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HOX gene analysis of endothelial cell differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

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Abstract

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been shown to possess multilineage differentiation potential. HOX genes function in transcriptional regulators, and are involved in stem cell differentiation. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate HOX genes that are related to angiogenesis. To identify the expression patterns of 37 HOX genes in the endothelial cell differentiation of hMSCs, we analyzed HOX genes through profiling with multiplex RT-PCR. The results showed that the expression patterns of four HOX genes, HOXA7, HOXB3, HOXA3, and HOXB13, significantly changed during angiogenesis. The expression levels of HOXA7 and HOXB3 were dramatically increased, whereas those of HOXA3 and HOXB13 were decreased during endothelial cell differentiation. When further analysis of the expressions of these HOX genes was performed with real-time PCR and an immunoblot assay, the expression patterns were also found to be well-matched with the results of multiplex RT-PCR. Here, we report that HOXA7, HOXB3, HOXA3, and HOXB13 might be involved in the angiogenesis of hMSCs.

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Abbreviations

hMSCs:

Human mesenchymal stem cells

DMEM:

Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium

FBS:

Fetal bovine serum

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

EGF:

Epidermal growth factor

PDGF:

Platelet-derived growth factor

TGF-β1:

Transforming growth factor-β1

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

mAb:

Monoclonal antibody

pAb:

Polyclonal antibody

VE-cadherin:

Vascular/endothelial-cadherin

vWF:

von Willebrand factor

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Seoul Research and Business Development Program (10548), the Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-2006-013-F00018), and scholarship support from the Brain Korea 21 Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Namhyun Chung

  2. Neuroscience Genome Research Center, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-ku, Seoul, 137-040, Republic of Korea

    Bo Keun Jee, Song Wha Chae, Kweon Haeng Lee & Hyoung Kyun Rha

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 665 Bupyeong 6-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon , 403-720, Republic of Korea

    Yang-Whan Jeon

  4. Department of Pharmacology, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-ku, Seoul, 137-040, Republic of Korea

    Kweon Haeng Lee

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  1. Namhyun Chung
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Correspondence to Kweon Haeng Lee.

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Namhyun Chung and Bo Keun Jee contributed equally to the work.

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Chung, N., Jee, B.K., Chae, S.W. et al. HOX gene analysis of endothelial cell differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Mol Biol Rep 36, 227–235 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-007-9171-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-007-9171-6

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