Fig. 5: Transplanted Tp63-expressing epithelial stem cells have a memory of their origin.

a RNA-Seq expression of tissue-related transcription factors for vagina, thymus, bladder, and trachea compared with hair follicle multipotent stem cells before the cells were transplanted into a newborn wild type mouse skin microenvironment (1st round) and after they were recovered from the transplants (2nd round rec); down- and upregulated genes, fold-change >2, adjusted p value < 0.05, NS: non significant. Note that the expression of these transcription factors is maintained in the 2nd round of culture after the cells have been recovered months after their transplantation. b Immunostaining of CK-4 (cytokeratin 4, red) and EGFP (green) in oral mucosa, esophageal, and vaginal cells; two independent experiments Oral mucosa: day 100 (1st and 2nd transplantations); vagina: day 84 and 100 (1st and 2nd transplantations); esophagus: day 99 and 100 (1st and 2nd transplantations); whisker: day 100 and 385 (1st and 2nd transplantation). Nuclei (blue) were counterstained with Hoechst 33342. Bars: 100 μm. c Immunostaining of CK-8/18 (red) and EGFP (green) in bladder cells; two independent experiments. Bladder (dome): day 238 and 102 (1st and 2nd transplantations); bladder (trigone): day 238 and 85 (1st and 2nd transplantations); whisker: day 236 and 385 (1st and 2nd transplantations). Bars: 100 μm. Note that the CK-4 or 8/18 keratins are expressed in culture but not in the transplants. Note that the EGFP cells recovered from the transplants re-express CK-4 or CK-8/18 when cultured. Nuclei (blue) were counterstained with Hoechst 33342.