RESUMEN
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being explored for clinical applications, and genetic engineering represents a useful strategy for boosting the therapeutic potency of MSCs. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-based gene therapy protocols have been used to treat tissue ischemia, and a combined VEGF/MSC therapeutics is appealing due to their synergistic paracrine actions. However, multiple VEGF splice variants exhibit differences in their mitogenicity, chemotactic efficacy, receptor interaction, and tissue distribution, and the differential regulatory effects of multiple VEGF isoforms on the function of MSCs have not been characterized. We expressed three rat VEGF-A splice variants VEGF120, 164, and 188 in MSCs using adenoviral vectors, and analyzed their effects on MSC proliferation, differentiation, survival, and trophic factor production. The three VEGF splice variants exert common and differential effects on MSCs. All three expressed VEGFs are potent in promoting MSC proliferation. VEGF120 and 188 are more effective in amplifying expression of multiple growth factor and cytokine genes. VEGF164 on the other hand is more potent in promoting expression of genes associated with MSC remodeling and endothelial differentiation. The longer isoform VEGF188, which is preferentially retained by proteoglycans, facilitates bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7)-mediated MSC osteogenesis. Under serum starvation condition, virally expressed VEGF188 preferentially enhances serum withdrawal-mediated cell death involving nitric oxide production. This work indicates that seeking the best possible match of an optimal VEGF isoform to a given disease setting can generate maximum therapeutic benefits and minimize unwanted side effects in combined stem cell and gene therapy.
Asunto(s)
Adenoviridae/metabolismo , Empalme Alternativo , Células de la Médula Ósea/fisiología , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas/fisiología , Isoformas de Proteínas , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular , Adenoviridae/genética , Animales , Células de la Médula Ósea/citología , Diferenciación Celular/fisiología , Proliferación Celular , Citocinas/genética , Citocinas/metabolismo , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Humanos , Hipoxia , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas/citología , Miocitos Cardíacos/citología , Miocitos Cardíacos/fisiología , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Ratas , Porcinos , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/genética , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/metabolismo , Receptor 1 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/genética , Receptor 1 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/metabolismo , Receptor 2 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/genética , Receptor 2 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/metabolismoRESUMEN
Multiple pseudogenes have been proposed for embryonic stem (ES) cell-specific genes, and their abundance suggests that some of these potential pseudogenes may be functional. ES cell-specific expression of Oct4 regulates stem cell pluripotency and self-renewing state. Although Oct4 expression has been reported in adult tissues during gene reprogramming, the detected Oct4 signal might be contributed by Oct4 pseudogenes. Among the multiple Oct4 transcripts characterized here is a approximately 1 kb clone derived from P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells, which shares a approximately 87% sequence homology with the parent Oct4 gene, and has the potential of encoding an 80-amino acid product (designated as Oct4P1). Adenoviral expression of Oct4P1 in mesenchymal stem cells promotes their proliferation and inhibits their osteochondral differentiation. These dual effects of Oct4P1 are reminiscent of the stem cell regulatory function of the parent Oct4, and suggest that Oct4P1 may be a functional pseudogene or a novel Oct4-related gene with a unique function in stem cells.