X inactivation patterns of closely, but not distantly, related cells are highly correlated: little evidence for stem cell plasticity in normal females

Mark Adrian Vickers, Sarah Jane Canning, Wendy Laura Craig, N. M. Masson, I. J. Wilson

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1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The early, random nature of X inactivation should cause related cells to have similar, but distinctive, active X chromosomes. We assessed the frequency of stem cell plasticity using X inactivation proportions (XIPs), determined at the human androgen receptor locus, in paired tissue samples from healthy individuals. Tissues sampled were stomach (n = 18 informative females), duodenum (n = 18), colon (n = 10) with corresponding peripheral blood samples (n = 33), and varicose veins (n = 28) with corresponding T cells (n = 26) and peripheral blood granulocytes (n = 25). XIPs from samples thought to have common stem cell origins were highly correlated: multiple samples from single vein, r = .80 (n = 24); T cells versus granulocytes, r = .67 (n = 23); duodenum versus stomach, r = .63 (n = 12). Blood cells and vessels are derived from a common hemangioblast, but XIP correlations were moderate or poor: vein versus T cells, r = .42 (n = 26); vein versus granulocytes, r = .11 (n = 25). X inactivation is believed to be a late process in gut, especially hind-gut, with corresponding independence from blood precursors. Correlations with blood cells were low: stomach, r = .23 (18); duodenum, r = .21 (18); colon, r = .034 (10). Any crossover of stem cells between different organs during adult life should increase correlations with age; no such increase was seen. This study confirms that XIPs can be used to track stem cell populations, provides a theoretical basis for the power of such studies, and indicates that hemopoietic stem cell plasticity is, at most, uncommon in normal humans.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2398-2405
Number of pages7
JournalStem Cells
Volume24
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2006

Keywords

  • biomathematical modeling
  • T cells
  • stem cell plasticity
  • somatic stem cells
  • pluripotent stem cells
  • multipotential differentiation
  • granulocytes
  • BONE-MARROW-CELLS
  • CHROMOSOME INACTIVATION
  • MOUSE EMBRYO
  • NORMAL WOMEN
  • RATIOS
  • BLOOD
  • AGE
  • HEPATOCYTES
  • TISSUES
  • FUSION

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