Lessons from human umbilical cord: gender differences in stem cells from Wharton's jelly

Francesca Balzano; Emanuela Bellu; Valentina Basoli; Silvia Dei Giudici; Sara Santaniello; Sara Cruciani; Federica Facchin; Annalisa Oggiano; Giampiero Capobianco; Francesco Dessole; Carlo Ventura; Salvatore Dessole; Margherita Maioli

doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.12.028

Lessons from human umbilical cord: gender differences in stem cells from Wharton's jelly

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2019 Mar:234:143-148. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.12.028. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems - Eldor Lab, Innovation Accelerator, CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems - Eldor Lab, Innovation Accelerator, CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems - Eldor Lab, Innovation Accelerator, CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Speciality Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Via Vienna 2, Sassari 07100, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Department of Medical, Surgical and experimental Sciences, Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Medical, Surgical and experimental Sciences, Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems - Eldor Lab, Innovation Accelerator, CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Department of Medical, Surgical and experimental Sciences, Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹³ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems - Eldor Lab, Innovation Accelerator, CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; Center for Developmental Biology and Reprogramming- CEDEBIOR, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100, Sassari, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 30690190
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.12.028

Abstract

Objective: To study the molecular features of mesenchymal stem cells from Wharton Jelly (WJ-MSCs) of umbilical cord to predict their differentiation capacity.

Design: Comparison of gene expression from mesenchymal stem cells of male and female umbilical cord SETTING: University hospital PATIENT (S): umbilical cords (n = 12, 6 males and 6 females) retrieved from spontaneous full-term vaginal delivery of healthy women INTERVENTION: we analyzed the expression of the stemness related genes C-MYC, OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG and of the epigenetic modulating gene DNA-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1).

Mean outcome measure: WJ-MSCs were isolated by standard procedures and immunophenotypically characterized. Gene expression analysis of stemness related genes and the epigenetic modulating gene DNMT1 were performed by real-time PCR RESULTS: expression of the OCT4 and DNMT1 genes was significantly higher in WJ- MSCs isolated from male subjects, as compared to MSCs isolated from female-derived WJ. The resulting higher expression of OCT4 and DNMT1 in WJ-MSCs from males as compared with female WJ-MSCs for the first time identifies a specific relationship between stemness genes, an epigenetic modulator, and gender differences.

Conclusion: our findings disclose novel biomedical implications in WJ-MSCs related to the sex of the donor, thus providing additional cues to exploit their regenerative potential in allogenic transplantation.

Keywords: Gender; Stem cells; Wharton jelly; epigenetics; pluripotency.

MeSH terms

Cell Differentiation
DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1 / metabolism
Female
Gene Expression / physiology
Genes, myc / physiology
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Male
Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism*
Nanog Homeobox Protein / metabolism
Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / metabolism
Pregnancy
SOXB1 Transcription Factors / metabolism
Sex Characteristics*
Umbilical Cord / cytology*
Vagina
Wharton Jelly / cytology*

Substances

NANOG protein, human
Nanog Homeobox Protein
Octamer Transcription Factor-3
POU5F1 protein, human
SOX2 protein, human
SOXB1 Transcription Factors
DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1
DNMT1 protein, human