title: Tbx18-dependent differentiation of brown adipose tissue-derived stem cells toward cardiac pacemaker cells.
abstract: A cell-sourced biological pacemaker is a promising therapeutic approach for sick sinus syndrome (SSS) or severe atrial ventricular block (AVB). Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ATSCs), which are optimal candidate cells for possible use in regenerative therapy for acute or chronic myocardial injury, have the potential to differentiate into spontaneous beating cardiomyocytes. However, the pacemaker characteristics of the beating cells need to be confirmed, and little is known about the underlying differential mechanism. In this study, we found that brown adipose tissue-derived stem cells (BATSCs) in mice could differentiate into spontaneous beating cells in 15% FBS Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) without additional treatment. Subsequently, we provide additional evidence, including data regarding ultrastructure, protein expression, electrophysiology, and pharmacology, to support the differentiation of BATSCs into a cardiac pacemaker phenotype during the course of early cultivation. Furthermore, we found that silencing Tbx18, a key transcription factor in the development of pacemaker cells, terminated the differentiation of BATSCs into a pacemaker phenotype, suggesting that Tbx18 is required to direct BATSCs toward a cardiac pacemaker fate. The expression of Tbx3 and shox2, the other two important transcription factors in the development of pacemaker cells, was decreased by silencing Tbx18, which suggests that Tbx18 mediates the differentiation of BATSCs into a pacemaker phenotype via these two downstream transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Juan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Sen
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. liyuquanf@163.com.|Department of Anatomy, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China. liyuquanf@163.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. 13671622756@126.com.|Department of Anatomy, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China. 13671622756@126.com.
authors.forename: Xiang-Qun
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; C420983:Tbx18 protein, mouse
keywords: Adipose tissue-derived stem cells; Brown adipose tissue; Differentiation; Pacemaker phenotype; Tbx18