title: Enrichment and characterization of mouse putative epidermal stem cells.
abstract: Epidermis, a continuously renewing tissue, is maintained by stem cells that proliferate and replenish worn out or damaged cells in the tissue during life. Cultured epidermal stem cells have great potential in scientific research and clinical application. However, isolating a pure and viable population of epidermal stem cells and culturing them has been challenging. In this study, putative epidermal stem cells of mouse were isolated by combining Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining with fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Molecular markers expression pattern analysis showed that cytokeratin 14, integrin beta1 and p63 are expressed in the sorted putative stem cells, but not active beta-catenin, nestin and involucrin. Our results provide further supporting data that mouse putative epidermal stem cells could be successfully isolated by combining Hoechst dye staining with fluorescence-activated cell sorting and cultured in vitro. The cultured mouse putative epidermal stem cells could be used as a potent tool for studying stem cell biology and testing stem cell therapy.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 25 Beisihuanxilu, Haidian Beijing 100080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia-Xi
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yong-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yu-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: En-Kui
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D002469:Cell Separation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D015415:Biomarkers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C017807:bisbenzimide ethoxide trihydrochloride