title: Molecular and phenotypic characterization of human amniotic fluid-derived cells: a morphological and proteomic approach.
abstract: Mesenchymal Stem Cells derived from Amniotic Fluid (AFMSCs) are multipotent cells of great interest for regenerative medicine. Two predominant cell types, that is, Epithelial-like (E-like) and Fibroblast-like (F-like), have been previously detected in the amniotic fluid (AF). In this study, we examined the AF from 12 donors and observed the prevalence of the E-like phenotype in 5, whereas the F-like morphology was predominant in 7 samples. These phenotypes showed slight differences in membrane markers, with higher CD90 and lower Sox2 and SSEA-4 expression in F-like than in E-like cells; whereas CD326 was expressed only in the E-like phenotype. They did not show any significant differences in osteogenic, adipogenic or chondrogenic differentiation. Proteomic analysis revealed that samples with a predominant E-like phenotype (HC1) showed a different profile than those with a predominant F-like phenotype (HC2). Twenty-five and eighteen protein spots were differentially expressed in HC1 and HC2 classes, respectively. Of these, 17 from HC1 and 4 from HC2 were identified by mass spectrometry. Protein-interaction networks for both phenotypes showed strong interactions between specific AFMSC proteins and molecular chaperones, such as preproteasomes and mature proteasomes, both of which are important for cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Collectively, our results provide evidence that, regardless of differences in protein profiling, the prevalence of E-like or F-like cells in AF does not affect the differentiation capacity of AFMSC preparations. This may be valuable information with a view to the therapeutic use of AFMSCs.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pipino
authors.affiliation: 2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|4Department of Medicine and Aging Science, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierdomenico
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Tomo
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Giuseppe
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cianci
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Iolanda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: D'Alimonte
authors.affiliation: 2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|5Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.affiliation: 3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|4Department of Medicine and Aging Science, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Centurione
authors.affiliation: 3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|6Psychological Sciences Humanities and Territory, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antonucci
authors.affiliation: 2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|5Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mariggiò
authors.affiliation: 3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|4Department of Medicine and Aging Science, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.affiliation: 2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.|4Department of Medicine and Aging Science, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchisio
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angelucci
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|2Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), "Università G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti, Italy.|3StemTeCh Group, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps / Q000235:genetics; D040901:Proteomics; D044968:Regenerative Medicine