Jagged1-dependent Notch signaling is dispensable for hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 105 (6) ◽  
pp. 2340-2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane J. C. Mancini ◽  
Ned Mantei ◽  
Alexis Dumortier ◽  
Ueli Suter ◽  
H. Robson MacDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Stromal Cells ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

AbstractJagged1-mediated Notch signaling has been suggested to be critically involved in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. Unexpectedly, we report here that inducible Cre-loxP–mediated inactivation of the Jagged1 gene in bone marrow progenitors and/or bone marrow (BM) stromal cells does not impair HSC self-renewal or differentiation in all blood lineages. Mice with simultaneous inactivation of Jagged1 and Notch1 in the BM compartment survived normally following a 5FU-based in vivo challenge. In addition, Notch1-deficient HSCs were able to reconstitute mice with inactivated Jagged1 in the BM stroma even under competitive conditions. In contrast to earlier reports, these data exclude an essential role for Jagged1-mediated Notch signaling during hematopoiesis.

Pivotal Role for Gsk3 in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Homeostasis

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 1292-1292
Author(s):  
Jian Huang ◽  
Peter S. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Gsk3 Inhibitor

Abstract Abstract 1292 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into all lineages of the blood. The signaling pathways regulating hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) self-renewal and differentiation are not well understood. We are very interested in understanding the roles of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (Gsk3) and the signaling pathways regulated by Gsk3 in HSCs. In our recent study (Journal of Clinical Investigation, December 2009) using loss of function approaches (inhibitors, RNAi, and knockout) in mice, we found that Gsk3 plays a pivotal role in controlling the decision between self-renewal and differentiation of HSCs. Disruption of Gsk3 in bone marrow transiently expands HSCs in a μ-catenin dependent manner, consistent with a role for Wnt signaling. However, in long-term repopulation assays, disruption of Gsk3 progressively depletes HSCs through activation of mTOR. This long-term HSC depletion is prevented by mTOR inhibition and exacerbated by μ-catenin knockout. Thus GSK3 regulates both Wnt and mTOR signaling in HSCs, with opposing effects on HSC self-renewal such that inhibition of Gsk3 in the presence of rapamycin expands the HSC pool in vivo. These findings identify unexpected functions for GSK3 in HSC homeostasis, suggest a therapeutic approach to expand HSCs in vivo using currently available medications that target GSK3 and mTOR, and provide a compelling explanation for the clinically prevalent hematopoietic effects of lithium, a widely prescribed GSK3 inhibitor. In the following study, we found that the combination of Gsk3 inhibitor and mTOR inhibitor can expand phenotypic HSCs in vivo and maintain functional HSC in ex vivo culture. This study will provide the basis for a new clinical approach to improve the efficiency of bone marrow transplantation. Disclosures: Klein: Follica: Consultancy.

Enhanced Notch Signaling Skews Hematopoietic Stem Cell Differentiation in Fanconi Anemia Murine Models

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 1191-1191
Author(s):  
Wei Du ◽  
Jared Sipple ◽  
Jonathan Schick ◽  
Qishen Pang
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Fanconi Anemia ◽  
Gfp Expression ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Abstract 1191 Objective: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can either self-renew or differentiate into various types of cells of the blood lineage. Little is known about the signaling pathways that regulate this choice of self-renewal versus differentiation. We studied the effect of altered Notch signaling on HSC differentiation in mouse models of Fanconi anemia (FA), a genetic disorder associated with bone marrow failure and progression to leukemia and other cancers. Methods: The study used a Notch reporter mouse, in which Notch-driven GFP expression acts as a sensor for HSC differentiation. Long-term hematopoietic stem cell (LT-HSC) and multipotential progenitor (MPP) cell compartments, as well as GFP expression in different cell populations were detected by Flow Cytometry analysis using primary bone marrow cells from Notch-eGFP-WT, Notch-eGFP-Fanca−/− or Notch-eGFP-Fancc−/− mice. Cell Cycle analysis was performed to distinguish the difference of quiescent state in GFP-gated LSK cells from these Notch-eGFP reporter mice. Colony forming units (CFU) assay and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were utilized to determine HSC self-renew capacity. Gene arrays for pathways involved in DNA repair, cell cycle control, anti-oxidant defense, inflammatory response and apoptotic signaling were employed to define the gene expression signatures of the MPP population. Results and conclusions: In mice expressing a transgenic Notch reporter, deletion of the Fanca or Fancc gene enhanced Notch signaling in MPPs, which was correlated with decreased phenotypic long-term HSCs and increased formation of MPP1 progenitors. Furthermore, we found a functional correlation between Notch signaling and self-renewal capacity in FA hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Significantly, we show that FA deficiency in MPPs deregulates a complex network of genes in the Notch and canonical NF-kB pathways. Specifically, enhanced Notch signaling in FA MPPs was associated with the unregulation of genes involved in inflammatory and stress responses (including Rela, Tnfrsf1b, Gadd45b, Sod2, Stat1, Irf1 and Xiap), cell-cycle regulation (including Ccnd1, Cdc16, Cdkn1a, Gsk3b, Notch2 and Nr4a2), and transcription regulation (including Rela, Stat1, Hes1, Hey1, Hoxb4, Notch1 and Notch2). Consequently, TNF-a stimulation enhanced Notch signaling of FA LSK cells, leading to decreased HSC quiescence and compromised HSC self-renewal. Finally, genetic ablation of NF-kB reduced Notch signaling in FA MPPs to nearly wide-type level, and blocking either NF-kB or Notch signaling partially restored FA HSC quiescence and self-renewal capacity. Translational Applicability: The study identifies a functional interaction between the FA pathway and Notch signaling in HSC differentiation and establishes a role of FA proteins in the control of balance between renewal and lineage commitment, hence contributing to hematopoiesis. These findings indicate that the Notch signaling pathway may represent a novel and therapeutically accessible pathway in FA. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals No Evidence for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal in-Vivo Following Inflammatory Challenge

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 456-456
Author(s):  
Ruzhica Bogeska ◽  
Paul Kaschutnig ◽  
Stella V Paffenholz ◽  
Julia Knoch ◽  
Jan-Philipp Mallm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Quiescent State ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

Elevated levels of inflammation have been previously linked to both inherited and acquired bone marrow failure (BMF) syndromes, as well as to normal aging, suggesting a role in the etiology of these conditions. One potential explanation for this phenomenon is that repeated inflammation can promote the suppression of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function.We have previously demonstrated that interferon-α can accelerate HSC attrition by driving HSCs out of quiescence, leading to the development of BMF in a mouse model of Fanconi anemia (Walter et al. Nature, 2015). To more broadly address the impact of repetitive inflammatory challenge on HSC regeneration, we challenged C57BL6 wild type (WT) mice with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (pI:C), a TLR3 agonist that mimics viral infection. Injection with 1-3 rounds of pI:C (8 injections per round) in WT mice had no sustained impact on hematopoiesis, since peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) counts were within normal ranges at 5 weeks (5wk) post-treatment. However, in vitro analysis of the clonal proliferation potential of 411 individual sorted long-term (LT)-HSCs revealed a 2-fold reduction (p<0.0001) in the total number of progeny produced per HSC. Additionally, cell fate tracking experiments showed accelerated entry into first division and differentiation following treatment. In line with this data, competitive repopulation assays demonstrated a progressive depletion of functional HSC numbers, with an approximate 2-fold decrease in multi-lineage competitive repopulating activity with each additional round of inflammatory challenge (p<0.01). In order to assess in vivo recovery of HSCs following inflammatory challenge, competitive and limiting dilution transplantation assays were used to quantify HSC frequencies using BM harvested from mice at 5, 10 or 20wk after 3 rounds of pI:C treatment. In both assays we observed a sustained ~18 fold decrease in functional HSCs, with no evidence of recovery within the 20wk window. To exclude microenvironment effects on HSC function, we performed reverse transplantation experiments in which pI.C challenged WT mice were injected with saturating doses of LT-HSCs from non-treated WT donors, in the absence of additional irradiation conditioning. We observed a durable suppression of endogenous HSCs that was sufficient to facilitate robust engraftment of donor LT-HSCs up to 20wk post-treatment. We next used the inducible transgenic Scl-tTA;H2B-GFP mouse model (Wilson et al., Cell, 2008) in order to prospectively segregate quiescent label retaining LT-HSCs (LRCs) from LT-HSCs that proliferate in vivo in response to pI:C (nonLRCs). Following a single round of pI:C challenge, label retention was reduced as a result of LT-HSC proliferation (Table 1). Importantly, the clonal proliferative potential of individual LRCs was preserved upon pI:C challenge while that of nonLRCs was more than halved. This suggests that LT-HSCs fail to undergo self-renewal divisions in vivo under these conditions but rather are functionally compromised in line with increasing proliferative history. We hypothesized that this apparent progressive irreversible depletion of functional HSCs may eventually lead to compromised hematopoiesis. We therefore assessed the hematologic parameters of aged mice that had been exposed to repetitive pI:C treatment in early to mid-life. While these mice had normal PB counts at 5wk post-treatment, upon reaching 2 years of age, treated mice demonstrated mild PB cytopenias, BM hypocellularity and a relative expansion of BM adipocytes (Table 2). Taken together, our data contradict the canonical view that HSCs demonstrate extensive self-regenerative capacity following injury. Rather, in the context of inflammatory challenge, HSCs are progressively and irreversibly depleted as they are driven out of their quiescent state. These findings have broad implications regarding the role of inflammation in the suppression of hematopoiesis that are likely relevant to BMF and also normal aging. Disclosures Lipka: InfectoPharm GmbH: Employment. Frenette:Pfizer: Consultancy; Cygnal Therapeutics: Equity Ownership; Ironwood Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Inc: Patents & Royalties.

Determination of the Role and Mechanism of the Transcription Factor NF-Y in Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 2234-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Bungartz ◽  
Stephen G. Emerson
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Notch 1 ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Hematopoietic System

Abstract Previous studies from our and other laboratories have demonstrated that the trimeric transcription factor NF-Y is a potent inducer of many of the genes implicated in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal, suggesting that NF-Y functions as a dominant regulator of genes controlling the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. Furthermore, over-expression of NF-Ya, the regulatory subunit of NF-Y, was shown to increase HSC potency in vivo through increased expression of a whole series of genes playing central roles in stem cell function including HoxB4 and Notch-1. The importance of the NF-Y transcription factor for mammalian development is further highlighted by a study demonstrating that a loss of function mutation of NF-Ya in mice, leads to lethality before day E8.5 (Bhattarcharya A. et al. 2003). Therefore, it can be reasoned that the NF-Y transcription factor might act as a master gene among the network of genes involved in early development regulating self-renewal and differentiation of (hematopoietic) stem cells. A concept in cancer biology, well-established in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), is that a rare population of cancer stem cells (CSSs) exists that is capable of extensive self-renewal, while most tumor cells have a limited proliferative capacity. Many studies suggest that the similar behavior of HSCs and CSSs are due to similar, yet not identical, molecular mechanisms determining whether a stem cell self-renews or differentiates. Knowledge about the regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular NF-Y abundance and activity and thereby NF-Y-mediated fate decision of SCs would open an elegant way to manipulate SCs, including leukemic stem cells (LSC), for therapeutic use. In this study, we have determined NFYa to have an essential role in murine HSC biology. To circumvent embryonic lethality, we generated bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice in which the deletion of functional NF-Ya can be induced selectively in the hematopoietic system. The analysis of lineage committed cells of the BM, spleen and thymus ten weeks after the disruption of the NF-Ya gene revealed an essential role for NF-Y activity in the hematopoietic system. Furthermore, BM cells from wild type, heterozygous and NF-Ya mutant BM chimera were subjected to colony formation assays, clearly demonstrating the indispensability of NF-Y function for hematopoietic stem and precursor cells. At that time not a single colony deficient for NF-Ya could be found, highlighting the absolute necessity of NF-Y activity for HPCs and HSCs. To explain these deleterious defects mechanistically, the role of NF-Y in regulating potential target genes that in turn control hematopoietic stem cell behavior is comprehensively addressed. Our approach is to ectopically express these downstream genes, such as HoxB4, Notch-1, Bmi-1 and Lef-1 in vivo and subsequently delete NF-Y activity. The results from these assays reveal information about the mechanistic interplay and the position within different pathways of these proteins in HSC behavior. Since the loss of NF-Y has lethal consequences for normal HSCs we are currently testing the effects of NF-Y deletion on LSCs in vivo using an established mouse model for CML. If LSCs and normal HSCs share a common machinery of fate-regulation, it is expected that NF-Ya is essential for LSC survival. If it turns out though, that LSCs and HSCs can be discriminated upon their dependence on NF-Y activity, this would harbor tremendous therapeutic possibilities with medical relevance extending into cancer therapy.

The histone lysine acetyltransferase HBO1 (KAT7) regulates hematopoietic stem cell quiescence and self-renewal

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuqing Yang ◽  
Andrew J Kueh ◽  
Zoe Grant ◽  
Waruni Abeysekera ◽  
Alexandra L Garnham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Bone Marrow Cells ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Embryonic Patterning ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

The histone acetyltransferase HBO1 (MYST2, KAT7) is indispensable for postgastrulation development, histone H3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14Ac) and the expression of embryonic patterning genes. In this study, we report the role of HBO1 in regulating hematopoietic stem cell function in adult hematopoiesis. We used two complementary cre-recombinase transgenes to conditionally delete Hbo1 (Mx1-Cre and Rosa26-CreERT2). Hbo1 null mice became moribund due to hematopoietic failure with pancytopenia in the blood and bone marrow two to six weeks after Hbo1 deletion. Hbo1 deleted bone marrow cells failed to repopulate hemoablated recipients in competitive transplantation experiments. Hbo1 deletion caused a rapid loss of hematopoietic progenitors (HPCs). The numbers of lineage-restricted progenitors for the erythroid, myeloid, B-and T-cell lineages were reduced. Loss of HBO1 resulted in an abnormally high rate of recruitment of quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into the cell cycle. Cycling HSCs produced progenitors at the expense of self-renewal, which led to the exhaustion of the HSC pool. Mechanistically, genes important for HSC functions were downregulated in HSC-enriched cell populations after Hbo1 deletion, including genes essential for HSC quiescence and self-renewal, such as Mpl, Tek(Tie-2), Gfi1b, Egr1, Tal1(Scl), Gata2, Erg, Pbx1, Meis1 and Hox9, as well as genes important for multipotent progenitor cells and lineage-specific progenitor cells, such as Gata1. HBO1 was required for H3K14Ac through the genome and particularly at gene loci required for HSC quiescence and self-renewal. Our data indicate that HBO1 promotes the expression of a transcription factor network essential for HSC maintenance and self-renewal in adult hematopoiesis.

scholarly journals Clonal-level lineage commitment pathways of hematopoietic stem cells in vivo

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 1447-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Lu ◽  
Agnieszka Czechowicz ◽  
Jun Seita ◽  
Du Jiang ◽  
Irving L. Weissman
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Lineage Commitment ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Hematopoietic System ◽  
Different Levels

While the aggregate differentiation of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) population has been extensively studied, little is known about the lineage commitment process of individual HSC clones. Here, we provide lineage commitment maps of HSC clones under homeostasis and after perturbations of the endogenous hematopoietic system. Under homeostasis, all donor-derived HSC clones regenerate blood homogeneously throughout all measured stages and lineages of hematopoiesis. In contrast, after the hematopoietic system has been perturbed by irradiation or by an antagonistic anti-ckit antibody, only a small fraction of donor-derived HSC clones differentiate. Some of these clones dominantly expand and exhibit lineage bias. We identified the cellular origins of clonal dominance and lineage bias and uncovered the lineage commitment pathways that lead HSC clones to different levels of self-renewal and blood production under various transplantation conditions. This study reveals surprising alterations in HSC fate decisions directed by conditioning and identifies the key hematopoiesis stages that may be manipulated to control blood production and balance.

scholarly journals Osteoblast ablation reduces normal long-term hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal but accelerates leukemia development

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 125 (17) ◽  
pp. 2678-2688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Bowers ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Yinwei Ho ◽  
Puneet Agarwal ◽  
Ching-Cheng Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Leukemia Development

Key Points Bone marrow OB ablation leads to reduced quiescence, long-term engraftment, and self-renewal capacity of hematopoietic stem cells. Significantly accelerated leukemia development and reduced survival are seen in transgenic BCR-ABL mice following OB ablation.

The F-Box Protein NIPA Regulates the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Pool

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 2330-2330
Author(s):  
Stefanie Kreutmair ◽  
Anna Lena Illert ◽  
Rouzanna Istvanffy ◽  
Melanie Sickinger ◽  
Christina Eckl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Bone Marrow Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Cell Pool ◽  
F Box Protein ◽  
Stem Cell Pool

Abstract Abstract 2330 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are characterized by their ability to self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Since mostly HSCs exist in a quiescent state re-entry into cell cycle is essential for their regeneration and differentiation and the expression of numerous cell cycle regulators must be tightly controlled. We previously characterized NIPA (Nuclear Interaction Partner of ALK) as a F-Box protein that defines an oscillating ubiquitin E3 ligase targeting nuclear cyclin B1 in interphase thus contributing to the timing of mitotic entry. To examine the function of NIPA on vivo, we generated NIPA deficient animals, which are viable but sterile due to a defect in recombination and testis stem cell maintenance. To further characterize the role of NIPA in stem cell maintenance and self-renewal we investigated hematopoiesis in NIPA deficient animals. Peripheral blood counts taken at different ages revealed no apparent difference between NIPA knockout and wild type mice in numbers and differentiation. In contrast, looking at the hematopoietic stem cell pool, FACS analyses of bone marrow showed significantly decreased numbers of Lin-Sca1+cKit+ (LSK) cells in NIPA deficient animals, where LSKs were reduced to 40% of wild type littermates (p=0,0171). This effect was only apparent in older animals, where physiologically higher LSK numbers have to compensate for the exhaustion of the stem cell pool. Additionally, older NIPA deficient mice have only half the amount of multi myeloid progenitors (MMPs) in contrast to wild type animals. To examine efficient activation of stem cells to self-renew in response to myeloid depression, we treated young and old mice with the cytotoxic drug (5-FU) four days before bone marrow harvest. As expected, 5-FU activated hematopoietic progenitors in wild type animals, whereas NIPA deficient progenitors failed to compensate to 5-FU depression, e.g. LSKs of NIPA knockout mice were reduced to 50% of wild type levels (p<0.001), CD150+CD34+ Nipa deficient cells to 20% of wild type levels (p<0.0001). Interestingly, these effects were seen in all NIPA deficient animals independent of age, allowing us to trigger the self-renewal phenotype by activating the hematopoietic stem cell pool. Using competitive bone marrow transplantation assays, CD45.2 positive NIPA deficient or NIPA wild type bone marrow cells were mixed with CD45.1 positive wild type bone marrow cells and transplanted into lethally irradiated CD45.2 positive recipient mice. Thirty days after transplantation, FACS analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow showed reduced numbers of NIPA knockout cells in comparison to NIPA wild type bone marrow recipient mice. This result was even more severe with aging of transplanted mice, where NIPA deficient cells were reduced to less than 10% of the level of wild type cells in bone marrow of sacrificed mice 6 months after transplantation, pointing to a profound defect in repopulation capacity of NIPA deficient HSCs. Taken together our results demonstrate a unique and critical role of NIPA in regulating the primitive hematopoietic compartment as a regulator of self-renewal, cycle capacity and HSC expansion. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

G-CSF Treatment Induces Hematopoietic Stem Cell Quiescence but Loss of Repopulating Activity

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 1206-1206
Author(s):  
Joshua N. Borgerding ◽  
Priya Gopalan ◽  
Matthew Christopher ◽  
Daniel C. Link ◽  
Laura G. Schuettpelz
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Transplantation ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Signaling ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
A Cell

Abstract Abstract 1206 There is accumulating evidence that systemic signals, such as inflammatory cytokines, can affect hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), the principal cytokine regulating granulopoiesis, is often induced in response to infection or inflammation. Additionally, G-CSF is the most commonly used agent for HSC mobilization prior to stem cell transplantation. Recently there has been a renewed interest in the use of “G-CSF primed bone marrow” for stem cell transplantation, so understanding the affect of G-CSF on bone marrow HSCs is clinically relevant. Because the G-CSF receptor is expressed on HSCs, and G-CSF creates biologically relevant modifications to the bone marrow microenvironment, we hypothesized that increased signaling through G-CSF may alter the repopulating and/or self-renewal properties of HSCs. Due to G-CSF's role as an HSC mobilizing agent, we predicted that the number of HSCs in the bone marrow would be reduced after 7 days of G-CSF treatment. Surprisingly, we observe that stem cell numbers markedly increase, regardless of which HSC-enriched population is analyzed. C-kit+lineage−sca+CD34− (KLS-34−), KLS CD41lowCD150+CD48− (KLS-SLAM), and KLS-SLAM CD34− increase by 6.97±2.25 fold, 1.79±0.29 fold, and 2.08±0.39 fold, respectively. To assess HSC repopulating activity, we conducted competitive bone marrow transplants. Donor mice were treated with or without G-CSF for 7 days, and bone marrow was transplanted in a 1:1 ratio with marrow from untreated competitors into lethally irradiated congenic recipients. Compared to untreated HSCs, we found that G-CSF treated cells have significantly impaired long-term repopulating and self-renewal activity in transplanted mice. In fact, on a per cell basis, the long-term repopulating activity of KLS-CD34− cells from G-CSF treated mice was reduced approximately 13 fold. The loss of repopulating activity per HSC was confirmed by transplanting purified HSCs. Homing experiments indicate that this loss of function is not caused by an inability to home from the peripheral blood to the bone marrow niche. As HSC quiescence has been positively associated with repopulating activity, we analyzed the cell cycle status over time of KLS-SLAM cells treated with G-CSF. This analysis revealed that after a brief period of enhanced cycling (69.8±5.0% G0 at baseline; down to 55.9±4.1% G0after 24 hours of G-CSF), treated cells become more quiescent (86.8±2.8% G0) than untreated HSCs. A similar increase in HSC quiescence was seen in KLS-34− cells. Thus our data show that G-CSF treatment is associated with HSC cycling alterations and function impairment. Because G-CSF is associated with modifications to the bone marrow microenvironment, and the microenvironment is known to regulate HSCs at steady state, we asked whether the G-CSF induced repopulating defect was due to a cell intrinsic or extrinsic (secondary to alterations in the microenvironment) mechanism. To do this, we repeated the competitive transplantation experiments using chimeric mice with a mixture of wild-type and G-CSF receptor knockout (Csf3r−/−) bone marrow cells. We find that only the repopulating activity of HSCs expressing the G-CSF receptor is affected by G-CSF, suggesting a cell-intrinsic mechanism. To identify targets of G-CSF signaling that may mediate loss of stem cell function, we performed RNA expression profiling of sorted KSL-SLAM cells from mice treated for 36 hours or seven days with or without G-CSF. The profiling data show that G-CSF treatment is associated with activation of inflammatory signaling in HSCs. Studies are in progress to test the hypothesis that activation of specific inflammatory signaling pathways mediates the inhibitory effect of G-CSF on HSC function. In summary, G-CSF signaling in HSCs, although associated with increased HSC quiescence, leads to a marked loss of long-term repopulating activity. These data suggest that long-term engraftment after transplantation of G-CSF-primed bone marrow may be reduced and requires careful follow-up. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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