Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, United States.
Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, United States.
Arch Oral Biol. 2019 Jan;97:122-130. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2018.10.017. Epub 2018 Oct 22.
The objective of this study was to characterize the mechanism by which salivary gland cells (SGC) aggregate in vitro.
Timelapse microscopy was utilized to analyze the process of salivary gland aggregate formation using both primary murine and human salivary gland cells. The role of cell density, proliferation, extracellular calcium, and secretory acinar cells in aggregate formation was investigated. Finally, the ability of cells isolated from irradiated glands to form aggregates was also evaluated.
Salivary gland cell self-organization rather than proliferation was the predominant mechanism of aggregate formation in both primary mouse and human salivary gland cultures. Aggregation was found to require extracellular calcium while acinar lineage cells account for ∼80% of the total aggregate cell population. Finally, aggregation was not impaired by irradiation.
The data reveal that aggregation occurs as a result of heterogeneous salivary gland cell self-organization rather than from stem cell proliferation and differentiation, contradicting previous dogma. These results suggest a re-evaluation of aggregate formation as a criterion defining salivary gland stem cells.
本研究旨在描述唾液腺细胞（SGC）体外聚集的机制。
利用延时显微镜分析了使用原代鼠和人唾液腺细胞的唾液腺聚集形成过程。研究了细胞密度、增殖、细胞外钙和分泌腺泡细胞在聚集形成中的作用。最后，还评估了来自辐射腺体的细胞形成聚集的能力。
唾液腺细胞的自我组织而不是增殖是原代鼠和人唾液腺培养物中聚集形成的主要机制。聚集需要细胞外钙，而腺泡谱系细胞占总聚集细胞群体的约 80%。最后，辐射并没有损害聚集。
数据显示，聚集是由于异质唾液腺细胞的自我组织而不是干细胞的增殖和分化所致，这与先前的教条相悖。这些结果表明，需要重新评估聚集形成作为定义唾液腺干细胞的标准。
