Project description:A population of endometrial cells displaying key properties of mesenchymal stem cells (eMSC) has been identified in human endometrium. eMSC co-express CD146 and PDGFRB surface markers, have a perivascular location, and likely represent the reservoir of progenitors giving rise to the endometrial stromal fibroblast lineage. Endometrial stromal cells isolated from 16 oocyte donors and 3 benign gynecologic surgery subjects were FACS sorted into four populations: CD146+/PDGFRB+ (eMSC); CD146+/PDGFRB- (endothelial cells); CD146-/PDGFRB+ (stromal fibroblasts); CD146-/PDGFRB- (mixed population) then subjected to gene expression analysis on Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays, and differentially expressed genes compared between eMSC, stromal fibroblast, and endothelial cell populations. Ninety-two genes were validated by multiplex quantitative RT-PCR on seventy of these sorted cell populations. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the perivascular location of eMSCs.Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering showed eMSC clustering discretely near stromal fibroblasts and separately from endothelial cells. eMSC expressed pericyte markers and genes involved hypoxia response, inflammation, proteolysis, and angiogenesis/vasculogenesis – all relevant to endometrial tissue breakdown and regeneration. Additionally, eMSC displayed distinct gene profiles for cell-cell communication and regulation of gene expression. Overall, the phenotype of the eMSC is that of a multipotent pericyte responsive to hypoxic, proteolytic, and inflammatory stimuli, able to induce angiogenesis, migrate and differentiate into lineage cells, and potentially respond to estradiol and progesterone. Identifying the pathways and gene families described herein in the context of the endometrial niche, will be valuable in understanding normal and abnormal endometrial development in utero and differentiation in adult uterus. The multipotent, perivascular endometrial mesenchymal stem cell has a “niche phenotype” of high Notch, TGFB, IGF, and Hedgehog and low canonical/non-canonical Wnt and EGF signaling. Oocyte donors with no known uterine pathology underwent endometrial biopsy at the time of oocyte retrieval, following comparable GnHR agonist downregulated ovarian stimulation protocols. Tissue was digested and stromal cells isolated and sorted based on expression of CD146 and PDGFRB. RNA was extracted and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays. Resulting data were compared between sorted isolated cell populations.

Project description:Herein, we investigated eMSC and eSF freshly isolated from endometrium from women with and without endometriosis and compared them to their respective short- and long-term cultures and subsequent decidualization response to progesterone. ABSTRACT Human endometrium undergoes cyclic tissue shedding with ensuing regeneration involving stem/progenitor cells, but the role of multipotent resident endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSC) as progenitors of the endometrial stromal fibroblast (eSF) has not been definitively demonstrated. Progesterone (P4)-driven differentiation (decidualization) of eSF is abnormal in endometriosis, displaying P4-resistance in vivo and in vitro. This study investigated whether eMSC are precursors of eSF and, if so, whether the endometriosis P4-resistant phenotype is inherited from eMSC progenitors or acquired by eSF lineage cells within the endometrial niche. To this end we analyzed the transcriptomes of eMSC and eSF isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) from eutopic endometrium of women with (eMSCFACS.endo, eSFFACS.endo) and without (eMSCFACS.control, eSFFACS.control) endometriosis, and of primary cultures derived from these sorted populations. FACS-isolated eMSC and eSF displayed distinct sets of differentially expressed lineage-associated genes (LG) with >95% of the 200 most highly expressed LG conserved in endometriosis. eSFcontrol in culture maintained in vitro expression of 45% eSF LG; whereas eSFendo displayed less in vitro LG stability, expressing 33% eSF LG. Under the same culture conditions, eMSCcontrol underwent in vitro eSF lineage differentiation (eMSC→eSFcontrol), progressively losing stemness (down-regulated 81% eMSC LG) and acquiring an in vitro eSFcontrol phenotype (up-regulated 55% eSF LG) with minimal transcriptome differences vs. eSFcontrol cultures (19 genes all <2 fold change). Likewise eMSCendo cultures underwent in vitro eSF lineage differentiation (eMSC→eSFendo), down-regulating 77% eMSC LG and up-regulating 50% eSF LG, and there were 78 differentially expressed genes (-2.73 to +2.81 fold change) in eMSC→eSFendo vs. eSFendo. The in vitro disease phenotypes of eSFendo and eMSC→eSFendo shared 49 common genes differentially expressed vs. their control counterparts. However, 78 and 89 genes, respectively, were unique to eSFendo and eMSC→eSFendo, and pathway analysis revealed a proinflammatory phenotype in eSFendo but not eMSC→eSFendo cultures, suggesting divergent niche effects for in vivo vs. in vitro lineage differentiation. Cultures of eSFcontrol and eMSC→eSFcontrol responded to P4 with IGFBP1 secretion, while eSFendo and eMSC→eSFendo cultures did not, demonstrating P4-resistance inherited from eMSCendo. These findings substantiate eMSC as progenitors of eSF and reveal novel aspects of the eSF disease phenotype in endometriosis with P4-resistance inherited from the eMSC and a proinflammatory component acquired by the eSF lineage within the endometrial niche.

Project description:A population of endometrial cells displaying key properties of mesenchymal stem cells (eMSC) has been identified in human endometrium. eMSC co-express CD146 and PDGFRB surface markers, have a perivascular location, and likely represent the reservoir of progenitors giving rise to the endometrial stromal fibroblast lineage. Endometrial stromal cells isolated from 16 oocyte donors and 3 benign gynecologic surgery subjects were FACS sorted into four populations: CD146+/PDGFRB+ (eMSC); CD146+/PDGFRB- (endothelial cells); CD146-/PDGFRB+ (stromal fibroblasts); CD146-/PDGFRB- (mixed population) then subjected to gene expression analysis on Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays, and differentially expressed genes compared between eMSC, stromal fibroblast, and endothelial cell populations. Ninety-two genes were validated by multiplex quantitative RT-PCR on seventy of these sorted cell populations. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the perivascular location of eMSCs.Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering showed eMSC clustering discretely near stromal fibroblasts and separately from endothelial cells. eMSC expressed pericyte markers and genes involved hypoxia response, inflammation, proteolysis, and angiogenesis/vasculogenesis – all relevant to endometrial tissue breakdown and regeneration. Additionally, eMSC displayed distinct gene profiles for cell-cell communication and regulation of gene expression. Overall, the phenotype of the eMSC is that of a multipotent pericyte responsive to hypoxic, proteolytic, and inflammatory stimuli, able to induce angiogenesis, migrate and differentiate into lineage cells, and potentially respond to estradiol and progesterone. Identifying the pathways and gene families described herein in the context of the endometrial niche, will be valuable in understanding normal and abnormal endometrial development in utero and differentiation in adult uterus. The multipotent, perivascular endometrial mesenchymal stem cell has a “niche phenotype” of high Notch, TGFB, IGF, and Hedgehog and low canonical/non-canonical Wnt and EGF signaling.

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Transcriptomic profiling of endometrial and dermal mesenchymal stromal cells before and after treatment with menstrual fluid

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