Lack of a fusion requirement for development of bone marrow-derived epithelia

Science. 2004 Jul 2;305(5680):90-3. doi: 10.1126/science.1098925.

Abstract

Analysis of developmental plasticity of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) is complicated by the possibility of cell-cell fusion. Here we demonstrate that epithelial cells can develop from BMDCs without cell-cell fusion. We use the Cre/lox system together with beta-galactosidase and enhanced green fluorescent protein expression in transgenic mice to identify epithelial cells in the lung, liver, and skin that develop from BMDCs without cell fusion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / physiology*
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Fusion*
  • Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins / pharmacology
  • Elapid Venoms / pharmacology
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Female
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Hepatocytes / cytology
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Keratinocytes / cytology
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism
  • Keratins / analysis
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Muscle Cells / cytology
  • Radiation, Ionizing
  • Recombinases / metabolism
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / physiology*
  • X Chromosome
  • Y Chromosome
  • beta-Galactosidase / biosynthesis
  • beta-Galactosidase / genetics

Substances

  • Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins
  • Elapid Venoms
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinases
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • notexin
  • Keratins
  • beta-Galactosidase