Isolated Rat Epididymal Basal Cells Share Common Properties with Adult Stem Cells.

ABSTRACT: There is little information on the function of epididymal basal cells. These cells secrete prostaglandins, can metabolize radical oxygen species, and have apical projections that are components of the blood-epididymis barrier. The objective of this study was to develop a reproducible protocol to isolate rat epididymal basal cells and to characterize their function by gene expression profiling. Integrin-alpha6 was used to isolate a highly purified population of basal cells. Microarray analysis indicated that expression levels of 552 genes were enriched in basal cells relative to other cell types. Among these genes, 45 were expressed at levels of 5-fold or greater. These highly expressed genes coded for proteins implicated in cell adhesion, cytoskeletal function, ion transport, cellular sign

SUBMITTER: Mandon M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4712003 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature