Transcriptome analysis of a FACS-sorted human intersitial cells of Cajal (ICC) [array]

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are electrical pacemakers and mediators of neuromuscular neurotransmission in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) arise within the ICC lineage due to activating KIT/PDGFRA mutations. In this study we developed a method for isolation of human ICC by immunolabeling and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Briefly, human gastric musculature was dissociated and incubated with antibodies against CD45, FCER1A, CD11B, KIT, and CD34. ICC (defined as HP-KIT+CD34- cells), NOT ICC (defined as HP-KIT-CD34- cells), and hematopoietic (HP) cells (defined as HP+ cells) were isolated using FACS. Microarray was performed on ICC, NOT ICC, HP+ cells, and unfractionated gastric tunica muscularis. This study utilized micorarray for the phenotypic characterization of FACS-sorted human ICC, allowing comparison of ICC to other cells of the gastric musculature, including GIST.

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Tang CM, Lee TE, Syed SA, Burgoyne AM, Leonard SY, Gao F, Chan JC, Shi E, Chmielecki J, Morosini D, Wang K, Ross JS, Kendrick ML, Bardsley MR, Siena M, Mao J, Harismendy O, Ordog T, Sicklick JK