Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Liu, Lei
• Nielsen, Frederik Mølgaard
• Emmersen, Jeppe
• Bath, Chris
• Østergaard Hjortdal, Jesper
• Riis, Simone
• Fink, Trine
• Pennisi, Cristian Pablo
• Zachar, Vladimir

Titel

Pigmentation Is Associated with Stemness Hierarchy of Progenitor Cells Within Cultured Limbal Epithelial Cells

Ist Teil von

• Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio), 2018-09, Vol.36 (9), p.1411-1420

Ort / Verlag

United States: Oxford University Press

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Ex vivo cultured human limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (hLESCs) are the main source for regenerative therapy of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), which is worldwide one of the major causes of corneal blindness. Despite many stemness‐associated markers have been identified within the limbal niche, the phenotype of the earliest hLESCs has not been hitherto identified. We sought to confirm or refute the use of tumor protein p63 (p63) and ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5) as surrogate markers for hLESCs early within the limbal differentiation hierarchy. Based on a robust fluorescence‐activated cell sorting and subsequent RNA isolation protocol, a comprehensive transcriptomic profile was obtained from four subpopulations of cultured hLESCs. The subpopulations were defined by co‐expression of two putative stem/progenitor markers, the p63 and ABCB5, and the corneal differentiation marker cytokeratin 3. A comparative transcriptomic analysis yielded novel data that indicated association between pigmentation and differentiation, with the p63 positive populations being the most pigmented and immature of the progenitors. In contrast, ABCB5, either alone or in co‐expression patterns, identified more committed progenitor cells with less pigmentation. In conclusion, p63 is superior to ABCB5 as a marker for stemness. Stem Cells 2018;36:1411–1420 Association between pigmentation and stemness. Developmental hierarchy within the cultured limbal epithelial cells (LESCs) based on correlation of pigmentation and cell differentiation observed among human LESCs phenotypic subpopulations. Orange arrows indicate more differentiated cells; blue arrows indicate more pigmented cells. The p63+ represents the most immature progenitor, and the ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 5 marker either alone or in co‐expression pattern identifies progressively more committed precursors.