Abstract
Different cell types have different N-glycomes in mammals. This means that cellular differentiation is accompanied by changes in the N-glycan profile. Yet when the N-glycomes of cell types with differing fates diverge is unclear. We have investigated the N-glycan profiles of two different clonal populations of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). One clone (Y101), when differentiated into osteoblasts, showed a marked shift in the glycan profile toward a higher abundance of complex N-glycans and more core fucosylation. Yet chemical inhibition of complex glycan formation during osteogenic differentiation did not prevent the formation of functional osteoblasts. However, the N-glycan profile of another MSC clone (Y202), which cannot differentiate into osteoblasts, was not significantly different from that of the clone that can. Interestingly, incubation of Y202 cells in osteogenic medium caused a similar reduction of oligomannose glycan content in this non-differentiating cell line. Our analysis implies that the N-glycome changes seen upon differentiation do not have direct functional links to the differentiation process. Thus N-glycans may instead be important for self-renewal rather than for cell fate determination.
Highlights
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that contains both adult multipotent and immunomodulatory cell types (Nauta and Fibbe, 2007)
A previous glycomic study concluded that oligomannose glycans are more abundant in parental stem cells than in their differentiated osteoblasts (Heiskanen et al, 2009)
Our study provides a detailed quantitative comparison of the MSC and osteoblast glycan profiles of clonal lines made possible by the filter-aided N-glycan separation (FANGS) method
Summary
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that contains both adult multipotent and immunomodulatory cell types (Nauta and Fibbe, 2007). They can be isolated from several locations in the human body by exploiting their ability to adhere to plastic. MSCs can be induced to differentiate into bone, cartilage or fat cells, but not all the cells in a heterogeneous primary isolate behave the same way during a differentiation experiment. The characterization of different MSC lines derived from primary cells would benefit from the elucidation of further defining molecular features
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
