Effect of 5-azacytidine on the protein expression of porcine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells that show a vital potential in the clinical application for cell transplantation. In the present paper, proteomic techniques were used to approach the protein profiles associated with porcine bone marrow MSCs and investigate the regulation of MSC proteins on the effect of 5-azacytidine (5-aza). Over 1,700 protein species were separated from MSCs according to gel analysis. Compared with the expression profiling of control MSCs, there were 11 protein spots up-regulated and 26 down- regulated in the protein pattern of 5-aza-treated cells. A total of 21 proteins were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, among which some interesting proteins, such as alpha B-crystallin, annexin A2, and stathmin 1, had been reported to involve in cell proliferation and differentiation through different signaling path- ways. Our data should be useful for the future study of MSC differentiation and apoptosis.