Comparison of the proteomes of mouse Skin Derived Precursors (SKPs) and SKP‐derived fibroblasts (SFBs) by iTRAQ

Skin-derived precursors (SKPs) can differentiate into fibroblasts. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of the differentiation process. Our previous study has compared the transcriptomes of mouse SKPs and SKP-derived fibroblasts (SFBs) by RNA-Seq analysis and found some genes and signal pathways that might play important roles in the transition from SKPs to SFBs. Here, to further investigate the process by which SKPs differentiate into fibroblasts, we compared the proteomes between SKPs and SFBs using iTRAQ. Our results showed that 243 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Among the 28 DEPs which were related to the functional group of cell differentiation, Down-regulated DEPs collagen XVIII, keratin 10, keratin 5, keratin 14, and TIFIbeta, up-regulated DEPs Thy-1, ANXA1, alpha-catenin, and calreticulin might play important roles in the transition of SKPs to fibroblasts. Further study is needed to clarify the roles of these proteins in the differentiation process of SKPs into fibroblasts, which could facilitate investigations of the detailed molecular mechanisms in the process and make it possible to take advantage of the potential therapeutic applications of SKPs in skin regeneration in the future.