ABSTRACT
Objective • To explore the differences in morphology, molecular characteristics and biological functions of different types of mouse fetal liver stromal cells. Methods • E13.5 mouse fetal liver stromal cells were obtained by adherent culture, and different cell types were distinguished by morphology and expression of surface markers, such as CD44, CD29, CD106, CD45 and Sca-1. Then microarray assay was conducted by Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Array and analyzed at P3 or <-2 to identify differential expression genes. Canonical pathway and biological function analyses were performed by using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA software). Results • Spindle-like (CD45+CD106-CD29+CD44+Sca-1-) and fibroblast-like (CD45-CD106+CD29+CD44+Sca-1-) fetal liver stromal cells were isolated in this study according to the cell morphology. The 1 485 highly-expressed genes in spindle-like cells mainly involved in immune and inflammation-related signaling pathways; while the 3 374 highly-expressed genes in fibroblast-like cells mainly involved in extracellular matrix formation and cellular adhesion. Conclusion • Mouse fetal liver stromal cells have strong heterogeneity in biological characteristics and functions, especially in hematopoietic promoting capability.