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Matsumoto Y, Ikeda S, Kimura T, Ono K, Ashida N. Col1α2-Cre-mediated recombination occurs in various cell types due to Cre expression in epiblasts. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22483. [PMID: 38110549 PMCID: PMC10728165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50053-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cre-LoxP system has been commonly used for cell-specific genetic manipulation. However, many Cre strains exhibit excision activity in unexpected cell types or tissues. Therefore, it is important to identify the cell types in which recombination takes place. Fibroblasts are a cell type that is inadequately defined due to a lack of specific markers to detect the entire cell lineage. Here, we investigated the Cre recombination induced by Col1α2-iCre, one of the most common fibroblast-mesenchymal Cre driver lines, by using a double-fluorescent Cre reporter line in which GFP is expressed when recombination occurs. Our results indicated that Col1α2-iCre activity was more extensive across cell types than previously reported: Col1α2-iCre-mediated recombination was found in not only cells of mesenchymal origin but also those of other lineages, including haematopoietic cells, myocardial cells, lung and intestinal epithelial cells, and neural cells. In addition, study of embryos revealed that recombination by Col1α2-iCre was observed in the early developmental stage before gastrulation in epiblasts, which would account for the recombination across various cell types in adult mice. These results offer more insights into the activity of Col1α2-iCre and suggest that experimental results obtained using Col1α2-iCre should be carefully interpreted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzuru Matsumoto
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shinya Ikeda
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kimura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
- Hirakata Kohsai Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koh Ono
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Noboru Ashida
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan.
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Schuster R, Younesi F, Ezzo M, Hinz B. The Role of Myofibroblasts in Physiological and Pathological Tissue Repair. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:cshperspect.a041231. [PMID: 36123034 PMCID: PMC9808581 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts are the construction workers of wound healing and repair damaged tissues by producing and organizing collagen/extracellular matrix (ECM) into scar tissue. Scar tissue effectively and quickly restores the mechanical integrity of lost tissue architecture but comes at the price of lost tissue functionality. Fibrotic diseases caused by excessive or persistent myofibroblast activity can lead to organ failure. This review defines myofibroblast terminology, phenotypic characteristics, and functions. We will focus on the central role of the cell, ECM, and tissue mechanics in regulating tissue repair by controlling myofibroblast action. Additionally, we will discuss how therapies based on mechanical intervention potentially ameliorate wound healing outcomes. Although myofibroblast physiology and pathology affect all organs, we will emphasize cutaneous wound healing and hypertrophic scarring as paradigms for normal tissue repair versus fibrosis. A central message of this review is that myofibroblasts can be activated from multiple cell sources, varying with local environment and type of injury, to either restore tissue integrity and organ function or create an inappropriate mechanical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Schuster
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3E2 Ontario, Canada
| | - Fereshteh Younesi
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3E2 Ontario, Canada.,Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Maya Ezzo
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3E2 Ontario, Canada.,Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Boris Hinz
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3E2 Ontario, Canada.,Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
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3
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Zeltz C, Navab R, Heljasvaara R, Kusche-Gullberg M, Lu N, Tsao MS, Gullberg D. Integrin α11β1 in tumor fibrosis: more than just another cancer-associated fibroblast biomarker? J Cell Commun Signal 2022; 16:649-660. [PMID: 35378690 PMCID: PMC8978763 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-022-00673-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is currently an increased interest in understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in tumor growth and progression. In this context the role of integrins in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) will need to be carefully re-evaluated. Fibroblast-derived cells are not only in the focus in tumors, but also in tissue fibrosis as well as in inflammatory conditions. The recent transcriptional profiling of what has been called "the pan-fibroblast cell lineage" in mouse and human tissues has identified novel transcriptional biomarker mRNAs encoding the secreted ECM proteins dermatopontin and collagen XV as well as the phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein Pi16. Some of the genes identified in these fibroblasts scRNA-seq datasets will be useful for rigorous comparative characterizations of fibroblast-derived cell subpopulations. At the same time, it will be a challenge in the coming years to validate these transcriptional mRNA datasets at the protein-(expression) and at tissue-(distribution) levels and to find useful protein biomarker reagents that will facilitate fibroblast profiling at the cell level. In the current review we will focus on the role of the collagen-binding integrin α11β1 in CAFs, summarizing our own work as well as published datasets with information on α11 mRNA expression in selected tumors. Our experimental data suggest that α11β1 is more than just another biomarker and that it as a functional collagen receptor in the TME is playing a central role in regulating collagen assembly and matrix remodeling, which in turn impact tumor growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Zeltz
- Department of Biomedicine, Matrix Biology Group, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Roya Navab
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ritva Heljasvaara
- Oulu Center for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Marion Kusche-Gullberg
- Department of Biomedicine, Matrix Biology Group, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ning Lu
- Department of Biomedicine, Matrix Biology Group, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ming-Sound Tsao
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Donald Gullberg
- Department of Biomedicine, Matrix Biology Group, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
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4
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Sawant M, Hinz B, Schönborn K, Zeinert I, Eckes B, Krieg T, Schuster R. A story of fibers and stress: Matrix-embedded signals for fibroblast activation in the skin. Wound Repair Regen 2021; 29:515-530. [PMID: 34081361 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Our skin is continuously exposed to mechanical challenge, including shear, stretch, and compression. The extracellular matrix of the dermis is perfectly suited to resist these challenges and maintain integrity of normal skin even upon large strains. Fibroblasts are the key cells that interpret mechanical and chemical cues in their environment to turnover matrix and maintain homeostasis in the skin of healthy adults. Upon tissue injury, fibroblasts and an exclusive selection of other cells become activated into myofibroblasts with the task to restore skin integrity by forming structurally imperfect but mechanically stable scar tissue. Failure of myofibroblasts to terminate their actions after successful repair or upon chronic inflammation results in dysregulated myofibroblast activities which can lead to hypertrophic scarring and/or skin fibrosis. After providing an overview on the major fibrillar matrix components in normal skin, we will interrogate the various origins of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the skin. We then examine the role of the matrix as signaling hub and how fibroblasts respond to mechanical matrix cues to restore order in the confusing environment of a healing wound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mugdha Sawant
- Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Boris Hinz
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Katrin Schönborn
- Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Isabel Zeinert
- Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Beate Eckes
- Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Krieg
- Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ronen Schuster
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,PhenomicAI, MaRS Centre, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Canada
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Extracellular matrix remodeling associated with bleomycin-induced lung injury supports pericyte-to-myofibroblast transition. Matrix Biol Plus 2020; 10:100056. [PMID: 34195593 PMCID: PMC8233458 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2020.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Of the many origins of pulmonary myofibroblasts, microvascular pericytes are a known source. Prior literature has established the ability of pericytes to transition into myofibroblasts, but provide limited insight into molecular cues that drive this process during lung injury repair and fibrosis. Fibronectin and RGD-binding integrins have long been considered pro-fibrotic factors in myofibroblast biology, and here we test the hypothesis that these known myofibroblast cues coordinate pericyte-to-myofibroblast transitions. Specifically, we hypothesized that αvβ3 integrin engagement on fibronectin induces pericyte transition into myofibroblastic phenotypes in the murine bleomycin lung injury model. Myosin Heavy Chain 11 (Myh11)-CreERT2 lineage tracing in transgenic mice allows identification of cells of pericyte origin and provides a robust tool for isolating pericytes from tissues for further evaluation. We used this murine model to track and characterize pericyte behaviors during tissue repair. The majority of Myh11 lineage-positive cells are positive for the pericyte surface markers, PDGFRβ (55%) and CD146 (69%), and display typical pericyte morphology with spatial apposition to microvascular networks. After intratracheal bleomycin treatment of mice, Myh11 lineage-positive cells showed significantly increased contractile and secretory markers, as well as αv integrin expression. According to RNASeq measurements, many disease and tissue-remodeling genesets were upregulated in Myh11 lineage-positive cells in response to bleomycin-induced lung injury. In vitro, blocking αvβ3 binding through cycloRGDfK prevented expression of the myofibroblastic marker αSMA relative to controls. In response to RGD-containing provisional matrix proteins present in lung injury, pericytes may alter their integrin profile. Pericyte lineage model enables study of transdifferentiating pericytes. High dimensional flow cytometry used to characterize pulmonary stromal cells Pulmonary pericytes express matrix-remodeling genes and proteins in lung injury. Myofibroblasts derived from pericytes have active αvβ3 integrin. In vitro assay reveals necessity of RGD for pericyte transdifferentiation.
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