骨髓间充质干细胞分化为心肌细胞过程中Notch表达的研究

目的研究骨髓间充质干细胞分化为心肌细胞过程中Notch表达的研究。方法用密度梯度离心法分离培养犬骨髓间充质干细胞,按照酶法及差速贴壁法分离培养心肌细胞。观察干细胞增殖及传代情况。单独培养的干细胞为对照组,实验组将骨髓间充质干细胞与心肌细胞共培养,用RT-PCR、免疫细胞化学、MTT等方法检测干细胞分化为心肌细胞的情况,及干细胞在增殖与分化为心肌细胞过程中Notch信号系统的表达情况。结果骨髓间充质干细胞呈梭形、旋涡样生长,增殖及传代能力强,并可诱导分化为心肌样细胞,免疫荧光示心肌细胞标志物的表达。RT-PCR及免疫细胞化学显示实验组有Notch信号通路受体及配体的表达,而对照组表达微弱。结论骨髓间充质干细胞在增殖及分化过程中存在Notch信号通路,在干细胞分化为心肌细胞过程中Notch信号系统的表达上调。     

Role of mesenchymal stem cells in cell life and their signaling简

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have various roles in the body and cellular environment, and the cellular phenotypes of MSCs changes in different conditions. MSCs support the maintenance of other cells, and the capacity of MSCs to differentiate into several cell types makes the cells unique and full of possibilities. The involvement of MSCs in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition is an important property of these cells. In this review, the role of MSCs in cell life, including their application in therapy, is first described, and the signaling mechanism of MSCs is investigated for a further understanding of these cells.     

Role of mesenchymal stem cells in cell life and their signaling

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) have various roles in the body and cellular environment, and the cellular phenotypes of MSCs changes in different conditions. MSCs support the maintenance of other cells, and the capacity of MSCs to differentiate into several cell types makes the cells unique and full of possibilities. The involvement of MSCs in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition is an important property of these cells. In this review, the role of MSCs in cell life, including their application in therapy, is first described, and the signaling mechanism of MSCs is investigated for a further understanding of these cells.     

Regulation of active and quiescent somatic stem cells by Notch signaling

Somatic stem/progenitor cells actively proliferate and give rise to different types of mature cells (active state) in embryonic tissues while they are mostly dormant (quiescent state) in many adult tissues. Notch signaling is known to regulate both active and quiescent states of somatic stem cells, but how it regulates these different states is unknown. Recent studies revealed that the Notch effector Hes1 is expressed differently during the active and quiescent states during neurogenesis and myogenesis: high in the quiescent state and oscillatory in the active state. When the Hes1 expression level is high, both Ascl1 and MyoD expression are continuously suppressed. By contrast, when Hes1 expression oscillates, it periodically represses expression of the neurogenic factor Ascl1 and the myogenic factor MyoD, thereby driving Ascl1 and MyoD oscillations. High levels of Hes1 and the resultant Ascl1 suppression promote the quiescent state of neural stem cells, while Hes1 oscillation-dependent Ascl1 oscillations regulate their active state. Similarly, in satellite cells of muscles, known adult muscle stem cells, high levels of Hes1 and the resultant MyoD suppression seem to promote their quiescent state, while Hes1 oscillation-dependent MyoD oscillations activate their proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, the expression dynamics of Hes1 is a key regulatory mechanism of generating and maintaining active/quiescent stem cell states.     

Comparison of stem cell behaviors between indigenous high and low-CD24 percentage expressing cells of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs)

CD24 was suggested as a marker to SCAPs and has been reported for a decade. CD24 has been shown to involve stem cell activities such as self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation. However, the percentage variations of CD24 positive cells were reported among the studies. It is possible that this variation may affect these SCAPs behaviors. In this study, the variation was confirmed. To elucidate the influence of CD24 positive cells quantity on SCAPs stem cell behaviors, the 3 cell lines with the most maximum and the least numbers of CD24 positive cells (High-CD24 and Low-CD24 group) were selected to study. Both groups expressed the same mesenchymal stem cell markers and negative to hematopoietic marker. High-CD24 group demonstrated less self-renewal capacity by lower colony-forming-unit count and pluripotency marker gene expressions. However, cell proliferation was not different. In contrast, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were better than Low-CD24 group. The early stage of root development demonstrated higher CD24 expressing cells than later stage. In conclusion, quantity of CD24 expressing cells influenced SCAPs self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation but did not influence on cell proliferation. Stage of root development influenced to CD24 expressing cell numbers.     

The imprinted gene Delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (Dlk1) is conserved in mammals,and serves a growth modulatory role during tissue development and regeneration through Notch dependent and independent mechanisms

Delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (Dlk1) is an imprinted gene, mainly known for its involvement in adipogenesis, although it has been associated with many other stem cells/progenitors and is known to be widely expressed during organism development and tissue regeneration. In a systematic manner, we have outlined the overall expression pattern of Dlk1 in both man and mouse, and found Dlk1 to be expressed in tissues from all three germ layers. Yet, Dlk1 expression decreases along with increased differentiation as gestation proceeds and in most tissues Dlk1 is absent around birth. Thus, in adults, expression of Dlk1 is restricted to a few tissues and progenitor cells, but is re-expressed during disease and regeneration. Although diffferences exist, we found an overall conservation of Dlk1 expression between mouse and man, and conclude in that sense that the mouse is an appropiate model to study Dlk1. In agreement with the observed Dlk1 expression pattern, we found that the majority of published Dlk1 studies, report Dlk1 to have an inhibitory effect on both cell proliferation and differentiation, but the levels of the different DLK1 isoforms may be critical and have an impact on the overall outcome. This may also be an issue during tissue regeneration where several studies have reported Dlk1′s impact during skeletal muscle and liver regeneration without establishing the exact role. Likewise, the underlying mechanism of Dlk1 action is unknown, and seems to depend on both Notch dependent and independent pathways. However, from our data it is intriguing to speculate that the actual role of DLK1 may be to function as a checkpoint to slow down proliferation while forcing cells into the process of differentiation, and thus switch the cell/organ to a state of growth and hypertrophy. This may fit well with its reported impact on growth restiction and body size. Thus, our study which for the first time summarizes reported knowledge on Dlk1 in tissue development and regeneration as well as on the Dlk1 mechanism may provide novel insight to the general role of this remarkable imprinted gene in controlling cell growth, from which new hypotheses can be made in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.     

Mesenchymal stem cells regulate the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells through Notch signaling

The effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on proliferation and cell fate determination of neural stem cells (NSCs) have been investigated. NSCs were co-cultured with MSCs or NIH3T3 cells using an in vitro transwell system. After 4 days, immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of cells positive for the cell proliferation antigen, ki-67, in neurospheres in MSCs was greater than in NIH3T3 cells. In some experiments, the top-layers of MSCs and NIH3T3 cells were removed to induce NSCs differentiation. Seven days after initiating differentiation, the levels of the neuronal marker, NSE, were higher in NSCs in MSCs co-culture group, and those of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were lower, compared with NIH3T3 cells co-culture group. These were confirmed by immunofluorescence. The role of the Notch signaling pathway analyzed with the specific inhibitor, DAPT, and by examining the expression of Notch-related genes using RT-PCR showed that after co-culturing with MSCs for 24 h, NSCs expressed much higher levels of ki-67, Notch1, and Hes1 than did NSCs co-cultured with NIH3T3 cells. Treatment with DAPT decreased ki-67, Notch1 and Hes1 expression in NCSs, and increased Mash1 expression. The data indicate that the interactions between MSCs and NSCs promote NSCs proliferation and are involved in specifying neuronal fate, mediated in part by Notch signaling.     

TWEAK/Fn14信号调控干细胞增殖与分化的作用与机制

肿瘤坏死因子样弱凋亡诱导蛋白(TWEAK)是肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)超家族成员,通过作用于唯一受体成纤维细胞生长因子14(Fn14)调控细胞的增殖、分化和迁移等多种生命活动。近来研究表明,TWEAK/Fn14信号可以作用于多种干细胞,如肝干细胞、神经干细胞和间充质干细胞等,通过影响其增殖与分化的能力,干预组织的修复与再生。对该领域的研究进行综述,将有助于揭示TWEAK/Fn14信号调控干细胞增殖与分化的作用与机制,并为干细胞在疾病发生机制等基础研究、细胞治疗和组织工程等临床医学研究提供新的方向。     

Notch signaling regulates the differentiation of bone marrow-derived cells into smooth muscle-like cells during arterial lesion formation

Bone marrow- (BM-) derived cells can differentiate into smooth muscle-like cells (SMLC), resulting in vascular pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism of the differentiation remains unknown. We have recently reported that Notch signaling promotes while a Notch target HERP1 inhibit the differentiation of mesenchymal cells to SMC. During the differentiation of BM-derived mononuclear cells into smooth muscle α-actin (SMA)-positive cells, expression of Jagged1 and SMC-specific Notch3 was increased. Blocking Notch with γ-secretase inhibitor prevented the induction of SMA. Wire-mediated vascular injury was produced in femoral arteries in mice transplanted with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive cells. Many double-positive cells for GFP/Jagged1 or GFP/Notch3 were detected in the thickened neointima. In contrast, only a few SMA-positive cells were positive for GFP in neointima where HERP1, a suppressor for Notch, were abundantly expressed. In conclusion, Notch-HERP1 pathway plays an important role in differentiation of BM-derived mononuclear cells into SMLC.     

Lewis X-carrying N-glycans regulate the proliferation of mouse embryonic neural stem cells via the Notch signaling pathway

Neural stem cells (NSCs) possess high proliferative potential and the capacity for self-renewal with retention of multipotency to differentiate into brain-forming cells. Several signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in the fate determination process of NSCs, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of neural cell stemness remain largely unknown. Our previous study showed that human natural killer carbohydrate epitopes expressed specifically by mouse NSCs modulate the Ras-MAPK pathway, raising the possibility of regulatory roles of glycoprotein glycans in the specific signaling pathways involved in NSC fate determination. To address this issue, we performed comparative N-glycosylation profiling of NSCs before and after differentiation in a comprehensive and quantitative manner. We found that Lewis X-carrying N-glycans were specifically displayed on undifferentiated cells, whereas pauci-mannose-type N-glycans were predominantly expressed on differentiated cells. Furthermore, by knocking down a fucosyltransferase 9 with short interfering RNA, we demonstrated that the Lewis X-carrying N-glycans were actively involved in the proliferation of NSCs via modulation of the expression level of Musashi-1, which is an activator of the Notch signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that Lewis X carbohydrates, which have so far been characterized as undifferentiation markers, actually operate as activators of the Notch signaling pathway for the maintenance of NSC stemness during brain development.     

Targeting stem cell signaling pathways for drug discovery: advances in the Notch and Wnt pathways

Signaling pathways transduce extracellular stimuli into cells through molecular cascades to regulate cellular functions.In stem cells,a small number of pathways,notably those of TGF-?/BMP,Hedgehog,Notch,and Wnt,are responsible for the regulation of pluripotency and differentiation.During embryonic development,these pathways govern cell fate specifications as well as the formation of tissues and organs.In adulthood,their normal functions are important for tissue homeostasis and regeneration,whereas aberrations result in diseases,such as cancer and degenerative disorders.In complex biological systems,stem cell signaling pathways work in concert as a network and exhibit crosstalk,such as the negative crosstalk between Wnt and Notch.Over the past decade,genetic and genomic studies have identified a number of potential drug targets that are involved in stem cell signaling pathways.Indeed,discovery of new targets and drugs for these pathways has become one of the most active areas in both the research community and pharmaceutical industry.Remarkable progress has been made and several promising drug candidates have entered into clinical trials.This review focuses on recent advances in the discovery of novel drugs which target the Notch and Wnt pathways.     

Notch信号通路调控猕猴胚胎干细胞的胆管样细胞分化(英文)

猕猴胚胎干细胞(rhesus monkey embryonic stem(rES))与人胚胎干细胞有相似的生物学特性,因此是理想的临床前研究的替代模型。Notch信号通路在胆管及胆管上皮细胞的形成中有重要的作用,然而,有关Notch信号通路在ES细胞的胆向分化中的作用了解甚少。该实验以rES为模型,对Notch信号通路对ES细胞的胆向分化过程中的作用进行了较为系统的研究。rES在细胞因子ActivinA诱导作用下产生约80%的限定性内胚层细胞。以Matrigel作为细胞外基质,在含BMP4和FGF1的无血清培养体系中继续诱导5～7d,rES细胞来源的限定性内胚层细胞分化产生约胆管样细胞。分化的细胞表达胆管细胞的特异性蛋白((CK7、CK18、CK19、CK20和OV-6)及基因(GSTPi、IB4和HNF1β)。在胆管样细胞的分化过程中检测到了Notch1和Notch2基因及下游信号分子hes1和hes5的表达。用Notch抑制剂L-685458处理分化过程中的细胞可导致Notch1和Notch2基因及下游信号分子hes1和hes5的表达下降,同时CK19阳性的胆管样细胞分化比率也从90%下降至约20%。这一...     

精原干细胞niche的研究进展

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)是指睾丸内位于曲精细管基膜上既能自我更新维持自身适量恒定,又能定向分化产生精母细胞的一类原始精原细胞。随着干细胞深入的研究,人们发现了一种控制着干细胞可塑性与命运的微环境,此微环境被称为干细胞niche,干细胞niche由niche细胞、细胞外基质、细胞因子等构成。精原干细胞niche是由黏附因子、生长因子、支持细胞、间质细胞以及小管周肌肉细胞组成。大量的研究表明支持细胞在睾丸中是主要的成体细胞,通过分泌可溶性的因子来影响精原干细胞niche的结构与功能,同时支持细胞还能够间接的影响其他的成体细胞。随着年龄的增长使得精原干细胞niche的功能下降。精原干细胞数量以及精原干细胞niche为我们研究组织特异性干细胞生物学以及保持再生组织平衡提供了很宝贵的线索,精原干细胞对于保持组织的自我更新具有很重要的作用,并且受到人们大量的关注,然而精原干细胞niche也起到很重要的作用,它为治疗一些疾病提供新途径.本文将综述精原干细胞niche及其变化对精原干细胞功能调节的相关研究进展。     

Discrete Notch signaling requirements in the specification of hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) require multiple molecular inputs for proper specification, including activity of the Notch signaling pathway. A requirement for the Notch1 and dispensability of the Notch2 receptor has been demonstrated in mice, but the role of the remaining Notch receptors has not been investigated. Here, we demonstrate that three of the four Notch receptors are independently required for the specification of HSCs in the zebrafish. The orthologues of the murine Notch1 receptor, Notch1a and Notch1b, are each required intrinsically to fate HSCs, just prior to their emergence from aortic hemogenic endothelium. By contrast, the Notch3 receptor is required earlier within the developing somite to regulate HSC emergence in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Epistatic analyses demonstrate that Notch3 function lies downstream of Wnt16, which is required for HSC specification through its regulation of two Notch ligands, dlc and dld. Collectively, these findings demonstrate for the first time that multiple Notch signaling inputs are required to specify HSCs and that Notch3 performs a novel role within the somite to regulate the neighboring precursors of hemogenic endothelium.     

Self-renewal and differentiation capacity of young and aged stem cells

Because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate, adult stem cells are the in vivo source for replacing cells lost on a daily basis in high turnover tissues during the life of an organism. Adult stem cells however, do suffer the effects of aging resulting in decreased ability to self-renew and properly differentiate. Aging is a complex process and identification of the mechanisms underlying the aging of (stem) cell population(s) requires that relatively homogenous and well characterized populations can be isolated. Evaluation of the effect of aging on one such adult stem cell population, namely the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), which can be purified to near homogeneity, has demonstrate that they do suffer cell intrinsic age associated changes. The cells that support HSC, namely marrow stromal cells, or mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), may similarly be affected by aging, although the inability to purify these cells to homogeneity precludes definitive assessment. As HSC and MSC are being used in cell-based therapies clinically, improved insight in the effect of aging on these two stem cell populations will probably impact the selection of sources for these stem cells.     

Notch signaling in intestinal homeostasis across species: the cases of Drosophila, Zebrafish and the mouse

Notch signaling has been recently shown to have a fundamental role in stem cell maintenance and control of proper homeostasis in the intestine of different species. Here, we briefly review the current literature on Notch signals in the intestine of Drosophila, Zebrafish and the mouse, and try to highlight conserved and divergent Notch functions across species. Notch signals show a remarkably conserved role in skewing cell fate choices in intestinal lineages throughout evolution. Genetic analysis demonstrates that loss of Notch signaling invariably leads to increased numbers of secretory cells and loss of enterocytes, while gain of Notch function will completely block secretory cell differentiation. Finally, we discuss the potential contribution of Notch signaling to the initiation of colorectal cancer by controlling the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of intestinal neoplastic cells and speculate on the therapeutic consequences of affecting cancer stem cells.