Pax 6 Controls Neural Crest Potential of Limbal Niche Cells to Support Self-Renewal of Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells.

ABSTRACT: On ocular surface, corneal epithelial stem cells (SC) reside in limbus between cornea and conjunctiva. Pax6, an evolutionally conserved transcription factor essential for eye development, is expressed in post-natal corneal and limbal epithelia progenitors (LEPC) but not in underlying stroma. Because Pax6 is transiently expressed in developing corneal stroma and a subset of limbal and corneal stromal progenitors, we examined the role of Pax6 in limbal niche cells (LNC) in maintaining the phenotype of neural crest (NC) progenitors to support LEPC. Our results showed that nuclear Pax6 staining was found in freshly isolated LNC but not corneal stromal cells. Serial passaged LNC resulted in gradual loss of nuclear Pax6 (46 kDa) staining and neural crest progenitor status defined by the expressi

SUBMITTER: Chen SY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6611810 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature