Expression of nestin-green fluorescent protein transgene marks oval cells in the adult liver

Gleiberman, A. S., Encinas, J. M., Mignone, J. L., Michurina, T., Rosenfeld, M. G., Enikolopov, G. (October 2005) Expression of nestin-green fluorescent protein transgene marks oval cells in the adult liver. Developmental Dynamics, 234 (2). pp. 413-421. ISSN 1058-8388

Abstract

Oval cells, which become apparent in the liver after chronic injury, serve as bipotent progenitors for differentiated hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. We found that, in the liver of adult transgenic mice in which expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is driven by regulatory elements of the nestin gene, the GFP signal marks a subpopulation of small epithelial cells that meet the criteria for oval cells, including morphology, localization, antigenic profile, and reactivity in response to injury. In the regenerating and developing liver, we also found nestin-GFP-positive cells that express hepatocyte markers; such cells may correspond to transiently appearing differentiating progeny of oval cells. During development, GFP-expressing cells in the liver emerge relatively late, after the appearance of differentiated hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Our results suggest that nestin-GFP cells in the liver correspond to a specialized cell type whose primary function may be to serve as a reserve for adult liver epithelial cell types.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: liver stem cells oval cells nestin neuro-specific enhancer GFP A6 EpCAM Bgp1 alpha-fetoprotein synthesis biliary epithelial cells regenerating mouse liver CNS stem cells progenitor cells ultrastructural localization neural stem cells mice hepatocyte antigen
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > green fluorescent protein
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > nestin
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > transgenic animal
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Enikopolov lab
Depositing User: CSHL Librarian
Date: October 2005
Date Deposited: 13 Jan 2012 14:34
Last Modified: 01 Mar 2017 15:51
PMCID: PMC2751636
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/22578

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