Project description:Human multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), isolated based on their adherence to plastic, show poor growth and differentiation and frequently contain contaminating cells, which limits to clarify their own characteristics. In this study, the identification of two cell surface markers, LNGFR and Thy-1, allowed the prospective isolation of highly purified clonogenic human MSCs. Furthermore, single cell sorting assays followed by in vitro expansion revealed three distinct MSC subpopulations: rapidly-, moderately- and slowly proliferating MSC clones (RPCs, MPCs and SPCs, respectively). While RPCs exhibited robust multilineage differentiation and self-renewal potency, MPCs and SPCs contained a majority of senescent cells and exhibited frequent genome errors. Single cell sorting assays followed by in vitro expansion revealed three distinct MSC subpopulations: rapidly-, moderately- and slowly proliferating MSC clones (RPCs, MPCs and SPCs, respectively). Sample: RPC, MPC and SPC (n=3).
Project description:Human multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), isolated based on their adherence to plastic, show poor growth and differentiation and frequently contain contaminating cells, which limits to clarify their own characteristics. In this study, the identification of two cell surface markers, LNGFR and Thy-1, allowed the prospective isolation of highly purified clonogenic human MSCs. Furthermore, single cell sorting assays followed by in vitro expansion revealed three distinct MSC subpopulations: rapidly-, moderately- and slowly proliferating MSC clones (RPCs, MPCs and SPCs, respectively). While RPCs exhibited robust multilineage differentiation and self-renewal potency, MPCs and SPCs contained a majority of senescent cells and exhibited frequent genome errors.
Project description:Lineage negativ Sca1+ Kit+ bone marrow cells (containing putative hematopoietic stem cells) subfractionation based on CD34 and FLT3 identifies three functionally destinc subpopulations (LSKCD34-FLT3-, LSKCD34+FLT3- & LSKCD34+FLT3+). Experiment Overall Design: Lineage negativ Kit+ Sca1+ (LSK) hematopoietic stem cell subpopulations were FACS sorted based on their CD34/FLT3 expression. Subsequently RNA was extracted, labelled and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to obtain expression pattern changes that might explain the difference in function between the functionally destinct LSK subpopulations.
Project description:Fibroblasts synthesize the extracellular matrix of connective tissue and play an essential role in maintaining tissue integrity. We have previously shown that mouse skin connective tissue, the dermis, is comprised of functionally distinct fibroblast lineages. However, the extent of fibroblast heterogeneity in human skin is unknown. Here, using a combination of spatial transcriptional profiling of human and mouse dermis and single cell transcriptional profiling of human dermal fibroblasts, we show that there are at least four distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin. We define markers permitting prospective isolation of these cells and show that although marker expression is rapidly lost in culture, different fibroblast subpopulations retain distinct functionality in terms of Wnt signalling, T cell communication and the ability to support human epidermal reconstitution in organotypic culture. Furthermore, while some fibroblast subpopulations are spatially segregated, others are not. These findings have profound implications for normal wound healing and diseases characterized by excessive fibrosis, and suggest that ex vivo expansion or in vivo ablation of specific fibroblast subpopulations may have therapeutic applications.
Project description:Skeletal muscle stem cells are essential to muscle homeostasis and regeneration after injury. An attractive approach to obtain these cells is via differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). We have recently reported that teratomas derived from mouse PSCs are a rich source of skeletal muscle stem cells. Here, we showed that the teratoma formation method is also capable of producing skeletal myogenic progenitors from human PSCs. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we discovered multiple lineages in human PSC-derived teratomas. Interestingly, we observed several distinct skeletal myogenic subpopulations. Trajectory analysis revealed that these subpopulations represented progressive stages of skeletal myogenic development. We further discovered that ERBB3 and CD82 are effective surface markers for prospective isolation of the skeletal myogenic lineage in human PSC-derived teratomas. Therefore, teratoma formation provides an accessible model for obtaining human skeletal myogenic progenitors from PSCs.
Project description:Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are believed to possess distinct biological properties than the bulk AML cells, but their rarity and the unavailability of universal immunophenotypic markers for their prospective isolation hampers their study. We report that hematopoietic cells from genetically clonal AML patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) contain two morphologically and immunophenotypically distinct subpopulations: a cell fraction with a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) immunophenotype exhibiting adherent growth which we termed induced leukemai stem cells (iLSCs) and a non-adherent fraction of more differentiated cells, which we termed induced blasts (iBlasts). Through fate-tracking experiments, xenotransplantation and single cell transcriptomics, we show that iLSCs cells reside on the apex of a phenotypic and functional hierarchy and fulfill the hallmark features of leukemia stem cells. Through integrative genomics studies of their transcriptome and chromatin landscape, we derive an LSC 16-gene set that predicts patient survival and identify RUNX1 as a new dependency of AML LSCs.
Project description:We report the development of a bisulfite based whole genome protocol suitable for use on single index sorted primary mammalian cells. Application of this protocol to murine and human hematopoietic stem cells provided quantitative DNA methylation measurements of up to 5.7 million CpGs in a single cell. To analyze the resulting datasets we developed a novel analytical approach designed to detect differences at single CpG resolution and identified epigenetically distinct subpopulations within the highly purified and functionally defined stem and progenitor populations. In silico merging of the methylation states from the single cells residing in each subpopulation allowed us to ascribe functional pathways to these epigenetically distinct subpopulations on the basis of their unique epigenetic states.