Expression profiling of Ebf2- and Ebf2- stromal cells in mouse bone marrow

To identify the true molecular features of the Ebf2+ cells, we performed microarray analysis of freshly sorted CD45-TER119-Ebf2+ and Ebf2- cells. This allowed for the detection of 1968 genes that were 2-fold differentially expressed in Ebf2+ and Ebf2- cells. Among these, 1075 genes were upregulated and 893 genes including Ebf2, were downregulated in the Ebf2- as compared to the Ebf2+ cells. These include Nov, Fmod, Ndn, Dcn, Ctgf, Angiopoietin like-1(Angptl1), Fn1 and Jag1, some of which has been reported to be expressed in culture-selected MSCs. Furthermore, consistent with antigen expression analysis by FACS, the Ebf2+ cells highly expressed transcripts of Pdgfra, Pdgfrb, Sca1/Ly6a, Thy1 and Itga7 and Itgav, that have been suggested to be linked to MSCs. Nestin was mainly expressed in the Ebf2+ cells whereas it was hardly detectable in the Ebf2- cells. Altogether, molecularly, the Ebf2+ cells displayed features of a MSC.

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Qian H, Badaloni A, Chiara F, Stjernberg J, Polisetti N, Nihlberg K, Consalez GG, Sigvardsson M