title: Stable cell fate changes in marrow cells induced by lung-derived microvesicles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interest has been generated in the capacity of cellular-derived microvesicles to alter the fate of different target cells. Lung, liver, heart and brain-derived vesicles can alter the genetic phenotype of murine marrow cells; however, the stability of such changes and the mechanism of these changes remain unclear. In the present work, we show that lung-derived microvesicles (LDMV) alter the transcriptome and proteome of target marrow cells initially by mRNA and regulator(s) of transcription transfer, but that long term phenotype change is due solely to transfer of a transcriptional regulator with target cell.
  
  
  RESULTS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole bone marrow cells (WBM) were co-cultured with LDMV (both isolated from male C57BL/6 mice) or cultured alone (control). One week later, cultured WBM was transplanted into lethally-irradiated female C57BL/6 mice. Recipient mice were sacrificed 6 weeks later and WBM, spleens and livers were examined for the presence of lung-specific gene expression, including surfactants A, B, C and D, aquaporin-5, and clara cell specific protein, via real-time RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry was also performed on lungs to determine the number of transplanted marrow-derived (Y chromosome+) type II pneumocytes (prosurfactant C+). Mice transplanted with LDMV co-cultured WBM expressed pulmonary epithelial cell genes in the cells of their bone marrow, livers and spleens and over fivefold more transplanted marrow-derived Y+/prosurfactant C+cells could be found in their lungs (vs. control mice).
  
  
  METHODS
  WBM (from mice or rats) was cultured with or without LDMV (from mice or rats) for 1 week then washed and cultured alone. WBM was harvested at 2-week intervals for real-time RT-PCR analysis, using species-specific surfactant primers, and for Western Blot analysis. Proteomic and microRNA microarray analyses were also performed on cells. LDMV co-cultured WBM maintained expression of pulmonary epithelial cell genes and proteins for up to 12 weeks in culture. Surfactant produced at later time points was specific only to the species of the marrow cell in culture indicating de novo mRNA transcription. These findings, in addition to the altered protein and microRNA profiles of LDMV co-cultured WBM, support a stable transcriptional mechanism for these changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that microvesicle alteration of cell fate is robust and long-term and represents an important new aspect of cellular biology.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence RI 02903, USA ; Division of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aliotta
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Arina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorokina
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dooner
authors.forename: Edmund H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brilliant
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramratnam
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hixson
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Quesenberry
keywords: bone marrow cells; bone marrow transplant; lung; microvesicles; transcription factor