Table 1.
Lineage Markers for the Heart, Nervous System, and Pancreas
| Cardiac Markers | Significance |
|---|---|
| Nkx2.5 | Transcription factor expressed by embroid bodies |
| GATA-4 | Transcription factor which regulates myocardial differentiation |
| α1CaCH | α1 subunit of the L-type calcium channel which indicates early differentiation |
| Atrial natiuretic factor (ANF) | A protein hormone which is expressed by cardiac embroid bodies |
| Calsequestrin (CSQ) | A calcium binding protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum |
| Connexin | Gap junction proteins including Cx40, Cx 43, Cx45, expressed by cardiospheres |
| Phospholamban | Integral membrane protein that regulates the Ca2+ pump in cardiac muscle |
| Sarcomeric proteins | Protein components of the sarcomere, the basic unit of the myofibril, which indicate the presence of differentiated cardiomyocytes. These include myosin heavy chain (α,β), myosin light chain (MLC-2v), actin, titin, troponin T, tropomyosin, desmin, and M protein. |
| Markers of Nervous System | Significance |
| CD133 | Cell-surface protein that identifies neural stem cells |
| Glial fibrillary acide protein (GFAP) | Protein specifically produced by astrocyte |
| Microtubulue-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) | Dendrite-specific MAP; protein found specifically in dendritic branching of neuron |
| Myelin basic protein (MPB) | Protein produced by mature oligodendrocytes; located in the myelin sheath surrounding neuronal structures |
| Nestin | Intermediate filament structural protein expressed in primitive neural tissue |
| Neural tubulin | Important structural protein for neuron; identifies differentiated neuron |
| Neurofilament (NF) | Important structural protein for neuron; identifies differentiated neuron |
| Noggin | A neuron-specific gene expressed during development |
| O4 | Cell-surface marker on immature, developing oligodendrocytes |
| O1 | Cell-surface marker that characterizes mature oligodendrocytes |
| Synaptophysin | Neuronal protein located in synapses; indicates connections between neurons |
| Tau | Type of MAP; helps maintain structure of axon |
| Pancreatic Markers | Significance |
| Cytokeratin 19 (CK 19) | Expressed by specific pancreatic epithelial cells that are progenitors for islet and ductal cells |
| Glucagon | Expressed by alpha-islet cell |
| Insulin | Expressed by beta-islet cell |
| Insulin-promoting factor-1 (PDX-1) | Transcription factor expressed by beta-islet cell |
| Nestin | Structural filament protein indicative of progenitor cells |
| Pancreatic polypeptide | Expressed by gamma-islet cell |
| Somatostatin | Expressed by delta-islet cell |
Adapted from the National Institutes of Health, Regenerative Medicine, Appendix E: Stem cell Markers (17)