title: Characterization of α-smooth muscle actin positive cells during multilineage differentiation of dental pulp stem cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dental pulp tissue contains stem cells that can differentiate into multiple lineages under specific culture conditions; the origin of these dental pulp stem cells, however, is still unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we have utilized an α-SMA-GFP transgenic mouse model to characterize expression of a-smooth muscle actin (SMA)-GFP in subpassages of pulp-tissue-derived dental pulp cells, as perivascular cells express α-SMA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During subculturing, percentages of cells expressing a-SMA increased significantly from passage 1 to 3. α-SMA-GFP-positive cells expanded faster than α-SMA-GFP-negative cells. The dental pulp cells at passage 3 were induced towards osteogenic, adipogenic or chondrogenic differentiation. All three differentiated cell lines expressed high levels of α-SMA (mineralized nodules, lipid droplets and chondrocyte pellets). GFP expression colocalized with differentiated osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes. Co-culturing the α-SMA-GFP-positive cells with human endothelial cells promoted formation of tube-like structures and robust vascular networks, in 3-D culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, the a-SMA-GFP-positive cells were shown to have multilieange differentiation ability and to promote vascularization in a co-culture system with endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins