Fluctuating levels of reprogramming factor expression in cultured human undifferentiated keratinocytes

  • Mingjun Wu
  • Qiang Chen
  • Wei Wu
  • Zhongwei Zheng
  • Bisong Yue
  • Zhiqiang Wu
  • Yali Zhao
  • Weidong Han
  • Xiaobing Fu

Abstract

Although human undifferentiated keratinocytes (HUKs) can be reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with high efficiency and rapid kinetics by transducing reprogramming factors (RFs), the endogenous expression of reprogramming factors in cultured HUKs is not clear at different stages. In this study, keratinocytes were isolated from foreskin of adult subject (18 years old) and cultured on collagen type IV-coated culture dishes in a low-calcium, serum-free medium (Epilife, Invitrogen). In order to clarify the expression patterns of RFs and other stem cell markers in cultured human keratinocytes, total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using established GenBank sequences to design primers. The subsequent PCR analysis was carried out by agarose gel electrophoresis. The expression levels of RFs and other stem cell markers in human HUKs clearly fluctuated during culturing, which supports the hypothesis that HUKs might be reprogrammed into a pluripotent state when the maximum levels of RFs expression are maintained by appropriate culture conditions.

Keywords: Human undifferentiated keratinocytes, reprogramming factors, expression fluctuation

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(35), pp. 5389-5394

Author Biographies

Mingjun Wu
Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan Province, China; Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan Province, China
Qiang Chen
Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan Province, China.
Wei Wu
Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan Province, China.
Zhongwei Zheng
Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan Province, China.
Bisong Yue
Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan Province, China
Zhiqiang Wu
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
Yali Zhao
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
Weidong Han
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
Xiaobing Fu
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
Published
2016-05-10
Section
Articles

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eISSN: 1684-5315