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TISSUE-SPECIFIC STEM CELLS

Regulation of Proliferation and Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Laminin-5 (Laminin-332)

^aDivision of Cell Biology, Kihara Institute for Biological Research;
^bGraduate School of Integrated Sciences, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan

Key Words. Laminin-5/laminin-332 • Mesenchymal stem cells • Cell growth • Chondrogenesis • Osteogenesis

Correspondence: Kaoru Miyazaki, Ph.D., Division of Cell Biology, Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 641-12 Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-0813, Japan. Telephone: 81-45-820-1905; Fax: 81-45-820-1901; e-mail: miyazaki{at}yokohama-cu.ac.jp

Received December 2, 2005; accepted for publication May 1, 2006.


Laminin-5 (laminin-332) is an important basement membrane protein that regulates cell attachment and motility. Recent studies have shown that laminin-5 is expressed in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in culture and that the laminin 2 chain is transiently expressed in chondrocytes during development. These studies suggest that laminin-5 may be involved in the regulation of chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. In this study, we examined a possible role of laminin-5 in the proliferation and differentiation of human MSCs. When MSCs were incubated in the presence of a coated or soluble form of laminin-5 in a growth medium, they proliferated more rapidly than nontreated cells, keeping their differentiation potential. On the other hand, laminin-5 potently suppressed the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. These activities were mediated mainly by integrin 3ß1. However, laminin-5 had no effect on the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. These results suggest that laminin-5 may contribute to the development of bone tissues by promoting the proliferation and by suppressing the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs.