Mesoangioblasts from Ventricular Vessels Can Differentiate in Vitro Into Cardiac Myocytes with Sinoatrial-Like Properties
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Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 48 (2010) 415–423 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/yjmcc Original article Mesoangioblasts from ventricular vessels can differentiate in vitro into cardiac myocytes with sinoatrial-like properties Andrea Barbuti a,b,⁎, Beatriz G. Galvez c, Alessia Crespi a, Angela Scavone a, Mirko Baruscotti a,b, Chiara Brioschi a, Giulio Cossu c,d, Dario DiFrancesco a,b a Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, The PaceLab, University of Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy b Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata (CIMMBA), University of Milan, Italy c Stem Cell Research Institute, San Raffaele Hospital, via Olgettina, 20132 Milan, Italy d University of Milano, Department of Biology, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy article info abstract Article history: Cardiac mesoangioblasts (MABs) are a class of vessel-associated clonogenic, self-renewing progenitor cells, Received 17 June 2009 recently identified in the post-natal murine heart and committed to cardiac differentiation. Cardiomyocytes Received in revised form 7 September 2009 generated during cardiogenesis from progenitor cells acquire several distinct phenotypes, corresponding to Accepted 2 October 2009 different functional properties in diverse structures of the adult heart. Given the special functional relevance Available online 22 October 2009 to rhythm generation and rate control of sinoatrial cells, and in view of their prospective use in therapeutical applications, we sought to determine if, and to what extent, cardiac mesoangioblasts could also differentiate Keywords: Adult stem cells into myocytes with properties typical of mature pacemaker myocytes. We report here that a subpopulation Mesoangioblasts of cardiac mesoangioblasts, induced to differentiate in vitro into cardiomyocytes, do acquire a phenotype Pacemaker myocytes with specific mature pacemaker myocytes properties. These include expression of the HCN4 isoform of Funny current pacemaker (“funny”, f-) channels and connexin 45 (Cx45), as well as reduced expression of inwardly- HCN channels rectifying potassium channels. Furthermore, MAB-derived myocytes form agglomerates of pacing cells displaying stable rhythmic activity, and as in native cardiac pacemaker cells, f-channel modulation by autonomic transmitters contributes to control of spontaneous rate in differentiated mesoangioblasts. These data represent the first evidence for in vitro generation of pacemaker-like myocytes from proliferating non- embryonic stem/progenitor cells. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction [9] and cardiac muscle [10], where they were shown to differentiate mainly to skeletal and cardiac myocytes, respectively. During cardiac embryogenesis, common early cardiac precursors In this latter study, we have shown that ventricle-derived and aorta- differentiate into diverse cardiovascular cell types according to derived MABs can differentiate spontaneously into contracting cardio- specificgeneprograms[1,2], and some of the transcriptional myocytes expressing cardiac-specific proteins and ion channels. During networks whose activation is linked to specification of different development cardiac precursors acquire different phenotypes, with cardiomyocytes have been elucidated [3,4]. specific functional features [11–13]. An important distinction exists Study of embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation, which recapi- between cells of the cardiac pacemaker/conduction tissue, whose tulates early cardiac development, has shown generation of multiple contribution is mainly electrical (i.e. generation and propagation of the cardiac phenotypes from common progenitors [5,6]. Adult cardiac action potential) and the working myocardium, whose main function is stem cells, on the other hand, generate cardiomyocytes of the working to respond to electrical stimuli with a contraction. muscle [7], but their ability to give rise to multiple cardiac phenotypes An obvious question arising from the finding that cardiac MABs has not yet been demonstrated. express typical cardiac progenitor markers and have a high prolifera- MABs are vessel-associated, progenitor cells originally isolated in tive potency, is whether their differentiation gives rise to multiple the embryonic aorta as clonogenic, self-renewing and multipotent cardiac phenotypes. We specifically asked if, and to what extent, cells [8]. Recently, similar cells have been identified in adult skeletal MABs could differentiate into cardiomyocytes with a mature pacemaker/conduction tissue phenotype. Our investigation was prompted by the preliminary observation that spontaneous activity ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology was often seen to arise in a fraction of differentiating MABs. University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy. Tel.: +39 02 50314941; fax: +39 02 50314932. We found that in both ventricle-derived and aorta-derived MAB E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Barbuti). clones, expanded under suitable culture conditions and driven to 0022-2828/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.yjmcc.2009.10.006 416 A. Barbuti et al. / Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 48 (2010) 415–423 differentiate in vitro into cardiomyocytes, a subpopulation of cells vector (Invitrogen). The constitutive promoter PCMV was then does possess features typical of mature pacemaker myocytes, such as removed (AseI/XhoI) to obtain the promoterless cGATA-6/GFP vector. spontaneous electrical activity, expression of HCN channels and Undifferentiated cardiac mesoangioblasts were transfected by connexin 45 (Cx45) and lack of the inward rectifying IK1 current. lipofectamine reagents (following manufacturer instructions) with the GATA6-GFP vector. Since GFP would be expressed only in cells that 2. Materials and methods actively transcribe the GATA-6 gene, cells were co-transfected with the pIREs2a-DsRed2 plasmid in order to evaluate transfection 2.1. Isolation and expansion of stem cells from murine ventricular vessels efficiency. The methods used for the identification, isolation, expansion of 2.5. Immunofluorescence and confocal analysis cardiac mesoangioblasts were as previously described [10]. Briefly, 2- to 4-week-old C57 mice were sacrificed and the hearts quickly removed. For immunofluorescence analysis, cells were grown onto 1% Ventricles were kept in DMEM without FCS and cut into small pieces gelatin-coated glass coverslips and fixed in formaldehyde (4%) for including large vessels. Pieces were placed in 1% gelatin B (Sigma)- 10 min on ice, and then rinsed for 20 min with PBS containing 0.1 mol/L coated 35 mm petri dishes and kept in DMEM solution supplemented glycine. The cells were permeabilized in PBS solution containing 1% with 20% FBS, 5 mmol/L L-glutamine and 100 U/mL penicillin, BSA and 0.3% Triton X-100 and incubated overnight at 4 °C with 0.07 mmol/L streptomycin at 37 °C (5% CO2). After 2–3weeks,ontop primary antibodies (anti-myosin slow 1:500, Sigma; anti-GATA-6 of a layer of fibroblast–like cells, small, round, phase-bright cells were 1:100, Abcam; anti-connexin 43 1:50, Chemicon; anti-connexin 45 identifiable. These cells were collected and progressively expanded as 1:50, Chemicon; anti-HCN1-4, 1:100, Alomone Labs, anti-β1 and anti- separate clones in 10% FBS-DMEM maintaining medium. β2 adrenergic receptors 1:200 and anti-muscarinic M2 receptors All experimental protocols conformed to guidelines for the care 1:200, Santa Cruz). Coverslips were then washed in PBS and incubated and use of laboratory animals as established by State (D.L. 116/1992) for 1 hour with fluorophore-conjugated secondary antibodies (anti and European directives (86/609/CEE). mouse-TRITC, anti rabbit-FITC, 1:1000, Molecular Probes; anti mouse- Cy5, 1:1000, Chemicon). When needed, rhodamin–phalloidin (1 U/ 2.2. Differentiation coverslip, Molecular Probes) was added and the cells were incubated for 30 min at room temperature. Primary and secondary antibodies Spontaneous differentiation was induced by lowering serum (FCS) were diluted in PBS. After a final washout with PBS, coverslips were concentration in the growth medium (DMEM) from 10% to 2%. After mounted with Vectashield mounting medium with DAPI (Vector). 5 days of culture in differentiating medium most clones showed a high Fluorescence staining was analyzed by Video Confocal microscopy degree of cardiac differentiation based on myosin staining, and a few (ViCo Nikon). To test whether HCN2 and HCN1 antibodies were clones displayed several foci of spontaneously beating cells. Two functional, controls were performed in CHO cells transfected with the ventricle-derived clones (dubbed J2, J8) and an aorta-derived clone (I4) mouse HCN2 isoform and in murine ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes, were selected for further analysis due to their high rate of differentiation respectively, and results were positive; control experiments with into autorhythmic cells; all data presented here refer to these clones. secondary antibodies only were also carried out for all types of antibodies used, and resulted in no staining (data not shown). 2.3. RT-PCR analysis 2.6. Electrophysiology and data analysis RT-PCR analysis was carried out in both undifferentiated and differentiated MABs; in the latter case cells were kept in differenti- Action potentials were recorded from uniformly beating cell ation conditions for at least 5