title: EpCAM Induction Functionally Links to the Wnt-Enhanced Cell Proliferation in Human Keratinocytes.
abstract: Accelerating proliferation of primary keratinocytes benefits skin autografts for severely burned patients. Wnt signal, a conserved pathway controlling cell cycle and morphogenesis in embryo, also involves in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in adult tissues. Here the effects of Wnt signal on the growth of human interfollicular keratinocytes were investigated. We demonstrated that recombinant Wnt3a significantly promoted the growth of primary keratinocytes at a low cell density. A well-characterized GSK-3b inhibitor, BIO, activated the Wnt signals and also enhanced the colony formation of keratinocytes dose dependently. Gene expression profile of the BIO-treated keratinocytes revealed the linkage of BIO with cell mitosis and indicated that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a Wnt target gene, was significantly upregulated. Compared to the sorted EpCAM-keratinocytes, the EpCAM+cells showed a higher proliferation rate and efficacy of colony formation. Inhibiting the EpCAM expression by shRNA attenuated the proliferation effect of BIO and the growth advantage of the EpCAM+keratinocytes. These evidences emphasize the positive roles of canonical Wnt and EpCAM on the regulation of cell growth and self-renewal of human keratinocytes.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-I
authors: CI
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan.
authors: Hsiu-Chin
authors: HC
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Medical Research, E-DA Hospital, I-Shou University, Taiwan.
authors: Ying-Hsien
authors: YH
authors: Kao
authors: Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors: Chieh-Shan
authors: CS
authors: Wu
authors: Chen Po-Hung Dermatologic Clinic, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Po-Hung
authors: PH
authors: Chen
authors: Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University and Hospital, Taiwan.|China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Taiwan.|Department of Immunology, China Medical University, Taiwan.
authors: Shinn-Zong
authors: SZ
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Chemistry, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan.
authors: Ping-Shan
authors: PS
authors: Lai
authors: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan.|Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: Hong-Lin
authors: HL
authors: Su
keywords: Epidermal progenitor cells; Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM); Keratinocyte; Proliferation; Wnt