The Tcf21 lineage constitutes the lung lipofibroblast populationShow others and affiliations
2019 (English)In: American Journal of Physiology - Lung cellular and Molecular Physiology, ISSN 1040-0605, E-ISSN 1522-1504, Vol. 316, no 5, p. L872-L885Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Transcription factor 21 (Tcf21) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor required for mesenchymal development in several organs. Others have demonstrated that Tcf21 is expressed in embryonic lung mesenchyme and that loss of Tcf21 results in a pulmonary hypoplasia phenotype. Although recent single-cell transcriptome analysis has described multiple mesenchymal cell types in the lung, few have characterized the Tcf21 expressing population. To explore the Tcf21 mesenchymal lineage, we traced Tcf21-expressing cells during embryogenesis and in the adult. Our results showed that Tcf21 progenitor cells at embryonic day (E) 11.5 generated a subpopulation of fibroblasts and lipofibroblasts and a limited number of smooth muscle cells. After E15.5, Tcf21 progenitor cells exclusively become lipofibroblasts and interstitial fibroblasts. Lipid metabolism genes were highly expressed in perinatal and adult Tcf21 lineage cells. Overexpression of Tcf21 in primary neonatal lung fibroblasts led to increases in intracellular neutral lipids, suggesting a regulatory role for Tcf21 in lipofibroblast function. Collectively, our results reveal that Tcf21 expression after E15.5 delineates the lipofibroblast and a population of interstitial fibroblasts. The Tcf21 inducible Cre mouse line provides a novel method for identifying and manipulating the lipofibroblast.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC , 2019. Vol. 316, no 5, p. L872-L885
Keywords [en]
fibroblast; lipofibroblast; lung; perilipin 2; transcription factor 21
National Category
Microbiology in the medical area
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-158367DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00254.2018ISI: 000467997800011PubMedID: 30675802OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-158367DiVA, id: diva2:1333829
Note
Funding Agencies|Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health [P30 GM-114737]; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [HL-074257, HL-144067, HL-100401, F31 HL-126512, F31 HL-128048, T32 HL-115505]; University of Hawaii Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program funding; Hawaii Community Foundation [18ADVC-90699]
2019-07-022019-07-022020-04-30