# Interaction of potato-derived RG-I with galectin-3 and gene regulation in human mesenchymal stem cells

## TL;DR

This study shows that modified potato pectin can influence gene activity in stem cells, potentially aiding bone regeneration by reducing inflammation.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that arabinose-deficient RG-I from potato pectin enhances galectin-3 binding and alters gene expression in human MSCs.

## Key findings

- RG-I binds to galectin-3 with a binding affinity of 8.66 × 10− 6 M.
- PA surface coating altered 42 genes in hMSCs, linked to inflammation and immune response.
- IPA identified gene networks related to immune response, cell cycle, and inflammatory diseases.

## Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) play a vital role in bone regeneration. Poly-(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) scaffolds functionalised with modified rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) potato pectin, can modulate inflammation and promote bone regeneration in-vitro and in-vivo by modulating the action of the galactoside-binding galectin-3. In this study, we determined the binding affinity to galectin-3 of potato unmodified RG-I (PU) and its arabinose-deficient form (PA) and investigated the transcriptomic effects of PA treatment on human MSCs evaluated through in-silico pathway analysis in relation to galectin-3.

The binding affinity of RG-I (PU and PA) to galectin-3 was assessed by tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy. Human MSC (hMSC) isolated from the bone marrow of elderly patients (> 60yrs), were analysed by transcriptomic profiling. The effect of PA surface coating on gene expression was assessed in-silico by the ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA).

RG-I binds to galectin-3 with a binding affinity of 8.66 × 10− 6 M. Galactose sidechains of PA resulted in ~ 10-fold increased binding of RG-I to galectin-3 compared with PU. Forty-two genes were found to be differentially expressed (DE) in hMSCs cultured on PA surface coating, with a false-discovery rate (FDR) < 0.1. IPA of these DE genes including LGALS3, encoding for galectin-3, showed enrichment for organismal disorders-abnormalities, connective tissue and skeletal muscular disorders, immunological and inflammatory diseases, and identified three gene networks: infectious diseases, immune & inflammatory response and cell cycle control.

This study indicates that modified potato pectin (PA) can regulate the expression of a broad range of genes, including galectin-3, that are involved in cellular, inflammatory, and immunological functions of hMSCs and may potentially be used to promote bone regeneration via modulation of inflammation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-025-01030-z.