Intracellular surface-enhanced Raman scattering probes based on TAT peptide-conjugated Au nanostars for distinguishing the differentiation of lung resident mesenchymal stem cells.
Lung resident mesenchymal stem cells (LR-MSCs) are important regulators of pathophysiological processes including tissue repair and fibrosis, inflammation, angiogenesis and tumor formation. Therefore, increasing attention has focused on the functional differentiation of LR-MSCs. However, the distinction between the undifferentiated and differentiated LR-MSCs, which are closely related and morphologically similar, is difficult to achieve by conventional methods. In this study, by employing the TAT Peptide-conjugated Au nanostars (AuNSs) as an intracellular probe, we developed a method for the identification of LR-MSC differentiation by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. SERS spectra were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) that allowed unambiguous distinction of subtypes and monitoring of component changes during cellular differentiation. Furthermore, to ascertain whether co-culture with alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells and incubation with transform growth factor (TGF)-β were involved in regulating the differentiation of LR-MSCs, we investigated the protein expression levels of epithelial markers and fibroblastic markers on LR-MSCs. Our results demonstrated that co-culture with ATII cells or incubation with TGF-β could induce the differentiation of LR-MSCs as confirmed by SERS analysis, a method that is capable of noninvasive characterization of and distinction between subtypes of LR-MSCs during differentiation. We have provided a new tool that may facilitate stem cell research.
Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. Electronic address: willscw@live.cn.
Chaowen
C
Shi
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: cxw19861121@163.com.
Xiaowei
X
Cao
Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. Electronic address: chenxiang910110@163.com.
Xiang
X
Chen
Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. Electronic address: lanseyunduan@163.com.
Zhaorui
Z
Sun
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Mucosal Immunobiology and Vaccine Research Center, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: zou.xiang@gu.se.
Zou
Z
Xiang
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: zhaohang0131@163.com.
Hang
H
Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: wqian@seu.edu.cn.
Weiping
W
Qian
Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. Electronic address: hanxd@nju.edu.cn.
Xiaodong
X
Han
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D057905:Stem Cell Research; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D015696:Gene Products, tat; D010455:Peptides; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D006046:Gold
Au nanostars; Differentiation; Lung resident mesenchymal stem cell; Principal component analysis; Surface-enhanced Raman scattering