Fig. 6: The lack of fortilin differentiates mesenchymal stem cells into VSMCs through TGFβ1.

CM conditioned media, WT THP1^WT-fortilin cells, KO THP1^KO-fortilin cells, oxLDL oxidized low density lipoprotein, UCDMSCs human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells, M media, F.C. fold change, α-TGF-β1-MB anti-TGF-β1-antibody-coated magnetic beads, ID-CM CM immunodepleted of TGF-β1, TGF-β1 ID media with TGF-β1 immunodepleted of TGF-β1. Time-course of RT-qPCR of RNA from UCDMSCs treated by either M only, M + TGF-β1, CM of THP1^KO-fortilin, or CM of THP1^WT-fortilin (a) for VSMC markers (αSMA (b); SM22α (c); and CNN1 (d)), a differentiation marker (CD45; e); and a marker of undifferentiated cells (CD105, f) (n = 3 for each group). g ELISA of CM from THP1^WT-fortilin cells and THP1^KO-fortilin cells with and without oxLDL stimulation (n = 4 for each group). RT-qPCR of RNA from UCDMSCs treated by either M only with and without TGF-β1 ID, M + TGF-β1 with and without TGF-β1 ID, CM of THP1^KO-fortilin with and without TGF-β1 ID, or CM of THP1^WT-fortilin with and without TGF-β1 ID (h) for VSMC markers αSMA (i), SM22α (j), and CNN1 (k); a differentiation marker (CD45, l); and a marker of undifferentiated cells (CD105, m) (n = 3 for each group). Data are expressed as mean ± s.d. P values determined by one way ANOVA (b–g, i–m) are shown.