title: Enrichment of corneal epithelial stem/progenitor cells using cell surface markers, integrin alpha6 and CD71.
abstract: Corneal epithelial stem cells are believed to reside in the basal layer of the limbal epithelium, but no definitive cell surface markers have been identified. For keratinocytes, stem/progenitor cells are known to be enriched by cell surface markers, integrin alpha(6) and CD71, as a minor subpopulation which shows high integrin alpha(6) and low CD71 expressions (alpha(6)(bri)/CD71(dim)). In the present study, we investigated the possibility that corneal epithelial stem cells can be enriched by integrin alpha(6) and CD71. The alpha(6)(bri)/CD71(dim) cells were separated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, as a minor subpopulation of the limbal epithelial cells. They were enriched for relatively small cells, showing a higher clonogenic capacity and expression of stem cell markers, but a lower expression of differentiation markers, compared to other cell populations. The cells were localized immunohistochemically in the basal region of the limbal epithelium. These results indicate that the alpha(6)(bri)/CD71(dim) subpopulation enriched corneal epithelial stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuhei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: Teiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tano
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D039503:Integrin alpha6 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C068126:CD71 antigen; D039503:Integrin alpha6; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin