

  14. Differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells into low immunogenic hepatocyte-like cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Qinjun; Ren, Hongying; Li, Xiyuan; Chen, Zhong; Zhang, Xiangyu; Gong, Wei; Liu, Yongjun; Pang, Tianxiang; Han, Zhong Chao

    2009-01-01

    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated from several human tissues have been known to differentiate into the hepatic lineage in vitro, but the immunogenicity of the differentiated hepatocyte-like cells (DHC) has not been reported. Umbilical cord (UC) MSC are thought to be an attractive cell source for cell therapy because of their young age and low infection rate compared with adult tissue MSC. Hepatic differentiation of UC-MSC was induced with a 2-step protocol. The expressions of hepatic markers were detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. Albumin production and urea secretion were measured by ELISA and colorimetric assay respectively. The immunosuppressive properties of DHC was detected by mixed lymphocyte culture. After incubation with specific growth factors, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), UC MSC exhibited a high hepatic differentiation ability in an adherent culture condition. The differentiated UC MSC showed hepatocyte-like morphology and expressed several liver-specific markers at gene and protein levels. Furthermore, the DHC exhibited hepatocyte-specific functions, including albumin secretion, low-density lipoprotein uptake and urea production. More importantly, DHC did not express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II antigen and were not able to induce lymphocyte proliferation in mixed lymphocyte culture, as undifferentiated UC MSC did. Our results indicate that UC MSC are able to differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like cells that still retain their low immunogenicity in vitro. More importantly, DHC incorporated into the parenchyma of liver when transplanted into mice with CCl(4)-induced liver injury. Therefore, DHC may be an ideal source for cell therapy of liver diseases.

  15. Retinoic Acid Is Essential for Th1 Cell Lineage Stability and Prevents Transition to a Th17 Cell Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Chrysothemis C.; Esterhazy, Daria; Sarde, Aurelien; London, Mariya; Pullabhatla, Venu; Osma-Garcia, Ines; al-Bader, Raya; Ortiz, Carla; Elgueta, Raul; Arno, Matthew; de Rinaldis, Emanuele; Mucida, Daniel; Lord, Graham M.; Noelle, Randolph J.

    2015-01-01

    Summary CD4+ T cells differentiate into phenotypically distinct T helper cells upon antigenic stimulation. Regulation of plasticity between these CD4+ T-cell lineages is critical for immune homeostasis and prevention of autoimmune disease. However, the factors that regulate lineage stability are largely unknown. Here we investigate a role for retinoic acid (RA) in the regulation of lineage stability using T helper 1 (Th1) cells, traditionally considered the most phenotypically stable Th subset. We found that RA, through its receptor RARα, sustains stable expression of Th1 lineage specifying genes, as well as repressing genes that instruct Th17-cell fate. RA signaling is essential for limiting Th1-cell conversion into Th17 effectors and for preventing pathogenic Th17 responses in vivo. Our study identifies RA-RARα as a key component of the regulatory network governing maintenance and plasticity of Th1-cell fate and defines an additional pathway for the development of Th17 cells. PMID:25769610

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

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    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.

  17. Constrained body shape among highly genetically divergent allopatric lineages of the supralittoral isopod Ligia occidentalis (Oniscidea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santamaria, Carlos A; Mateos, Mariana; DeWitt, Thomas J; Hurtado, Luis A

    2016-03-01

    Multiple highly divergent lineages have been identified within Ligia occidentalis sensu lato, a rocky supralittoral isopod distributed along a ~3000 km latitudinal gradient that encompasses several proposed marine biogeographic provinces and ecoregions in the eastern Pacific. Highly divergent lineages have nonoverlapping geographic distributions, with distributional limits that generally correspond with sharp environmental changes. Crossbreeding experiments suggest postmating reproductive barriers exist among some of them, and surveys of mitochondrial and nuclear gene markers do not show evidence of hybridization. Populations are highly isolated, some of which appear to be very small; thus, the effects of drift are expected to reduce the efficiency of selection. Large genetic divergences among lineages, marked environmental differences in their ranges, reproductive isolation, and/or high isolation of populations may have resulted in morphological differences in L. occidentalis, not detected yet by traditional taxonomy. We used landmark-based geometric morphometric analyses to test for differences in body shape among highly divergent lineages of L. occidentalis, and among populations within these lineages. We analyzed a total of 492 individuals from 53 coastal localities from the southern California Bight to Central Mexico, including the Gulf of California. We conducted discriminant function analyses (DFAs) on body shape morphometrics to assess morphological variation among genetically differentiated lineages and their populations. We also tested for associations between phylogeny and morphological variation, and whether genetic divergence is correlated to multivariate morphological divergence. We detected significant differences in body shape among highly divergent lineages, and among populations within these lineages. Nonetheless, neither lineages nor populations can be discriminated on the basis of body shape, because correct classification rates of cross

  18. Neural differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells isolated from GFP transgenic mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimura, Juri; Ogawa, Rei; Mizuno, Hiroshi; Fukunaga, Yoshitaka; Suzuki, Hidenori

    2005-01-01

    Taking advantage of homogeneously marked cells from green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice, we have recently reported that adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) could differentiate into mesenchymal lineages in vitro. In this study, we performed neural induction using ASCs from GFP transgenic mice and were able to induce these ASCs into neuronal and glial cell lineages. Most of the neurally induced cells showed bipolar or multipolar appearance morphologically and expressed neuronal markers. Electron microscopy revealed their neuronal morphology. Some cells also showed glial phenotypes, as shown immunocytochemically. The present study clearly shows that ASCs derived from GFP transgenic mice differentiate into neural lineages in vitro, suggesting that these cells might provide an ideal source for further neural stem cell research with possible therapeutic application for neurological disorders

  19. Human Stromal (Mesenchymal) Stem Cells from Bone Marrow, Adipose Tissue and Skin Exhibit Differences in Molecular Phenotype and Differentiation Potential

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Al-Nbaheen, May; Vishnubalaji, Radhakrishnan; Ali, Dalia

    2013-01-01

    Human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent stem cells with ability to differentiate into mesoderm-type cells e.g. osteoblasts and adipocytes and thus they are being introduced into clinical trials for tissue regeneration. Traditionally, hMSCs have been isolated from bone marrow......, but the number of cells obtained is limited. Here, we compared the MSC-like cell populations, obtained from alternative sources for MSC: adipose tissue and skin, with the standard phenotype of human bone marrow MSC (BM-MSCs). MSC from human adipose tissue (human adipose stromal cells (hATSCs)) and human skin......, MSC populations obtained from different tissues exhibit significant differences in their proliferation, differentiation and molecular phenotype, which should be taken into consideration when planning their use in clinical protocols....

  20. Actin depolymerization enhances adipogenic differentiation in human stromal stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li; Hu, Huimin; Qiu, Weimin; Shi, Kaikai; Kassem, Moustapha

    2018-05-01

    Human stromal stem cells (hMSCs) differentiate into adipocytes that play a role in skeletal tissue homeostasis and whole body energy metabolism. During adipocyte differentiation, hMSCs exhibit significant changes in cell morphology suggesting changes in cytoskeletal organization. Here, we examined the effect of direct modulation of actin microfilament dynamics on adipocyte differentiation. Stabilizing actin filaments in hMSCs by siRNA-mediated knock down of the two main actin depolymerizing factors (ADFs): Cofilin 1 (CFL1) and Destrin (DSTN) or treating the cells by Phalloidin reduced adipocyte differentiation as evidenced by decreased number of mature adipocytes and decreased adipocyte specific gene expression (ADIPOQ, LPL, PPARG, FABP4). In contrast, disruption of actin cytoskeleton by Cytochalasin D enhanced adipocyte differentiation. Follow up studies revealed that the effects of CFL1 on adipocyte differentiation depended on the activity of LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) which is the major upstream kinase of CFL1. Inhibiting LIMK by its specific chemical inhibitor LIMKi inhibited the phosphorylation of CFL1 and actin polymerization, and enhanced the adipocyte differentiation. Moreover, treating hMSCs by Cytochalasin D inhibited ERK and Smad2 signaling and this was associated with enhanced adipocyte differentiation. On the other hand, Phalloidin enhanced ERK and Smad2 signaling, but inhibited adipocyte differentiation which was rescued by ERK specific chemical inhibitor U0126. Our data provide a link between restructuring of hMSCs cytoskeleton and hMSCs lineage commitment and differentiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Lineage specific recombination rates and microevolution in Listeria monocytogenes

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    Nightingale Kendra K

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is a saprotroph as well as an opportunistic human foodborne pathogen, which has previously been shown to consist of at least two widespread lineages (termed lineages I and II and an uncommon lineage (lineage III. While some L. monocytogenes strains show evidence for considerable diversification by homologous recombination, our understanding of the contribution of recombination to L. monocytogenes evolution is still limited. We therefore used STRUCTURE and ClonalFrame, two programs that model the effect of recombination, to make inferences about the population structure and different aspects of the recombination process in L. monocytogenes. Analyses were performed using sequences for seven loci (including the house-keeping genes gap, prs, purM and ribC, the stress response gene sigB, and the virulence genes actA and inlA for 195 L. monocytogenes isolates. Results Sequence analyses with ClonalFrame and the Sawyer's test showed that recombination is more prevalent in lineage II than lineage I and is most frequent in two house-keeping genes (ribC and purM and the two virulence genes (actA and inlA. The relative occurrence of recombination versus point mutation is about six times higher in lineage II than in lineage I, which causes a higher genetic variability in lineage II. Unlike lineage I, lineage II represents a genetically heterogeneous population with a relatively high proportion (30% average of genetic material imported from external sources. Phylograms, constructed with correcting for recombination, as well as Tajima's D data suggest that both lineages I and II have suffered a population bottleneck. Conclusion Our study shows that evolutionary lineages within a single bacterial species can differ considerably in the relative contributions of recombination to genetic diversification. Accounting for recombination in phylogenetic studies is critical, and new evolutionary models that

  2. Endometrial stem cell differentiation into smooth muscle cell: a novel approach for bladder tissue engineering in women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoae-Hassani, Alireza; Sharif, Shiva; Seifalian, Alexander M; Mortazavi-Tabatabaei, Seyed Abdolreza; Rezaie, Sassan; Verdi, Javad

    2013-10-01

    To investigate manufacturing smooth muscle cells (SMCs) for regenerative bladder reconstruction from differentiation of endometrial stem cells (EnSCs), as the recent discovery of EnSCs from the lining of women's uteri, opens up the possibility of using these cells for tissue engineering applications, such as building up natural tissue to repair prolapsed pelvic floors as well as building urinary bladder wall. Human EnSCs that were positive for cluster of differentiation 146 (CD146), CD105 and CD90 were isolated and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle/F12 medium supplemented with myogenic growth factors. The myogenic factors included: transforming growth factor β, platelet-derived growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Differentiated SMCs on bioabsorbable polyethylene-glycol and collagen hydrogels were checked for SMC markers by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot (WB) and immunocytochemistry (ICC) analyses. Histology confirmed the growth of SMCs in the hydrogel matrices. The myogenic growth factors decreased the proliferation rate of EnSCs, but they differentiated the human EnSCs into SMCs more efficiently on hydrogel matrices and expressed specific SMC markers including α-smooth muscle actin, desmin, vinculin and calponin in RT-PCR, WB and ICC experiments. The survival rate of cultures on the hydrogel-coated matrices was significantly higher than uncoated cultures. Human EnSCs were successfully differentiated into SMCs, using hydrogels as scaffold. EnSCs may be used for autologous bladder wall regeneration without any immunological complications in women. Currently work is in progress using bioabsorbable nanocomposite materials as EnSC scaffolds for developing urinary bladder wall tissue. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

  3. Cloning from stem cells: different lineages, different species, same story.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oback, Björn

    2009-01-01

    Following nuclear transfer (NT), the most stringent measure of extensive donor cell reprogramming is development into viable offspring. This is referred to as cloning efficiency and quantified as the proportion of cloned embryos transferred into surrogate mothers that survive into adulthood. Cloning efficiency depends on the ability of the enucleated recipient cell to carry out the reprogramming reactions ('reprogramming ability') and the ability of the nuclear donor cell to be reprogrammed ('reprogrammability'). It has been postulated that reprogrammability of the somatic donor cell epigenome is inversely proportional to its differentiation status. In order to test this hypothesis, reprogrammability was compared between undifferentiated stem cells and their differentiated isogenic progeny. In the mouse, cells of divergent differentiation status from the neuronal, haematopoietic and skin epithelial lineage were tested. In cattle and deer, skeletal muscle and antler cells, respectively, were used as donors. No conclusive correlation between differentiation status and cloning efficiency was found, indicating that somatic donor cell type may not be the limiting factor for cloning success. This may reflect technical limitations of the NT-induced reprogramming assay. Alternatively, differentiation status and reprogrammability may be unrelated, making all cells equally difficult to reprogramme once they have left the ground state of pluripotency.

  4. OP9 bone marrow stroma cells differentiate into megakaryocytes and platelets.

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    Yumiko Matsubara

    Full Text Available Platelets are essential for hemostatic plug formation and thrombosis. The mechanisms of megakaryocyte (MK differentiation and subsequent platelet production from stem cells remain only partially understood. The manufacture of megakaryocytes (MKs and platelets from cell sources including hematopoietic stem cells and pluripotent stem cells have been highlighted for studying the platelet production mechanisms as well as for the development of new strategies for platelet transfusion. The mouse bone marrow stroma cell line OP9 has been widely used as feeder cells for the differentiation of stem cells into MK lineages. OP9 cells are reported to be pre-adipocytes. We previously reported that 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes differentiated into MKs and platelets. In the present study, we examined whether OP9 cells differentiate into MKs and platelets using MK lineage induction (MKLI medium previously established to generate MKs and platelets from hematopoietic stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and pre-adipocytes. OP9 cells cultured in MKLI medium had megakaryocytic features, i.e., positivity for surface markers CD41 and CD42b, polyploidy, and distinct morphology. The OP9-derived platelets had functional characteristics, providing the first evidence for the differentiation of OP9 cells into MKs and platelets. We then analyzed gene expressions of critical factors that regulate megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. The gene expressions of p45NF-E2, FOG, Fli1, GATA2, RUNX1, thrombopoietin, and c-mpl were observed during the MK differentiation. Among the observed transcription factors of MK lineages, p45NF-E2 expression was increased during differentiation. We further studied MK and platelet generation using p45NF-E2-overexpressing OP9 cells. OP9 cells transfected with p45NF-E2 had enhanced production of MKs and platelets. Our findings revealed that OP9 cells differentiated into MKs and platelets in vitro. OP9 cells have critical factors for megakaryopoiesis and

  5. Bioconductor workflow for single-cell RNA sequencing: Normalization, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and lineage inference [version 1; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fanny Perraudeau

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Novel single-cell transcriptome sequencing assays allow researchers to measure gene expression levels at the resolution of single cells and offer the unprecendented opportunity to investigate at the molecular level fundamental biological questions, such as stem cell differentiation or the discovery and characterization of rare cell types. However, such assays raise challenging statistical and computational questions and require the development of novel methodology and software. Using stem cell differentiation in the mouse olfactory epithelium as a case study, this integrated workflow provides a step-by-step tutorial to the methodology and associated software for the following four main tasks: (1 dimensionality reduction accounting for zero inflation and over dispersion and adjusting for gene and cell-level covariates; (2 cell clustering using resampling-based sequential ensemble clustering; (3 inference of cell lineages and pseudotimes; and (4 differential expression analysis along lineages.

  6. Potency testing of mesenchymal stromal cell growth expanded in human platelet lysate from different human tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazzina, R; Iudicone, P; Fioravanti, D; Bonanno, G; Totta, P; Zizzari, I G; Pierelli, L

    2016-08-25

    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been largely investigated, in the past decade, as potential therapeutic strategies for various acute and chronic pathological conditions. MSCs isolated from different sources, such as bone marrow (BM), umbilical cord tissue (UCT) and adipose tissue (AT), share many biological features, although they may show some differences on cumulative yield, proliferative ability and differentiation potential. The standardization of MSCs growth and their functional amplification is a mandatory objective of cell therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cumulative yield and the ex vivo amplification potential of MSCs obtained from various sources and different subjects, using defined culture conditions with a standardized platelet lysate (PL) as growth stimulus. MSCs isolated from BM, UCT and AT and expanded in human PL were compared in terms of cumulative yield and growth potential per gram of starting tissue. MSCs morphology, phenotype, differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory properties were also investigated to evaluate their biological characteristics. The use of standardized PL-based culture conditions resulted in a very low variability of MSC growth. Our data showed that AT has the greater capacity to generate MSC per gram of initial tissue, compared to BM and UCT. However, UCT-MSCs replicated faster than AT-MSCs and BM-MSCs, revealing a greater proliferation capacity of this source irrespective of its lower MSC yield. All MSCs exhibited the typical MSC phenotype and the ability to differentiate into all mesodermal lineages, while BM-MSCs showed the most prominent immunosuppressive effect in vitro. The adoption of standardized culture conditions may help researchers and clinicians to reveal particular characteristics and inter-individual variability of MSCs sourced from different tissues. These data will be beneficial to set the standards for tissue collection and MSCs clinical-scale expansion both for cell banking

  7. Dental Pulp Stem Cells as a multifaceted tool for bioengineering and the regeneration of craniomaxillofacial tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maitane eAurrekoetxea

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Dental pulp stem cells, or DPSC, are neural crest-derived cells with an outstanding capacity to differentiate along multiple cell lineages of interest for cell therapy. In particular, highly efficient osteo/dentinogenic differentiation of DPSC can be achieved using simple in vitro protocols, making these cells a very attractive and promising tool for the future treatment of dental and periodontal diseases. Among craniomaxillofacial organs, the tooth and salivary gland are two such cases in which complete regeneration by tissue engineering using DPSC appears to be possible, as research over the last decade has made substantial progress in experimental models of partial or total regeneration of both organs, by cell recombination technology. Moreover, DPSC seem to be a particularly good choice for the regeneration of nerve tissues, including injured or transected cranial nerves. In this context, the oral cavity appears to be an excellent testing ground for new regenerative therapies using DPSC. However, many issues and challenges need yet to be addressed before these cells can be employed in clinical therapy. In this review, we point out some important aspects on the biology of DPSC with regard to their use for the reconstruction of different craniomaxillofacial tissues and organs, with special emphasis on cranial bones, nerves, teeth, and salivary glands. We suggest new ideas and strategies to fully exploit the capacities of DPSC for bioengineering of the aforementioned tissues.

  8. Connexin 32 and connexin 43 are involved in lineage restriction of hepatic progenitor cells to hepatocytes

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    Haiyun Pei

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bi-potential hepatic progenitor cells can give rise to both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, which is the last phase and critical juncture in terms of sequentially hepatic lineage restriction from any kind of stem cells. If their differentiation can be controlled, it might access to functional hepatocytes to develop pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as cell therapies for end-stage liver diseases. Methods In this study, we investigated the influence of Cx32 and Cx43 on hepatocyte differentiation of WB-F344 cells by in vitro gain and loss of function analyses. An inhibitor of Cx32 was also used to make further clarification. To reveal p38 MAPK pathway is closely related to Cxs, rats with 70% partial hepatectomy were injected intraperitoneally with a p38 inhibitor, SB203580. Besides, the effects of p38 MAPK pathway on differentiation of hepatoblasts isolated from fetal rat livers were evaluated by addition of SB203580 in culture medium. Results In vitro gain and loss of function analyses showed overexpression of Connexin 32 and knockdown of Connexin 43 promoted hepatocytes differentiation from hepatic progenitor cells. In addition, in vitro and ex vivo research revealed inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway can improve hepatocytes differentiation correlating with upregulation of Connexin 32 expression and downregulation of Connexin 43 expression. Conclusions Here we demonstrate that Connexins play crucial roles in facilitating differentiation of hepatic progenitors. Our work further implicates that regulators of Connexins and their related pathways might provide new insights to improve lineage restriction of stem cells to mature hepatocytes.

  9. Insulin signaling displayed a differential tissue-specific response to low-dose dihydrotestosterone in female mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrisse, Stanley; Billings, Katelyn; Xue, Ping; Wu, Sheng

    2018-04-01

    Hyperandrogenemia and hyperinsulinemia are believed to play prominent roles in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). We explored the effects of low-dose dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a model of PCOS, on insulin signaling in metabolic and reproductive tissues in a female mouse model. Insulin resistance in the energy storage tissues is associated with type 2 diabetes. Insulin signaling in the ovaries and pituitary either directly or indirectly stimulates androgen production. Energy storage and reproductive tissues were isolated and molecular assays were performed. Livers and white adipose tissue (WAT) from DHT mice displayed lower mRNA and protein expression of insulin signaling intermediates. However, ovaries and pituitaries of DHT mice exhibited higher expression levels of insulin signaling genes/proteins. Insulin-stimulated p-AKT levels were blunted in the livers and WAT of the DHT mice but increased or remained the same in the ovaries and pituitaries compared with controls. Glucose uptake decreased in liver and WAT but was unchanged in pituitary and ovary of DHT mice. Plasma membrane GLUTs were decreased in liver and WAT but increased in ovary and pituitary of DHT mice. Skeletal muscle insulin-signaling genes were not lowered in DHT mice compared with control. DHT mice did not display skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Insulin-stimulated glucose transport increased in skeletal muscles of DHT mice compared with controls. DHT mice were hyperinsulinemic. However, the differential mRNA and protein expression pattern was independent of hyperinsulinemia in cultured hepatocytes and pituitary cells. These findings demonstrate a differential effect of DHT on the insulin-signaling pathway in energy storage vs. reproductive tissues independent of hyperinsulinemia.

  10. Defined three-dimensional culture conditions mediate efficient induction of definitive endoderm lineage from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Madhoun, Ashraf; Ali, Hamad; AlKandari, Sarah; Atizado, Valerie Lopez; Akhter, Nadeem; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Atari, Maher

    2016-11-16

    Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are gaining increasing interest as an alternative source of stem cells for regenerative medicine applications. Definitive endoderm (DE) specification is a prerequisite for the development of vital organs such as liver and pancreas. Hence, efficient induction of the DE lineage from stem cells is crucial for subsequent generation of clinically relevant cell types. Here we present a defined 3D differentiation protocol of WJ-MSCs into DE cells. WJ-MSCs were cultured in suspension to generate spheroids, about 1500 cells each, for 7 days. The serum-free differentiation media contained specific growth factors, cytokines, and small molecules that specifically regulate signaling pathways including sonic hedgehog, bone morphogenetic protein, Activin/Wnt, and Notch. We obtained more than 85 % DE cells as shown with FACS analysis using antibodies directed against the DE marker CXCR4. In addition, biochemical and molecular analysis of bona-fide DE markers revealed a time-course induction of Sox17, CXCR4, and FoxA2. Focused PCR-based array also indicated a specific induction into the DE lineage. In this study, we report an efficient serum-free protocol to differentiate WJ-MSCs into DE cells utilizing 3D spheroid formation. Our approach might aid in the development of new protocols to obtain DE-derivative lineages including liver-like and pancreatic insulin-producing cells.

  11. Molecular genetic differentiation in earthworms inhabiting a heterogeneous Pb-polluted landscape

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andre, J.; King, R.A.; Stuerzenbaum, S.R.; Kille, P.; Hodson, M.E.; Morgan, A.J.

    2010-01-01

    A Pb-mine site situated on acidic soil, but comprising of Ca-enriched islands around derelict buildings was used to study the spatial pattern of genetic diversity in Lumbricus rubellus. Two distinct genetic lineages ('A' and 'B'), differentiated at both the mitochondrial (mtDNA COII) and nuclear level (AFLPs) were revealed with a mean inter-lineage mtDNA sequence divergence of approximately 13%, indicative of a cryptic species complex. AFLP analysis indicates that lineage A individuals within one central 'ecological island' site are uniquely clustered, with little genetic overlap with lineage A individuals at the two peripheral sites. FTIR microspectroscopy of Pb-sequestering chloragocytes revealed different phosphate profiles in residents of adjacent acidic and calcareous islands. Bioinformatics found over-representation of Ca pathway genes in EST Pb libraries. Subsequent sequencing of a Ca-transport gene, SERCA, revealed mutations in the protein's cytosolic domain. We recommend the mandatory genotyping of all individuals prior to field-based ecotoxicological assays, particularly those using discriminating genomic technologies. - Landscapes punctuated by Pb-polluted islands have engendered local genetic differentiation in resident earthworms.

  12. A data analysis framework for biomedical big data: Application on mesoderm differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulfenborg, Benjamin; Karlsson, Alexander; Riveiro, Maria; Améen, Caroline; Åkesson, Karolina; Andersson, Christian X; Sartipy, Peter; Synnergren, Jane

    2017-01-01

    The development of high-throughput biomolecular technologies has resulted in generation of vast omics data at an unprecedented rate. This is transforming biomedical research into a big data discipline, where the main challenges relate to the analysis and interpretation of data into new biological knowledge. The aim of this study was to develop a framework for biomedical big data analytics, and apply it for analyzing transcriptomics time series data from early differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells towards the mesoderm and cardiac lineages. To this end, transcriptome profiling by microarray was performed on differentiating human pluripotent stem cells sampled at eleven consecutive days. The gene expression data was analyzed using the five-stage analysis framework proposed in this study, including data preparation, exploratory data analysis, confirmatory analysis, biological knowledge discovery, and visualization of the results. Clustering analysis revealed several distinct expression profiles during differentiation. Genes with an early transient response were strongly related to embryonic- and mesendoderm development, for example CER1 and NODAL. Pluripotency genes, such as NANOG and SOX2, exhibited substantial downregulation shortly after onset of differentiation. Rapid induction of genes related to metal ion response, cardiac tissue development, and muscle contraction were observed around day five and six. Several transcription factors were identified as potential regulators of these processes, e.g. POU1F1, TCF4 and TBP for muscle contraction genes. Pathway analysis revealed temporal activity of several signaling pathways, for example the inhibition of WNT signaling on day 2 and its reactivation on day 4. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of biological events and key regulators of the early differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells towards the mesoderm and cardiac lineages. The proposed analysis framework can be used to structure

  13. Rat bone marrow progenitor cells transduced in situ by rSV40 vectors differentiate into multiple central nervous system cell lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louboutin, Jean-Pierre; Liu, Bianling; Reyes, Beverly A S; Van Bockstaele, Elisabeth J; Strayer, David S

    2006-12-01

    Using bone marrow-directed gene transfer, we tested whether bone marrow-derived cells may function as progenitors of central nervous system (CNS) cells in adult animals. SV40-derived gene delivery vectors were injected directly into femoral bone marrow, and we examined transgene expression in blood and brain for 0-16 months thereafter by immunostaining for FLAG epitope marker. An average of 5% of peripheral blood cells and 25% of femoral marrow cells were FLAG(+) throughout the study. CNS FLAG-expressing cells were mainly detected in the dentate gyrus (DG) and periventricular subependymal zone (PSZ). Although absent before 1 month and rare at 4 months, DG and PSZ FLAG(+) cells were abundant 16 months after bone marrow injection. Approximately 5% of DG cells expressed FLAG, including neurons (48.6%) and microglia (49.7%), and occasional astrocytes (1.6%), as determined by double immunostaining for FLAG and lineage markers. These data suggest that one or more populations of cells resident within adult bone marrow can migrate to the brain and differentiate into CNS-specific cells.

  14. Differential proteomic and tissue expression analyses identify valuable diagnostic biomarkers of hepatocellular differentiation and hepatoid adenocarcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Henning; Padden, Juliet; Ahrens, Maike; Pütter, Carolin; Bertram, Stefanie; Pott, Leona L; Reis, Anna-Carinna; Weber, Frank; Juntermanns, Benjamin; Hoffmann, Andreas-C; Eisenacher, Martin; Schlaak, Joörg F; Canbay, Ali; Meyer, Helmut E; Sitek, Barbara; Baba, Hideo A

    2015-10-01

    The exact discrimination of lesions with true hepatocellular differentiation from secondary tumours and neoplasms with hepatocellular histomorphology like hepatoid adenocarcinomas (HAC) is crucial. Therefore, we aimed to identify ancillary protein biomarkers by using complementary proteomic techniques (2D-DIGE, label-free MS). The identified candidates were immunohistochemically validated in 14 paired samples of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non-tumourous liver tissue (NT). The candidates and HepPar1/Arginase1 were afterwards tested for consistency in a large cohort of hepatocellular lesions and NT (n = 290), non-hepatocellular malignancies (n = 383) and HAC (n = 13). Eight non-redundant, differentially expressed proteins were suitable for further immunohistochemical validation and four (ABAT, BHMT, FABP1, HAOX1) for further evaluation. Sensitivity and specificity rates for HCC/HAC were as follows: HepPar1 80.2%, 94.3% / 80.2%, 46.2%; Arginase1 82%, 99.4% / 82%, 69.2%; BHMT 61.4%, 93.8% / 61.4%, 100%; ABAT 84.4%, 33.7% / 84.4%, 30.8%; FABP1 87.2%, 95% / 87.2%, 69.2%; HAOX1 95.5%, 36.3% / 95.5%, 46.2%. The best 2×/3× biomarker panels for the diagnosis of HCC consisted of Arginase1/HAOX1 and BHMT/Arginase1/HAOX1 and for HAC consisted of Arginase1/FABP1 and BHMT/Arginase1/FABP1. In summary, we successfully identified, validated and benchmarked protein biomarker candidates of hepatocellular differentiation. BHMT in particular exhibited superior diagnostic characteristics in hepatocellular lesions and specifically in HAC. BHMT is therefore a promising (panel based) biomarker candidate in the differential diagnostic process of lesions with hepatocellular aspect.

  15. Tissue-transglutaminase contributes to neutrophil granulocyte differentiation and functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balajthy, Zoltán; Csomós, Krisztián; Vámosi, György; Szántó, Attila; Lanotte, Michel; Fésüs, László

    2006-09-15

    Promyelocytic NB4 leukemia cells undergo differentiation to granulocytes following retinoic acid treatment. Here we report that tissue transglutaminase (TG2), a protein cross-linking enzyme, was induced, then partially translocated into the nucleus, and became strongly associated with the chromatin during the differentiation process. The transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-link content of both the cytosolic and the nuclear protein fractions increased while NB4 cells underwent cellular maturation. Inhibition of cross-linking activity of TG2 by monodansylcadaverin in these cells led to diminished nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) positivity, production of less superoxide anion, and decreased expression of GP91PHOX, the membrane-associated subunit of NADPH oxidase. Neutrophils isolated from TG2(-/-) mice showed diminished NBT reduction capacity, reduced superoxide anion formation, and down-regulation of the gp91phox subunit of NADPH oxidase, compared with wild-type cells. It was also observed that TG2(-/-) mice exhibited increased neutrophil phagocytic activity, but had attenuated neutrophil chemotaxis and impaired neutrophil extravasation with higher neutrophil counts in their circulation during yeast extract-induced peritonitis. These results clearly suggest that TG2 may modulate the expression of genes related to neutrophil functions and is involved in several intracellular and extracellular functions of extravasating neutrophil.

  16. Differentiation potential of STRO-1+ dental pulp stem cells changes during cell passaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Ruoning

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs can be driven into odontoblast, osteoblast, and chondrocyte lineages in different inductive media. However, the differentiation potential of naive DPSCs after serial passaging in the routine culture system has not been fully elucidated. Results DPSCs were isolated from human/rat dental pulps by the magnetic activated cell sorting based on STRO-1 expression, cultured and passaged in the conventional culture media. The biological features of STRO-1+ DPSCs at the 1st and 9th passages were investigated. During the long-term passage, the proliferation ability of human STRO-1+ DPSCs was downregulated as indicated by the growth kinetics. When compared with STRO-1+ DPSCs at the 1st passage (DPSC-P1, the expression of mature osteoblast-specific genes/proteins (alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, osterix, and osteopontin, odontoblast-specific gene/protein (dentin sialophosphoprotein and dentin sialoprotein, and chondrocyte-specific gene/protein (type II collagen was significantly upregulated in human STRO-1+ DPSCs at the 9th passage (DPSC-P9. Furthermore, human DPSC-P9 cells in the mineralization-inducing media presented higher levels of alkaline phosphatase at day 3 and day 7 respectively, and produced more mineralized matrix than DPSC-P9 cells at day 14. In vivo transplantation results showed that rat DPSC-P1 cell pellets developed into dentin, bone and cartilage structures respectively, while DPSC-P9 cells can only generate bone tissues. Conclusions These findings suggest that STRO-1+ DPSCs consist of several interrelated subpopulations which can spontaneously differentiate into odontoblasts, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. The differentiation capacity of these DPSCs changes during cell passaging, and DPSCs at the 9th passage restrict their differentiation potential to the osteoblast lineage in vivo.

  17. Influence of collagen type II and nucleus pulposus cells on aggregation and differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lu, Z.F.; Zandieh Doulabi, B.; Wuisman, P.I.; Bank, R.A.; Helder, M.N.

    2008-01-01

    Tissue microenvironment plays a critical role in guiding local stem cell differentiation. Within the intervertebral disc, collagen type II and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are two major components. This study aimed to investigate how collagen type II and NP cells affect adipose tissue-derived stem

  18. Ectodermal Differentiation of Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jadalannagari, Sushma; Aljitawi, Omar S

    2015-06-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from Wharton's jelly (WJ) of the human umbilical cord are perinatal stem cells that have self-renewal ability, extended proliferation potential, immunosuppressive properties, and are accordingly excellent candidates for tissue engineering. These MSCs are unique, easily accessible, and a noncontroversial cell source of regeneration in medicine. Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) are multipotent and capable of multilineage differentiation into cells like adipocytes, bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscle upon exposure to appropriate conditions. The ectoderm is one of the three primary germ layers found in the very early embryo that differentiates into the epidermis, nervous system (spine, peripheral nerves, brain), and exocrine glands (mammary, sweat, salivary, and lacrimal glands). Accumulating evidence shows that MSCs obtained from WJ have an ectodermal differentiation potential. The current review examines this differentiation potential of WJMSC into the hair follicle, skin, neurons, and sweat glands along with discussing the potential utilization of such differentiation in regenerative medicine.

  19. Identification of a PVL-negative SCCmec-IVa sub-lineage of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CC80 lineage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Edslev, Sofie Marie; Westh, Henrik Torkil; Andersen, Paal Skytt

    2018-01-01

    of the CC80 S. aureus lineage was conducted from whole-genome sequences of 217 isolates (23 MSSA and 194 MRSA) from 22 countries. All isolates were further genetically characterized in regard to resistance determinants and PVL carriage, and epidemiological data was obtained for selected isolates. RESULTS....... CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the emergence of a novel CC80 CA-MRSA sub-lineage, showing that the CC80 lineage is more diverse than previously assumed....

  20. Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis from the wool industry highlights polymorphisms of lineage A.Br.Vollum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derzelle, Sylviane; Aguilar-Bultet, Lisandra; Frey, Joachim

    2016-12-01

    With the advent of affordable next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, major progress has been made in the understanding of the population structure and evolution of the B. anthracis species. Here we report the use of whole genome sequencing and computer-based comparative analyses to characterize six strains belonging to the A.Br.Vollum lineage. These strains were isolated in Switzerland, in 1981, during iterative cases of anthrax involving workers in a textile plant processing cashmere wool from the Indian subcontinent. We took advantage of the hundreds of currently available B. anthracis genomes in public databases, to investigate the genetic diversity existing within the A.Br.Vollum lineage and to position the six Swiss isolates into the worldwide B. anthracis phylogeny. Thirty additional genomes related to the A.Br.Vollum group were identified by whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, including two strains forming a new evolutionary branch at the basis of the A.Br.Vollum lineage. This new phylogenetic lineage (termed A.Br.H9401) splits off the branch leading to the A.Br.Vollum group soon after its divergence to the other lineages of the major A clade (i.e. 6 SNPs). The available dataset of A.Br.Vollum genomes were resolved into 2 distinct groups. Isolates from the Swiss wool processing facility clustered together with two strains from Pakistan and one strain of unknown origin isolated from yarn. They were clearly differentiated (69 SNPs) from the twenty-five other A.Br.Vollum strains located on the branch leading to the terminal reference strain A0488 of the lineage. Novel analytic assays specific to these new subgroups were developed for the purpose of rapid molecular epidemiology. Whole genome SNP surveys greatly expand upon our knowledge on the sub-structure of the A.Br.Vollum lineage. Possible origin and route of spread of this lineage worldwide are discussed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

  1. Rigid microenvironments promote cardiac differentiation of mouse and human embryonic stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arshi, Armin; Nakashima, Yasuhiro; Nakano, Haruko; Eaimkhong, Sarayoot; Evseenko, Denis; Reed, Jason; Stieg, Adam Z.; Gimzewski, James K.; Nakano, Atsushi

    2013-04-01

    While adult heart muscle is the least regenerative of tissues, embryonic cardiomyocytes are proliferative, with embryonic stem (ES) cells providing an endless reservoir. In addition to secreted factors and cell-cell interactions, the extracellular microenvironment has been shown to play an important role in stem cell lineage specification, and understanding how scaffold elasticity influences cardiac differentiation is crucial to cardiac tissue engineering. Though previous studies have analyzed the role of matrix elasticity on the function of differentiated cardiomyocytes, whether it affects the induction of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells is poorly understood. Here, we examine the role of matrix rigidity on cardiac differentiation using mouse and human ES cells. Culture on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates of varied monomer-to-crosslinker ratios revealed that rigid extracellular matrices promote a higher yield of de novo cardiomyocytes from undifferentiated ES cells. Using a genetically modified ES system that allows us to purify differentiated cardiomyocytes by drug selection, we demonstrate that rigid environments induce higher cardiac troponin T expression, beating rate of foci, and expression ratio of adult α- to fetal β- myosin heavy chain in a purified cardiac population. M-mode and mechanical interferometry image analyses demonstrate that these ES-derived cardiomyocytes display functional maturity and synchronization of beating when co-cultured with neonatal cardiomyocytes harvested from a developing embryo. Together, these data identify matrix stiffness as an independent factor that instructs not only the maturation of already differentiated cardiomyocytes but also the induction and proliferation of cardiomyocytes from undifferentiated progenitors. Manipulation of the stiffness will help direct the production of functional cardiomyocytes en masse from stem cells for regenerative medicine purposes.

  2. Cell Membrane Tracking in Living Brain Tissue Using Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, John; Kolb, Ilya; Forest, Craig R; Rozell, Christopher J

    2018-04-01

    Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is widely used for observing unstained biological samples that are otherwise optically transparent. Combining this optical technique with machine vision could enable the automation of many life science experiments; however, identifying relevant features under DIC is challenging. In particular, precise tracking of cell boundaries in a thick ( ) slice of tissue has not previously been accomplished. We present a novel deconvolution algorithm that achieves the state-of-the-art performance at identifying and tracking these membrane locations. Our proposed algorithm is formulated as a regularized least squares optimization that incorporates a filtering mechanism to handle organic tissue interference and a robust edge-sparsity regularizer that integrates dynamic edge tracking capabilities. As a secondary contribution, this paper also describes new community infrastructure in the form of a MATLAB toolbox for accurately simulating DIC microscopy images of in vitro brain slices. Building on existing DIC optics modeling, our simulation framework additionally contributes an accurate representation of interference from organic tissue, neuronal cell-shapes, and tissue motion due to the action of the pipette. This simulator allows us to better understand the image statistics (to improve algorithms), as well as quantitatively test cell segmentation and tracking algorithms in scenarios, where ground truth data is fully known.

  3. In silico differential display of defense-related expressed sequence tags from sugarcane tissues infected with diazotrophic endophytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lambais Marcio R.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available The expression patterns of 277 sugarcane expressed sequence tags (EST-contigs encoding putative defense-related (DR proteins were evaluated using the Sugarcane EST database. The DR proteins evaluated included chitinases, beta-1,3-glucanases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, chalcone synthases, chalcone isomerases, isoflavone reductases, hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins, proline-rich glycoproteins, peroxidases, catalases, superoxide dismutases, WRKY-like transcription factors and proteins involved in cell death control. Putative sugarcane WRKY proteins were compared and their phylogenetic relationships determined. A hierarchical clustering approach was used to identify DR ESTs with similar expression profiles in representative cDNA libraries. To identify DR ESTs differentially expressed in sugarcane tissues infected with Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus or Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans, 179 putative DR EST-contigs expressed in non-infected tissues (leaves and roots and/or infected tissues were selected and arrayed by similarity of their expression profiles. Changes in the expression levels of 124 putative DR EST-contigs, expressed in non-infected tissues, were evaluated in infected tissues. Approximately 42% of these EST-contigs showed no expression in infected tissues, whereas 15% and 3% showed more than 2-fold suppression in tissues infected with G. diazotrophicus or H. rubrisubalbicans, respectively. Approximately 14 and 8% of the DR EST-contigs evaluated showed more than 2-fold induction in tissues infected with G. diazotrophicus or H. rubrisubalbicans, respectively. The differential expression of clusters of DR genes may be important in the establishment of a compatible interaction between sugarcane and diazotrophic endophytes. It is suggested that the hierarchical clustering approach can be used on a genome-wide scale to identify genes likely involved in controlling plant-microorganism interactions.

  4. The influence of TSA and VPA on the in vitro differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal lineage cells: Gene expression studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fila-Danilow, Anna; Borkowska, Paulina; Paul-Samojedny, Monika; Kowalczyk, Malgorzata; Kowalski, Jan

    2017-03-27

    Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the transcription of genes, which can affect the differentiation of MSCs. The aim of the current work is to determine how the histone deacetylase inhibitors TSA and VPA affect the expression of neuronal lineage genes in a culture of rat MSCs (rMSCs). We analyzed the expression of early neuron marker gene (Tubb3), mature neuron markers genes (Vacht, Th, Htr2a) and the oligodendrocyte progenitor marker gene (GalC). Moreover, changes in the gene expression after three different periods of exposure to TSA and VPA were investigated for the first time. After six days of exposition to TSA and VPA, the expression of Tubb3 and GalC decreased, while the expression of Th increased. The highest increase of VAChT expression was observed after three days of TSA and VPA treatment. A decrease in Htr2a gene expression was observed after TSA treatment and an increase was observed after VPA treatment. We also observed that TSA and VPA inhibited cell proliferation and the formation of neurospheres in the rMSCs culture. The central findings of our study are that TSA and VPA affect the expression of neuronal lineage genes in an rMSCs culture. After exposure to TSA or VPA, the expression of early neuronal gene decreases but equally the expression of mature neuron genes increases. After TSA and VPA treatment ER of the oligodendrocyte progenitor marker decreased. TSA and VPA inhibit cell proliferation and the formation of neurospheres in rMSCs culture.

  5. Identification and validation of differentially expressed transcripts by RNA-sequencing of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung tissue from patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukmirovic, Milica; Herazo-Maya, Jose D; Blackmon, John; Skodric-Trifunovic, Vesna; Jovanovic, Dragana; Pavlovic, Sonja; Stojsic, Jelena; Zeljkovic, Vesna; Yan, Xiting; Homer, Robert; Stefanovic, Branko; Kaminski, Naftali

    2017-01-12

    Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal lung disease of unknown etiology. A major limitation in transcriptomic profiling of lung tissue in IPF has been a dependence on snap-frozen fresh tissues (FF). In this project we sought to determine whether genome scale transcript profiling using RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) could be applied to archived Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) IPF tissues. We isolated total RNA from 7 IPF and 5 control FFPE lung tissues and performed 50 base pair paired-end sequencing on Illumina 2000 HiSeq. TopHat2 was used to map sequencing reads to the human genome. On average ~62 million reads (53.4% of ~116 million reads) were mapped per sample. 4,131 genes were differentially expressed between IPF and controls (1,920 increased and 2,211 decreased (FDR < 0.05). We compared our results to differentially expressed genes calculated from a previously published dataset generated from FF tissues analyzed on Agilent microarrays (GSE47460). The overlap of differentially expressed genes was very high (760 increased and 1,413 decreased, FDR < 0.05). Only 92 differentially expressed genes changed in opposite directions. Pathway enrichment analysis performed using MetaCore confirmed numerous IPF relevant genes and pathways including extracellular remodeling, TGF-beta, and WNT. Gene network analysis of MMP7, a highly differentially expressed gene in both datasets, revealed the same canonical pathways and gene network candidates in RNA-Seq and microarray data. For validation by NanoString nCounter® we selected 35 genes that had a fold change of 2 in at least one dataset (10 discordant, 10 significantly differentially expressed in one dataset only and 15 concordant genes). High concordance of fold change and FDR was observed for each type of the samples (FF vs FFPE) with both microarrays (r = 0.92) and RNA-Seq (r = 0.90) and the number of discordant genes was reduced to four. Our results demonstrate that RNA sequencing of RNA

  6. Murine adipose tissue-derived stromal cell apoptosis and susceptibility to oxidative stress in vitro are regulated by genetic background.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Pazdro

    Full Text Available Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs are of interest for regenerative medicine as they are isolated easily and can differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Studies of their in vitro proliferation, survival, and differentiation are common; however, genetic effects on these phenotypes remain unknown. To test if these phenotypes are genetically regulated, ADSCs were isolated from three genetically diverse inbred mouse strains--C57BL/6J (B6, BALB/cByJ (BALB, and DBA/2J (D2--in which genetic regulation of hematopoietic stem function is well known. ADSCs from all three strains differentiated into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages in vitro. ADSCs from BALB grew least well in vitro, probably due to apoptotic cell death after several days in culture. BALB ADSCs were also the most susceptible to the free radical inducers menadione and H2O2. ADSCs from the three possible F1 hybrids were employed to further define genetic regulation of ADSC phenotypes. D2, but not B6, alleles stimulated ADSC expansion in BALB cells. In contrast, B6, but not D2, alleles rescued BALB H2O2 resistance. We conclude that low oxidative stress resistance does not limit BALB ADSC growth in vitro, as these phenotypes are genetically regulated independently. In addition, ADSCs from these strains are an appropriate model system to investigate genetic regulation of ADSC apoptosis and stress resistance in future studies. Such investigations are essential to optimize cell expansion and differentiation and thus, potential for regenerative medicine.

  7. Comparing the Dictyostelium and Entamoeba genomes reveals an ancient split in the Conosa lineage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Song

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The Amoebozoa are a sister clade to the fungi and the animals, but are poorly sampled for completely sequenced genomes. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and amitochondriate pathogen Entamoeba histolytica are the first Amoebozoa with genomes completely sequenced. Both organisms are classified under the Conosa subphylum. To identify Amoebozoa-specific genomic elements, we compared these two genomes to each other and to other eukaryotic genomes. An expanded phylogenetic tree built from the complete predicted proteomes of 23 eukaryotes places the two amoebae in the same lineage, although the divergence is estimated to be greater than that between animals and fungi, and probably happened shortly after the Amoebozoa split from the opisthokont lineage. Most of the 1,500 orthologous gene families shared between the two amoebae are also shared with plant, animal, and fungal genomes. We found that only 42 gene families are distinct to the amoeba lineage; among these are a large number of proteins that contain repeats of the FNIP domain, and a putative transcription factor essential for proper cell type differentiation in D. discoideum. These Amoebozoa-specific genes may be useful in the design of novel diagnostics and therapies for amoebal pathologies.

  8. Synthetic niches for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells bypassing embryoid body formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yarong; Fox, Victoria; Lei, Yuning; Hu, Biliang; Joo, Kye-Il; Wang, Pin

    2014-07-01

    The unique self-renewal and pluripotency features of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer the potential for unlimited development of novel cell therapies. Currently, hESCs are cultured and differentiated using methods, such as monolayer culture and embryoid body (EB) formation. As such, achieving efficient differentiation into higher order structures remains a challenge, as well as maintaining cell viability during differentiation into homogeneous cell populations. Here, we describe the application of highly porous polymer scaffolds as synthetic stem cell niches. Bypassing the EB formation step, these scaffolds are capable of three-dimensional culture of undifferentiated hESCs and subsequent directed differentiation into three primary germ layers. H9 hESCs were successfully maintained and proliferated in biodegradable polymer scaffolds based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). The results showed that cells within PLGA scaffolds retained characteristics of undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, the scaffolds allowed differentiation towards the lineage of interest by the addition of growth factors to the culture system. The in vivo transplantation study revealed that the scaffolds could provide a microenvironment that enabled hESCs to interact with their surroundings, thereby promoting cell differentiation. Therefore, this approach, which provides a unique culture/differentiation system for hESCs, will find its utility in various stem cell-based tissue-engineering applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Visualisation of chicken macrophages using transgenic reporter genes: insights into the development of the avian macrophage lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balic, Adam; Garcia-Morales, Carla; Vervelde, Lonneke; Gilhooley, Hazel; Sherman, Adrian; Garceau, Valerie; Gutowska, Maria W; Burt, David W; Kaiser, Pete; Hume, David A; Sang, Helen M

    2014-08-01

    We have generated the first transgenic chickens in which reporter genes are expressed in a specific immune cell lineage, based upon control elements of the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) locus. The Fms intronic regulatory element (FIRE) within CSF1R is shown to be highly conserved in amniotes and absolutely required for myeloid-restricted expression of fluorescent reporter genes. As in mammals, CSF1R-reporter genes were specifically expressed at high levels in cells of the macrophage lineage and at a much lower level in granulocytes. The cell lineage specificity of reporter gene expression was confirmed by demonstration of coincident expression with the endogenous CSF1R protein. In transgenic birds, expression of the reporter gene provided a defined marker for macrophage-lineage cells, identifying the earliest stages in the yolk sac, throughout embryonic development and in all adult tissues. The reporter genes permit detailed and dynamic visualisation of embryonic chicken macrophages. Chicken embryonic macrophages are not recruited to incisional wounds, but are able to recognise and phagocytose microbial antigens. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. Population differentiation of southern Indian male lineages correlates with agricultural expansions predating the caste system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ganeshprasad Arunkumar

    Full Text Available Previous studies that pooled Indian populations from a wide variety of geographical locations, have obtained contradictory conclusions about the processes of the establishment of the Varna caste system and its genetic impact on the origins and demographic histories of Indian populations. To further investigate these questions we took advantage that both Y chromosome and caste designation are paternally inherited, and genotyped 1,680 Y chromosomes representing 12 tribal and 19 non-tribal (caste endogamous populations from the predominantly Dravidian-speaking Tamil Nadu state in the southernmost part of India. Tribes and castes were both characterized by an overwhelming proportion of putatively Indian autochthonous Y-chromosomal haplogroups (H-M69, F-M89, R1a1-M17, L1-M27, R2-M124, and C5-M356; 81% combined with a shared genetic heritage dating back to the late Pleistocene (10-30 Kya, suggesting that more recent Holocene migrations from western Eurasia contributed <20% of the male lineages. We found strong evidence for genetic structure, associated primarily with the current mode of subsistence. Coalescence analysis suggested that the social stratification was established 4-6 Kya and there was little admixture during the last 3 Kya, implying a minimal genetic impact of the Varna (caste system from the historically-documented Brahmin migrations into the area. In contrast, the overall Y-chromosomal patterns, the time depth of population diversifications and the period of differentiation were best explained by the emergence of agricultural technology in South Asia. These results highlight the utility of detailed local genetic studies within India, without prior assumptions about the importance of Varna rank status for population grouping, to obtain new insights into the relative influences of past demographic events for the population structure of the whole of modern India.

  11. Single-cell transcriptomic reconstruction reveals cell cycle and multi-lineage differentiation defects in Bcl11a-deficient hematopoietic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsang, Jason C H; Yu, Yong; Burke, Shannon; Buettner, Florian; Wang, Cui; Kolodziejczyk, Aleksandra A; Teichmann, Sarah A; Lu, Liming; Liu, Pentao

    2015-09-21

    Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a rare cell type with the ability of long-term self-renewal and multipotency to reconstitute all blood lineages. HSCs are typically purified from the bone marrow using cell surface markers. Recent studies have identified significant cellular heterogeneities in the HSC compartment with subsets of HSCs displaying lineage bias. We previously discovered that the transcription factor Bcl11a has critical functions in the lymphoid development of the HSC compartment. In this report, we employ single-cell transcriptomic analysis to dissect the molecular heterogeneities in HSCs. We profile the transcriptomes of 180 highly purified HSCs (Bcl11a (+/+) and Bcl11a (-/-)). Detailed analysis of the RNA-seq data identifies cell cycle activity as the major source of transcriptomic variation in the HSC compartment, which allows reconstruction of HSC cell cycle progression in silico. Single-cell RNA-seq profiling of Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs reveals abnormal proliferative phenotypes. Analysis of lineage gene expression suggests that the Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs are constituted of two distinct myeloerythroid-restricted subpopulations. Remarkably, similar myeloid-restricted cells could also be detected in the wild-type HSC compartment, suggesting selective elimination of lymphoid-competent HSCs after Bcl11a deletion. These defects are experimentally validated in serial transplantation experiments where Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs are myeloerythroid-restricted and defective in self-renewal. Our study demonstrates the power of single-cell transcriptomics in dissecting cellular process and lineage heterogeneities in stem cell compartments, and further reveals the molecular and cellular defects in the Bcl11a-deficient HSC compartment.

  12. Retinoic acid is essential for Th1 cell lineage stability and prevents transition to a Th17 cell program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Chrysothemis C; Esterhazy, Daria; Sarde, Aurelien; London, Mariya; Pullabhatla, Venu; Osma-Garcia, Ines; Al-Bader, Raya; Ortiz, Carla; Elgueta, Raul; Arno, Matthew; de Rinaldis, Emanuele; Mucida, Daniel; Lord, Graham M; Noelle, Randolph J

    2015-03-17

    CD4(+) T cells differentiate into phenotypically distinct T helper cells upon antigenic stimulation. Regulation of plasticity between these CD4(+) T-cell lineages is critical for immune homeostasis and prevention of autoimmune disease. However, the factors that regulate lineage stability are largely unknown. Here we investigate a role for retinoic acid (RA) in the regulation of lineage stability using T helper 1 (Th1) cells, traditionally considered the most phenotypically stable Th subset. We found that RA, through its receptor RARα, sustains stable expression of Th1 lineage specifying genes, as well as repressing genes that instruct Th17-cell fate. RA signaling is essential for limiting Th1-cell conversion into Th17 effectors and for preventing pathogenic Th17 responses in vivo. Our study identifies RA-RARα as a key component of the regulatory network governing maintenance and plasticity of Th1-cell fate and defines an additional pathway for the development of Th17 cells. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Homologous Recombination between Genetically Divergent Campylobacter fetus Lineages Supports Host-Associated Speciation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duim, Birgitta; van der Graaf-van Bloois, Linda; Wagenaar, Jaap A; Zomer, Aldert L

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Homologous recombination is a major driver of bacterial speciation. Genetic divergence and host association are important factors influencing homologous recombination. Here, we study these factors for Campylobacter fetus, which shows a distinct intraspecific host dichotomy. Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (Cff) and venerealis are associated with mammals, whereas C. fetus subsp. testudinum (Cft) is associated with reptiles. Recombination between these genetically divergent C. fetus lineages is extremely rare. Previously it was impossible to show whether this barrier to recombination was determined by the differential host preferences, by the genetic divergence between both lineages or by other factors influencing recombination, such as restriction-modification, CRISPR/Cas, and transformation systems. Fortuitously, a distinct C. fetus lineage (ST69) was found, which was highly related to mammal-associated C. fetus, yet isolated from a chelonian. The whole genome sequences of two C. fetus ST69 isolates were compared with those of mammal- and reptile-associated C. fetus strains for phylogenetic and recombination analysis. In total, 5.1–5.5% of the core genome of both ST69 isolates showed signs of recombination. Of the predicted recombination regions, 80.4% were most closely related to Cft, 14.3% to Cff, and 5.6% to C. iguaniorum. Recombination from C. fetus ST69 to Cft was also detected, but to a lesser extent and only in chelonian-associated Cft strains. This study shows that despite substantial genetic divergence no absolute barrier to homologous recombination exists between two distinct C. fetus lineages when occurring in the same host type, which provides valuable insights in bacterial speciation and evolution. PMID:29608720

  14. Articular cartilage-derived cells hold a strong osteogenic differentiation potential in comparison to mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salamon, Achim; Jonitz-Heincke, Anika; Adam, Stefanie; Rychly, Joachim; Müller-Hilke, Brigitte; Bader, Rainer; Lochner, Katrin; Peters, Kirsten

    2013-01-01

    Cartilaginous matrix-degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis (OA) are characterized by gradual cartilage erosion, and also by increased presence of cells with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) character within the affected tissues. Moreover, primary chondrocytes long since are known to de-differentiate in vitro and to be chondrogenically re-differentiable. Since both findings appear to conflict with each other, we quantitatively assessed the mesenchymal differentiation potential of OA patient cartilage-derived cells (CDC) towards the osteogenic and adipogenic lineage in vitro and compared it to that of MSC isolated from adipose tissue (adMSC) of healthy donors. We analyzed expression of MSC markers CD29, CD44, CD105, and CD166, and, following osteogenic and adipogenic induction in vitro, quantified their expression of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation markers. Furthermore, CDC phenotype and proliferation were monitored. We found that CDC exhibit an MSC CD marker expression pattern similar to adMSC and a similar increase in proliferation rate during osteogenic differentiation. In contrast, the marked reduction of proliferation observed during adipogenic differentiation of adMSC was absent in CDC. Quantification of differentiation markers revealed a strong osteogenic differentiation potential for CDC, however almost no capacity for adipogenic differentiation. Since in the pathogenesis of OA, cartilage degeneration coincides with high bone turnover rates, the high osteogenic differentiation potential of OA patient-derived CDC may affect clinical therapeutic regimens aiming at autologous cartilage regeneration in these patients. - Highlights: • We analyze the mesenchymal differentiation capacity of cartilage-derived cells (CDC). • CDC express mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) markers CD29, CD44, CD105, and CD166. • CDC and MSC proliferation is reduced in adipogenesis and increased in osteogenesis. • Adipogenic differentiation is virtually absent in CDC, but

  15. Articular cartilage-derived cells hold a strong osteogenic differentiation potential in comparison to mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salamon, Achim, E-mail: achim.salamon@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Cell Biology, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Jonitz-Heincke, Anika, E-mail: anika.jonitz@med.uni-rostock.de [Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedics, Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 142, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Adam, Stefanie, E-mail: stefanie.adam@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Cell Biology, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Rychly, Joachim, E-mail: joachim.rychly@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Cell Biology, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Müller-Hilke, Brigitte, E-mail: brigitte.mueller-hilke@med.uni-rostock.de [Institute of Immunology, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 68, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Bader, Rainer, E-mail: rainer.bader@med.uni-rostock.de [Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedics, Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 142, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Lochner, Katrin, E-mail: katrin.lochner@med.uni-rostock.de [Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedics, Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 142, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Peters, Kirsten, E-mail: kirsten.peters@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Cell Biology, Rostock University Medical Center, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany)

    2013-11-01

    Cartilaginous matrix-degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis (OA) are characterized by gradual cartilage erosion, and also by increased presence of cells with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) character within the affected tissues. Moreover, primary chondrocytes long since are known to de-differentiate in vitro and to be chondrogenically re-differentiable. Since both findings appear to conflict with each other, we quantitatively assessed the mesenchymal differentiation potential of OA patient cartilage-derived cells (CDC) towards the osteogenic and adipogenic lineage in vitro and compared it to that of MSC isolated from adipose tissue (adMSC) of healthy donors. We analyzed expression of MSC markers CD29, CD44, CD105, and CD166, and, following osteogenic and adipogenic induction in vitro, quantified their expression of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation markers. Furthermore, CDC phenotype and proliferation were monitored. We found that CDC exhibit an MSC CD marker expression pattern similar to adMSC and a similar increase in proliferation rate during osteogenic differentiation. In contrast, the marked reduction of proliferation observed during adipogenic differentiation of adMSC was absent in CDC. Quantification of differentiation markers revealed a strong osteogenic differentiation potential for CDC, however almost no capacity for adipogenic differentiation. Since in the pathogenesis of OA, cartilage degeneration coincides with high bone turnover rates, the high osteogenic differentiation potential of OA patient-derived CDC may affect clinical therapeutic regimens aiming at autologous cartilage regeneration in these patients. - Highlights: • We analyze the mesenchymal differentiation capacity of cartilage-derived cells (CDC). • CDC express mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) markers CD29, CD44, CD105, and CD166. • CDC and MSC proliferation is reduced in adipogenesis and increased in osteogenesis. • Adipogenic differentiation is virtually absent in CDC, but

  16. Three-dimensional wet-electrospun poly(lactic acid)/multi-wall carbon nanotubes scaffold induces differentiation of human menstrual blood-derived stem cells into germ-like cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyni, Hossein; Ghorbani, Sadegh; Shirazi, Reza; Salari Asl, Leila; P Beiranvand, Shahram; Soleimani, Masoud

    2017-09-01

    Infertility caused by the disruption or absence of germ cells is a major and largely incurable medical problem. Germ cells (i.e., sperm or egg) play a key role in the transmission of genetic and epigenetic information across generations. Generation of gametes derived in vitro from stem cells hold promising prospects which could potentially help infertile men and women. Menstrual blood-derived stem cells are a unique stem cell source. Evidence suggests that menstrual blood-derived stem cells exhibit a multi-lineage potential and have attracted extensive attention in regenerative medicine. To maintain the three-dimensional structure of natural extra cellular matrices in vitro, scaffolds can do this favor and mimic a microenvironment for cell proliferation and differentiation. According to previous studies, poly(lactic acid) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes have been introduced as novel and promising biomaterials for the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Some cell types have been successfully grown on a matrix containing carbon nanotubes in tissue engineering but there is no report for this material to support stem cells differentiation into germ cells lineage. This study designed a 3D wet-electrospun poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic acid)/multi-wall carbon nanotubes composite scaffold to compare infiltration, proliferation, and differentiation potential of menstrual blood-derived stem cells toward germ cell lineage with 2D culture. Our primary data revealed that the fabricated scaffold has mechanical and biological suitable qualities for supporting and attachments of stem cells. The differentiated menstrual blood-derived stem cells tracking in scaffolds using scanning electron microscopy confirmed cell attachment, aggregation, and distribution on the porous scaffold. Based on the differentiation assay by RT-PCR analysis, stem cells and germ-like cells markers were expressed in 3D groups as well as 2D one. It seems that poly(lactic acid

  17. Silk fibroin as biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melke, Johanna; Midha, Swati; Ghosh, Sourabh; Ito, Keita; Hofmann, Sandra

    2016-02-01

    Silk fibroin (SF) is a fibrous protein which is produced mainly by silkworms and spiders. Its unique mechanical properties, tunable biodegradation rate and the ability to support the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells along the osteogenic lineage, have made SF a favorable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. SF can be processed into various scaffold forms, combined synergistically with other biomaterials to form composites and chemically modified, which provides an impressive toolbox and allows SF scaffolds to be tailored to specific applications. This review discusses and summarizes recent advancements in processing SF, focusing on different fabrication and functionalization methods and their application to grow bone tissue in vitro and in vivo. Potential areas for future research, current challenges, uncertainties and gaps in knowledge are highlighted. Silk fibroin is a natural biomaterial with remarkable biomedical and mechanical properties which make it favorable for a broad range of bone tissue engineering applications. It can be processed into different scaffold forms, combined synergistically with other biomaterials to form composites and chemically modified which provides a unique toolbox and allows silk fibroin scaffolds to be tailored to specific applications. This review discusses and summarizes recent advancements in processing silk fibroin, focusing on different fabrication and functionalization methods and their application to grow bone tissue in vitro and in vivo. Potential areas for future research, current challenges, uncertainties and gaps in knowledge are highlighted. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression patterns in the Eomes + lineage of excitatory neurons during early neocortical development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cameron David A

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cortical neurons display dynamic patterns of gene expression during the coincident processes of differentiation and migration through the developing cerebrum. To identify genes selectively expressed by the Eomes + (Tbr2 lineage of excitatory cortical neurons, GFP-expressing cells from Tg(Eomes::eGFP Gsat embryos were isolated to > 99% purity and profiled. Results We report the identification, validation and spatial grouping of genes selectively expressed within the Eomes + cortical excitatory neuron lineage during early cortical development. In these neurons 475 genes were expressed ≥ 3-fold, and 534 genes ≤ 3-fold, compared to the reference population of neuronal precursors. Of the up-regulated genes, 328 were represented at the Genepaint in situ hybridization database and 317 (97% were validated as having spatial expression patterns consistent with the lineage of differentiating excitatory neurons. A novel approach for quantifying in situ hybridization patterns (QISP across the cerebral wall was developed that allowed the hierarchical clustering of genes into putative co-regulated groups. Forty four candidate genes were identified that show spatial expression with Intermediate Precursor Cells, 49 candidate genes show spatial expression with Multipolar Neurons, while the remaining 224 genes achieved peak expression in the developing cortical plate. Conclusions This analysis of differentiating excitatory neurons revealed the expression patterns of 37 transcription factors, many chemotropic signaling molecules (including the Semaphorin, Netrin and Slit signaling pathways, and unexpected evidence for non-canonical neurotransmitter signaling and changes in mechanisms of glucose metabolism. Over half of the 317 identified genes are associated with neuronal disease making these findings a valuable resource for studies of neurological development and disease.

  19. Myeloperoxidase mRNA detection for lineage determination of leukemic blasts: retrospective analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisan, D; Anstett, M J

    1995-07-01

    Myeloperoxidase (MPO) mRNA is an early myeloid marker; its detection in the morphologically and immunophenotypically primitive blasts of acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) establishes myeloid lineage and allows reclassification as acute myelogenous leukemia with minimal differentiation (AML-MO). We have previously reported a procedure for MPO mRNA detection by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and an adaptation for use of routine hematology smears. This variant procedure allows retrospective analysis of mRNA and is used in the present study to evaluate the lineage of leukemic blasts in seven cases with morphology and cytochemistry consistent with AUL. All hematology smears used in this study were air-dried, unstained or Wright-stained and stored at room temperature for periods varying between 3 days and 2 years. MPO mRNA was detected in six cases, establishing the myeloid lineage of the blasts and the diagnosis of AML-MO. In the remaining case, the blasts were MPO mRNA negative, confirming the diagnosis of AUL. The RT-PCR procedure for retrospective mRNA analysis is useful in the clinical setting, due to its high specificity and sensitivity, speed (less than 24 h), safety (no radioactivity) and convenient use of routine hematology smears; it is particularly attractive in clinical situations when fresh or frozen specimens are no longer available at the time when the need for molecular diagnostics becomes apparent.

  20. Dual-window dual-bandwidth spectroscopic optical coherence tomography metric for qualitative scatterer size differentiation in tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tay, Benjamin Chia-Meng; Chow, Tzu-Hao; Ng, Beng-Koon; Loh, Thomas Kwok-Seng

    2012-09-01

    This study investigates the autocorrelation bandwidths of dual-window (DW) optical coherence tomography (OCT) k-space scattering profile of different-sized microspheres and their correlation to scatterer size. A dual-bandwidth spectroscopic metric defined as the ratio of the 10% to 90% autocorrelation bandwidths is found to change monotonically with microsphere size and gives the best contrast enhancement for scatterer size differentiation in the resulting spectroscopic image. A simulation model supports the experimental results and revealed a tradeoff between the smallest detectable scatterer size and the maximum scatterer size in the linear range of the dual-window dual-bandwidth (DWDB) metric, which depends on the choice of the light source optical bandwidth. Spectroscopic OCT (SOCT) images of microspheres and tonsil tissue samples based on the proposed DWDB metric showed clear differentiation between different-sized scatterers as compared to those derived from conventional short-time Fourier transform metrics. The DWDB metric significantly improves the contrast in SOCT imaging and can aid the visualization and identification of dissimilar scatterer size in a sample. Potential applications include the early detection of cell nuclear changes in tissue carcinogenesis, the monitoring of healing tendons, and cell proliferation in tissue scaffolds.

  1. Human immunodeficiency viruses appear compartmentalized to the female genital tract in cross-sectional analyses but genital lineages do not persist over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bull, Marta E; Heath, Laura M; McKernan-Mullin, Jennifer L; Kraft, Kelli M; Acevedo, Luis; Hitti, Jane E; Cohn, Susan E; Tapia, Kenneth A; Holte, Sarah E; Dragavon, Joan A; Coombs, Robert W; Mullins, James I; Frenkel, Lisa M

    2013-04-15

    Whether unique human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV) genotypes occur in the genital tract is important for vaccine development and management of drug resistant viruses. Multiple cross-sectional studies suggest HIV is compartmentalized within the female genital tract. We hypothesize that bursts of HIV replication and/or proliferation of infected cells captured in cross-sectional analyses drive compartmentalization but over time genital-specific viral lineages do not form; rather viruses mix between genital tract and blood. Eight women with ongoing HIV replication were studied during a period of 1.5 to 4.5 years. Multiple viral sequences were derived by single-genome amplification of the HIV C2-V5 region of env from genital secretions and blood plasma. Maximum likelihood phylogenies were evaluated for compartmentalization using 4 statistical tests. In cross-sectional analyses compartmentalization of genital from blood viruses was detected in three of eight women by all tests; this was associated with tissue specific clades containing multiple monotypic sequences. In longitudinal analysis, the tissues-specific clades did not persist to form viral lineages. Rather, across women, HIV lineages were comprised of both genital tract and blood sequences. The observation of genital-specific HIV clades only in cross-sectional analysis and an absence of genital-specific lineages in longitudinal analyses suggest a dynamic interchange of HIV variants between the female genital tract and blood.

  2. [Soft tissue sarcomas: the role of histology and molecular pathology for differential diagnosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poremba, C

    2006-01-01

    Soft tissue sarcomas include a wide spectrum of different entities. The so-called small round blue cell tumors and spindle cell tumors are difficult to classify based solely on conventional histology. To identify different subtypes of tumors special histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques are necessary. Analysis of protein expression by immunohistochemistry provides a helpful tool to investigate the histogenesis of tumors. A basic spectrum of antibodies should be included to study these tumors: Desmin and myogenin (or MyoD1) for skeletal differentiation; S-100, NSE, CD56, and synaptophysin for neural/neuroendocrine differentiation; CD3, CD20, and CD79 alpha for malignant lymphomas; CD34, sm-actin, and beta-catenin for spindle cell tumors; additional antigens, e. g. Ki-67 and p 53, for estimation of proliferation and tumor suppressor gene malfunctions. Nevertheless, the molecular analysis of soft tissue sarcomas is necessary for demonstration of specific translocations or gene defects to specify and proof a diagnosis. For this purpose, RT-PCR for RNA expression analysis of gene fusion transcripts and multi-color FISH for analysis of chromosomal rearrangements are used. Further investigations, using DNA microrrays may help to subclassify such tumors, with respect to prognosis or prediction of therapeutic response.

  3. Different requirements of functional telomeres in neural stem cells and terminally differentiated neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lobanova, Anastasia; She, Robert; Pieraut, Simon; Clapp, Charlie; Maximov, Anton; Denchi, Eros Lazzerini

    2017-04-01

    Telomeres have been studied extensively in peripheral tissues, but their relevance in the nervous system remains poorly understood. Here, we examine the roles of telomeres at distinct stages of murine brain development by using lineage-specific genetic ablation of TRF2, an essential component of the shelterin complex that protects chromosome ends from the DNA damage response machinery. We found that functional telomeres are required for embryonic and adult neurogenesis, but their uncapping has surprisingly no detectable consequences on terminally differentiated neurons. Conditional knockout of TRF2 in post-mitotic immature neurons had virtually no detectable effect on circuit assembly, neuronal gene expression, and the behavior of adult animals despite triggering massive end-to-end chromosome fusions across the brain. These results suggest that telomeres are dispensable in terminally differentiated neurons and provide mechanistic insight into cognitive abnormalities associated with aberrant telomere length in humans. © 2017 Lobanova et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  4. Differential approach to planning of training loads in person with connective tissue dysplasia symptoms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олег Борисович Неханевич

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. When dealing with issues of access and planning of training and competitive pressures special interest cause the person with signs of connective tissue dysplasia.Aim. Improvement of medical support of training process of athletes with signs of connective tissue dysplasia.Materials and methods. 188 athletes are examined, including 59 with signs of connective tissue dysplasia. There are made the basic group. Signs of systemic involvement of connective tissue are determined using anthropometry and somatoscopy. An echocardiographic examination is conducted for all athletes at rest and during bicycle ergometry in regenerative period conducted.Results. Underweight body, acromacria, hypermobility of joints and flat feet are often observed with signs of systemic involvement of connective tissue.During veloergometry it was established deterioration of myocardial relaxation during diastole core group of athletes while performing load average power, which led to a drop in ejection fraction at submaximal levels of exertion.Conclusions. Existence of connective tissue dysplasia in athletes with different prognosis states requires sports physicians an in-depth analysis and differential diagnosis of clinical forms in order to prevent complications during training and competitive pressures. Early signs of cardiac strain while performing physical activity in athletes with signs of connective tissue dysplasia were symptoms of myocardial relaxation on indicators of diastolic heart function. Ejection fraction at rest remained at normal levels

  5. Supplementary Material for: Global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences in rice evolution result in two contrasting types of differentially expressed genes

    KAUST Repository

    Horiuchi, Youko; Harushima, Yoshiaki; Fujisawa, Hironori; Mochizuki, Takako; Fujita, Masahiro; Ohyanagi, Hajime; Kurata, Nori

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background Since the development of transcriptome analysis systems, many expression evolution studies characterized evolutionary forces acting on gene expression, without explicit discrimination between global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences. However, different types of gene expression alteration should have different effects on an organism, the evolutionary forces that act on them might be different, and different types of genes might show different types of differential expression between species. To confirm this, we studied differentially expressed (DE) genes among closely related groups that have extensive gene expression atlases, and clarified characteristics of different types of DE genes including the identification of regulating loci for differential expression using expression quantitative loci (eQTL) analysis data. Results We detected differentially expressed (DE) genes between rice subspecies in five homologous tissues that were verified using japonica and indica transcriptome atlases in public databases. Using the transcriptome atlases, we classified DE genes into two types, global DE genes and changed-tissues DE genes. Global type DE genes were not expressed in any tissues in the atlas of one subspecies, however changed-tissues type DE genes were expressed in both subspecies with different tissue specificity. For the five tissues in the two japonica-indica combinations, 4.6 ± 0.8 and 5.9 ± 1.5 % of highly expressed genes were global and changed-tissues DE genes, respectively. Changed-tissues DE genes varied in number between tissues, increasing linearly with the abundance of tissue specifically expressed genes in the tissue. Molecular evolution of global DE genes was rapid, unlike that of changed-tissues DE genes. Based on gene ontology, global and changed-tissues DE genes were different, having no common GO terms. Expression differences of most global DE genes were regulated by cis

  6. Stem cell differentiation on electrospun nanofibrous substrates for vascular tissue engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Lin; Prabhakaran, Molamma P.; Qin, Xiaohong; Ramakrishna, Seeram

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology has enabled the engineering of a variety of materials to meet the current challenges and requirements in vascular tissue regeneration. In our study, poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and hybrid PLLA/collagen (PLLA/Coll) nanofibers (3:1 and 1:1) with fiber diameters of 210 to 430 nm were fabricated by electrospinning. Their morphological, chemical and mechanical characterizations were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and tensile instrument, respectively. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded on electrospun nanofibers that are capable of differentiating into vascular cells have great potential for repair of the vascular system. We investigated the potential of MSCs for vascular cell differentiation in vitro on electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibrous scaffolds using endothelial differentiation media. After 20 days of culture, MSC proliferation on PLLA/Coll(1:1) scaffolds was found 256% higher than the cell proliferation on PLLA scaffolds. SEM images showed that the MSC differentiated endothelial cells on PLLA/Coll scaffolds showed cobblestone morphology in comparison to the fibroblastic type of undifferentiated MSCs. The functionality of the cells in the presence of ‘endothelial induction media’, was further demonstrated from the immunocytochemical analysis, where the MSCs on PLLA/Coll (1:1) scaffolds differentiated to endothelial cells and expressed the endothelial cell specific proteins such as platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1 or CD31) and Von Willebrand factor (vWF). From the results of the SEM analysis and protein expression studies, we concluded that the electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibers could mimic the native vascular ECM environment and might be promising substrates for potential application towards vascular regeneration. - Highlights: • PLLA and PLLA/Coll nanofibers were electrospun. • Incorporation of collagen reduced fiber

  7. Stem cell differentiation on electrospun nanofibrous substrates for vascular tissue engineering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jia, Lin [Key Laboratory of Textile Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, No. 2999 North Renmin Road, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620 (China); Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-14, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Prabhakaran, Molamma P., E-mail: nnimpp@nus.edu.sg [Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-14, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Qin, Xiaohong, E-mail: xhqin@dhu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Textile Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, No. 2999 North Renmin Road, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620 (China); Ramakrishna, Seeram [Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-14, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)

    2013-12-01

    Nanotechnology has enabled the engineering of a variety of materials to meet the current challenges and requirements in vascular tissue regeneration. In our study, poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and hybrid PLLA/collagen (PLLA/Coll) nanofibers (3:1 and 1:1) with fiber diameters of 210 to 430 nm were fabricated by electrospinning. Their morphological, chemical and mechanical characterizations were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and tensile instrument, respectively. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded on electrospun nanofibers that are capable of differentiating into vascular cells have great potential for repair of the vascular system. We investigated the potential of MSCs for vascular cell differentiation in vitro on electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibrous scaffolds using endothelial differentiation media. After 20 days of culture, MSC proliferation on PLLA/Coll(1:1) scaffolds was found 256% higher than the cell proliferation on PLLA scaffolds. SEM images showed that the MSC differentiated endothelial cells on PLLA/Coll scaffolds showed cobblestone morphology in comparison to the fibroblastic type of undifferentiated MSCs. The functionality of the cells in the presence of ‘endothelial induction media’, was further demonstrated from the immunocytochemical analysis, where the MSCs on PLLA/Coll (1:1) scaffolds differentiated to endothelial cells and expressed the endothelial cell specific proteins such as platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1 or CD31) and Von Willebrand factor (vWF). From the results of the SEM analysis and protein expression studies, we concluded that the electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibers could mimic the native vascular ECM environment and might be promising substrates for potential application towards vascular regeneration. - Highlights: • PLLA and PLLA/Coll nanofibers were electrospun. • Incorporation of collagen reduced fiber

  8. Molecular genetic differentiation in earthworms inhabiting a heterogeneous Pb-polluted landscape

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andre, J., E-mail: Andrej@cardiff.ac.u [Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, BIOSI 1, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3TL (United Kingdom); Department of Soil Science, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6DW (United Kingdom); King, R.A. [Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, BIOSI 1, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3TL (United Kingdom); Stuerzenbaum, S.R. [King' s College London, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, London SE1 9NH (United Kingdom); Kille, P. [Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, BIOSI 1, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3TL (United Kingdom); Hodson, M.E. [Department of Soil Science, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6DW (United Kingdom); Morgan, A.J. [Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, BIOSI 1, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3TL (United Kingdom)

    2010-03-15

    A Pb-mine site situated on acidic soil, but comprising of Ca-enriched islands around derelict buildings was used to study the spatial pattern of genetic diversity in Lumbricus rubellus. Two distinct genetic lineages ('A' and 'B'), differentiated at both the mitochondrial (mtDNA COII) and nuclear level (AFLPs) were revealed with a mean inter-lineage mtDNA sequence divergence of approximately 13%, indicative of a cryptic species complex. AFLP analysis indicates that lineage A individuals within one central 'ecological island' site are uniquely clustered, with little genetic overlap with lineage A individuals at the two peripheral sites. FTIR microspectroscopy of Pb-sequestering chloragocytes revealed different phosphate profiles in residents of adjacent acidic and calcareous islands. Bioinformatics found over-representation of Ca pathway genes in EST{sub Pb} libraries. Subsequent sequencing of a Ca-transport gene, SERCA, revealed mutations in the protein's cytosolic domain. We recommend the mandatory genotyping of all individuals prior to field-based ecotoxicological assays, particularly those using discriminating genomic technologies. - Landscapes punctuated by Pb-polluted islands have engendered local genetic differentiation in resident earthworms.

  9. On the genesis of articular cartilage. Embryonic joint development and gene expression - implications for tissue engineering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jenner, F

    2013-01-01

    Articular chondrocytes descend from a distinct cohort of progenitor cells located in the embryonic joint anlagen, termed interzones. Their unique lineage might explain some of the problems encountered using chondrocytes of different lineages for articular cartilage tissue engineering. While it is

  10. Palmitoylation regulates epidermal homeostasis and hair follicle differentiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pleasantine Mill

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Palmitoylation is a key post-translational modification mediated by a family of DHHC-containing palmitoyl acyl-transferases (PATs. Unlike other lipid modifications, palmitoylation is reversible and thus often regulates dynamic protein interactions. We find that the mouse hair loss mutant, depilated, (dep is due to a single amino acid deletion in the PAT, Zdhhc21, resulting in protein mislocalization and loss of palmitoylation activity. We examined expression of Zdhhc21 protein in skin and find it restricted to specific hair lineages. Loss of Zdhhc21 function results in delayed hair shaft differentiation, at the site of expression of the gene, but also leads to hyperplasia of the interfollicular epidermis (IFE and sebaceous glands, distant from the expression site. The specific delay in follicle differentiation is associated with attenuated anagen propagation and is reflected by decreased levels of Lef1, nuclear beta-catenin, and Foxn1 in hair shaft progenitors. In the thickened basal compartment of mutant IFE, phospho-ERK and cell proliferation are increased, suggesting increased signaling through EGFR or integrin-related receptors, with a parallel reduction in expression of the key differentiation factor Gata3. We show that the Src-family kinase, Fyn, involved in keratinocyte differentiation, is a direct palmitoylation target of Zdhhc21 and is mislocalized in mutant follicles. This study is the first to demonstrate a key role for palmitoylation in regulating developmental signals in mammalian tissue homeostasis.

  11. Template DNA-strand co-segregation and asymmetric cell division in skeletal muscle stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinin, Vasily; Gayraud-Morel, Barbara; Tajbakhsh, Shahragim

    2009-01-01

    Stem cells are present in all tissues and organs, and are crucial for normal regulated growth. How the pool size of stem cells and their progeny is regulated to establish the tissue prenatally, then maintain it throughout life, is a key question in biology and medicine. The ability to precisely locate stem and progenitors requires defining lineage progression from stem to differentiated cells, assessing the mode of cell expansion and self-renewal and identifying markers to assess the different cell states within the lineage. We have shown that during lineage progression from a quiescent adult muscle satellite cell to a differentiated myofibre, both symmetric and asymmetric divisions take place. Furthermore, we provide evidence that a sub-population of label retaining satellite cells co-segregate template DNA strands to one daughter cell. These findings provide a means of identifying presumed stem and progenitor cells within the lineage. In addition, asymmetric segregation of template DNA and the cytoplasmic protein Numb provides a landmark to define cell behaviour as self-renewal and differentiation decisions are being executed.

  12. Adult Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Primed for fhe Repair of Damaged Cardiac Tissue After Myocardial Infarction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Edward D.

    The burden of cardiovascular disease around the world is growing, despite improvements in hospital care and time to treatment. As more people survive an initial myocardial infarction (MI), the decompensated heart tissue is strained, leading to heart failure (HF) and an increased risk for a second MI. While extensive progress has been made in treating the symptoms after MI, including HF and angina, little success has come from repairing the damaged heart tissue to alleviate the progression to these end- stage symptoms. One promising area of regenerative research has been the use of adult stem cells, particularly from the bone marrow (BMSCs). These cells can differentiate towards the cardiac cell lineage in vitro while producing trophic factors that can repair damaged tissue. When placed in the heart after MI though, BMSCs have mixed results, producing profound changes in some patients but zero or even negative effects in others. In this report, we used BMSCs as a stem cell base for a regenerative medicine system for the repair of damaged cardiac tissue. These cells are seeded on a polycaprolactone nanoscaffolding support system, which provides a growth substrate for in vitro work, as well as a housing system for protected in vivo delivery. When the nanoscaffold is pre-coated with a novel combination of a cardiac protein, thymosin beta4 (Tbeta4), and a small molecule effector of the WNT protein pathway, IWP-2, BMSCs differentiated towards the cardiac lineage in as little as 24hours. When injected into rat hearts that have been given an ischemic MI, the nanoscaffolding system slowly dissolves, leaving the cells in place of the damaged cardiac tissue. After two weeks of monitoring, BMSCs are present within the damaged hearts, as evidenced by immunofluorescence and nanoparticle tracking. Injections of the nanoscaffolding/cell system led to robust healing of the rat hearts that had been given small- and medium- damage heart attacks, outperforming PBS sham and cell

  13. Malware Lineage in the Wild

    OpenAIRE

    Haq, Irfan Ul; Chica, Sergio; Caballero, Juan; Jha, Somesh

    2017-01-01

    Malware lineage studies the evolutionary relationships among malware and has important applications for malware analysis. A persistent limitation of prior malware lineage approaches is to consider every input sample a separate malware version. This is problematic since a majority of malware are packed and the packing process produces many polymorphic variants (i.e., executables with different file hash) of the same malware version. Thus, many samples correspond to the same malware version and...

  14. Induced-Pluripotent-Stem-Cell-Derived Primitive Macrophages Provide a Platform for Modeling Tissue-Resident Macrophage Differentiation and Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takata, Kazuyuki; Kozaki, Tatsuya; Lee, Christopher Zhe Wei; Thion, Morgane Sonia; Otsuka, Masayuki; Lim, Shawn; Utami, Kagistia Hana; Fidan, Kerem; Park, Dong Shin; Malleret, Benoit; Chakarov, Svetoslav; See, Peter; Low, Donovan; Low, Gillian; Garcia-Miralles, Marta; Zeng, Ruizhu; Zhang, Jinqiu; Goh, Chi Ching; Gul, Ahmet; Hubert, Sandra; Lee, Bernett; Chen, Jinmiao; Low, Ivy; Shadan, Nurhidaya Binte; Lum, Josephine; Wei, Tay Seok; Mok, Esther; Kawanishi, Shohei; Kitamura, Yoshihisa; Larbi, Anis; Poidinger, Michael; Renia, Laurent; Ng, Lai Guan; Wolf, Yochai; Jung, Steffen; Önder, Tamer; Newell, Evan; Huber, Tara; Ashihara, Eishi; Garel, Sonia; Pouladi, Mahmoud A; Ginhoux, Florent

    2017-07-18

    Tissue macrophages arise during embryogenesis from yolk-sac (YS) progenitors that give rise to primitive YS macrophages. Until recently, it has been impossible to isolate or derive sufficient numbers of YS-derived macrophages for further study, but data now suggest that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be driven to undergo a process reminiscent of YS-hematopoiesis in vitro. We asked whether iPSC-derived primitive macrophages (iMacs) can terminally differentiate into specialized macrophages with the help of growth factors and organ-specific cues. Co-culturing human or murine iMacs with iPSC-derived neurons promoted differentiation into microglia-like cells in vitro. Furthermore, murine iMacs differentiated in vivo into microglia after injection into the brain and into functional alveolar macrophages after engraftment in the lung. Finally, iPSCs from a patient with familial Mediterranean fever differentiated into iMacs with pro-inflammatory characteristics, mimicking the disease phenotype. Altogether, iMacs constitute a source of tissue-resident macrophage precursors that can be used for biological, pathophysiological, and therapeutic studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Cell cycle, differentiation and tissue-independent expression of ribosomal protein L37.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, S; Bird, R C

    1995-09-15

    A unique human cDNA (hG1.16) that encodes a mRNA of 450 nucleotides was isolated from a subtractive library derived from HeLa cells. The relative expression level of hG1.16 during different cell-cycle phases was determined by Northern-blot analysis of cells synchronized by double-thymidine block and serum deprivation/refeeding. hG1.16 was constitutively expressed during all phases of the cell cycle, including the quiescent phase when even most constitutively expressed genes experience some suppression of expression. The expression level of hG1.16 did not change during terminal differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, during which cells become permanently post-mitotic. Examination of other tissues revealed that the relative expression level of hG1.16 was constitutive in all embryonic mouse tissues examined, including brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver, lung and skeletal muscle. This was unusual in that expression was not down-modulated during differentiation and did not vary appreciably between tissue types. Analysis by inter-species Northern-blot analysis revealed that hG1.16 was highly conserved among all vertebrates studied (from fish to humans but not in insects). DNA sequence analysis of hG1.16 revealed a high level of similarity to rat ribosomal protein L37, identifying hG1.16 as a new member of this multigene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of hG1.16 was identical to rat ribosomal protein L37 that contained 97 amino acids, many of which are highly positively charged (15 arginine and 14 lysine residues with a predicted M(r) of 11,065). hG1.16 protein has a single C2-C2 zinc-finger-like motif which is also present in rat ribosomal protein L37. Using primers designed from the sequence of hG1.16, unique bovine and rat cDNAs were also isolated by 5'-rapid-amplification of cDNA ends. DNA sequences of bovine and rat G1.16, clones were 92.8% and 92.2% similar to human G1.16 while the deduced amino acid sequences derived from bovine and rat cDNAs each differed

  16. Lineage Selection and the Maintenance of Sex

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vienne, Damien M.; Giraud, Tatiana; Gouyon, Pierre-Henri

    2013-01-01

    Sex predominates in eukaryotes, despite its short-term disadvantage when compared to asexuality. Myriad models have suggested that short-term advantages of sex may be sufficient to counterbalance its twofold costs. However, despite decades of experimental work seeking such evidence, no evolutionary mechanism has yet achieved broad recognition as explanation for the maintenance of sex. We explore here, through lineage-selection models, the conditions favouring the maintenance of sex. In the first model, we allowed the rate of transition to asexuality to evolve, to determine whether lineage selection favoured species with the strongest constraints preventing the loss of sex. In the second model, we simulated more explicitly the mechanisms underlying the higher extinction rates of asexual lineages than of their sexual counterparts. We linked extinction rates to the ecological and/or genetic features of lineages, thereby providing a formalisation of the only figure included in Darwin's “The origin of species”. Our results reinforce the view that the long-term advantages of sex and lineage selection may provide the most satisfactory explanations for the maintenance of sex in eukaryotes, which is still poorly recognized, and provide figures and a simulation website for training and educational purposes. Short-term benefits may play a role, but it is also essential to take into account the selection of lineages for a thorough understanding of the maintenance of sex. PMID:23825582

  17. Maintenance of differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells immortalized by human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene despite of extensive proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdallah, Basem M.; Haack-Sorensen, Mandana; Burns, Jorge S.; Elsnab, Birgitte; Jakob, Franz; Hokland, Peter; Kassem, Moustapha

    2005-01-01

    Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) represent a population of stem cells that are capable of differentiation into multiple lineages. However, these cells exhibit senescence-associated growth arrest and phenotypic changes during long-term in vitro culture. We have recently demonstrated that overexpression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in hMSC reconstitutes telomerase activity and extends life span of the cells [Nat. Biotechnol. 20 (2002) 592]. In the present study, we have performed extensive characterization of three independent cell lines derived from the parental hMSC-TERT cell line based on different plating densities during expansion in culture: 1:2 (hMSC-TERT2), 1:4 (hMSC-TERT4), and 1:20 (hMSC-TERT20). The 3 cell lines exhibited differences in morphology and growth rates but they all maintained the characteristics of self-renewing stem cells and the ability to differentiate into multiple mesoderm-type cell lineages: osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and endothelial-like cells over a 3-year period in culture. Also, surface marker studies using flow cytometry showed a pattern similar to that known from normal hMSC. Thus, telomerization of hMSC by hTERT overexpression maintains the stem cell phenotype of hMSC and it may be a useful tool for obtaining enough number of cells with a stable phenotype for mechanistic studies of cell differentiation and for tissue engineering protocols

  18. Development of peptide-based lineage-specific serology for chronic Chagas disease: geographical and clinical distribution of epitope recognition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tapan Bhattacharyya

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health issue in Latin America. Genetically diverse, the species is sub-divided into six lineages, known as TcI-TcVI, which have disparate geographical and ecological distributions. TcII, TcV, and TcVI are associated with severe human disease in the Southern Cone countries, whereas TcI is associated with cardiomyopathy north of the Amazon. T. cruzi persists as a chronic infection, with cardiac and/or gastrointestinal symptoms developing years or decades after initial infection. Identifying an individual's history of T. cruzi lineage infection directly by genotyping of the parasite is complicated by the low parasitaemia and sequestration in the host tissues. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have applied here serology against lineage-specific epitopes of the T. cruzi surface antigen TSSA, as an indirect approach to allow identification of infecting lineage. Chagasic sera from chronic patients from a range of endemic countries were tested by ELISA against synthetic peptides representing lineage-specific TSSA epitopes bound to avidin-coated ELISA plates via a biotin labelled polyethylene glycol-glycine spacer to increase rotation and ensure each amino acid side chain could freely interact with their antibodies. 79/113 (70% of samples from Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina recognised the TSSA epitope common to lineages TcII/TcV/TcVI. Comparison with clinical information showed that a higher proportion of Brazilian TSSApep-II/V/VI responders had ECG abnormalities than non-responders (38% vs 17%; p<0.0001. Among northern chagasic sera 4/20 (20% from Ecuador reacted with this peptide; 1/12 Venezuelan and 1/34 Colombian samples reacted with TSSApep-IV. In addition, a proposed TcI-specific epitope, described elsewhere, was demonstrated here to be highly conserved across lineages and therefore not applicable to lineage-specific serology. CONCLUSIONS

  19. Development of peptide-based lineage-specific serology for chronic Chagas disease: geographical and clinical distribution of epitope recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, Tapan; Falconar, Andrew K; Luquetti, Alejandro O; Costales, Jaime A; Grijalva, Mario J; Lewis, Michael D; Messenger, Louisa A; Tran, Trang T; Ramirez, Juan-David; Guhl, Felipe; Carrasco, Hernan J; Diosque, Patricio; Garcia, Lineth; Litvinov, Sergey V; Miles, Michael A

    2014-05-01

    Chagas disease, caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health issue in Latin America. Genetically diverse, the species is sub-divided into six lineages, known as TcI-TcVI, which have disparate geographical and ecological distributions. TcII, TcV, and TcVI are associated with severe human disease in the Southern Cone countries, whereas TcI is associated with cardiomyopathy north of the Amazon. T. cruzi persists as a chronic infection, with cardiac and/or gastrointestinal symptoms developing years or decades after initial infection. Identifying an individual's history of T. cruzi lineage infection directly by genotyping of the parasite is complicated by the low parasitaemia and sequestration in the host tissues. We have applied here serology against lineage-specific epitopes of the T. cruzi surface antigen TSSA, as an indirect approach to allow identification of infecting lineage. Chagasic sera from chronic patients from a range of endemic countries were tested by ELISA against synthetic peptides representing lineage-specific TSSA epitopes bound to avidin-coated ELISA plates via a biotin labelled polyethylene glycol-glycine spacer to increase rotation and ensure each amino acid side chain could freely interact with their antibodies. 79/113 (70%) of samples from Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina recognised the TSSA epitope common to lineages TcII/TcV/TcVI. Comparison with clinical information showed that a higher proportion of Brazilian TSSApep-II/V/VI responders had ECG abnormalities than non-responders (38% vs 17%; p<0.0001). Among northern chagasic sera 4/20 (20%) from Ecuador reacted with this peptide; 1/12 Venezuelan and 1/34 Colombian samples reacted with TSSApep-IV. In addition, a proposed TcI-specific epitope, described elsewhere, was demonstrated here to be highly conserved across lineages and therefore not applicable to lineage-specific serology. These results demonstrate the considerable potential for synthetic

  20. Phylogeography of the tropical planktonic foraminifera lineage globigerinella reveals isolation inconsistent with passive dispersal by ocean currents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiner, Agnes K M; Weinkauf, Manuel F G; Kurasawa, Atsushi; Darling, Kate F; Kucera, Michal; Grimm, Guido W

    2014-01-01

    Morphologically defined species of marine plankton often harbor a considerable level of cryptic diversity. Since many morphospecies show cosmopolitan distribution, an understanding of biogeographic and evolutionary processes at the level of genetic diversity requires global sampling. We use a database of 387 single-specimen sequences of the SSU rDNA of the planktonic foraminifera Globigerinella as a model to assess the biogeographic and phylogenetic distributions of cryptic diversity in marine microplankton on a global scale. Our data confirm the existence of multiple, well isolated genetic lineages. An analysis of their abundance and distribution indicates that our sampling is likely to approximate the actual total diversity. Unexpectedly, we observe an uneven allocation of cryptic diversity among the phylogenetic lineages. We show that this pattern is neither an artifact of sampling intensity nor a function of lineage age. Instead, we argue that it reflects an ongoing speciation process in one of the three major lineages. Surprisingly, four of the six genetic types in the hyperdiverse lineage are biogeographically restricted to the Indopacific. Their mutual co-occurrence and their hierarchical phylogenetic structure provide no evidence for an origin through sudden habitat fragmentation and their limitation to the Indopacific challenges the view of a global gene flow within the warm-water provinces. This phenomenon shows that passive dispersal is not sufficient to describe the distribution of plankton diversity. Rather, these organisms show differentiated distribution patterns shaped by species interactions and reflecting phylogenetic contingency with unique histories of diversification rates.

  1. Differential gene expression profile in pig adipose tissue treated with/without clenbuterol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deng Xue M

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clenbuterol, a beta-agonist, can dramatically reduce pig adipose accumulation at high dosages. However, it has been banned in pig production because people who eat pig products treated with clenbuterol can be poisoned by the clenbuterol residues. To understand the molecular mechanism for this fat reduction, cDNA microarray, real-time PCR, two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectra were used to study the differential gene expression profiles of pig adipose tissues treated with/without clenbuterol. The objective of this research is to identify novel genes and physiological pathways that potentially facilitate clenbuterol induced reduction of adipose accumulation. Results Clenbuterol was found to improve the lean meat percentage about 10 percent (P Conclusion Pig fat accumulation was reduced dramatically with clenbuterol treatment. Histological sections and global evaluation of gene expression after administration of clenbuterol in pigs identified profound changes in adipose cells. With clenbuterol stimulation, adipose cell volumes decreased and their gene expression profile changed, which indicate some metabolism processes have been also altered. Although the biological functions of the differentially expressed genes are not completely known, higher expressions of these molecules in adipose tissue might contribute to the reduction of fat accumulation. Among these genes, five lipid metabolism related genes were of special interest for further study, including apoD and apoR. The apoR expression was increased at both the RNA and protein levels. The apoR may be one of the critical molecules through which clenbuterol reduces fat accumulation.

  2. Sex-specific differences in transcriptome profiles of brain and muscle tissue of the tropical gar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cribbin, Kayla M; Quackenbush, Corey R; Taylor, Kyle; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Kelley, Joanna L

    2017-04-07

    The tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) is the southernmost species of the seven extant species of gar fishes in the world. In Mexico and Central America, the species is an important food source due to its nutritional quality and low price. Despite its regional importance and increasing concerns about overexploitation and habitat degradation, basic genetic information on the tropical gar is lacking. Determining genetic information on the tropical gar is important for the sustainable management of wild populations, implementation of best practices in aquaculture settings, evolutionary studies of ancient lineages, and an understanding of sex-specific gene expression. In this study, the transcriptome of the tropical gar was sequenced and assembled de novo using tissues from three males and three females using Illumina sequencing technology. Sex-specific and highly differentially expressed transcripts in brain and muscle tissues between adult males and females were subsequently identified. The transcriptome was assembled de novo resulting in 80,611 transcripts with a contig N50 of 3,355 base pairs and over 168 kilobases in total length. Male muscle, brain, and gonad as well as female muscle and brain were included in the assembly. The assembled transcriptome was annotated to identify the putative function of expressed transcripts using Trinotate and SwissProt, a database of well-annotated proteins. The brain and muscle datasets were then aligned to the assembled transcriptome to identify transcripts that were differentially expressed between males and females. The contrast between male and female brain identified 109 transcripts from 106 genes that were significantly differentially expressed. In the muscle comparison, 82 transcripts from 80 genes were identified with evidence for significant differential expression. Almost all genes identified as differentially expressed were sex-specific. The differentially expressed transcripts were enriched for genes involved in

  3. Climatic niche evolution is faster in sympatric than allopatric lineages of the butterfly genus Pyrgus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitteloud, Camille; Arrigo, Nils; Suchan, Tomasz; Mastretta-Yanes, Alicia; Vila, Roger; Dincă, Vlad; Hernández-Roldán, Juan; Brockmann, Ernst; Chittaro, Yannick; Kleckova, Irena; Fumagalli, Luca; Buerki, Sven; Pellissier, Loïc; Alvarez, Nadir

    2017-04-12

    Understanding how speciation relates to ecological divergence has long fascinated biologists. It is assumed that ecological divergence is essential to sympatric speciation, as a mechanism to avoid competition and eventually lead to reproductive isolation, while divergence in allopatry is not necessarily associated with niche differentiation. The impact of the spatial context of divergence on the evolutionary rates of abiotic dimensions of the ecological niche has rarely been explored for an entire clade. Here, we compare the magnitude of climatic niche shifts between sympatric versus allopatric divergence of lineages in butterflies. By combining next-generation sequencing, parametric biogeography and ecological niche analyses applied to a genus-wide phylogeny of Palaearctic Pyrgus butterflies, we compare evolutionary rates along eight climatic dimensions across sister lineages that diverged in large-scale sympatry versus allopatry. In order to examine the possible effects of the spatial scale at which sympatry is defined, we considered three sets of biogeographic assignments, ranging from narrow to broad definition. Our findings suggest higher rates of niche evolution along all climatic dimensions for sister lineages that diverge in sympatry, when using a narrow delineation of biogeographic areas. This result contrasts with significantly lower rates of climatic niche evolution found in cases of allopatric speciation, despite the biogeographic regions defined here being characterized by significantly different climates. Higher rates in allopatry are retrieved when biogeographic areas are too widely defined-in such a case allopatric events may be recorded as sympatric. Our results reveal the macro-evolutionary significance of abiotic niche differentiation involved in speciation processes within biogeographic regions, and illustrate the importance of the spatial scale chosen to define areas when applying parametric biogeographic analyses. © 2017 The Author(s).

  4. Ihh signaling is directly required for the osteoblast lineage in the endochondral skeleton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Fanxin; Chung, Ung-il; Ohba, Shinsuke; McMahon, Jill; Kronenberg, Henry M; McMahon, Andrew P

    2004-03-01

    Indian hedgehog (Ihh) is indispensable for development of the osteoblast lineage in the endochondral skeleton. In order to determine whether Ihh is directly required for osteoblast differentiation, we have genetically manipulated smoothened (Smo), which encodes a transmembrane protein that is essential for transducing all Hedgehog (Hh) signals. Removal of Smo from perichondrial cells by the Cre-LoxP approach prevents formation of a normal bone collar and also abolishes development of the primary spongiosa. Analysis of chimeric embryos composed of wild-type and Smo(n/n) cells indicates that Smo(n/n) cells fail to contribute to osteoblasts in either the bone collar or the primary spongiosa but generate ectopic chondrocytes. In order to assess whether Ihh is sufficient to induce bone formation in vivo, we have analyzed the bone collar in the long bones of embryos in which Ihh was artificially expressed in all chondrocytes by the UAS-GAL4 bigenic system. Although ectopic Ihh does not induce overt ossification along the entire cartilage anlage, it promotes progression of the bone collar toward the epiphysis, suggesting a synergistic effect between ectopic Ihh and endogenous factors such as the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). In keeping with this model, Hh signaling is further found to be required in BMP-induced osteogenesis in cultures of a limb-bud cell line. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Ihh signaling is directly required for the osteoblast lineage in the developing long bones and that Ihh functions in conjunction with other factors such as BMPs to induce osteoblast differentiation. We suggest that Ihh acts in vivo on a potential progenitor cell to promote osteoblast and prevent chondrocyte differentiation.

  5. Quantitative expression of regulatory and differentiation-related genes in the key steps of human hematopoiesis: The LeukoStage Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polgárová, K; Vášková, M; Froňková, E; Slámová, L; Kalina, T; Mejstříková, E; Dobiášová, A; Fišer, K; Hrušák, O

    2016-01-01

    Differentiation during hematopoiesis leads to the generation of many cell types with specific functions. At various stages of maturation, the cells may change pathologically, leading to diseases including acute leukemias (ALs). Expression levels of regulatory molecules (such as the IKZF, GATA, HOX, FOX, NOTCH and CEBP families, as well as SPI-1/PU1 and PAX5) and lineage-specific molecules (including CD2, CD14, CD79A, and BLNK) may be compared between pathological and physiological cells. Although the key steps of differentiation are known, the available databases focus mainly on fully differentiated cells as a reference. Precursor cells may be a more appropriate reference point for diseases that evolve at immature stages. Therefore, we developed a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) array to investigate 90 genes that are characteristic of the lymphoid or myeloid lineages and/or are thought to be involved in their regulation. Using this array, sorted cells of granulocytic, monocytic, T and B lineages were analyzed. For each of these lineages, 3-5 differentiation stages were selected (17 stages total), and cells were sorted from 3 different donors per stage. The qPCR results were compared to similarly processed AL cells of lymphoblastic (n=18) or myeloid (n=6) origins and biphenotypic AL cells of B cell origin with myeloid involvement (n=5). Molecules characteristic of each lineage were found. In addition, cells of a newly discovered switching lymphoblastic AL (swALL) were sorted at various phases during the supposed transdifferentiation from an immature B cell to a monocytic phenotype. As demonstrated previously, gene expression changed along with the immunophenotype. The qPCR data are publicly available in the LeukoStage Database in which gene expression in malignant and non-malignant cells of different lineages can be explored graphically and differentially expressed genes can be identified. In addition, the LeukoStage Database can aid the

  6. Lineage fusion in Galápagos giant tortoises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrick, Ryan C; Benavides, Edgar; Russello, Michael A; Hyseni, Chaz; Edwards, Danielle L; Gibbs, James P; Tapia, Washington; Ciofi, Claudio; Caccone, Adalgisa

    2014-11-01

    Although many classic radiations on islands are thought to be the result of repeated lineage splitting, the role of past fusion is rarely known because during these events, purebreds are rapidly replaced by a swarm of admixed individuals. Here, we capture lineage fusion in action in a Galápagos giant tortoise species, Chelonoidis becki, from Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island). The long generation time of Galápagos tortoises and dense sampling (841 individuals) of genetic and demographic data were integral in detecting and characterizing this phenomenon. In C. becki, we identified two genetically distinct, morphologically cryptic lineages. Historical reconstructions show that they colonized Wolf Volcano from Santiago Island in two temporally separated events, the first estimated to have occurred ~199 000 years ago. Following arrival of the second wave of colonists, both lineages coexisted for approximately ~53 000 years. Within that time, they began fusing back together, as microsatellite data reveal widespread introgressive hybridization. Interestingly, greater mate selectivity seems to be exhibited by purebred females of one of the lineages. Forward-in-time simulations predict rapid extinction of the early arriving lineage. This study provides a rare example of reticulate evolution in action and underscores the power of population genetics for understanding the past, present and future consequences of evolutionary phenomena associated with lineage fusion. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Direct Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Haploid Spermatogenic Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles A. Easley, IV

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs have been shown to differentiate into primordial germ cells (PGCs but not into spermatogonia, haploid spermatocytes, or spermatids. Here, we show that hESCs and hiPSCs differentiate directly into advanced male germ cell lineages, including postmeiotic, spermatid-like cells, in vitro without genetic manipulation. Furthermore, our procedure mirrors spermatogenesis in vivo by differentiating PSCs into UTF1-, PLZF-, and CDH1-positive spermatogonia-like cells; HIWI- and HILI-positive spermatocyte-like cells; and haploid cells expressing acrosin, transition protein 1, and protamine 1 (proteins that are uniquely found in spermatids and/or sperm. These spermatids show uniparental genomic imprints similar to those of human sperm on two loci: H19 and IGF2. These results demonstrate that male PSCs have the ability to differentiate directly into advanced germ cell lineages and may represent a novel strategy for studying spermatogenesis in vitro.

  8. Inhibition of Rho kinase regulates specification of early differentiation events in P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman J Krawetz

    Full Text Available The Rho kinase pathway plays a key role in many early cell/tissue determination events that take place in embryogenesis. Rho and its downstream effector Rho kinase (ROCK play pivotal roles in cell migration, apoptosis (membrane blebbing, cell proliferation/cell cycle, cell-cell adhesion and gene regulation. We and others have previously demonstrated that inhibition of ROCK blocks endoderm differentiation in embryonal carcinoma stem cells, however, the effect of ROCK inhibition on mesoderm and ectoderm specification has not been fully examined. In this study, the role of ROCK within the specification and differentiation of all three germ layers was examined.P19 cells were treated with the specific ROCK inhibitor Y-27623, and increase in differentiation efficiency into neuro-ectodermal and mesodermal lineages was observed. However, as expected a dramatic decrease in early endodermal markers was observed when ROCK was inhibited. Interestingly, within these ROCK-inhibited RA treated cultures, increased levels of mesodermal or ectodermal markers were not observed, instead it was found that the pluripotent markers SSEA-1 and Oct-4 remained up-regulated similar to that seen in undifferentiated cultures. Using standard and widely accepted methods for reproducible P19 differentiation into all three germ layers, an enhancement of mesoderm and ectoderm differentiation with a concurrent loss of endoderm lineage specification was observed with Y-27632 treatment. Evidence would suggest that this effect is in part mediated through TGF-β and SMAD signaling as ROCK-inhibited cells displayed aberrant SMAD activation and did not return to a 'ground' state after the inhibition had been removed.Given this data and the fact that only a partial rescue of normal differentiation capacity occurred when ROCK inhibition was alleviated, the effect of ROCK inhibition on the differentiation capacity of pluripotent cell populations should be further examined to elucidate the

  9. Additive Manufacturing of Patient-Customizable Scaffolds for Tubular Tissues Using the Melt-Drawing Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Yu Jun; Tan, Xipeng; Yeong, Wai Yee; Tor, Shu Beng

    2016-11-03

    Polymeric fibrous scaffolds for guiding cell growth are designed to be potentially used for the tissue engineering (TE) of tubular organs including esophagi, blood vessels, tracheas, etc. Tubular scaffolds were fabricated via melt-drawing of highly elastic poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLC) fibers layer-by-layer on a cylindrical mandrel. The diameter and length of the scaffolds are customizable via 3D printing of the mandrel. Thickness of the scaffolds was varied by changing the number of layers of the melt-drawing process. The morphology and tensile properties of the PLC fibers were investigated. The fibers were highly aligned with a uniform diameter. Their diameters and tensile properties were tunable by varying the melt-drawing speeds. These tailorable topographies and tensile properties show that the additive-based scaffold fabrication technique is customizable at the micro- and macro-scale for different tubular tissues. The merits of these scaffolds in TE were further shown by the finding that myoblast and fibroblast cells seeded onto the scaffolds in vitro showed appropriate cell proliferation and distribution. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) differentiated to smooth muscle lineage on the microfibrous scaffolds in the absence of soluble induction factors, showing cellular shape modulation and scaffold elasticity may encourage the myogenic differentiation of stem cells.

  10. Genetically distant American Canine distemper virus lineages have recently caused epizootics with somewhat different characteristics in raccoons living around a large suburban zoo in the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lednicky, John A; Dubach, Jean; Kinsel, Michael J; Meehan, Thomas P; Bocchetta, Maurizio; Hungerford, Laura L; Sarich, Nicolene A; Witecki, Kelley E; Braid, Michael D; Pedrak, Casandra; Houde, Christiane M

    2004-01-01

    Background Mortality rates have differed during distemper outbreaks among free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor) living around a large Chicago-area zoo, and appeared higher in year 2001 than in 1998 and 2000. We hypothesized that a more lethal variant of the local Canine distemper virus (CDV) lineage had emerged in 2001, and sought the genetic basis that led to increased virulence. However, a more complex model surfaced during preliminary analyses of CDV genomic sequences in infected tissues and of virus isolated in vitro from the raccoons. Results Phylogenetic analyses of subgenomic CDV fusion (F) -, phosphoprotein (P) -, and complete hemagglutinin (H) – gene sequences indicated that distinct American CDV lineages caused the distemper epizootics. The 1998 outbreak was caused by viruses that are likely from an old CDV lineage that includes CDV Snyder Hill and Lederle, which are CDV strains from the early 1950's. The 2000 and 2001 viruses appear to stem from the lineage of CDV A75/17, which was isolated in the mid 1970's. Only the 2001 viruses formed large syncytia in brain and/or lung tissue, and during primary isolation in-vitro in Vero cells, demonstrating at least one phenotypic property by which they differed from the other viruses. Conclusions Two different American CDV lineages caused the raccoon distemper outbreaks. The 1998 viruses are genetically distant to the 2000/2001 viruses. Since CDV does not cause persistent infections, the cycling of different CDV lineages within the same locale suggests multiple reintroductions of the virus to area raccoons. Our findings establish a precedent for determining whether the perceived differences in mortality rates are actual and attributable in part to inherent differences between CDV strains arising from different CDV lineages. PMID:15507154

  11. Genetically distant American Canine distemper virus lineages have recently caused epizootics with somewhat different characteristics in raccoons living around a large suburban zoo in the USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lednicky John A

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mortality rates have differed during distemper outbreaks among free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor living around a large Chicago-area zoo, and appeared higher in year 2001 than in 1998 and 2000. We hypothesized that a more lethal variant of the local Canine distemper virus (CDV lineage had emerged in 2001, and sought the genetic basis that led to increased virulence. However, a more complex model surfaced during preliminary analyses of CDV genomic sequences in infected tissues and of virus isolated in vitro from the raccoons. Results Phylogenetic analyses of subgenomic CDV fusion (F -, phosphoprotein (P -, and complete hemagglutinin (H – gene sequences indicated that distinct American CDV lineages caused the distemper epizootics. The 1998 outbreak was caused by viruses that are likely from an old CDV lineage that includes CDV Snyder Hill and Lederle, which are CDV strains from the early 1950's. The 2000 and 2001 viruses appear to stem from the lineage of CDV A75/17, which was isolated in the mid 1970's. Only the 2001 viruses formed large syncytia in brain and/or lung tissue, and during primary isolation in-vitro in Vero cells, demonstrating at least one phenotypic property by which they differed from the other viruses. Conclusions Two different American CDV lineages caused the raccoon distemper outbreaks. The 1998 viruses are genetically distant to the 2000/2001 viruses. Since CDV does not cause persistent infections, the cycling of different CDV lineages within the same locale suggests multiple reintroductions of the virus to area raccoons. Our findings establish a precedent for determining whether the perceived differences in mortality rates are actual and attributable in part to inherent differences between CDV strains arising from different CDV lineages.

  12. Mapping differentiation under mixed culture conditions reveals a tunable continuum of T cell fates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaron E Antebi

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Cell differentiation is typically directed by external signals that drive opposing regulatory pathways. Studying differentiation under polarizing conditions, with only one input signal provided, is limited in its ability to resolve the logic of interactions between opposing pathways. Dissection of this logic can be facilitated by mapping the system's response to mixtures of input signals, which are expected to occur in vivo, where cells are simultaneously exposed to various signals with potentially opposing effects. Here, we systematically map the response of naïve T cells to mixtures of signals driving differentiation into the Th1 and Th2 lineages. We characterize cell state at the single cell level by measuring levels of the two lineage-specific transcription factors (T-bet and GATA3 and two lineage characteristic cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-4 that are driven by these transcription regulators. We find a continuum of mixed phenotypes in which individual cells co-express the two lineage-specific master regulators at levels that gradually depend on levels of the two input signals. Using mathematical modeling we show that such tunable mixed phenotype arises if autoregulatory positive feedback loops in the gene network regulating this process are gradual and dominant over cross-pathway inhibition. We also find that expression of the lineage-specific cytokines follows two independent stochastic processes that are biased by expression levels of the master regulators. Thus, cytokine expression is highly heterogeneous under mixed conditions, with subpopulations of cells expressing only IFN-γ, only IL-4, both cytokines, or neither. The fraction of cells in each of these subpopulations changes gradually with input conditions, reproducing the continuous internal state at the cell population level. These results suggest a differentiation scheme in which cells reflect uncertainty through a continuously tuneable mixed phenotype combined with a biased

  13. Visualization and correction of automated segmentation, tracking and lineaging from 5-D stem cell image sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wait, Eric; Winter, Mark; Bjornsson, Chris; Kokovay, Erzsebet; Wang, Yue; Goderie, Susan; Temple, Sally; Cohen, Andrew R

    2014-10-03

    Neural stem cells are motile and proliferative cells that undergo mitosis, dividing to produce daughter cells and ultimately generating differentiated neurons and glia. Understanding the mechanisms controlling neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation will play a key role in the emerging fields of regenerative medicine and cancer therapeutics. Stem cell studies in vitro from 2-D image data are well established. Visualizing and analyzing large three dimensional images of intact tissue is a challenging task. It becomes more difficult as the dimensionality of the image data increases to include time and additional fluorescence channels. There is a pressing need for 5-D image analysis and visualization tools to study cellular dynamics in the intact niche and to quantify the role that environmental factors play in determining cell fate. We present an application that integrates visualization and quantitative analysis of 5-D (x,y,z,t,channel) and large montage confocal fluorescence microscopy images. The image sequences show stem cells together with blood vessels, enabling quantification of the dynamic behaviors of stem cells in relation to their vascular niche, with applications in developmental and cancer biology. Our application automatically segments, tracks, and lineages the image sequence data and then allows the user to view and edit the results of automated algorithms in a stereoscopic 3-D window while simultaneously viewing the stem cell lineage tree in a 2-D window. Using the GPU to store and render the image sequence data enables a hybrid computational approach. An inference-based approach utilizing user-provided edits to automatically correct related mistakes executes interactively on the system CPU while the GPU handles 3-D visualization tasks. By exploiting commodity computer gaming hardware, we have developed an application that can be run in the laboratory to facilitate rapid iteration through biological experiments. We combine unsupervised image

  14. Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Comparative Analysis Between Human Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue and Dental Pulp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alimonte, Iolanda; Mastrangelo, Filiberto; Giuliani, Patricia; Pierdomenico, Laura; Marchisio, Marco; Zuccarini, Mariachiara; Di Iorio, Patrizia; Quaresima, Raimondo; Caciagli, Francesco; Ciccarelli, Renata

    2017-06-01

    White adipose tissue is a source of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) that are actively studied for their possible therapeutic use in bone tissue repair/remodeling. To better appreciate the osteogenic potential of these cells, we compared some properties of MSCs from human subcutaneous adipose tissue [subcutaneous-adipose stromal cells (S-ASCs)] and dental pulp stem cell (DPSCs) of third-impacted molars, the latter representing a well-established MSC source. Both undifferentiated cell types showed similar fibroblast-like morphology and mesenchymal marker expression. However, undifferentiated S-ASCs displayed a faster doubling time coupled to greater proliferation and colony-forming ability than DPSCs. Also, the osteogenic differentiation of S-ASCs was greater than that of DPSCs, as evaluated by the higher levels of expression of early osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2) and alkaline phosphatase at days 3-14 and of extracellular matrix mineralization at days 14-21. Moreover, S-ASCs showed a better colonization of the titanium scaffold. In addition, we investigated whether S-ASC osteogenic commitment was enhanced by adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) stimulation, as previously shown for DPSCs. Although A1R expression was constant during DPSC differentiation, it increased in S-ASC at day 21 from osteogenesis induction. Accordingly, A1R stimulation by the agonist 2-chloro-N 6 -cyclopentyl-adenosine, added to the cultures at each medium change, stimulated proliferation only in differentiating DPSC and enhanced the osteogenic differentiation earlier in DPSCs than in S-ASCs. These effects were counteracted by cell pretreatment with a selective A1R antagonist. Thus, our findings suggest that S-ASCs could be advantageously used in regenerative orthopedics/dentistry, and locally released or exogenously added purines may play a role in bone repair/remodeling, even though this aspect should be more thoroughly evaluated.

  15. Differentiation of stem cells upon deprivation of exogenous FGF2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjartansdóttir, Kristín Rós; Gabrielsen, Anette; Reda, Ahmed

    2012-01-01

    Establishing a model for in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) towards the germ cell lineage could be used to identify molecular mechanisms behind germ cell differentiation that may help in understanding human infertility. Here, we evaluate whether a lack of exogenous...... fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is supporting spontaneous differentiation of hESCs cultured on human foreskin fibroblast (hFF) monolayers towards germ cell lineage. Additionally to depriving the hESCs of exogenous FGF2, cells were stimulated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). To get a more comprehensive...... impression on effects of removal of FGF2 and stimulation with ATRA, we combined the results of three cell lines for each experimental setting. When combining gene expression profiles of three cell lines for 96 genes, only 6 genes showed a significant up-regulation in all cell lines, when no FGF2 was added...

  16. A color contrast aided density imaging technique to differentiate between dental hard tissues and its relevance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devi Charan Shetty

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Radiographic interpretation of a disease requires knowledge about normal structures. The calcifying jaw diseases can range from radiolucent areas to varying degrees of calcification. Therefore, it is vital to differentiate radiographically between various hard tissues. Materials and Methods: We have illustrated the use of computed tomography scan to quantify the calcified structures as dentin and enamel in a case of ameloblastic fibro-odontoma. Results: The enamel, dentin and cementum showed different values. Conclusion: The "Dentascan" can be used to distinguish the hard tissues in a variety of calcifying diseases of jaws.

  17. Dioecy does not consistently accelerate or slow lineage diversification across multiple genera of angiosperms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabath, Niv; Goldberg, Emma E; Glick, Lior; Einhorn, Moshe; Ashman, Tia-Lynn; Ming, Ray; Otto, Sarah P; Vamosi, Jana C; Mayrose, Itay

    2016-02-01

    Dioecy, the sexual system in which male and female organs are found in separate individuals, allows greater specialization for sex-specific functions and can be advantageous under various ecological and environmental conditions. However, dioecy is rare among flowering plants. Previous studies identified contradictory trends regarding the relative diversification rates of dioecious lineages vs their nondioecious counterparts, depending on the methods and data used. We gathered detailed species-level data for dozens of genera that contain both dioecious and nondioecious species. We then applied a probabilistic approach that accounts for differential speciation, extinction, and transition rates between states to examine whether there is an association between dioecy and lineage diversification. We found a bimodal distribution, whereby dioecious lineages exhibited higher diversification in certain genera but lower diversification in others. Additional analyses did not uncover an ecological or life history trait that could explain a context-dependent effect of dioecy on diversification. Furthermore, in-depth simulations of neutral characters demonstrated that such bimodality is also found when simulating neutral characters across the observed trees. Our analyses suggest that - at least for these genera with the currently available data - dioecy neither consistently places a strong brake on diversification nor is a strong driver. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Endothelial differentiation of human stem cells seeded onto electrospun polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate fiber mesh.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Zonari

    Full Text Available Tissue engineering is based on the association of cultured cells with structural matrices and the incorporation of signaling molecules for inducing tissue regeneration. Despite its enormous potential, tissue engineering faces a major challenge concerning the maintenance of cell viability after the implantation of the constructs. The lack of a functional vasculature within the implant compromises the delivery of nutrients to and removal of metabolites from the cells, which can lead to implant failure. In this sense, our investigation aims to develop a new strategy for enhancing vascularization in tissue engineering constructs. This study's aim was to establish a culture of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs to evaluate the biocompatibility of electrospun fiber mesh made of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB and its copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHB-HV and to promote the differentiation of hASCs into the endothelial lineage. Fiber mesh was produced by blending 30% PHB with 70% PHB-HV and its physical characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM. Using electrospinning, fiber mesh was obtained with diameters ranging 300 nm to 1.3 µm. To assess the biological performance, hASCs were extracted, cultured, characterized by flow cytometry, expanded and seeded onto electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh. Various aspects of the cells were analyzed in vitro using SEM, MTT assay and Calcein-AM staining. The in vitro evaluation demonstrated good adhesion and a normal morphology of the hASCs. After 7, 14 and 21 days of seeding hASCs onto electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh, the cells remained viable and proliferative. Moreover, when cultured with endothelial differentiation medium (i.e., medium containing VEGF and bFGF, the hASCs expressed endothelial markers such as VE-Cadherin and the vWF factor. Therefore, the electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh appears to be a suitable material that can be used in

  19. Endothelial differentiation of human stem cells seeded onto electrospun polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate fiber mesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zonari, Alessandra; Novikoff, Silviene; Electo, Naira R P; Breyner, Natália M; Gomes, Dawidson A; Martins, Albino; Neves, Nuno M; Reis, Rui L; Goes, Alfredo M

    2012-01-01

    Tissue engineering is based on the association of cultured cells with structural matrices and the incorporation of signaling molecules for inducing tissue regeneration. Despite its enormous potential, tissue engineering faces a major challenge concerning the maintenance of cell viability after the implantation of the constructs. The lack of a functional vasculature within the implant compromises the delivery of nutrients to and removal of metabolites from the cells, which can lead to implant failure. In this sense, our investigation aims to develop a new strategy for enhancing vascularization in tissue engineering constructs. This study's aim was to establish a culture of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) to evaluate the biocompatibility of electrospun fiber mesh made of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and its copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHB-HV) and to promote the differentiation of hASCs into the endothelial lineage. Fiber mesh was produced by blending 30% PHB with 70% PHB-HV and its physical characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM). Using electrospinning, fiber mesh was obtained with diameters ranging 300 nm to 1.3 µm. To assess the biological performance, hASCs were extracted, cultured, characterized by flow cytometry, expanded and seeded onto electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh. Various aspects of the cells were analyzed in vitro using SEM, MTT assay and Calcein-AM staining. The in vitro evaluation demonstrated good adhesion and a normal morphology of the hASCs. After 7, 14 and 21 days of seeding hASCs onto electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh, the cells remained viable and proliferative. Moreover, when cultured with endothelial differentiation medium (i.e., medium containing VEGF and bFGF), the hASCs expressed endothelial markers such as VE-Cadherin and the vWF factor. Therefore, the electrospun PHB/PHB-HV fiber mesh appears to be a suitable material that can be used in combination with

  20. Evidence of at least two evolutionary lineages in Melipona subnitida (Apidae, Meliponini) suggested by mtDNA variability and geometric morphometrics of forewings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonatti, Vanessa; Simões, Zilá Luz Paulino; Franco, Fernando Faria; Francoy, Tiago Mauricio

    2014-01-01

    Melipona subnitida, a tropical stingless bee, is an endemic species of the Brazilian northeast and exhibits great potential for honey and pollen production in addition to its role as one of the main pollinators of the Caatinga biome. To understand the genetic structure and better assist in the conservation of this species, we characterized the population variability of M. subnitida using geometric morphometrics of the forewing and cytochrome c oxidase I gene fragment sequencing. We collected workers from six localities in the northernmost distribution. Both methodologies indicated that the variability among the sampled populations is related both to the environment in which samples were collected and the geographical distance between the sampling sites, indicating that differentiation among the populations is due to the existence of at least evolutionary lineages. Molecular clock data suggest that this differentiation may have begun in the middle Pleistocene, approximately 396 kya. The conservation of all evolutionary lineages is important since they can present differential resistance to environmental changes, as resistance to drought and diseases.

  1. Home Bodies and Wanderers: Sympatric Lineages of the Deep-Sea Black Coral Leiopathes glaberrima.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dannise V Ruiz-Ramos

    Full Text Available Colonial corals occur in a wide range of marine benthic habitats from the shallows to the deep ocean, often defining the structure of their local community. The black coral Leiopathes glaberrima is a long-lived foundation species occurring on carbonate outcrops in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM. Multiple color morphs of L. glaberrima grow sympatrically in the region. Morphological, mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal markers supported the hypothesis that color morphs constituted a single biological species and that colonies, regardless of color, were somewhat genetically differentiated east and west of the Mississippi Canyon. Ten microsatellite loci were used to determine finer-scale population genetic structure and reproductive characteristics. Gene flow was disrupted between and within two nearby (distance = 36.4 km hardground sites and two sympatric microsatellite lineages, which might constitute cryptic species, were recovered. Lineage one was outbred and found in all sampled locations (N = 5 across 765.6 km in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Lineage two was inbred, reproducing predominantly by fragmentation, and restricted to sites around Viosca Knoll. In these sites the lineages and the color phenotypes occurred in different microhabitats, and models of maximum entropy suggested that depth and slope influence the distribution of the color phenotypes within the Vioska Knolls. We conclude that L. glaberrima is phenotypically plastic with a mixed reproductive strategy in the Northern GoM. Such strategy might enable this long-lived species to balance local recruitment with occasional long-distance dispersal to colonize new sites in an environment where habitat is limited.

  2. Contrasting microsatellite diversity in the evolutionary lineages of Phytophthora lateralis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vettraino, AnnaMaria; Brasier, Clive M; Webber, Joan F; Hansen, Everett M; Green, Sarah; Robin, Cecile; Tomassini, Alessia; Bruni, Natalia; Vannini, Andrea

    2017-02-01

    Following recent discovery of Phytophthora lateralis on native Chamaecyparis obtusa in Taiwan, four phenotypically distinct lineages were discriminated: the Taiwan J (TWJ) and Taiwan K (TWK) in Taiwan, the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in North America and Europe and the UK in west Scotland. Across the four lineages, we analysed 88 isolates from multiple sites for microsatellite diversity. Twenty-one multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were resolved with high levels of diversity of the TWK and PNW lineages. No alleles were shared between the PNW and the Taiwanese lineages. TWK was heterozygous at three loci, whereas TWJ isolates were homozygous apart from one isolate, which exhibited a unique allele also present in the TWK lineage. PNW lineage was heterozygous at three loci. The evidence suggests its origin may be a yet unknown Asian source. North American and European PNW isolates shared all their alleles and also a dominant MLG, consistent with a previous proposal that this lineage is a recent introduction into Europe from North America. The UK lineage was monomorphic and homozygous at all loci. It shared its alleles with the PNW and the TWJ and TWK lineages, hence a possible origin in a recent hybridisation event between a Taiwan lineage and PNW cannot be ruled out. Copyright © 2016 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Adaptive and Pathogenic Responses to Stress by Stem Cells during Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansouri, Ladan; Xie, Yufen; Rappolee, Daniel A

    2012-12-10

    Cellular stress is the basis of a dose-dependent continuum of responses leading to adaptive health or pathogenesis. For all cells, stress leads to reduction in macromolecular synthesis by shared pathways and tissue and stress-specific homeostatic mechanisms. For stem cells during embryonic, fetal, and placental development, higher exposures of stress lead to decreased anabolism, macromolecular synthesis and cell proliferation. Coupled with diminished stem cell proliferation is a stress-induced differentiation which generates minimal necessary function by producing more differentiated product/cell. This compensatory differentiation is accompanied by a second strategy to insure organismal survival as multipotent and pluripotent stem cells differentiate into the lineages in their repertoire. During stressed differentiation, the first lineage in the repertoire is increased and later lineages are suppressed, thus prioritized differentiation occurs. Compensatory and prioritized differentiation is regulated by at least two types of stress enzymes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which mediates loss of nuclear potency factors and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) that does not. SAPK mediates an increase in the first essential lineage and decreases in later lineages in placental stem cells. The clinical significance of compensatory and prioritized differentiation is that stem cell pools are depleted and imbalanced differentiation leads to gestational diseases and long term postnatal pathologies.

  4. Adaptive and Pathogenic Responses to Stress by Stem Cells during Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel A. Rappolee

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Cellular stress is the basis of a dose-dependent continuum of responses leading to adaptive health or pathogenesis. For all cells, stress leads to reduction in macromolecular synthesis by shared pathways and tissue and stress-specific homeostatic mechanisms. For stem cells during embryonic, fetal, and placental development, higher exposures of stress lead to decreased anabolism, macromolecular synthesis and cell proliferation. Coupled with diminished stem cell proliferation is a stress-induced differentiation which generates minimal necessary function by producing more differentiated product/cell. This compensatory differentiation is accompanied by a second strategy to insure organismal survival as multipotent and pluripotent stem cells differentiate into the lineages in their repertoire. During stressed differentiation, the first lineage in the repertoire is increased and later lineages are suppressed, thus prioritized differentiation occurs. Compensatory and prioritized differentiation is regulated by at least two types of stress enzymes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK which mediates loss of nuclear potency factors and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK that does not. SAPK mediates an increase in the first essential lineage and decreases in later lineages in placental stem cells. The clinical significance of compensatory and prioritized differentiation is that stem cell pools are depleted and imbalanced differentiation leads to gestational diseases and long term postnatal pathologies.

  5. Virtual touch tissue quantifications in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ha, Seung Mi; Cho, Seong Whi

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technology for differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. 198 nodules (168 benign and 30 malignant nodules) identified in 164 patients with available VTQ velocity data and fine-needle aspiration cytology or post-surgical pathological results were included. The VTQ velocities of nodules and adjacent thyroid tissue were examined. Malignant nodules had a significantly higher VTQ velocity (3.06 ± 1.04 m/s, range: 1.90-6.46 m/s) than that of benign nodules (2.40 ± 0.85 m/s, range: 0.69-8.09 m/s) (p = 0.002). The VTQ velocity ratio between malignant nodules and adjacent thyroid tissue (1.39 ± 0.43, range: 0.89-2.65) was also statistically higher than that of benign nodules (1.15 ± 0.44, range: 0.26-3.47) (p = 0.008). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the VTQ velocity was 0.72 with a cutoff point of 2.37 m/s and that of the VTQ velocity ratio was 0.68 with a cutoff point of 1.26. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for the VTQ velocity were 86.7%, 50.6%, 23.9%, 95.5%, and 56.1%, respectively and 60.0%, 72.0%, 27.7%, 91.0%, and 70.2%, respectively for the VTQ velocity ratio. VTQ may be helpful in differentiating malignant and benign thyroid nodules with high negative predictive value

  6. Virtual touch tissue quantifications in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ha, Seung Mi; Cho, Seong Whi [Dept. of Radiology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technology for differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. 198 nodules (168 benign and 30 malignant nodules) identified in 164 patients with available VTQ velocity data and fine-needle aspiration cytology or post-surgical pathological results were included. The VTQ velocities of nodules and adjacent thyroid tissue were examined. Malignant nodules had a significantly higher VTQ velocity (3.06 ± 1.04 m/s, range: 1.90-6.46 m/s) than that of benign nodules (2.40 ± 0.85 m/s, range: 0.69-8.09 m/s) (p = 0.002). The VTQ velocity ratio between malignant nodules and adjacent thyroid tissue (1.39 ± 0.43, range: 0.89-2.65) was also statistically higher than that of benign nodules (1.15 ± 0.44, range: 0.26-3.47) (p = 0.008). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the VTQ velocity was 0.72 with a cutoff point of 2.37 m/s and that of the VTQ velocity ratio was 0.68 with a cutoff point of 1.26. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for the VTQ velocity were 86.7%, 50.6%, 23.9%, 95.5%, and 56.1%, respectively and 60.0%, 72.0%, 27.7%, 91.0%, and 70.2%, respectively for the VTQ velocity ratio. VTQ may be helpful in differentiating malignant and benign thyroid nodules with high negative predictive value.

  7. Anisotropic Shape-Memory Alginate Scaffolds Functionalized with Either Type I or Type II Collagen for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, Henrique V; Sathy, Binulal N; Dudurych, Ivan; Buckley, Conor T; O'Brien, Fergal J; Kelly, Daniel J

    2017-01-01

    Regenerating articular cartilage and fibrocartilaginous tissue such as the meniscus is still a challenge in orthopedic medicine. While a range of different scaffolds have been developed for joint repair, none have facilitated the development of a tissue that mimics the complexity of soft tissues such as articular cartilage. Furthermore, many of these scaffolds are not designed to function in mechanically challenging joint environments. The overall goal of this study was to develop a porous, biomimetic, shape-memory alginate scaffold for directing cartilage regeneration. To this end, a scaffold was designed with architectural cues to guide cellular and neo-tissue alignment, which was additionally functionalized with a range of extracellular matrix cues to direct stem cell differentiation toward the chondrogenic lineage. Shape-memory properties were introduced by covalent cross-linking alginate using carbodiimide chemistry, while the architecture of the scaffold was modified using a directional freezing technique. Introducing such an aligned pore structure was found to improve the mechanical properties of the scaffold, and promoted higher levels of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) and collagen deposition compared to an isotropic (nonaligned) pore geometry when seeded with adult human stem cells. Functionalization with collagen improved stem cell recruitment into the scaffold and facilitated more homogenous cartilage tissue deposition throughout the construct. Incorporating type II collagen into the scaffolds led to greater cell proliferation, higher sGAG and collagen accumulation, and the development of a stiffer tissue compared to scaffolds functionalized with type I collagen. The results of this study demonstrate how both scaffold architecture and composition can be tailored in a shape-memory alginate scaffold to direct stem cell differentiation and support the development of complex cartilaginous tissues.

  8. Tissue-engineered skin preserving the potential of epithelial cells to differentiate into hair after grafting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larouche, Danielle; Cuffley, Kristine; Paquet, Claudie; Germain, Lucie

    2011-03-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate whether tissue-engineered skin produced in vitro was able to sustain growth of hair follicles in vitro and after grafting. Different tissues were designed. Dissociated newborn mouse keratinocytes or newborn mouse hair buds (HBs) were added onto dermal constructs consisting of a tissue-engineered cell-derived matrix elaborated from either newborn mouse or adult human fibroblasts cultured with ascorbic acid. After 7-21 days of maturation at the air-liquid interface, no hair was noticed in vitro. Epidermal differentiation was observed in all tissue-engineered skin. However, human fibroblast-derived tissue-engineered dermis (hD) promoted a thicker epidermis than mouse fibroblast-derived tissue-engineered dermis (mD). In association with mD, HBs developed epithelial cyst-like inclusions presenting outer root sheath-like attributes. In contrast, epidermoid cyst-like inclusions lined by a stratified squamous epithelium were present in tissues composed of HBs and hD. After grafting, pilo-sebaceous units formed and hair grew in skin elaborated from HBs cultured 10-26 days submerged in culture medium in association with mD. However, the number of normal hair follicles decreased with longer culture time. This hair-forming capacity after grafting was not observed in tissues composed of hD overlaid with HBs. These results demonstrate that epithelial stem cells can be kept in vitro in a permissive tissue-engineered dermal environment without losing their potential to induce hair growth after grafting.

  9. Functional network analysis of genes differentially expressed during xylogenesis in soc1ful woody Arabidopsis plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davin, Nicolas; Edger, Patrick P; Hefer, Charles A; Mizrachi, Eshchar; Schuetz, Mathias; Smets, Erik; Myburg, Alexander A; Douglas, Carl J; Schranz, Michael E; Lens, Frederic

    2016-06-01

    Many plant genes are known to be involved in the development of cambium and wood, but how the expression and functional interaction of these genes determine the unique biology of wood remains largely unknown. We used the soc1ful loss of function mutant - the woodiest genotype known in the otherwise herbaceous model plant Arabidopsis - to investigate the expression and interactions of genes involved in secondary growth (wood formation). Detailed anatomical observations of the stem in combination with mRNA sequencing were used to assess transcriptome remodeling during xylogenesis in wild-type and woody soc1ful plants. To interpret the transcriptome changes, we constructed functional gene association networks of differentially expressed genes using the STRING database. This analysis revealed functionally enriched gene association hubs that are differentially expressed in herbaceous and woody tissues. In particular, we observed the differential expression of genes related to mechanical stress and jasmonate biosynthesis/signaling during wood formation in soc1ful plants that may be an effect of greater tension within woody tissues. Our results suggest that habit shifts from herbaceous to woody life forms observed in many angiosperm lineages could have evolved convergently by genetic changes that modulate the gene expression and interaction network, and thereby redeploy the conserved wood developmental program. © 2016 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Human Immunodeficiency Viruses Appear Compartmentalized to the Female Genital Tract in Cross-Sectional Analyses but Genital Lineages Do Not Persist Over Time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bull, Marta E.; Heath, Laura M.; McKernan-Mullin, Jennifer L.; Kraft, Kelli M.; Acevedo, Luis; Hitti, Jane E.; Cohn, Susan E.; Tapia, Kenneth A.; Holte, Sarah E.; Dragavon, Joan A.; Coombs, Robert W.; Mullins, James I.; Frenkel, Lisa M.

    2013-01-01

    Background. Whether unique human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV) genotypes occur in the genital tract is important for vaccine development and management of drug resistant viruses. Multiple cross-sectional studies suggest HIV is compartmentalized within the female genital tract. We hypothesize that bursts of HIV replication and/or proliferation of infected cells captured in cross-sectional analyses drive compartmentalization but over time genital-specific viral lineages do not form; rather viruses mix between genital tract and blood. Methods. Eight women with ongoing HIV replication were studied during a period of 1.5 to 4.5 years. Multiple viral sequences were derived by single-genome amplification of the HIV C2-V5 region of env from genital secretions and blood plasma. Maximum likelihood phylogenies were evaluated for compartmentalization using 4 statistical tests. Results. In cross-sectional analyses compartmentalization of genital from blood viruses was detected in three of eight women by all tests; this was associated with tissue specific clades containing multiple monotypic sequences. In longitudinal analysis, the tissues-specific clades did not persist to form viral lineages. Rather, across women, HIV lineages were comprised of both genital tract and blood sequences. Conclusions. The observation of genital-specific HIV clades only in cross-sectional analysis and an absence of genital-specific lineages in longitudinal analyses suggest a dynamic interchange of HIV variants between the female genital tract and blood. PMID:23315326

  11. Biphasic role of chondroitin sulfate in cardiac differentiation of embryonic stem cells through inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert D Prinz

    Full Text Available The glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate is a critical component of proteoglycans on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. As such, chondroitin sulfate side chains and the sulfation balance of chondroitin play important roles in the control of signaling pathways, and have a functional importance in human disease. In contrast, very little is known about the roles of chondroitin sulfate molecules and sulfation patterns during mammalian development and cell lineage specification. Here, we report a novel biphasic role of chondroitin sulfate in the specification of the cardiac cell lineage during embryonic stem cell differentiation through modulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Lineage marker analysis demonstrates that enzymatic elimination of endogenous chondroitin sulfates leads to defects specifically in cardiac differentiation. This is accompanied by a reduction in the number of beating cardiac foci. Mechanistically, we show that endogenous chondroitin sulfate controls cardiac differentiation in a temporal biphasic manner through inhibition of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, a known regulatory pathway for the cardiac lineage. Treatment with a specific exogenous chondroitin sulfate, CS-E, could mimic these biphasic effects on cardiac differentiation and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. These results establish chondroitin sulfate and its sulfation balance as important regulators of cardiac cell lineage decisions through control of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Our work suggests that targeting the chondroitin biosynthesis and sulfation machinery is a novel promising avenue in regenerative strategies after heart injury.

  12. Biphasic role of chondroitin sulfate in cardiac differentiation of embryonic stem cells through inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prinz, Robert D; Willis, Catherine M; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Klüppel, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate is a critical component of proteoglycans on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. As such, chondroitin sulfate side chains and the sulfation balance of chondroitin play important roles in the control of signaling pathways, and have a functional importance in human disease. In contrast, very little is known about the roles of chondroitin sulfate molecules and sulfation patterns during mammalian development and cell lineage specification. Here, we report a novel biphasic role of chondroitin sulfate in the specification of the cardiac cell lineage during embryonic stem cell differentiation through modulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Lineage marker analysis demonstrates that enzymatic elimination of endogenous chondroitin sulfates leads to defects specifically in cardiac differentiation. This is accompanied by a reduction in the number of beating cardiac foci. Mechanistically, we show that endogenous chondroitin sulfate controls cardiac differentiation in a temporal biphasic manner through inhibition of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, a known regulatory pathway for the cardiac lineage. Treatment with a specific exogenous chondroitin sulfate, CS-E, could mimic these biphasic effects on cardiac differentiation and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. These results establish chondroitin sulfate and its sulfation balance as important regulators of cardiac cell lineage decisions through control of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Our work suggests that targeting the chondroitin biosynthesis and sulfation machinery is a novel promising avenue in regenerative strategies after heart injury.

  13. Unveiling current Guanaco distribution in chile based upon niche structure of phylogeographic lineages: Andean puna to subpolar forests.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benito A González

    Full Text Available Niche description and differentiation at broad geographic scales have been recent major topics in ecology and evolution. Describing the environmental niche structure of sister taxa with known evolutionary trajectories stands out as a useful exercise in understanding niche requirements. Here we model the environmental niche structure and distribution of the recently resolved phylogeography of guanaco (Lama guanicoe lineages on the western slope of the southern Andes. Using a maximum entropy framework, field data, and information on climate, topography, human density, and vegetation cover, we identify differences between the two subspecies (L.g.cacsilensis, L.g.guanicoe and their intermediate-hybrid lineage, that most likely determine the distribution of this species. While aridity seems to be a major factor influencing the distribution at the species-level (annual precipitation <900 mm, we also document important differences in niche specificity for each subspecies, where distribution of Northern lineage is explained mainly by elevation (mean = 3,413 m and precipitation seasonality (mean = 161 mm, hybrid lineage by annual precipitation (mean = 139 mm, and Southern subspecies by annual precipitation (mean = 553 mm, precipitation seasonality (mean = 21 mm and grass cover (mean = 8.2%. Among lineages, we detected low levels of niche overlap: I (Similarity Index = 0.06 and D (Schoener's Similarity Index = 0.01; and higher levels when comparing Northern and Southern subspecies with hybrids lineage ( I = 0.32-0.10 and D = 0.12-0.03, respectively. This suggests that important ecological and/or evolutionary processes are shaping the niche of guanacos in Chile, producing discrepancies when comparing range distribution at the species-level (81,756 km(2 with lineages-level (65,321 km(2. The subspecies-specific description of niche structure is provided here based upon detailed spatial distribution of the lineages of guanacos in Chile. Such description

  14. Secreted Clusterin protein inhibits osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by suppressing ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdallah, Basem M; Alzahrani, Abdullah M; Kassem, Moustapha

    2018-05-01

    Secreted Clusterin (sCLU, also known as Apolipoprotein J) is an anti-apoptotic glycoprotein involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, lipid transport, extracellular tissue remodeling and apoptosis. sCLU is expressed and secreted by mouse bone marrow-derived skeletal (stromal or mesenchymal) stem cells (mBMSCs), but its functional role in MSC biology is not known. In this study, we demonstrated that Clusterin mRNA expression and protein secretion in conditioned medium increased during adipocyte differentiation and decreased during osteoblast differentiation of mBMSCs. Treatment of mBMSC cultures with recombinant sCLU protein increased cell proliferation and exerted an inhibitory effect on the osteoblast differentiation while stimulated adipocyte differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. siRNA-mediated silencing of Clu expression in mBMSCs reduced adipocyte differentiation and stimulated osteoblast differentiation of mBMSCs. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of sCLU on the osteoblast differentiation of mBMSCs was mediated by the suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation. In conclusion, we identified sCLU as a regulator of mBMSCs lineage commitment to osteoblasts versus adipocytes through a mechanism mediated by ERK1/2 signaling. Inhibiting sCLU is a possible therapeutic approach for enhancing osteoblast differentiation and consequently bone formation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Towards consistent generation of pancreatic lineage progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostovskaya, Maria; Bredenkamp, Nicholas; Smith, Austin

    2015-10-19

    Human pluripotent stem cells can in principle be used as a source of any differentiated cell type for disease modelling, drug screening, toxicology testing or cell replacement therapy. Type I diabetes is considered a major target for stem cell applications due to the shortage of primary human beta cells. Several protocols have been reported for generating pancreatic progenitors by in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. Here we first assessed one of these protocols on a panel of pluripotent stem cell lines for capacity to engender glucose sensitive insulin-producing cells after engraftment in immunocompromised mice. We observed variable outcomes with only one cell line showing a low level of glucose response. We, therefore, undertook a systematic comparison of different methods for inducing definitive endoderm and subsequently pancreatic differentiation. Of several protocols tested, we identified a combined approach that robustly generated pancreatic progenitors in vitro from both embryo-derived and induced pluripotent stem cells. These findings suggest that, although there are intrinsic differences in lineage specification propensity between pluripotent stem cell lines, optimal differentiation procedures may consistently direct a substantial fraction of cells into pancreatic specification. © 2015 The Authors.

  16. [Identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing lineage in Ecuador].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez, Patricia; Calvopiña, Karina; Herrera, Diana; Rojas, Carlos; Pérez-Lago, Laura; Grijalva, Marcelo; Guna, Remedios; García-de Viedma, Darío

    2017-06-01

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing lineage isolates are considered to be especially virulent, transmissible and prone to acquire resistances. Beijing strains have been reported worldwide, but studies in Latin America are still scarce. The only multinational study performed in the region indicated a heterogeneous distribution for this lineage, which was absent in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, although further studies found the lineage in Chile and Colombia. To search for the presence of the Beijing lineage in Ecuador, the only country in the region where it remains unreported. We obtained a convenience sample (2006-2012) from two hospitals covering different populations. The isolates were genotyped using 24-MIRU-VNTR. Lineages were assigned by comparing their patterns to those in the MIRU-VNTRplus platform. Isolates belonging to the Beijing lineage were confirmed by allele-specific PCR. We identified the first Beijing isolate in Ecuador in an unexpected epidemiological scenario: A patient was infected in the Andean region, in a population with low mobility and far from the borders of the neighboring countries where Beijing strains had been previously reported. This is the first report of the presence of the Beijing lineage in Ecuador in an unusual epidemiological context that deserves special attention.

  17. Tissue engineering: technological advances to improve its applications in reconstructive surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberti, C

    2012-01-01

    Tremendous advances in biomaterials science and nanotechnologies, together with thorough research on stem cells, have recently promoted an intriguing development of regenerative medicine/tissue engineering. The nanotechnology represents a wide interdisciplinary field that implies the manipulation of different materials at nanometer level to achieve the creation of constructs that mimic the nanoscale-based architecture of native tissues. The purpose of this article is to highlight the significant new knowledges regarding this matter. To widen the range of scaffold materials resort has been carried out to either recombinant DNA technology-generated materials, such as a collagen-like protein, or the incorporation of bioactive molecules, such as RDG (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid), into synthetic products. Both the bottom-up and the top-down fabrication approaches may be properly used to respectively obtain sopramolecular architectures or, instead, micro-/nanostructures to incorporate them within a preexisting complex scaffold construct. Computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) scaffold technique allows to achieve patient-tailored organs. Stem cells, because of their peculiar properties - ability to proliferate, self-renew and specific cell-lineage differentiate under appropriate conditions - represent an attractive source for intriguing tissue engineering/regenerative medicine applications. New developments in the realization of different organs tissue engineering will depend on further progress of both the science of nanoscale-based materials and the knowledge of stem cell biology. Moreover the in vivo tissue engineering appears to be the logical step of the current research.

  18. Circulation of influenza B lineages in northern Viet Nam, 2007-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Thi Thanh; Pham, Thu Hang; Pham, Thi Hien; Nguyen, Le Khanh Hang; Nguyen, Co Thach; Hoang, Vu Mai Phuong; Tran, Thu Huong; Nguyen, Vu Son; Ngo, Huong Giang; Le, Quynh Mai

    2015-01-01

    Influenza B viruses circulate throughout Viet Nam, and their activities vary by region. There have been two antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses co-circulating in the past 20 years; however, only one lineage is selected as a component of contemporary trivalent seasonal influenza vaccines. To improve the understanding of circulating influenza B lineages and influenza vaccine mismatches, we report the virus lineages circulating in northern Viet Nam over an eight-year period (2007-2014). Lineages of 331 influenza B viruses were characterized by haemagglutination inhibition assay against standard reference ferret (Yamagata) and sheep (Victoria) antisera. Sequence analysis of the haemagglutinin gene was performed in 64 selected influenza B isolates. The proportion of influenza B lineages changed by year. The Yamagata lineage predominated in 2007, 2008 and 2012; the Victoria lineage predominated in 2009-2014 except 2012. The two lineages showed continuous evolution over time. The Northern Hemisphere's influenza vaccine components were mismatched with the predominant circulating viruses in 2007, 2009 and 2014. The seasonality of influenza B activity is more variable in tropical and subtropical regions than in temperate zones. Our data showed a common co-circulation of both influenza B lineages in northern Viet Nam, and it was difficult to predict which one was the predominant lineage. Quadrivalent influenza vaccines containing both lineages may improve the effectiveness of influenza vaccine programmes in the future.

  19. Identification of differentially expressed genes induced by energy restriction using annealing control primer system from the liver and adipose tissues of broilers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, J W; Chen, W; Kang, X T; Huang, Y Q; Tian, Y D; Wang, Y B

    2012-04-01

    Female Arbor Acre broilers were divided into 2 groups at 18 d of age. One group of chickens had free access to feed (AL), and the other group of chickens had 30% energy restriction (ER). Adipose and hepatic RNA samples were collected at 48 d of age. We employed an accurate reverse-transcription (RT) PCR method that involves annealing control primers to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEG) between ER and AL groups. Using 20 annealing control primers, 43 differentially expressed bands (40 downregulated and 3 upregulated in the ER group) were detected from the hepatic tissue, whereas no differentially expressed bands were detected from the adipose tissue. It seems that energy restriction could induce more DEG in hepatic tissue than that in adipose tissue and could result in more gene-expression downregulation in hepatic tissue. Eight DEG (6 known and 2 unknown genes) were gained from hepatic tissue and confirmed by RT-PCR, which were all supported by released expressed sequence tag sequences. Their expressions were all downregulated by energy restriction in hepatic tissues. Six known genes are RPL7, RPLP1, FBXL12, ND1, ANTXR2, and SLC22A18, respectively, which seem to play essential roles in the protein translation, energy metabolism, and tumor inhibition. The alterations of gene expression in 3 selected genes, including ND1 (P < 0.01), FBXL12 (P < 0.01), and RPLP1 (P < 0.05), were supported by real-time quantitative RT-PCR reaction. Our data provide new insights on the metabolic state of broilers changed by energy restriction.

  20. Rho-associated kinase inhibitors promote the cardiac differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Ya-Ting; Yeih, Dong-Feng; Liang, Shu-Man; Chien, Chia-Ying; Yu, Yen-Ling; Ko, Bor-Sheng; Jan, Yee-Jee; Kuo, Cheng-Chin; Sung, Li-Ying; Shyue, Song-Kun; Chen, Ming-Fong; Yet, Shaw-Fang; Wu, Kenneth K; Liou, Jun-Yang

    2015-12-15

    Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) plays an important role in maintaining embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency. To determine whether ROCK is involved in ES cell differentiation into cardiac and hematopoietic lineages, we evaluated the effect of ROCK inhibitors, Y-27632 and fasudil on murine ES and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell differentiation. Gene expression levels were determined by real-time PCR, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent confocal microscopy. Cell transplantation of induced differentiated cells were assessed in vivo in a mouse model (three groups, n=8/group) of acute myocardial infarction (MI). The cell engraftment was examined by immunohistochemical staining and the outcome was analyzed by echocardiography. Cells were cultured in hematopoietic differentiation medium in the presence or absence of ROCK inhibitor and colony formation as well as markers of ES, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and cells of cardiac lineages were analyzed. ROCK inhibition resulted in a drastic change in colony morphology accompanied by loss of hematopoietic markers (GATA-1, CD41 and β-Major) and expressed markers of cardiac lineages (GATA-4, Isl-1, Tbx-5, Tbx-20, MLC-2a, MLC-2v, α-MHC, cTnI and cTnT) in murine ES and iPS cells. Fasudil-induced cardiac progenitor (Mesp-1 expressing) cells were infused into a murine MI model. They engrafted into the peri-infarct and infarct regions and preserved left ventricular function. These findings provide new insights into the signaling required for ES cell differentiation into hematopoietic as well as cardiac lineages and suggest that ROCK inhibitors are useful in directing iPS cell differentiation into cardiac progenitor cells for cell therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. In vitro cultured progenitors and precursors of cardiac cell lineages from human normal and post-ischemic hearts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F Di Meglio

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The demonstration of the presence of dividing primitive cells in damaged hearts has sparked increased interest about myocardium regenerative processes. We examined the rate and the differentiation of in vitro cultured resident cardiac primitive cells obtained from pathological and normal human hearts in order to evaluate the activation of progenitors and precursors of cardiac cell lineages in post-ischemic human hearts. The precursors and progenitors of cardiomyocyte, smooth muscle and endothelial lineage were identified by immunocytochemistry and the expression of characteristic markers was studied by western blot and RT-PCR. The amount of proteins characteristic for cardiac cells (a-SA and MHC, VEGFR-2 and FVIII, SMA for the precursors of cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells, respectively inclines toward an increase in both a-SA and MHC. The increased levels of FVIII and VEGFR2 are statistically significant, suggesting an important re-activation of neoangiogenesis. At the same time, the augmented expression of mRNA for Nkx 2.5, the trascriptional factor for cardiomyocyte differentiation, confirms the persistence of differentiative processes in terminally injured hearts. Our study would appear to confirm the activation of human heart regeneration potential in pathological conditions and the ability of its primitive cells to maintain their proliferative capability in vitro. The cardiac cell isolation method we used could be useful in the future for studying modifications to the microenvironment that positively influence cardiac primitive cell differentiation or inhibit, or retard, the pathological remodeling and functional degradation of the heart.

  2. At the crossroads of fate - somatic cell lineage specification in the fetal gonad

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rotgers, Emmi; Jørgensen, Anne; Yao, Humphrey Hung-Chang

    2018-01-01

    The reproductive endocrine systems are vastly different between male and female. This sexual dimorphism of endocrine milieu originates from sex-specific differentiation of the somatic cells in the gonads during fetal life. The majority of gonadal somatic cells arise from the adrenogonadal...... of the reproductive tracts. Impairment of lineage specification and function of gonadal somatic cells can lead to disorders of sexual development (DSDs) in humans. Human DSDs and processes for gonadal development have been successfully modelled using genetically modified mouse models. In this review, we focus...

  3. Segmentation methodology for automated classification and differentiation of soft tissues in multiband images of high-resolution ultrasonic transmission tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Jeong-Won; Shin, Dae C; Do, Synho; Marmarelis, Vasilis Z

    2006-08-01

    This paper presents a novel segmentation methodology for automated classification and differentiation of soft tissues using multiband data obtained with the newly developed system of high-resolution ultrasonic transmission tomography (HUTT) for imaging biological organs. This methodology extends and combines two existing approaches: the L-level set active contour (AC) segmentation approach and the agglomerative hierarchical kappa-means approach for unsupervised clustering (UC). To prevent the trapping of the current iterative minimization AC algorithm in a local minimum, we introduce a multiresolution approach that applies the level set functions at successively increasing resolutions of the image data. The resulting AC clusters are subsequently rearranged by the UC algorithm that seeks the optimal set of clusters yielding the minimum within-cluster distances in the feature space. The presented results from Monte Carlo simulations and experimental animal-tissue data demonstrate that the proposed methodology outperforms other existing methods without depending on heuristic parameters and provides a reliable means for soft tissue differentiation in HUTT images.

  4. Phylogeography of the tropical planktonic foraminifera lineage globigerinella reveals isolation inconsistent with passive dispersal by ocean currents.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnes K M Weiner

    Full Text Available Morphologically defined species of marine plankton often harbor a considerable level of cryptic diversity. Since many morphospecies show cosmopolitan distribution, an understanding of biogeographic and evolutionary processes at the level of genetic diversity requires global sampling. We use a database of 387 single-specimen sequences of the SSU rDNA of the planktonic foraminifera Globigerinella as a model to assess the biogeographic and phylogenetic distributions of cryptic diversity in marine microplankton on a global scale. Our data confirm the existence of multiple, well isolated genetic lineages. An analysis of their abundance and distribution indicates that our sampling is likely to approximate the actual total diversity. Unexpectedly, we observe an uneven allocation of cryptic diversity among the phylogenetic lineages. We show that this pattern is neither an artifact of sampling intensity nor a function of lineage age. Instead, we argue that it reflects an ongoing speciation process in one of the three major lineages. Surprisingly, four of the six genetic types in the hyperdiverse lineage are biogeographically restricted to the Indopacific. Their mutual co-occurrence and their hierarchical phylogenetic structure provide no evidence for an origin through sudden habitat fragmentation and their limitation to the Indopacific challenges the view of a global gene flow within the warm-water provinces. This phenomenon shows that passive dispersal is not sufficient to describe the distribution of plankton diversity. Rather, these organisms show differentiated distribution patterns shaped by species interactions and reflecting phylogenetic contingency with unique histories of diversification rates.

  5. Rictor/mTORC2 Loss in the Myf5 Lineage Reprograms Brown Fat Metabolism and Protects Mice against Obesity and Metabolic Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chien-Min Hung

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The in vivo functions of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2 and the signaling mechanisms that control brown adipose tissue (BAT fuel utilization and activity are not well understood. Here, by conditionally deleting Rictor in the Myf5 lineage, we provide in vivo evidence that mTORC2 is dispensable for skeletal muscle development and regeneration but essential for BAT growth. Furthermore, deleting Rictor in Myf5 precursors shifts BAT metabolism to a more oxidative and less lipogenic state and protects mice from obesity and metabolic disease at thermoneutrality. We additionally find that Rictor is required for brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro and that the mechanism specifically requires AKT1 hydrophobic motif phosphorylation but is independent of pan-AKT signaling and is rescued with BMP7. Our findings provide insights into the signaling circuitry that regulates brown adipocytes and could have important implications for developing therapies aimed at increasing energy expenditure as a means to combat human obesity.

  6. Human pancreatic islet-derived extracellular vesicles modulate insulin expression in 3D-differentiating iPSC clusters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Ribeiro

    Full Text Available It has been suggested that extracellular vesicles (EVs can mediate crosstalk between hormones and metabolites within pancreatic tissue. However, the possible effect of pancreatic EVs on stem cell differentiation into pancreatic lineages remains unknown. Herein, human islet-derived EVs (h-Islet-EVs were isolated, characterized and subsequently added to human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC clusters during pancreatic differentiation. The h-islet-EVs had a mean size of 117±7 nm and showed positive expression of CD63 and CD81 EV markers as measured by ELISA. The presence of key pancreatic transcription factor mRNA, such as NGN3, MAFA and PDX1, and pancreatic hormone proteins such as C-peptide and glucagon, were confirmed in h-Islet-EVs. iPSC clusters were differentiated in suspension and at the end stages of the differentiation protocol, the mRNA expression of the main pancreatic transcription factors and pancreatic hormones was increased. H-Islet-EVs were supplemented to the iPSC clusters in the later stages of differentiation. It was observed that h-Islet-EVs were able to up-regulate the intracellular levels of C-peptide in iPSC clusters in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of h-Islet-EVs on the differentiation of iPSC clusters cultured in 3D-collagen hydrogels was also assessed. Although increased mRNA expression for pancreatic markers was observed when culturing the iPSC clusters in 3D-collagen hydrogels, delivery of EVs did not affect the insulin or C-peptide intracellular content. Our results provide new information on the role of h-Islet-EVs in the regulation of insulin expression in differentiating iPSC clusters, and are highly relevant for pancreatic tissue engineering applications.

  7. Enhanced elastin synthesis and maturation in human vascular smooth muscle tissue derived from induced-pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eoh, Joon H; Shen, Nian; Burke, Jacqueline A; Hinderer, Svenja; Xia, Zhiyong; Schenke-Layland, Katja; Gerecht, Sharon

    2017-04-01

    become of interest due to their ability to supplement tissue engineered scaffolds. Their ability to differentiate into cells of vascular lineages with defined phenotypes serves as a potential solution to a major cause of graft failure in which phenotypic shifts in smooth muscle cells lead to over proliferation and occlusion of the graft. Herein, we have differentiated human induced-pluripotent stem cells in a pulsatile flow bioreactor, resulting in vascular smooth muscle tissue with robust elastic fibers and enhanced functionality. This study highlights an effective approach to engineering elastic functional vascular smooth muscle tissue for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Regenerant arabidopsis lineages display a distinct genome-wide spectrum of mutations conferring variant phenotypes

    KAUST Repository

    Jiang, Caifu

    2011-07-28

    Multicellular organisms can be regenerated from totipotent differentiated somatic cell or nuclear founders [1-3]. Organisms regenerated from clonally related isogenic founders might a priori have been expected to be phenotypically invariant. However, clonal regenerant animals display variant phenotypes caused by defective epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression [2], and clonal regenerant plants exhibit poorly understood heritable phenotypic ("somaclonal") variation [4-7]. Here we show that somaclonal variation in regenerant Arabidopsis lineages is associated with genome-wide elevation in DNA sequence mutation rate. We also show that regenerant mutations comprise a distinctive molecular spectrum of base substitutions, insertions, and deletions that probably results from decreased DNA repair fidelity. Finally, we show that while regenerant base substitutions are a likely major genetic cause of the somaclonal variation of regenerant Arabidopsis lineages, transposon movement is unlikely to contribute substantially to that variation. We conclude that the phenotypic variation of regenerant plants, unlike that of regenerant animals, is substantially due to DNA sequence mutation. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Regenerant arabidopsis lineages display a distinct genome-wide spectrum of mutations conferring variant phenotypes

    KAUST Repository

    Jiang, Caifu; Mithani, Aziz; Gan, Xiangchao; Belfield, Eric J.; Klingler, John  P.; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Ragoussis, Jiannis; Mott, Richard; Harberd, Nicholas  P.

    2011-01-01

    Multicellular organisms can be regenerated from totipotent differentiated somatic cell or nuclear founders [1-3]. Organisms regenerated from clonally related isogenic founders might a priori have been expected to be phenotypically invariant. However, clonal regenerant animals display variant phenotypes caused by defective epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression [2], and clonal regenerant plants exhibit poorly understood heritable phenotypic ("somaclonal") variation [4-7]. Here we show that somaclonal variation in regenerant Arabidopsis lineages is associated with genome-wide elevation in DNA sequence mutation rate. We also show that regenerant mutations comprise a distinctive molecular spectrum of base substitutions, insertions, and deletions that probably results from decreased DNA repair fidelity. Finally, we show that while regenerant base substitutions are a likely major genetic cause of the somaclonal variation of regenerant Arabidopsis lineages, transposon movement is unlikely to contribute substantially to that variation. We conclude that the phenotypic variation of regenerant plants, unlike that of regenerant animals, is substantially due to DNA sequence mutation. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Differential patterns of serum concentration and adipose tissue expression of chemerin in obesity: adipose depot specificity and gender dimorphism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfadda, Assim A; Sallam, Reem M; Chishti, Muhammad Azhar; Moustafa, Amr S; Fatma, Sumbul; Alomaim, Waleed S; Al-Naami, Mohammed Y; Bassas, Abdulelah F; Chrousos, George P; Jo, Hyunsun

    2012-06-01

    Chemerin, a recognized chemoattractant, is expressed in adipose tissue and plays a role in adipocytes differentiation and metabolism. Gender- and adipose tissue-specific differences in human chemerin expression have not been well characterized. Therefore, these differences were assessed in the present study. The body mass index (BMI) and the circulating levels of chemerin and other inflammatory, adiposity and insulin resistance markers were assessed in female and male adults of varying degree of obesity. Chemerin mRNA expression was also measured in paired subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue samples obtained from a subset of the study subjects. Serum chemerin concentrations correlated positively with BMI and serum leptin levels and negatively with high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels. No correlation was found between serum chemerin concentrations and fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, C-reactive protein or adiponectin. Similarly, no relation was observed with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values. Gender- and adipose tissue-specific differences were observed in chemerin mRNA expression levels, with expression significantly higher in women than men and in subcutaneous than visceral adipose tissue. Interestingly, we found a significant negative correlation between circulating chemerin levels and chemerin mRNA expression in subcutaneous fat. Among the subjects studied, circulating chemerin levels were associated with obesity markers but not with markers of insulin resistance. At the tissue level, fat depot-specific differential regulation of chemerin mRNA expression might contribute to the distinctive roles of subcutaneous vs. visceral adipose tissue in human obesity.

  11. Identification of Differentially Expressed IGFBP5-Related Genes in Breast Cancer Tumor Tissues Using cDNA Microarray Experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akkiprik, Mustafa; Peker, İrem; Özmen, Tolga; Amuran, Gökçe Güllü; Güllüoğlu, Bahadır M; Kaya, Handan; Özer, Ayşe

    2015-11-10

    IGFBP5 is an important regulatory protein in breast cancer progression. We tried to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between breast tumor tissues with IGFBP5 overexpression and their adjacent normal tissues. In this study, thirty-eight breast cancer and adjacent normal breast tissue samples were used to determine IGFBP5 expression by qPCR. cDNA microarrays were applied to the highest IGFBP5 overexpressed tumor samples compared to their adjacent normal breast tissue. Microarray analysis revealed that a total of 186 genes were differentially expressed in breast cancer compared with normal breast tissues. Of the 186 genes, 169 genes were downregulated and 17 genes were upregulated in the tumor samples. KEGG pathway analyses showed that protein digestion and absorption, focal adhesion, salivary secretion, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and phenylalanine metabolism pathways are involved. Among these DEGs, the prominent top two genes (MMP11 and COL1A1) which potentially correlated with IGFBP5 were selected for validation using real time RT-qPCR. Only COL1A1 expression showed a consistent upregulation with IGFBP5 expression and COL1A1 and MMP11 were significantly positively correlated. We concluded that the discovery of coordinately expressed genes related with IGFBP5 might contribute to understanding of the molecular mechanism of the function of IGFBP5 in breast cancer. Further functional studies on DEGs and association with IGFBP5 may identify novel biomarkers for clinical applications in breast cancer.

  12. Regulation of the number of cell division rounds by tissue-specific transcription factors and Cdk inhibitor during ascidian embryogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mami Kuwajima

    Full Text Available Mechanisms that regulate the number of cell division rounds during embryogenesis have remained largely elusive. To investigate this issue, we used the ascidian, which develops into a tadpole larva with a small number of cells. The embryonic cells divide 11.45 times on average from fertilization to hatching. The number of cell division rounds varies depending on embryonic lineages. Notochord and muscle consist of large postmitotic cells and stop dividing early in developing embryos. Here we show that conversion of mesenchyme to muscle cell fates by inhibition of inductive FGF signaling or mis-expression of a muscle-specific key transcription factor for muscle differentiation, Tbx6, changed the number of cell divisions in accordance with the altered fate. Tbx6 likely activates a putative mechanism to halt cell division at a specific stage. However, precocious expression of Tbx6 has no effect on progression of the developmental clock itself. Zygotic expression of a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CKI-b, is initiated in muscle and then in notochord precursors. CKI-b is possibly downstream of tissue-specific key transcription factors of notochord and muscle. In the two distinct muscle lineages, postmitotic muscle cells are generated after 9 and 8 rounds of cell division depending on lineage, but the final cell divisions occur at a similar developmental stage. CKI-b gene expression starts simultaneously in both muscle lineages at the 110-cell stage, suggesting that CKI-b protein accumulation halts cell division at a similar stage. The difference in the number of cell divisions would be due to the cumulative difference in cell cycle length. These results suggest that muscle cells do not count the number of cell division rounds, and that accumulation of CKI-b protein triggered by tissue-specific key transcription factors after cell fate determination might act as a kind of timer that measures elapsed time before cell division termination.

  13. Yap1 is dispensable for self-renewal but required for proper differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, HaeWon; Lee, Bum-Kyu; Uprety, Nadima; Shen, Wenwen; Lee, Jiwoon; Kim, Jonghwan

    2016-04-01

    Yap1 is a transcriptional co-activator of the Hippo pathway. The importance of Yap1 in early cell fate decision during embryogenesis has been well established, though its role in embryonic stem (ES) cells remains elusive. Here, we report that Yap1 plays crucial roles in normal differentiation rather than self-renewal of ES cells. Yap1-depleted ES cells maintain undifferentiated state with a typical colony morphology as well as robust alkaline phosphatase activity. These cells also retain comparable levels of the core pluripotent factors, such as Pou5f1 and Sox2, to the levels in wild-type ES cells without significant alteration of lineage-specific marker genes. Conversely, overexpression of Yap1 in ES cells promotes nuclear translocation of Yap1, resulting in disruption of self-renewal and triggering differentiation by up-regulating lineage-specific genes. Moreover, Yap1-deficient ES cells show impaired induction of lineage markers during differentiation. Collectively, our data demonstrate that Yap1 is a required factor for proper differentiation of mouse ES cells, while remaining dispensable for self-renewal. © 2016 The Authors.

  14. Increased Inhibitor of Differentiation 4 (Id4 Expression in Glioblastoma: A Tissue Microarray Study

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    Weifin Zeng, Elisabeth J. Rushing, Daniel P. Hartmann, Norio Azumi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding protein family (Id1-4 is involved in cell cycle control, tumorigenesis and angiogenesis through the negative regulation of helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Of these proteins, Id4 is known to play an important role in neural stem cell differentiation, and deregulation has been implicated in glial neoplasia. However, the expression and significance of Id4 in astrocytomas has not been fully addressed. Herein we report the differential expression of Id4 in astrocytomas of various grades using tissue microarrays (TMA and immunohistochemistry (IHC. Design: The GBM TMA was constructed from 53 archival cases at Georgetown University Hospital and a TMA with normal brain controls and grades II-III astrocytoma was obtained from Cybrdi (Rockville, MD. TMA sections were stained with Id4 antibody and the slides were scored according to the percentage of staining astrocytic nuclei (<9% -, 10-50% +, >51% ++. The Fisher Exact test was used to test for statistical significance. Results: Nuclear staining for Id4 was seen in 73.58% GBMs, 25% grade III, and 12.5% grade II astrocytomas; staining was absent in normal brain tissue. There was a statistically significant difference between GBM and grades II, III astrocytoma (p <0.01. Significant Id4 expression was not detected in normal brain. Conclusions: Our study confirms the frequent upregulation of Id4 expression in GBM, which lends support to its role in tumorigenesis, possibly in the transformation of low to high-grade astrocytoma (i.e. GBM. Further studies are warranted to determine the precise role of Id4 in glial neoplasia and its potential use in targeted therapy for GBM.

  15. Inverse Regulation of Early and Late Chondrogenic Differentiation by Oxygen Tension Provides Cues for Stem Cell-Based Cartilage Tissue Engineering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Portron

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Multipotent stem/stromal cells (MSC are considered promising for cartilage tissue engineering. However, chondrogenic differentiation of MSC can ultimately lead to the formation of hypertrophic chondrocytes responsible for the calcification of cartilage. To prevent the production of this calcified matrix at the articular site, the late hypertrophic differentiation of MSCs must be carefully controlled. Given that articular cartilage is avascular, we hypothesized that in addition to its stimulatory role in the early differentiation of chondrogenic cells, hypoxia may prevent their late hypertrophic conversion. Methods: Early and late chondrogenic differentiation were evaluated using human adipose MSC and murine ATDC5 cells cultured under either normoxic (21%O2 or hypoxic (5%O2 conditions. To investigate the effect of hypoxia on late chondrogenic differentiation, the transcriptional activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α and HIF-2α were evaluated using the NoShift DNA-binding assay and through modulation of their activity (chemical inhibitor, RNA interference. Results: Our data demonstrate that low oxygen tension not only stimulates the early chondrogenic commitment of two complementary models of chondrogenic cells, but also inhibits their hypertrophic differentiation. Conclusion: These results suggest that hypoxia can be used as an instrumental tool to prevent the formation of a calcified matrix in MSC-based cartilage tissue engineering.

  16. The role of H1 linker histone subtypes in preserving the fidelity of elaboration of mesendodermal and neuroectodermal lineages during embryonic development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giang D Nguyen

    Full Text Available H1 linker histone proteins are essential for the structural and functional integrity of chromatin and for the fidelity of additional epigenetic modifications. Deletion of H1c, H1d and H1e in mice leads to embryonic lethality by mid-gestation with a broad spectrum of developmental alterations. To elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying H1 linker histone developmental functions, we analyzed embryonic stem cells (ESCs depleted of H1c, H1d and H1e subtypes (H1-KO ESCs by utilizing established ESC differentiation paradigms. Our study revealed that although H1-KO ESCs continued to express core pluripotency genes and the embryonic stem cell markers, alkaline phosphatase and SSEA1, they exhibited enhanced cell death during embryoid body formation and during specification of mesendoderm and neuroectoderm. In addition, we demonstrated deregulation in the developmental programs of cardiomyocyte, hepatic and pancreatic lineage elaboration. Moreover, ectopic neurogenesis and cardiomyogenesis occurred during endoderm-derived pancreatic but not hepatic differentiation. Furthermore, neural differentiation paradigms revealed selective impairments in the specification and maturation of glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurons with accelerated maturation of glial lineages. These impairments were associated with deregulation in the expression profiles of pro-neural genes in dorsal and ventral forebrain-derived neural stem cell species. Taken together, these experimental observations suggest that H1 linker histone proteins are critical for the specification, maturation and fidelity of organ-specific cellular lineages derived from the three cardinal germ layers.

  17. Assessment of three types of spaceflight hardware for tissue culture studies: Comparison of skeletal tissue growth and differentiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klement, B.J. [Space Medicine and Life Sciences Research Center Department of Anatomy Morehouse School of Medicine 720 Westview Dr. SW Atlanta, Georgia30310-1495 (United States); Spooner, B.S. [NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training Division of Biology Ackert Hall Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas66506 (United States)

    1997-01-01

    Three different types of spaceflight hardware, the BioProcessing Module (BPM), the Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA), and the Fluid Processing Apparatus (FPA), were assessed for their ability to support pre-metatarsal growth and differentiation in experiments conducted on five space shuttle flights. BPM-cultured pre-metatarsal tissue showed no difference in flight and ground control lengths. Flight and ground controls cultured in the MDA grew 135 {mu}m and 141 {mu}m, respectively, in an 11 day experiment. Only five control rods and three flight rods mineralized. In another MDA experiment, pre-metatarsals were cultured at 4{degree}C (277K) or 20{degree}C (293K) for the 16 day mission, then cultured an additional 16 days in laboratory dishes at 37{degree}C (310K). The 20{degree}C (293K) cultures died post-flight. The 4{degree}C (277K) flight pre-metatarsals grew 417 {mu}m more than the 4{degree}C (277K) ground controls post-flight. In 5 and 6 day experiments done in FPAs, flight rods grew longer than ground control rods. In a 14 day experiment, ground control and flight rods also expanded in length, but there was no difference between them. The pre-metatarsals cultured in the FPAs did not mineralize, or terminally differentiate. These experiments demonstrate, that while supporting pre-metatarsal growth in length, the three types of hardware are not suitable to support routine differentiation. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

  18. Cell lineage analysis demonstrates an endodermal origin of the distal urethra and perineum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifert, Ashley W; Harfe, Brian D; Cohn, Martin J

    2008-06-01

    Congenital malformations of anorectal and genitourinary (collectively, anogenital) organs occur at a high frequency in humans, however the lineage of cells that gives rise to anogenital organs remains poorly understood. The penile urethra has been reported to develop from two cell populations, with the proximal urethra developing from endoderm and the distal urethra forming from an apical ectodermal invagination, however this has never been tested by direct analysis of cell lineage. During gut development, endodermal cells express Sonic hedgehog (Shh), which is required for normal patterning of digestive and genitourinary organs. We have taken advantage of the properties of Shh expression to genetically label and follow the fate of posterior gut endoderm during anogenital development. We report that the entire urethra, including the distal (glandar) region, is derived from endoderm. Cloacal endoderm also gives rise to the epithelial linings of the bladder, rectum and anterior region of the anus. Surprisingly, the lineage map also revealed an endodermal origin of the perineum, which is the first demonstration that endoderm differentiates into skin. In addition, we fate mapped genital tubercle ectoderm and show that it makes no detectable contribution to the urethra. In males, formation of the urethral tube involves septation of the urethral plate by continued growth of the urorectal septum. Analysis of cell lineage following disruption of androgen signaling revealed that the urethral plate of flutamide-treated males does not undergo this septation event. Instead, urethral plate cells persist to the ventral margin of the tubercle, mimicking the pattern seen in females. Based on these spatial and temporal fate maps, we present a new model for anogenital development and suggest that disruptions at specific developmental time points can account for the association between anorectal and genitourinary defects.

  19. Patterns of genetic diversity in three plant lineages endemic to the Cape Verde Islands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romeiras, Maria M; Monteiro, Filipa; Duarte, M Cristina; Schaefer, Hanno; Carine, Mark

    2015-05-15

    Conservation of plant diversity on islands relies on a good knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution and genetic diversity of species. In recent decades, a combination of morphology- and DNA-based approaches has become the standard for investigating island plant lineages and this has led, in some cases, to the discovery of previously overlooked diversity, including 'cryptic species'. The flora of the Cape Verde archipelago in the North Atlantic is currently thought to comprise ∼740 vascular plant species, 92 of them endemics. Despite the fact that it is considered relatively well known, there has been a 12 % increase in the number of endemics in the last two decades. Relatively few of the Cape Verde plant lineages have been included in genetic studies so far and little is known about the patterns of diversification in the archipelago. Here we present an updated list for the endemic Cape Verde flora and analyse diversity patterns for three endemic plant lineages (Cynanchum, Globularia and Umbilicus) based on one nuclear (ITS) and four plastid DNA regions. In all three lineages, we find genetic variation. In Cynanchum, we find two distinct haplotypes with no clear geographical pattern, possibly reflecting different ploidy levels. In Globularia and Umbilicus, differentiation is evident between populations from northern and southern islands. Isolation and drift resulting from the small and fragmented distributions, coupled with the significant distances separating the northern and southern islands, could explain this pattern. Overall, our study suggests that the diversity in the endemic vascular flora of Cape Verde is higher than previously thought and further work is necessary to characterize the flora. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

  20. Nano-hydroxyapatite modulates osteoblast lineage commitment by stimulation of DNA methylation and regulation of gene expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Shin-Woo; Jang, Hae Lin; Nam, Ki Tae; Beck, George R.

    2015-01-01

    Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the primary structural component of the skeleton and dentition. Under biological conditions, HA does not occur spontaneously and therefore must be actively synthesized by mineralizing cells such as osteoblasts. The mechanism(s) by which HA is actively synthesized by cells and deposited to create a mineralized matrix are not fully understood and the consequences of mineralization on cell function are even less well understood. HA can be chemically synthesized (HAp) and is therefore currently being investigated as a promising therapeutic biomaterial for use as a functional scaffold and implant coating for skeletal repair and dental applications. Here we investigated the biological effects of nano-HAp (10×100 nm) on the lineage commitment and differentiation of bone forming osteoblasts. Exposure of early stage differentiating osteoblasts resulted in dramatic and sustained changes in gene expression, both increased and decreased, whereas later stage osteoblasts were much less responsive. Analysis of the promoter region one of the most responsive genes, alkaline phosphatase, identified the stimulation of DNA methylation following cell exposure to nano-HAp. Collectively, the results reveal the novel epigenetic regulation of cell function by nano-HAp which has significant implication on lineage determination as well as identifying a novel potential therapeutic use of nanomaterials. PMID:26141836

  1. Multilineage differentiation of porcine bone marrow stromal cells associated with specific gene expression pattern

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zou, Lijin; Zou, Xuenong; Chen, Li

    2007-01-01

    There are increasing reports regarding differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) from human and various species of animals including pigs. The phenotype and function of BMSC along a mesenchymal lineage differentiation are well characterized by specific transcription factors and marker g...

  2. Spatio-temporal re-organization of replication foci accompanies replication domain consolidation during human pluripotent stem cell lineage specification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Korey A.; Elefanty, Andrew G.; Stanley, Edouard G.; Gilbert, David M.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Lineage specification of both mouse and human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is accompanied by spatial consolidation of chromosome domains and temporal consolidation of their replication timing. Replication timing and chromatin organization are both established during G1 phase at the timing decision point (TDP). Here, we have developed live cell imaging tools to track spatio-temporal replication domain consolidation during differentiation. First, we demonstrate that the fluorescence ubiquitination cell cycle indicator (Fucci) system is incapable of demarcating G1/S or G2/M cell cycle transitions. Instead, we employ a combination of fluorescent PCNA to monitor S phase progression, cytokinesis to demarcate mitosis, and fluorescent nucleotides to label early and late replication foci and track their 3D organization into sub-nuclear chromatin compartments throughout all cell cycle transitions. We find that, as human PSCs differentiate, the length of S phase devoted to replication of spatially clustered replication foci increases, coincident with global compartmentalization of domains into temporally clustered blocks of chromatin. Importantly, re-localization and anchorage of domains was completed prior to the onset of S phase, even in the context of an abbreviated PSC G1 phase. This approach can also be employed to investigate cell fate transitions in single PSCs, which could be seen to differentiate preferentially from G1 phase. Together, our results establish real-time, live-cell imaging methods for tracking cell cycle transitions during human PSC differentiation that can be applied to study chromosome domain consolidation and other aspects of lineage specification. PMID:27433885

  3. Stem/Progenitor Cell Proteoglycans Decorated with 7-D-4, 4-C-3 and 3-B-3(-) Chondroitin Sulphate Motifs Are Morphogenetic Markers Of Tissue Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Anthony J; Smith, Susan M; Caterson, Bruce; Melrose, James

    2018-06-11

    This study reviewed the occurrence of chondroitin sulphate (CS) motifs 4-C-3, 7-D-4 and 3-B-3(-) which are expressed by progenitor cells in tissues undergoing morphogenesis. These motifs have a transient early expression pattern during tissue development and also appear in mature tissues during pathological remodeling and attempted repair processes by activated adult stem cells. The CS motifs are information and recognition modules, which may regulate cellular behavior and delineate stem cell niches in developmental tissues. One of the difficulties in determining the precise role of stem cells in tissue development and repair processes is their short engraftment period and the lack of specific markers, which differentiate the activated stem cell lineages from the resident cells. The CS sulphation motifs 7-D-4, 4-C-3 and 3-B-3 (-) decorate cell surface proteoglycans on activated stem/progenitor cells and appear to identify these cells in transitional areas of tissue development and in tissue repair and may be applicable to determining a more precise role for stem cells in tissue morphogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 AlphaMed Press.

  4. Mapping the Pairwise Choices Leading from Pluripotency to Human Bone, Heart, and Other Mesoderm Cell Types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loh, Kyle M; Chen, Angela; Koh, Pang Wei; Deng, Tianda Z; Sinha, Rahul; Tsai, Jonathan M; Barkal, Amira A; Shen, Kimberle Y; Jain, Rajan; Morganti, Rachel M; Shyh-Chang, Ng; Fernhoff, Nathaniel B; George, Benson M; Wernig, Gerlinde; Salomon, Rachel E A; Chen, Zhenghao; Vogel, Hannes; Epstein, Jonathan A; Kundaje, Anshul; Talbot, William S; Beachy, Philip A; Ang, Lay Teng; Weissman, Irving L

    2016-07-14

    Stem-cell differentiation to desired lineages requires navigating alternating developmental paths that often lead to unwanted cell types. Hence, comprehensive developmental roadmaps are crucial to channel stem-cell differentiation toward desired fates. To this end, here, we map bifurcating lineage choices leading from pluripotency to 12 human mesodermal lineages, including bone, muscle, and heart. We defined the extrinsic signals controlling each binary lineage decision, enabling us to logically block differentiation toward unwanted fates and rapidly steer pluripotent stem cells toward 80%-99% pure human mesodermal lineages at most branchpoints. This strategy enabled the generation of human bone and heart progenitors that could engraft in respective in vivo models. Mapping stepwise chromatin and single-cell gene expression changes in mesoderm development uncovered somite segmentation, a previously unobservable human embryonic event transiently marked by HOPX expression. Collectively, this roadmap enables navigation of mesodermal development to produce transplantable human tissue progenitors and uncover developmental processes. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Glial tumors with neuronal differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Chul-Kee; Phi, Ji Hoon; Park, Sung-Hye

    2015-01-01

    Immunohistochemical studies for neuronal differentiation in glial tumors revealed subsets of tumors having both characteristics of glial and neuronal lineages. Glial tumors with neuronal differentiation can be observed with diverse phenotypes and histologic grades. The rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle and papillary glioneuronal tumor have been newly classified as distinct disease entities. There are other candidates for classification, such as the glioneuronal tumor without pseudopapillary architecture, glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands, and the malignant glioneuronal tumor. The clinical significance of these previously unclassified tumors should be confirmed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Study of mesanchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord vein wall and determining the Process of differentiation to cartilage and bone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MohammadAli Zare

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs comprise a rare population of multipotent progenitors capable of supporting hematopoiesis and differentiating into three (osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic or more (myogenic, cardiomyogenic, etc. lineages. Due to this ability, MSCs appear to be an attractive tool in the context of tissue engineering and cell-based therapy. Currently, bone marrow represents the main source of MSCs for both experimental and clinical studies. The purpose of this study was isolation and quantitative comparison of mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical vein. Materials and Methods: In this study, 35 samples of umbilical cord of healthy full- term newborn were studied. Results: The cells had fibroblastoid like appearance and had revealed the potential to differentiate into three linage of bone, Adipose and cartilage. Surface markers for mesenchymal nature were their demonstratives. Conclusion: Based on our findings the mesenchymal stem cells, from umbilical vein wall can be isolated, cultured and differentiated into three categories of bone, cartilage and adipose.

  7. Delayed Mesoderm and Erythroid Differentiation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells in the Absence of the Transcriptional Regulator FUBP1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josephine Wesely

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The transcriptional regulator far upstream binding protein 1 (FUBP1 is essential for fetal and adult hematopoietic stem cell (HSC self-renewal, and the constitutive absence of FUBP1 activity during early development leads to embryonic lethality in homozygous mutant mice. To investigate the role of FUBP1 in murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs and in particular during differentiation into hematopoietic lineages, we generated Fubp1 knockout (KO ESC clones using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Although FUBP1 is expressed in undifferentiated ESCs and during spontaneous differentiation following aggregation into embryoid bodies (EBs, absence of FUBP1 did not affect ESC maintenance. Interestingly, we observed a delayed differentiation of FUBP1-deficient ESCs into the mesoderm germ layer, as indicated by impaired expression of several mesoderm markers including Brachyury at an early time point of ESC differentiation upon aggregation to EBs. Coculture experiments with OP9 cells in the presence of erythropoietin revealed a diminished differentiation capacity of Fubp1 KO ESCs into the erythroid lineage. Our data showed that FUBP1 is important for the onset of mesoderm differentiation and maturation of hematopoietic progenitor cells into the erythroid lineage, a finding that is supported by the phenotype of FUBP1-deficient mice.

  8. Diversity rankings among bacterial lineages in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youssef, Noha H; Elshahed, Mostafa S

    2009-03-01

    We used rarefaction curve analysis and diversity ordering-based approaches to rank the 11 most frequently encountered bacterial lineages in soil according to diversity in 5 previously reported 16S rRNA gene clone libraries derived from agricultural, undisturbed tall grass prairie and forest soils (n=26,140, 28 328, 31 818, 13 001 and 53 533). The Planctomycetes, Firmicutes and the delta-Proteobacteria were consistently ranked among the most diverse lineages in all data sets, whereas the Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes and beta-Proteobacteria were consistently ranked among the least diverse. On the other hand, the rankings of alpha-Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi varied widely in different soil clone libraries. In general, lineages exhibiting largest differences in diversity rankings also exhibited the largest difference in relative abundance in the data sets examined. Within these lineages, a positive correlation between relative abundance and diversity was observed within the Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi, and a negative diversity-abundance correlation was observed within the Bacteroidetes. The ecological and evolutionary implications of these results are discussed.

  9. Determining Regulatory Networks Governing the Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells to Pancreatic Lineage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Ipsita

    2009-03-01

    Knowledge of pathways governing cellular differentiation to specific phenotype will enable generation of desired cell fates by careful alteration of the governing network by adequate manipulation of the cellular environment. With this aim, we have developed a novel method to reconstruct the underlying regulatory architecture of a differentiating cell population from discrete temporal gene expression data. We utilize an inherent feature of biological networks, that of sparsity, in formulating the network reconstruction problem as a bi-level mixed-integer programming problem. The formulation optimizes the network topology at the upper level and the network connectivity strength at the lower level. The method is first validated by in-silico data, before applying it to the complex system of embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. This formulation enables efficient identification of the underlying network topology which could accurately predict steps necessary for directing differentiation to subsequent stages. Concurrent experimental verification demonstrated excellent agreement with model prediction.

  10. Genome-wide RNAi Screen Identifies Networks Involved in Intestinal Stem Cell Regulation in Drosophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiankun Zeng

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The intestinal epithelium is the most rapidly self-renewing tissue in adult animals and maintained by intestinal stem cells (ISCs in both Drosophila and mammals. To comprehensively identify genes and pathways that regulate ISC fates, we performed a genome-wide transgenic RNAi screen in adult Drosophila intestine and identified 405 genes that regulate ISC maintenance and lineage-specific differentiation. By integrating these genes into publicly available interaction databases, we further developed functional networks that regulate ISC self-renewal, ISC proliferation, ISC maintenance of diploid status, ISC survival, ISC-to-enterocyte (EC lineage differentiation, and ISC-to-enteroendocrine (EE lineage differentiation. By comparing regulators among ISCs, female germline stem cells, and neural stem cells, we found that factors related to basic stem cell cellular processes are commonly required in all stem cells, and stem-cell-specific, niche-related signals are required only in the unique stem cell type. Our findings provide valuable insights into stem cell maintenance and lineage-specific differentiation.

  11. Lung Cancer Signature Biomarkers: tissue specific semantic similarity based clustering of Digital Differential Display (DDD data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srivastava Mousami

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The tissue-specific Unigene Sets derived from more than one million expressed sequence tags (ESTs in the NCBI, GenBank database offers a platform for identifying significantly and differentially expressed tissue-specific genes by in-silico methods. Digital differential display (DDD rapidly creates transcription profiles based on EST comparisons and numerically calculates, as a fraction of the pool of ESTs, the relative sequence abundance of known and novel genes. However, the process of identifying the most likely tissue for a specific disease in which to search for candidate genes from the pool of differentially expressed genes remains difficult. Therefore, we have used ‘Gene Ontology semantic similarity score’ to measure the GO similarity between gene products of lung tissue-specific candidate genes from control (normal and disease (cancer sets. This semantic similarity score matrix based on hierarchical clustering represents in the form of a dendrogram. The dendrogram cluster stability was assessed by multiple bootstrapping. Multiple bootstrapping also computes a p-value for each cluster and corrects the bias of the bootstrap probability. Results Subsequent hierarchical clustering by the multiple bootstrapping method (α = 0.95 identified seven clusters. The comparative, as well as subtractive, approach revealed a set of 38 biomarkers comprising four distinct lung cancer signature biomarker clusters (panel 1–4. Further gene enrichment analysis of the four panels revealed that each panel represents a set of lung cancer linked metastasis diagnostic biomarkers (panel 1, chemotherapy/drug resistance biomarkers (panel 2, hypoxia regulated biomarkers (panel 3 and lung extra cellular matrix biomarkers (panel 4. Conclusions Expression analysis reveals that hypoxia induced lung cancer related biomarkers (panel 3, HIF and its modulating proteins (TGM2, CSNK1A1, CTNNA1, NAMPT/Visfatin, TNFRSF1A, ETS1, SRC-1, FN1, APLP2, DMBT1

  12. Cell lineage analysis of the mammalian female germline.

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    Yitzhak Reizel

    Full Text Available Fundamental aspects of embryonic and post-natal development, including maintenance of the mammalian female germline, are largely unknown. Here we employ a retrospective, phylogenetic-based method for reconstructing cell lineage trees utilizing somatic mutations accumulated in microsatellites, to study female germline dynamics in mice. Reconstructed cell lineage trees can be used to estimate lineage relationships between different cell types, as well as cell depth (number of cell divisions since the zygote. We show that, in the reconstructed mouse cell lineage trees, oocytes form clusters that are separate from hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, both in young and old mice, indicating that these populations belong to distinct lineages. Furthermore, while cumulus cells sampled from different ovarian follicles are distinctly clustered on the reconstructed trees, oocytes from the left and right ovaries are not, suggesting a mixing of their progenitor pools. We also observed an increase in oocyte depth with mouse age, which can be explained either by depth-guided selection of oocytes for ovulation or by post-natal renewal. Overall, our study sheds light on substantial novel aspects of female germline preservation and development.

  13. The effect of simulated microgravity on human mesenchymal stem cells cultured in an osteogenic differentiation system: a bioinformatics study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheyn, Dima; Pelled, Gadi; Netanely, Dvir; Domany, Eytan; Gazit, Dan

    2010-11-01

    One proposed strategy for bone regeneration involves ex vivo tissue engineering, accomplished using bone-forming cells, biodegradable scaffolds, and dynamic culture systems, with the goal of three-dimensional tissue formation. Rotating wall vessel bioreactors generate simulated microgravity conditions ex vivo, which lead to cell aggregation. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been extensively investigated and shown to possess the potential to differentiate into several cell lineages. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of simulated microgravity on all genes expressed in hMSCs, with the underlying hypothesis that many important pathways are affected during culture within a rotating wall vessel system. Gene expression was analyzed using a whole genome microarray and clustering with the aid of the National Institutes of Health's Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database and gene ontology analysis. Our analysis showed 882 genes that were downregulated and 505 genes that were upregulated after exposure to simulated microgravity. Gene ontology clustering revealed a wide variety of affected genes with respect to cell compartment, biological process, and signaling pathway clusters. The data sets showed significant decreases in osteogenic and chondrogenic gene expression and an increase in adipogenic gene expression, indicating that ex vivo adipose tissue engineering may benefit from simulated microgravity. This finding was supported by an adipogenic differentiation assay. These data are essential for further understanding of ex vivo tissue engineering using hMSCs.

  14. Niche-independent symmetrical self-renewal of a mammalian tissue stem cell.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciano Conti

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES cells multiply in simple monoculture by symmetrical divisions. In vivo, however, stem cells are generally thought to depend on specialised cellular microenvironments and to undergo predominantly asymmetric divisions. Ex vivo expansion of pure populations of tissue stem cells has proven elusive. Neural progenitor cells are propagated in combination with differentiating progeny in floating clusters called neurospheres. The proportion of stem cells in neurospheres is low, however, and they cannot be directly observed or interrogated. Here we demonstrate that the complex neurosphere environment is dispensable for stem cell maintenance, and that the combination of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2 and epidermal growth factor (EGF is sufficient for derivation and continuous expansion by symmetrical division of pure cultures of neural stem (NS cells. NS cells were derived first from mouse ES cells. Neural lineage induction was followed by growth factor addition in basal culture media. In the presence of only EGF and FGF-2, resulting NS cells proliferate continuously, are diploid, and clonogenic. After prolonged expansion, they remain able to differentiate efficiently into neurons and astrocytes in vitro and upon transplantation into the adult brain. Colonies generated from single NS cells all produce neurons upon growth factor withdrawal. NS cells uniformly express morphological, cell biological, and molecular features of radial glia, developmental precursors of neurons and glia. Consistent with this profile, adherent NS cell lines can readily be established from foetal mouse brain. Similar NS cells can be generated from human ES cells and human foetal brain. The extrinsic factors EGF plus FGF-2 are sufficient to sustain pure symmetrical self-renewing divisions of NS cells. The resultant cultures constitute the first known example of tissue-specific stem cells that can be propagated without accompanying

  15. [Differences on geographic distribution of rabies virus lineages in China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Q; Li, M L; Chen, Y; Wang, B; Tao, X Y; Zhu, W Y

    2018-04-10

    Objective: To study the lineages of rabies virus and the epidemic characteristics in different provincial populations of China, to provide information for the development of control and prevention measures in each respective provinces. Methods: Full length N and G genes and full-genome of epidemic strains of rabies virus collected in China were downloaded from GenBank and combined with newly sequenced strains by our lab. Each strain was classified under six lineages of China rabies by constructing phylogenetic trees based on the N or G sequences. Numbers of strains and lineages in each province were counted and compared. Results: Six lineages (China Ⅰ-Ⅵ) were prevalent in China, with 4 found in Yunnan and Hunan. In 6 provinces, including Henan and Fujian, 3 lineages were found. In 8 provinces, including Shanghai and Jiangxi, 2 lineages were found Only 1 lineage, were found in Beijing, Tianjin and other 12 provinces. the China Ⅰ, was the dominant one in 25 provinces. In recent years, China Ⅲ had been found in wild animals and spread over livestock in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang areas. Qinghai and Tibet had been influenced by China Ⅳ, which also been found in wild animals of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. Conclusion: There had been obvious differences in lineages and strain numbers of rabies virus identified in different provinces in China.

  16. DNA Damage: A Sensible Mediator of the Differentiation Decision in Hematopoietic Stem Cells and in Leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cary N. Weiss

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In the adult, the source of functionally diverse, mature blood cells are hematopoietic stem cells, a rare population of quiescent cells that reside in the bone marrow niche. Like stem cells in other tissues, hematopoietic stem cells are defined by their ability to self-renew, in order to maintain the stem cell population for the lifetime of the organism, and to differentiate, in order to give rise to the multiple lineages of the hematopoietic system. In recent years, increasing evidence has suggested a role for the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in the decision for hematopoietic stem cells to exit quiescence and to differentiate. In this review, we will examine recent work supporting the idea that detection of cell stressors, such as oxidative and genetic damage, is an important mediator of cell fate decisions in hematopoietic stem cells. We will explore the benefits of such a system in avoiding the development and progression of malignancies, and in avoiding tissue exhaustion and failure. Additionally, we will discuss new work that examines the accumulation of DNA damage and replication stress in aging hematopoietic stem cells and causes us to rethink ideas of genoprotection in the bone marrow niche.

  17. Unveiling current Guanaco distribution in chile based upon niche structure of phylogeographic lineages: Andean puna to subpolar forests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Benito A; Samaniego, Horacio; Marín, Juan Carlos; Estades, Cristián F

    2013-01-01

    Niche description and differentiation at broad geographic scales have been recent major topics in ecology and evolution. Describing the environmental niche structure of sister taxa with known evolutionary trajectories stands out as a useful exercise in understanding niche requirements. Here we model the environmental niche structure and distribution of the recently resolved phylogeography of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) lineages on the western slope of the southern Andes. Using a maximum entropy framework, field data, and information on climate, topography, human density, and vegetation cover, we identify differences between the two subspecies (L.g.cacsilensis, L.g.guanicoe) and their intermediate-hybrid lineage, that most likely determine the distribution of this species. While aridity seems to be a major factor influencing the distribution at the species-level (annual precipitation ecological and/or evolutionary processes are shaping the niche of guanacos in Chile, producing discrepancies when comparing range distribution at the species-level (81,756 km(2)) with lineages-level (65,321 km(2)). The subspecies-specific description of niche structure is provided here based upon detailed spatial distribution of the lineages of guanacos in Chile. Such description provides a scientific tool to further develop large scale plans for habitat conservation and preservation of intraspecific genetic variability for this far ranging South American camelid, which inhabits a diversity of ecoregion types from Andean puna to subpolar forests.

  18. Combination of elastography and tissue quantification using the acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for differential diagnosis of breast masses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tozaki, Mitsuhiro; Isobe, Sachiko; Sakamoto, Masaaki

    2012-10-01

    We evaluated the diagnostic performance of elastography and tissue quantification using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for differential diagnosis of breast masses. There were 161 mass lesions. First, lesion correspondence on ARFI elastographic images to those on the B-mode images was evaluated: no findings on ARFI images (pattern 1), lesions that were bright inside (pattern 2), lesions that were dark inside (pattern 4), lesions that contained both bright and dark areas (pattern 3). In addition, pattern 4 was subdivided into 4a (dark area same as B-mode lesion) and 4b (dark area larger than lesion). Next, shear wave velocity (SWV) was measured using virtual touch tissue quantification. There were 13 pattern 1 lesions and five pattern 2 lesions; all of these lesions were benign, whereas all pattern 4b lesions (n = 43) were malignant. When the value of 3.59 m/s was chosen as the cutoff value, the combination of elastography and tissue quantification showed 91 % (83-91) sensitivity, 93 % (65-70) specificity, and 92 % (148-161) accuracy. The combination of elastography and tissue quantification is thought to be a promising ultrasound technique for differential diagnosis of breast-mass lesions.

  19. Primitive Endoderm Differentiation: From Specification to Epithelialization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassalert, Cécilia; Valverde-Estrella, Lorena; Chazaud, Claire

    2018-01-01

    At the time of implantation, the mouse blastocyst has developed three cell lineages: the epiblast (Epi), the primitive endoderm (PrE), and the trophectoderm (TE). The PrE and TE are extraembryonic tissues but their interactions with the Epi are critical to sustain embryonic growth, as well as to pattern the embryo. We review here the cellular and molecular events that lead to the production of PrE and Epi lineages and discuss the different hypotheses that are proposed for the induction of these cell types. In the second part, we report the current knowledge about the epithelialization of the PrE. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Three brown trout Salmo trutta lineages in Corsica described through allozyme variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berrebi, P

    2015-01-01

    The brown trout Salmo trutta is represented by three lineages in Corsica: (1) an ancestral Corsican lineage, (2) a Mediterranean lineage and (3) a recently stocked domestic Atlantic S. trutta lineage (all are interfertile); the main focus of this study was the ancestral Corsican S. trutta, but the other lineages were also considered. A total of 38 samples captured between 1993 and 1998 were analysed, with nearly 1000 individuals considered overall. The Corsican ancestral lineage (Adriatic lineage according to the mitochondrial DNA control region nomenclature, AD) mostly inhabits streams in the southern half of the island; the Mediterranean lineage (ME) is present more in the north, especially in Golu River, but most populations are an admixture of these lineages and the domestic Atlantic S. trutta (AT). Locations where the Corsican ancestral S. trutta is dominant are now protected against stocking and sometimes fishing is also forbidden. The presence of the Corsican S. trutta is unique in France. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.