New Gene Markers Involved in Molecular Processes of Tissue Repair, Response to Wounding and Regeneration Are Differently Expressed in Fibroblasts from Porcine Oral Mucosa during Long-Term Primary Culture

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Wound healing and vascularization mechanisms are key steps in the complex morphological process of tissue reconstruction. Additionally, these processes in the oral cavity are more rapid than in the skin and result in less scar formation. Epithelial cells and fibroblasts play an important role in the process of wound healing. In our study, we focused on fibroblasts and monitored changes in gene expression during their in vitro culture. Based on the analysis, we distinguished three groups of processes that play important roles in tissue regeneration: response to wounding, wound healing and vascularization. We identified genes that were involved in all three processes. These genes could be selected as tissue specific repair markers for oral fibroblasts. ABSTRACT: The mechanisms of wound healing and vascularization are crucial steps of the complex morphological process of tissue reconstruction. In addition to epithelial cells, fibroblasts play an important role in this process. They are characterized by dynamic proliferation and they form the stroma for epithelial cells. In this study, we have used primary cultures of oral fibroblasts, obtained from porcine buccal mucosa. Cells were maintained long-term in in vitro conditions, in order to investigate the expression profile of the molecular markers involved in wound healing and vascularization. Based on the Affymetrix assays, we have observed three ontological groups of markers as wound healing group, response to wounding group and vascularization group, represented by different genes characterized by their expression profile during long-term primary in vitro culture (IVC) of porcine oral fibroblasts. Following the analysis of gene expression in three previously identified groups of genes, we have identified that transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), ITGB3, PDPN, and ETS1 are involved in all three processes, suggesting that these genes could be recognized as markers of repair specific for oral fibroblasts within the porcine mucosal tissue.