

Nat Cell Biol
Publication Year: 
Yuval Rinkevich
Taisuke Mori
Debashis Sahoo
Pin-Xian Xu
John R Jr Bermingham
Irving L Weissman
PubMed link: 
Public Summary: 
Fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells are the main cell types that produce and remodel the connective tissue–the substances that support, connect, and separate different types of tissues and organs in the body. Although these cell types are important in embryonic development and the normal functioning of organs, their origins in the embryo are not completely defined. Here, we show that the mesothelium can develop these two cell types. The mesothelium is a layer of tissue that covers all the internal organs on their outer surfaces. We have shown by live imaging and transplantation experiments that mesothelium generates fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. We identified mesothelin as a protein on the mesothelium. Using a chemical that specifically binds to mesothelin, we were able to separate mesothelial cells from larger populations of mixed cells and demonstrate they could generate, in a culture dish, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. These mesothelin-expressing cells, when tracked with a label in the mouse embryo, gave rise to fibroblasts, all smooth muscle cells, and blood vessels within the internal organs. The isolation of these precursors of fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells may allow for their use in regenerative medicine and expands our ability to study and understand these precursors and their progeny.
Scientific Abstract: 