Transcription profiling of mouse bipotential embryonic liver cells to identify liver progenitor cell surface markers (430A)

ABSTRACT: The ability to purify to homogeneity a population of hepatic progenitor cells from adult liver is critical for their characterization prior to any therapeutic application. As a step in this direction, we have utilized gene profiling of a bipotential liver cell line from dpc 14 mouse embryonic liver to catalog genes expressed by liver progenitor cells. These cells, known as Bipotential Mouse Embryonic Liver (BMEL) cells, proliferate in an undifferentiated state and are capable of differentiating into hepatocyte-like and cholangiocyte-like cells in vitro. Upon transplantation, BMEL cells are capable of differentiating into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in vivo. Microarray analysis of gene expression in the 9A1 and 14B3 BMEL cell lines grown under proliferating and differentiating conditions was used to identify cell surface markers preferentially expressed in the bipotential undifferentiated state. This analysis revealed that proliferating BMEL cells express many genes involved in cell cycle regulation whereas differentiation of BMEL cells by cell aggregation causes a switch in gene expression to functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes. In addition, microarray data and protein analysis indicated that the Notch signaling pathway could be involved in maintaining BMEL cells in an undifferentiated stem cell state. Using GO annotation, a list of cell surface markers preferentially expressed on undifferentiated BMEL cells was generated. One marker, Cd24a, is specifically expressed on progenitor oval cells in livers of DDC treated animals. We therefore consider Cd24a expression a candidate molecule for purification of hepatic progenitor cells. Experiment Overall Design: RNA was extracted from two independently isolated BMEL cell lines (9A1 and 14B3) after culture under three conditions (basal, aggregate 5 days, and Matrigel). Duplicate biological replicates were collected for each cell line:culture condition combination for a total of 12 samples. Samples were biotin-labeled, hybridized to mouse 430a chips, and scanned according to established Affymetrix protocols.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Scott Andrew Ochsner 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-6942 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress