HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2005-0148v1 24/2/368    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by De Paiva, C. S. Articles by Li, D.-Q. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by De Paiva, C. S. Articles by Li, D.-Q.

TISSUE-SPECIFIC STEM CELLS

Cell Size Correlates with Phenotype and Proliferative Capacity in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells

Ocular Surface Center, Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

Key Words. Cornea • Limbus • Epithelium • Stem cells • Cell size • BrdU

Correspondence: De-Quan Li, M.D., Ph.D., Ocular Surface Center, Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6565 Fannin Street, NC-205, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Telephone: 713-798-1123; Fax: 713-798-1457; e-mail: dequanl{at}bcm.tmc.edu

This study investigated whether cell size correlates with phenotype and proliferative capacity in human corneal epithelial cells. Primary cultured human corneal epithelial cells were sorted by flow cytometry based on forward scatter profile in comparison with the profile of beads of known size. Four fractions (A, B, C, and D) of cells ranging in size from 10 to 16, 17 to 23, 24 to 30, and 31 µm in diameter, respectively, were collected to evaluate their 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) label retention properties, cell phenotype, and clonal growth capacity on a 3T3 fibroblast feeder layer. Among these four populations, cell size was shown to positively correlate with the expression of the differentiation markers keratin (K) 3, K12, and involucrin and inversely with the levels of stem cell–associated markers Np63 and ABCG2 and with colony-forming efficiency (CFE) and growth capacity. Population A with the smallest size, accounting for 11.0% ± 4.5% of the entire population, contained the greatest number of BrdU label-retaining slow-cycling cells, displayed the highest percentage of cells immunopositive to p63 and ABCG2 and negative to K3 and involucrin, expressed the highest levels of Np63 and ABCG2 mRNA and the lowest levels of K3, K12, and involucrin, and possessed the highest CFE and growth capacity. These findings suggest that cell size correlates with cell differentiation phenotypes and proliferative capacity in human corneal epithelial cells. The smallest cells in population A seem to be enriched for putative stem cells, and small cell size may represent one of the important properties of adult corneal epithelial stem cells.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Krulova, K. Pokorna, A. Lencova, J. Fric, A. Zajicova, M. Filipec, J. V. Forrester, and V. Holan A Rapid Separation of Two Distinct Populations of Mouse Corneal Epithelial Cells with Limbal Stem Cell Characteristics by Centrifugation on Percoll Gradient Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2008; 49(9): 3903 - 3908. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ahmad, S. Kolli, D.-Q. Li, C. S. de Paiva, S. Pryzborski, I. Dimmick, L. Armstrong, F. C. Figueiredo, and M. Lako A Putative Role for RHAMM/HMMR as a Negative Marker of Stem Cell-Containing Population of Human Limbal Epithelial Cells Stem Cells, June 1, 2008; 26(6): 1609 - 1619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Ieta, F. Tanaka, N. Haraguchi, Y. Kita, H. Sakashita, K. Mimori, T. Matsumoto, H. Inoue, H. Kuwano, and M. Mori Biological and Genetic Characteristics of Tumor-Initiating Cells in Colon Cancer Ann. Surg. Oncol., February 1, 2008; 15(2): 638 - 648. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Lan, D. Cui, K. Nowka, and M. Derwahl Stem Cells Derived from Goiters in Adults Form Spheres in Response to Intense Growth Stimulation and Require Thyrotropin for Differentiation into Thyrocytes J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2007; 92(9): 3681 - 3688. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-T. Chen, W. Li, Y. Hayashida, H. He, S.-Y. Chen, D. Y. Tseng, A. Kheirkhah, and S. C. G. Tseng Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells as Novel Feeder Layers for Promoting Ex Vivo Expansion of Limbal Epithelial Progenitor Cells Stem Cells, August 1, 2007; 25(8): 1995 - 2005. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Izumi, T. Tobita, and S.E. Feinberg Isolation of Human Oral Keratinocyte Progenitor/Stem Cells J. Dent. Res., April 1, 2007; 86(4): 341 - 346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Izumi, T. Tobita, and S.E. Feinberg Isolation of Human Oral Keratinocyte Progenitor/Stem Cells Journal of Dental Research, April 1, 2007; 86(4): 341 - 346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. A Shanmuganathan, T. Foster, B. B Kulkarni, A. Hopkinson, T. Gray, D. G Powe, J. Lowe, and H. S Dua Morphological characteristics of the limbal epithelial crypt Br. J. Ophthalmol., April 1, 2007; 91(4): 514 - 519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]