Monoclonal Antibodies 13A4 and AC133 Do Not Recognize the Canine Ortholog of Mouse and Human Stem Cell Antigen Prominin-1 (CD133).

The pentaspan membrane glycoprotein prominin-1 (CD133) is widely used in medicine as a cell surface marker of stem and cancer stem cells. It has opened new avenues in stem cell-based regenerative therapy and oncology. This molecule is largely used with human samples or the mouse model, and consequently most biological tools including antibodies are directed against human and murine prominin-1.

Spatial distribution of prominin-1 (CD133)-positive cells within germinative zones of the vertebrate brain.

Background: In mammals, embryonic neural progenitors as well as adult neural stem cells can be prospectively isolated based on the cell surface expression of prominin-1 (CD133), a plasma membrane glycoprotein. In contrast, characterization of neural progenitors in non-mammalian vertebrates endowed with significant constitutive neurogenesis and inherent self-repair ability is hampered by the lack of suitable cell surface markers. Here, we have investigated whether prominin-1-orthologues of the major non-mammalian vertebrate model organisms show any degree of conservation as for their association with neurogenic geminative zones within the central nervous system (CNS) as they do in mammals or associated with activated neural progenitors during provoked neurogenesis in the regenerating CNS.

Distinct and conserved prominin-1/CD133-positive retinal cell populations identified across species.

Besides being a marker of various somatic stem cells in mammals, prominin-1 (CD133) plays a role in maintaining the photoreceptor integrity since mutations in the PROM1 gene are linked with retinal degeneration. In spite of that, little information is available regarding its distribution in eyes of non-mammalian vertebrates endowed with high regenerative abilities. To address this subject, prominin-1 cognates were isolated from axolotl, zebrafish and chicken, and their retinal compartmentalization was investigated and compared to that of their mammalian orthologue.

Sox9 expression of alginate-encapsulated chondrocytes is stimulated by low cell density.

Recent research in tissue engineering for the treatment of cartilage defects have demonstrated that matrix-biomaterial, cell culture conditions, and cytokine-related factors influence the chondrogenic differentiation pattern, especially for the expression of matrix genes. However, little is known about the impact of cell seeding density in a three-dimensional environment on the key chondrogenic transcription factor Sox9. Here we investigated, whether the cell concentration of alginate encapsulated chondrocytes influences the Sox9 expression.