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SOX2 Regulates P63 and Stem/Progenitor Cell State in the Corneal Epithelium.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Bhattacharya, Swarnabh 
Serror, Laura 
Nir, Eshkar 
Dhiraj, Dalbir 
Altshuler, Anna 

Abstract

Mutations in key transcription factors SOX2 and P63 were linked with developmental defects and postnatal abnormalities such as corneal opacification, neovascularization, and blindness. The latter phenotypes suggest that SOX2 and P63 may be involved in corneal epithelial regeneration. Although P63 has been shown to be a key regulator of limbal stem cells, the expression pattern and function of SOX2 in the adult cornea remained unclear. Here, we show that SOX2 regulates P63 to control corneal epithelial stem/progenitor cell function. SOX2 and P63 were co-expressed in the stem/progenitor cell compartments of the murine cornea in vivo and in undifferentiated human limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells in vitro. In line, a new consensus site that allows SOX2-mediated regulation of P63 enhancer was identified while repression of SOX2 reduced P63 expression, suggesting that SOX2 is upstream to P63. Importantly, knockdown of SOX2 significantly attenuated cell proliferation, long-term colony-forming potential of stem/progenitor cells, and induced robust cell differentiation. However, this effect was reverted by forced expression of P63, suggesting that SOX2 acts, at least in part, through P63. Finally, miR-450b was identified as a direct repressor of SOX2 that was required for SOX2/P63 downregulation and cell differentiation. Altogether, we propose that SOX2/P63 pathway is an essential regulator of corneal stem/progenitor cells while mutations in SOX2 or P63 may disrupt epithelial regeneration, leading to loss of corneal transparency and blindness. Stem Cells 2019;37:417-429.

Description

Keywords

Differentiation, Ectoderm, Limbal epithelial cells, Limbal stem cell, MicroRNA, Stem cells, Alkaloids, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cell Proliferation, Epithelium, Corneal, Mice, NIH 3T3 Cells, Piperidines, SOXB1 Transcription Factors, Signal Transduction, Stem Cells, Trans-Activators, Transcription Factors, Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Journal Title

Stem Cells

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1066-5099
1549-4918

Volume Title

37

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)