Function of chemokine (CXC motif) ligand 12 in periodontal ligament fibroblasts

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 5; p. e95676
• Main Authors: Yashiro, Yuichi, Nomura, Yoshiaki, Kanazashi, Mikimoto, Noda, Koji, Hanada, Nobuhiro, Nakamura, Yoshiki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07.05.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis; Annealing; Biology and life sciences; Bone marrow; Cancer; Cell migration; Cell Movement - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Chemokine CXCL12 - metabolism; Chemokines; Collagen; Connective tissues; CXCL12 protein; Dentistry; DNA microarrays; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Gene expression; Growth factors; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Kinases; Ligaments; Ligands; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mesenchyme; Molars; Orthodontics; Periodontal ligament; Periodontal Ligament - cytology; Phosphatase; Polymerase chain reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Skin; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Teeth; Tissues; Young Adult; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095676

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is one of the connective tissues located between the tooth and bone. It is characterized by rapid turnover. Periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) play major roles in the rapid turnover of the PDL. Microarray analysis of human PDLFs (HPDLFs) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) demonstrated markedly high expression of chemokine (CXC motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) in the HPDLFs. CXCL12 plays an important role in the migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The function of CXCL12 in the periodontal ligament was investigated in HPDLFs. Expression of CXCL12 in HPDLFs and HDFs was examined by RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and ELISA. Chemotactic ability of CXCL12 was evaluated in both PDLFs and HDFs by migration assay of MSCs. CXCL12 was also immunohistochemically examined in the PDL in vivo. Expression of CXCL12 in the HPDLFs was much higher than that in HDFs in vitro. Migration assay demonstrated that the number of migrated MSCs by HPDLFs was significantly higher than that by HDFs. In addition, the migrated MSCs also expressed CXCL12 and several genes that are familiar to fibroblasts. CXCL12 was immunohistochemically localized in the fibroblasts in the PDL of rat molars. The results suggest that PDLFs synthesize and secrete CXCL12 protein and that CXCL12 induces migration of MSCs in the PDL in order to maintain rapid turnover of the PDL.