Isolation and gene screening for collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblasts and non-collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblasts / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To isolate the collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblast (CPSF) and non-collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblast (nCPSF) and to identify their differentially expressed genes.
@*METHODS@#The CPSF and nCPSF was isolated by using collagen-fluorescein-isothiocynate-latex bead (COL-FITC-LB) phagocytosis technique and FCM sorting method. Microarray analysis was used to screen the differentially expressed genes, which were verified by real-time PCR. 
@*RESULTS@#CPSF and nCPSF was successfully isolated. Seventeen differentially expressed genes were identified. Compared with nCPSF, the expression of 12 or 5 genes was up-regulated or down-regulated in CPSF. Three of the 12 up-regulated genes were urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-associated protein (uPARAP), cytochrome b-245, beta polypeptide (CYBB) and Hook homolog 1 (HOOK1), which were confirmed by real-time PCR. uPARAP mRNA expression level in CPSF was 2788 times of that in nCPSF. CYBB mRNA expression in CPSF was only 0.85 times of that in nCPSF. HOOK1 mRNA expression in CPSF was 1.96 times of that in nCPSF (P<0.05). 
@*CONCLUSION@#A novel method is successfully established to isolate CPSF and nCPSF. uPARAP is the main differentially expressed gene in CPSF and nCPSF, which is obviously involved in the fibroblast collagen phagocytosis. It might be a potential biomarker for treatment of collagen diseases.