Open AccessTelocytes within human skeletal muscle stem cell niche
Author(s) -
Bojin Florina M.,
Gavriliuc Oana I.,
Cristea Mirabela I.,
Tanasie Gabriela,
Tatu Carmen S.,
Panaitescu Carmen,
Paunescu Virgil
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2011.01386.x
Subject(s) - biology , cd117 , stem cell , immunocytochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , skeletal muscle , population , pathology , stem cell marker , cell , induced pluripotent stem cell , anatomy , cd34 , endocrinology , embryonic stem cell , medicine , biochemistry , demography , sociology , gene , genetics
Human skeletal muscle tissue displays specific cellular architecture easily damaged during individual existence, requiring multiple resources for regeneration. Congruent with local prerequisites, heterogeneous muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are present in the muscle interstitium. In this study, we aimed to characterize the properties of human muscle interstitial cells that had the characteristic morphology of telocytes (TCs). Immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that cells with TC morphology stained positive for c‐kit/CD117 and VEGF. C‐kit positive TCs were separated with magnetic‐activated cell sorting, cultured in vitro and expanded for study. These cells exhibited high proliferation capacity (60% expressed endoglin/CD105 and 80% expressed nuclear Ki67). They also exhibited pluripotent capacity limited to Oct4 nuclear staining. In addition, 90% of c‐kit positive TCs expressed VEGF. C‐kit negative cells in the MuSCs population exhibited fibroblast‐like morphology, low trilineage differential potential and negative VEGF staining. These results suggested that c‐kit/CD117 positive TCs represented a unique cell type within the MuSC niche.