Tracing the Fate of Limbal Epithelial Progenitor Cells in the Murine Cornea

摘要: Stem cell (SC) division, deployment, and differentiation are processes that contribute to corneal epithelial renewal. Until now studying the destiny of these cells in a living mammal has not been possible. However, advent inducible multicolor genetic tagging powerful imaging technologies rendered this achievable translucent readily accessible murine cornea. K14CreER(T2)-Confetti mice harbor two copies Brainbow 2.1 cassette, yielding up 10 colors from stochastic recombination fluorescent proteins, were used monitor K-14(+) progenitor dynamics within epithelium live animals. Multicolored columns emerged basal limbal as they expanded migrated linearly at rate 10.8 µm/day toward central Moreover, permanent expression fluorophores, passed on progeny, assisted discriminating individual clones spectrally distinct streaks containing more than 1,000 illuminated area. The centripetal clonal expansion is suggestive single responsible for maintaining narrow corridor cells. Our data agreement with limbus repository SC opposed being distributed throughout This first report describing stem/progenitor fate determination cornea using tracing. model represents new resource kinetics choice under homeostatic conditions, may assist assessing evolution during development, aging, wound-healing, disease, following transplantation.