谱系示踪技术揭示Tbx18+肾脏祖细胞分化为脂肪细胞

转录因子Tbx18在泌尿系发育中发挥重要作用。利用遗传谱系示踪模型,揭示了Tbx18+肾祖细胞具有向多种肾系细胞分化的潜能。但尚无文献报道其是否具有向脂肪细胞分化的潜能。本研究通过对Tbx18Cre/Rosa26LacZ双杂合小鼠泌尿系组织进行整体X-gal染色发现,肾包膜、输尿管及肾周脂肪组织能特异性表达β-gal蛋白,说明肾包膜、输尿管及肾周脂肪组织可能来源于Tbx18+祖细胞。对Tbx18Cre/Rosa26EYFP双杂合小鼠泌尿系组织进行免疫荧光染色,发现部分脂滴相关蛋白+（perilipin）脂肪细胞能表达标记蛋白EYFP,说明部分泌尿系脂肪细胞来源于Tbx18+祖细胞。本研究揭示了Tbx18+祖细胞具有分化为脂肪细胞的潜能,进一步证实了Tbx18+肾祖细胞的多分化潜能。结合本研究结果,若进一步研究肾损伤时,来源于Tbx18+祖细胞的泌尿系脂肪细胞是否进一步增多,将会为肾损伤的再生修复提供一些思路和启发。

Genetic Fate-mapping Reveals the Differentiation Potential of Tbx18+ Renal Progenitor Cells into Adipocytes

The T-box transcription factor 18 (Tbx18) plays an essential role in normal development of the urinary system. It has been identified that Tbx18-positive cells contribute to multiple components of the mature urogenital system. However, it remains unclear whether Tbx18-positive progenitors play a specific role in the development of urologic fat tissues. Here we applied the Tbx18 lineage tracing model of Tbx18Cre/Rosa26EYFP and Tbx18Cre/Rosa26LacZ mice to identify the differentiation capacity of Tbx18-expressing progenitor cells in the urologic system. X-gal staining ofthe urinary tissue revealed that the X-gal protein is detected in the renal capsule, the ureter and perirenal fat tissue and that Tbx18-expressing precursors contribute to the renal capsule, ureter and perirenal adipocytes in Tbx18Cre/Rosa26LacZ fate-mapping mice. Immunostainingofthe kidney and perirenal tissue revealedsome yellowfluorescentprotein-positive(YFP+)cells express Perilipin, the marker for adipocytes and that Tbx18-positive progenitors contribute to perirenal adipocytes in Tbx18Cre/Rosa26EYFP fate-mapping mice. Thus, our analyses identified the multi-differentiation capacity of Tbx18-expressing progenitors in the urinary system. Further researches are needed to study the capacity of Tbx18-expressing progenitors to differentiate into adipocytes and other components of the urogenital system in models of kidney injury.