Expression of putative markers of pluripotency in equine embryonic and adult tissues.
Authors: Esteves Cristina L, Sharma Ruchi, Dawson Lucy, Taylor Sarah E, Pearson Gemma, Keen John A, McDonald Kieran, Aurich Christine, Donadeu F Xavier
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary Pluripotency markers—molecular indicators of a cell's capacity for self-renewal and differentiation—have been extensively characterised in human and rodent tissues, but their expression patterns in equine cells remain poorly understood. Esteves and colleagues examined seven putative pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, LIN28A, REX1, DNMT3B and TERT) across equine early embryos, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), testicular tissue, adipose- and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), and keratinocytes. As expected, embryos and iPSCs showed the highest transcript expression across all markers; however, expression patterns in adult tissues revealed that only LIN28A, REX1 and TERT were truly pluripotency-restricted in horses, whilst OCT4, NANOG and DNMT3B were also detected in MSCs—suggesting a degree of pluripotency retention in these commonly used therapeutic cell populations. The differential expression of pluripotency markers across tissue types has important implications for stem cell therapy protocols and regenerative medicine applications in equine practice, as it indicates that MSCs may possess greater developmental plasticity than previously assumed, potentially enhancing their therapeutic utility but also warranting careful characterisation before clinical deployment.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This research establishes baseline molecular markers for identifying pluripotent cells in horses, which may support future development of cell-based regenerative therapies for equine tissues
- •The identification of tissue-specific expression patterns could help distinguish between different cell populations and guide selection of appropriate cell sources for therapeutic applications
- •Results suggest that LIN28A, REX1, and TERT are the most reliable markers for confirming pluripotency status in equine cells, though clinical translation remains developmental
Key Findings
- •Pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, LIN28A, REX1, DNMT3B, TERT) showed highest expression in equine embryos and iPSCs compared to all other tissues examined
- •Only LIN28A, REX1, and TERT were exclusively associated with pluripotent cells in horses, making them the most specific markers
- •OCT4, NANOG, and DNMT3B were detectable in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), while other markers were absent or very low in this cell type
- •Testis showed intermediate expression of pluripotency markers—lower than embryos/iPSCs but higher than MSCs (except DNMT3B)