Abstract
Purpose :
We have previously shown that ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily member B5 (ABCB5) identifies adult limbal stem cells with the ability to restore and maintain the corneal epithelium upon transplantation. Here we hypothesized that adult ABCB5(+) stem cells display a unique molecular phenotype.
Methods :
RNA-seq transcriptome analyses were performed using the SMART-seq protocol on Abcb5(+) and Abcb5(-) flow cytometry-sorted corneal epithelial cells freshly isolated from 4-week-old mice (n=4 groups, 5 mice per group).
Results :
FACS analyses revealed that Abcb5(+) cells comprised 3.1±1.5% (mean±SD) of dissociated corneal epithelial cells. Principal component analysis (PCA) of RNA-seq-determined gene expression revealed separation of samples into two groups according to Abcb5 expression status. The mesenchymal stem cell-expressed genes CD73, CD166, and CXCR4 were enriched in Abcb5(+) cells, whereas the epithelial differentiation markers Connexin 43 and Desmoglein 3 (DSG3) were upregulated in Abcb5(-) cells.
Conclusions :
Transcriptome analyses show that Abcb5(+) cells represent a molecularly distinct adult stem cell population with a unique gene profile reminiscent of mesenchymal stem cell phenotype.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.