title: Syngeneic cardiac and bone marrow stromal cells display tissue-specific microRNA signatures and microRNA subsets restricted to diverse differentiation processes.
abstract: MicroRNAs are key modulators at molecular level in different biological processes, including determination of cell fate and differentiation. Herein, microRNA expression profiling experiments were performed on syngeneic cardiac (CStC) and bone marrow (BMStC) mesenchymal stromal cells cultured in standard growth medium and then in vitro exposed to adipogenic, osteogenic, cardiomyogenic and endothelial differentiation media. Analysis identified a tissue-specific microRNA signature composed of 16 microRNAs that univocally discriminated cell type of origin and that were completely unaffected by in vitro differentiation media: 4 microRNAs were over-expressed in cardiac stromal cells, and 12 were overexpressed or present only in bone marrow stromal cells. Further, results revealed microRNA subsets specifically modulated by each differentiation medium, irrespective of the cell type of origin, and a subset of 7 microRNAs that were down-regulated by all media with respect to growth medium. Finally, we identified 16 microRNAs that were differentially modulated by the media when comparing the two tissues of origin. The existence of a tissue-specific microRNA signature surviving to any differentiation stimuli, strongly support the role if microRNAs determining cell identity related to tissue origin. Moreover, we identified microRNA subsets modulated by different culture conditions in a tissue-specific manner, pointing out their importance during differentiation processes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy; Center for Biomedicine, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC) (affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck), Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meraviglia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy; Department of Pharmacology, Chemotherapy and Medical Toxicology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Azzimato
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Functional Genomics, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Functional Genomics, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy; Department of Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Functional Genomics, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy; Department of Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Rupesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kesharwani
authors.affiliation: CISTAC, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Scienze Biomediche, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Pathology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Capogrossi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaetano
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pompilio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Functional Genomics, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Gualtiero I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossini
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs