Identification of BST2 as a conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cell marker

Masahiro Kitao; Ryuhei Hayashi; Kimihito Nomi; Reiko Kobayashi; Tomohiko Katayama; Hiroshi Takayanagi; Akiko Oguchi; Yasuhiro Murakawa; Kohji Nishida

iScience (Jul 2023)

Identification of BST2 as a conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cell marker

Masahiro Kitao,
Ryuhei Hayashi,
Kimihito Nomi,
Reiko Kobayashi,
Tomohiko Katayama,
Hiroshi Takayanagi,
Akiko Oguchi,
Yasuhiro Murakawa,
Kohji Nishida

Affiliations

Masahiro Kitao: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Ryuhei Hayashi: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Department of Stem Cells and Applied Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Corresponding author
Kimihito Nomi: Business Strategy Office, ROHTO Pharmaceutical, Osaka, Osaka 544-0012, Japan
Reiko Kobayashi: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Tomohiko Katayama: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Hiroshi Takayanagi: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Department of Stem Cells and Applied Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Akiko Oguchi: RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
Yasuhiro Murakawa: RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Kohji Nishida: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 26, no. 7
p. 107016

Abstract

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Summary: The conjunctival epithelium consists of conjunctival epithelial cells and goblet cells derived from conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cells. However, the source of these cells is not well known because no specific markers for conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cells have been discovered. Therefore, to identify conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cell markers, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of a conjunctival epithelial cell population derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). The following conjunctival epithelial markers were identified: BST2, SLC2A3, AGR2, TMEM54, OLR1, and TRIM29. Notably, BST2 was strongly positive in the basal conjunctival epithelium, which is thought to be rich in stem/progenitor cells. Moreover, BST2 was able to sort conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cells from hiPSC-derived ocular surface epithelial cell populations. BST2-positive cells were highly proliferative and capable of successfully generating conjunctival epithelial sheets containing goblet cells. In conclusion, BST2 has been identified as a specific marker of conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cells.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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