Fibroblasts (Fbs) effectively promote Schwann cells (SCs) migration, proliferation, and neurite regeneration. Whether Fbs express different motor and sensory phenotypes that regulate the cell behavior and peripheral nerve function has not been elucidated. The present study utilized the whole rat genome microarray analysis and identified a total of 121 differentially expressed genes between the primary cultured motor and sensory Fbs. The genes with high expression in sensory Fbs were related to proliferation, migration, chemotaxis, motility activation, protein maturation, defense response, immune system, taxis, and regionalization, while those with high expression in motor Fbs were related to neuron differentiation, segmentation, and pattern specification. Thus, the significant difference in the expression of some key genes was found to be associated with cell migration and proliferation, which was further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The cell proliferation or migration analysis revealed a higher rate of cell migration and proliferation of sensory Fbs than motor Fbs. Moreover, the downregulated expression of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 3 (CXCL3) suppressed the proliferation rate of sensory Fbs, while it enhanced that of the motor Fbs. However, the migration rate of both Fbs was suppressed by the downregulated expression of CXCL10 or CXCL3. Furthermore, a higher proportion of motor or sensory SCs migrated toward their respective (motor or sensory) Fbs; however, few motor or sensory SCs co-cultured with the other type of Fbs (sensory or motor, respectively), migrated toward the Fbs. The current findings indicated that Fbs expressed the distinct motor and sensory phenotypes involved in different patterns of gene expression, biological processes, and effects on SCs. Thus, this study would provide insights into the biological differences between motor and sensory Fbs, including the role in peripheral nerve regeneration.
Keywords: cell migration; cell proliferation; motor fibroblasts; peripheral nervous system; sensory fibroblasts.