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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Hepatic Progenitor Specification from Pluripotent Stem Cells using a Defined Differentiation System
Published on: May 10, 2020
Brain isoform glycogen phosphorylase as a novel hepatic progenitor cell marker
Yu-Wen Huang1, Chien-Chang Chiu2, Ja-Der Liang3
1Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Medical Devices and Cosmetics, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract:
An appropriate liver-specific progenitor cell marker is a stepping stone in liver regenerative medicine. Here, we report brain isoform glycogen phosphorylase (GPBB) as a novel liver progenitor cell marker. GPBB was identified in a protein complex precipitated by a monoclonal antibody Ligab generated from a rat liver progenitor cell line Lig-8. Immunoblotting results show that GPBB was expressed in two liver progenitor cell lines Lig-8 and WB-F344. The levels of GPBB expression decreased in the WB-F344 cells under sodium butyrate (SB)-induced cell differentiation, consistent with roles of GPBB as a liver progenitor cell marker. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated GPBB knockdown followed by glucose deprivation test shows that GPBB aids in liver progenitor cell survival under low glucose conditions. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated GPBB knockdown followed by SB-induced cell differentiation shows that reducing GPBB expression delayed liver progenitor cell differentiation. We conclude that GPBB is a novel liver progenitor cell marker, which facilitates liver progenitor cell survival under low glucose conditions and cell differentiation.
