title: Transgenic expression of ephrinB2 in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) modulates osteogenic differentiation via signaling crosstalk between ephrinB2 and EphB4 in PDLSCs and between PDLSCs and pre-osteoblasts within co-culture.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of periodontal therapy is to regenerate/reconstruct the damaged supporting tissues of diseased teeth and to facilitate recovery of their physiological functions. Combination of stem cell transplantation and gene therapy offers a viable method for accelerating periodontal repair and regeneration. In this study, the role of the ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling pathway in regulating osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and crosstalk between PDLSCs and pre-osteoblasts within co-culture was investigated through ephrinB2 transgenic expression in PDLSCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  PDLSCs isolated from premolar teeth of teenage patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were transfected with transgenic (hEfnB2-GFP-Bsd) vector or empty vector (GFP-Bsd). Vector-PDLSCs, EfnB2-PDLSCs, MC3T3-E1 and co-cultures of vector-PDLSCs with MC3T3-E1, and EfnB2-PDLSCs with MC3T3-E1 were subjected to osteogenic induction. The osteogenic differentiation of EfnB2-PDLSCs, vector-PDLSCs and co-cultures were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and Alizarin-red S staining. Protein expression levels of ephrinB2, EphB4, phosphorylated ephrinB2 and EphB4 were analyzed by western blot, immunoprecipitation and co-immunoprecipitation assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALP assay and Alizarin-red S staining demonstrated higher ALP activity and increased mineralization with EfnB2-PDLSCs vs. vector-PDLSCs and with co-culture of EfnB2-PDLSCs and MC3T3-E1 vs. vector-PDLSCs and MC3T3-E1. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of human odonto/osteogenic markers were significantly enhanced in EfnB2-PDLSCs compared to vector-PDLSCs, and that the expression of mouse odonto/osteogenic markers were significantly higher in co-culture of EfnB2-PDLSCs with MC3T3-E1 vs. vector-PDLSCs with MC3T3-E1. The EphB4 receptor was activated through phosphorylation during osteogenic differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that transgenic expression of ephrinB2 in PDLSCs could promote osteogenic differentiation via stimulation of the phosphorylation of ephrinB2 and EphB4, which regulates cell communication between PDLSCs and between PDLSCs and pre-osteoblasts within co-culture.
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.|HKU Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Hong Kon, China.|Dental Implant Center, Xuzhou Stomatological Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Dental Implant Center, Xuzhou Stomatological Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Dissanayaka
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.|HKU Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Hong Kon, China.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D036388:Ephrin-B2 / Q000502:physiology*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D036224:Receptor, EphB4 / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C000601239:EFNB2 protein, human; D036388:Ephrin-B2; D036224:Receptor, EphB4
keywords: co-culture; ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling; osteoblasts; osteogenic differentiation; periodontal ligament stem cells