Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by bleomycin or TFG_b1/EGF in murine induced pluripotent stem cell-derived alveolar Type II-like cells

Authors

Zaida A. Alipio, Nevada Cancer Institute
Nathan Jones, Nevada Cancer Institute
Wenbin Liao, SUNY at Stony Brook
Jianchang Yang, Nevada Cancer Institute
Shilpa Kulkarni, Uniformed Services University
K. Sree Kumar, Uniformed Services University
Martin Hauer-Jensen, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
David C. Ward, University of Hawaii Cancer Center
Yupo Ma, SUNY at Stony Brook
Louis M. Fink, Nevada Cancer InstituteFollow

Date of this Version

2011

Comments

Published in Differentiation 82 (2011) 89–98; doi:10.1016/j.diff.2011.05.001

Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are derived from reprogrammed somatic cells and are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells in morphology, gene/protein expression, and pluripotency. In this study, we explored the potential of iPS cells to differentiate into alveolar Type II (ATII)-like epithelial cells. Analysis using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining showed that pulmonary surfactant proteins commonly expressed by ATII cells such as surfactant protein A (SPA), surfactant protein B (SPB), and surfactant protein C (SPC) were unpregulated in the differentiated cells. Microphilopodia characteristics and lamellar bodies were observed by transmission electron microscopy and lipid deposits were verified by Nile Red and Periodic Acid Schiff staining. C3 complement protein, a specific feature of ATII cells, was present at high levels in culture supernatants demonstrating functionality of these cells in culture. These data show that the differentialted cells generated from iPS cells using a culture method developed previously (Rippon et al., 2006) are ATII-like cells.

To further characterize these ATII-like cells, we tested whether they could undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by exposure to drugs that induce lung fibrosis in mice, such as bleomycin, and the combination of transforming growth factor beta` (TGF_b1) and epideraml growth factor (EGF). When the ATII-like cells were exposed to either bleomycin or a TGF_b1-EGF cocktail, they underwent phenotypic changes including acquisition of a mesenchymal/fibroblastic morphology, unregulation of mesenchymal markers (Col1, VIM, a-Sma, and S100A4), and downregulation of surgactant proteins and E-cadherin.

We have shown that ATII-like cells can be derived from skin fibroblasts and that they respond to fibrotic stimuli. These cells provide a valuable tool for screening of agents that can potentially ameliorate or prevent diseases involving lung fibrosis.