P-Cadherin Is Expressed by Epithelial Progenitor Cells and Melanocytes in the Human Corneal Limbus.

ABSTRACT: Interactions between limbal epithelial progenitor cells (LEPC) and surrounding niche cells, which include limbal mesenchymal stromal cells (LMSC) and melanocytes (LM), are essential for the maintenance of the limbal stem cell niche required for a transparent corneal surface. P-cadherin (P-cad) is a critical stem cell niche adhesion molecule at various epithelial stem cell niches; however, conflicting observations were reported on the presence of P-cad in the limbal region. To explore this issue, we assessed the location and phenotype of P-cad⁺ cells by confocal microscopy of human corneoscleral tissue. In subsequent fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) experiments, we used antibodies against P-cad along with CD90 and CD117 for the enrichment of LEPC, LMSC and LM, respectiv

SUBMITTER: Polisetti N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9221557 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature