A familiar stranger: CD34 expression and putative functions in SVF cells of adipose tissue

Figure 1 Protein structure of the CD34 family. CD34, podocalixin and endoglycan are transmembrane proteins which display O-glycosylated and sialylated serine-,threonine- and proline-rich extracellular mucin domain, putative sites of N-glycosylation, a cysteine-containing globular domain and a juxtamembrane stalk region. NHERF1 and 2 bind to the C-terminal tail of podocalyxin and endoglycan but not CD34. Conversely the CrkL selectively binds to a distinct juxtamembrane sequence in CD34.

Figure 2 In the adipose tissue, adipose mesenchymal stem/stromal cells are localized perivascularly and are characterized by the expression of CD34. Adipose mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (ASC) are isolated upon collagenase digestion together with other cell types including endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells. Upon adhesion to plastic and active in vitro proliferation, ASC change their phenotype, lose CD34 expression and begin to express CD105.