Abstract
Purpose:
Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and corneal endothelial cells (CECs) originate from neural crest cell population during embryogenesis. For this reason, DPSCs possess potential to be differentiated into CECs by in vitro assays. In this study, we determine with a comparison analysis the main gene expression pattern difference between CECS and DPSCs in order to set a baseline for in vitro differentiation assays.
Methods:
Eleven samples of healthy human corneal endothelium and six of human DPSCs run with the same platform were obtained from GEO database. The p values between samples was calculated through a t-test and a list of 1086 significant expressed genes in CECs with a p value below 0.1 was obtained. Additionally, a list of 2814 significant expressed genes in DPSCs with a p value below 0.001. An over-representation analysis was made in order to know related pathways, gene ontology and transcription factors.
Results:
Among the 1086 significant genes expressed in CECs, 166 were related to extracellular topological domain (P value = 4.5x10-3), including main corneal endothelium genes like ATPase N+/K+, AQP1 and CAM4 genes associated to hydration cell pump, water transport and cell adhesion, respectively. 133 genes were related to secreted proteins (P value = 1.4x10-7), including bmp3, Col4 and Col8, genes involved in corneal development and extracellular matrix. 270 genes, like multiple protocadherins, were related to transmembrane genes (P value = 7.2x10-2). 278 genes were associated to glycoproteins (P value = 1.8x10-7), including TGF-β receptor III, an important protein in the arresting of CECs cell cycle. In DPSC there were found 433 genes related to nucleotide binding (2.0x10-11), along with 120 genes correspondent to DNA metabolic process (3.5x10-8) and 135 to cell cycle process (2.79x10-9), indicating a highly active cell division and DNA synthesis.
Conclusions:
This analysis provides a wide range of molecular markers differentially expressed in DPSCs and CECs useful in monitoring differentiation assays. Data regarding the pathways, protein interaction, and gene ontology related terms obtained by the over representation analysis provides valuable tools for the outlining of differentiation culture media.