Molecular profiles of the mouse postnatal development of the esophageal epithelium showing delayed growth start

Abstract

Abstract. Studies on molecular mechanisms of self-renewal in normal stem cells are required for understanding the cancer stem cell. Self-renewal in many kinds of normal stem cells might be accelerated in the growth of a young organism and in the repair of damaged tissue. This study examined whether the esophagus in growing neonates provides an experimental system for studies on epithelial stem cell renewal. The esophageal epithelium consists of 3 layers, from the luminal side to the bottom: the differentiated, epibasal and basal cell layers. The basal cell layer is known to contain the stem cells for the esophageal epithelium. This basic architecture is observed both in mice and humans. We investigated the basal cells in the mouse neonate by immunostaining with a basal cell marker, nerve growth factor receptor (Ngfr), and compared the basal cell content in the esophageal epithelium between mice and humans. A mouse esophageal epithelial cell primary culture system was developed for studies on the basal cell growth and keratinocyte differentiation, and microarray analysis was conducted for obtaining expression profiles of the basal cells. It was revealed that the growth of the esophageal epithelium begins from postnatal day 3, and that the timing is consistent with membrane localization of Ngfr in the basal cell. An increase in the basal cell number by Ngf treatment is observed in in vitro mouse esophageal epithelium cultures. Furthermore, mRNA overexpression of Pdgfrb encoding platelet derived growth factor receptor ß and Egfr encoding epidermal growth factor receptor is associated with the timing of the growth of the esophageal epithelium in the neonatal mice. This study provides a new experimental model for studies on the growth of the basal cells, which are considered to include the stem cells, and on the enlargement of the body size in young organisms.

Morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the equine corneal epithelium

“…ABCG2 belongs to the superfamily of the ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporter and plays a crucial role during tissue protection and drug disposition . NGF is a member of the neurotrophin family and has been reported to have effects on SCs outside the nervous system . Our results revealed similar distribution patterns for these putative SC markers.…”

Hedgehog and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition signaling in normal and malignant epithelial cells of the esophagus

“…19 On day 1 after culture, a single cell or several cells was dominantly present, and on days 2-4, the majority of colonies formed were small, composed of 20-30 cells that gave only a positive staining for a basal cell marker, Krt14. 2 However, approximately half of the colonies became large, comprising more than 50 cells on days 5-6.…”

“…We prepared primary cultured cells from the esophagi of C57BL/6J mice on postnatal day 4 by our previously reported procedures. 19 …”

Basal cells as stem cells of the mouse trachea and human airway epithelium

“…Our transcriptome analysis revealed that Ngfr (p75, Tnfrsf16), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is enriched in tracheal BCs (Table S4). Significantly, this gene is also expressed in basal/basal-like cells of other epithelia, including esophagus, corneal limbus, and mammary gland (28)(29)(30). Ntf3, encoding a ligand for NGFR, is also enriched in mouse tracheal BCs (Table S5), raising the possibility of autocrine signaling within this population.…”