Non-canonical Wnt mediated neurogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), which are characterized by multipotency and self-renewal, are responsible for tissue regeneration and repair. We have previously reported in adipose tissue-derived MSCs that only Wnt5a is enhanced at neurogenic differentiation, and the mechanism of differentiation is dependent on the Wnt5a/JNK pathway; however, the role of Wnt/MAPK pathway is yet to be investigated in neurogenic differentiation in BM-MSCs. We compared the transcriptional expression of Wnt in neurogenic induced-hBM-MSCs (NI-hBM-MSCs) with that in primary hBM-MSCs, using RT-PCR, qPCR, and western blotting. Although the expression of Wnt1 and Wnt2 was unchanged, the expression of Wnt4, Wnt5a, and Wnt11 increased after neurogenic differentiation. In addition, only the expression of frizzled class receptor (Fzd) 3 gene was increased, but not of most of the Fzds and Wnt ligands in NI-hBM-MSCs. Interestingly, Wnt4, Wnt5a, and Wnt11 gene expressions significantly increased in NI-hBM-MSCs by qPCR. In addition, the protein expression level of Wnt4 and Wnt5a, but not Wnt3, increased after neurogenic induction. Furthermore, the expressions of phosphorylated-GSK-3β, ERK1/2, and PKC decreased; however, JNK was activated after neurogenic differentiation. Thus, non-canonical Wnts, i.e., Wnt4, Wnt5a, and Wnt11, regulate neurogenic differentiation through Fzd3 activation and the increase in downstream targets of JNK, which is one of the non-canonical pathways, in hBM-MSCs.