Role of gangliosides in the differentiation of human mesenchymal-derived stem cells into osteoblasts and neuronal cells

Abstract

Gangliosides are complex glycosphingolipids that are the majorcomponent of cytoplasmic cell membranes, and play a rolein the control of biological processes. Human mesenchymalstem cells (hMSCs) have received considerable attention as alternativesources of adult stem cells because of their potentialto differentiate into multiple cell lineages. In this study, we focuson various functional roles of gangliosides in the differentiationof hMSCs into osteoblasts or neuronal cells. A relationshipbetween gangliosides and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) activation during osteoblastic differentiation ofhMSCs was observed, and the gangliosides may play a majorrole in the regulation of the differentiation. The roles of gangliosidesin osteoblast differentiation are dependent on the originof hMSCs. The reduction of ganglioside biosynthesis inhibitedthe neuronal differentiation of hMSCs during an earlystage of the differentiation process, and the ganglioside expressioncan be used as a marker for the identification of neuronaldifferentiation from hMSCs. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(11):527-532]

Keywords

• Differentiation
• Gangliosides
• Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs)
• Neuronal cells
• Osteoblasts