This article is part of the supplement: 11th International Symposium on the Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid and their Relation to Other Cells

Proceedings

3-D structure of extracellular matrix regulates gene expression in cultured hepatic stellate cells to induce process elongation

Mitsuru Sato , Takeya Sato , Naosuke Kojima , Katsuyuki Imai , Nobuyo Higashi , Da-Ren Wang and Haruki Senoo

Department of Anatomy, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita 010-8543, Japan

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Comparative Hepatology 2004, 3(Suppl 1):S4doi:10.1186/1476-5926-2-S1-S4

Published:	14 January 2004

Abstract

HSCs showed myofibroblast-like shapes when cultured on polystyrene surface or on type I collagen-coated surface, whereas HSCs cultured on type I collagen gel were induced to elongate cellular processes, suggesting that HSCs recognize 3-D structure of extracellular type I collagen fibrils and change their morphology and function. In this study we examined the differentially regulated gene expression by extracellular matrix (ECM) components by PCR-differential display (PCR-DD) analysis followed by cloning and FASTA homology search, and identified the mRNA species as a transcription factor SP1, breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP), dystonin, and KAP3B. Regulation of dystonin and KAP3B expression was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. Thus, cell surface-binding to extracellular interstitial collagen may trigger intracellular signaling and alteration in gene expression, and HSCs not only produce various ECM components but also change their morphology and gene expression in response to ECM components adhering to the cells.