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PMID: 2424919 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Differentiation-related expression of a major 64K corneal keratin in vivo and in culture suggests limbal location of corneal epithelial stem cells.

The Journal of cell biology ·Vol. 103 ·No. 1 ·1986-07-00 ·Pages 49-62

Schermer A, Galvin S, Sun TT

Abstract

In this paper we present keratin expression data that lend strong support to a model of corneal epithelial maturation in which the stem cells are located in the limbus, the transitional zone between cornea and conjunctiva. Using a new monoclonal antibody, AE5, which is highly specific for a 64,000-mol-wt corneal keratin, designated RK3, we demonstrate that this keratin is localized in all cell layers of rabbit corneal epithelium, but only in the suprabasal layers of the limbal epithelium. Analysis of cultured corneal keratinocytes showed that they express sequentially three major keratin pairs. Early cultures consisting of a monolayer of "basal" cells express mainly the 50/58K keratins, exponentially growing cells synthesize additional 48/56K keratins, and postconfluent, heavily stratified cultures begin to express the 55/64K corneal keratins. Cell separation experiments showed that basal cells isolated from postconfluent cultures contain predominantly the 50/58K pair, whereas suprabasal cells contain additional 55/64K and 48/56K pairs. Basal cells of the older, postconfluent cultures, however, can become AE5 positive, indicating that suprabasal location is not a prerequisite for the expression of the 64K keratin. Taken together, these results suggest that the acidic 55K and basic 64K keratins represent markers for an advanced stage of corneal epithelial differentiation. The fact that epithelial basal cells of central cornea but not those of the limbus possess the 64K keratin therefore indicates that corneal basal cells are in a more differentiated state than limbal basal cells. These findings, coupled with the known centripetal migration of corneal epithelial cells, strongly suggest that corneal epithelial stem cells are located in the limbus, and that corneal basal cells correspond to "transient amplifying cells" in the scheme of "stem cells----transient amplifying cells----terminally differentiated cells."

MeSH Terms
Animals Antibodies, Monoclonal Cell Differentiation Cell Movement Cells, Cultured Cornea/cytology Epithelial Cells Fluorescent Antibody Technique Isoelectric Point Keratins/genetics,immunology,metabolism Mitosis Molecular Weight Rabbits Stem Cells/cytology
Chemicals
Antibodies, Monoclonal Keratins
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Schermer A
Galvin S
Sun T T
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61 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of cell biology
Abbr.
J Cell Biol
ISSN
0021-9525
DOI
10.1083/jcb.103.1.49
Published
1986-07-00
Pages
49-62
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0375356
PMCID
PMC2113783
Subset
IM
Grants
NIADDK NIH HHS · AM35411 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · CA33514 · United States
NEI NIH HHS · EY04722 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1083/jcb.103.1.49 PMC Full Text View journal details
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