Ing4-Deficiency Enhances Hematopoietic Stem Cell Quiescence and Confers Resistance to Inflammatory Stress

Abstract In a screen for epigenetic regulators of hematopoiesis in zebrafish, we identified a requirement of the tumor suppressor protein, Ing4, in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) specification. Though the Ing4 mechanism of action remains poorly characterized, loss of Ing4 has been shown to promote stem cell-like characteristics in malignant cells and it is a frequent target of inactivation in various types of cancer. Mutations in Ing4 cause deregulation of both NF-kB and c-Myc target gene expression. We have also identified a requirement for Ing4 in murine hematopoiesis. Ing4-/- mice have aberrant hematopoiesis and elevated cytokine expression in bone marrow cells. Using RNA-sequencing, we found that Ing4-deficient HSPCs express high levels of c-Myc target genes and genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation and ribosomal biogenesis. Yet, Ing4 deficiency induces G 0 arrest in HSPCs and they have low levels of reactive oxygen species. This places Ing4-deficient HSPCs in a poised state, where they are quiescent, but express elevated levels of genes associated with differentiation. Under stress hematopoiesis following low-dose irradiation, Ing4-deficient long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) do not expand, but short-term hematopoietic stem cells (ST-HSCs) function comparably to wild-type. Similarly, under transplantation stress, LT-HSCs fail to contribute to multilineage chimerism, while ST-HSCs contribute at levels equal to wild-type cells. These results are striking, particularly when compared to other models of enhanced NF-kB activity, where HSPCs cannot contribute to multilineage chimerism in transplantation. We sought to target the misregulated pathways in Ing4-deficient HSCs to rescue to effects of Ing4 deficiency. To this end, we chose to target the c-Myc pathway for several reasons: c-Myc target genes are over-represented in our RNA-seq data, c-Myc lies upstream of several of the misregulated pathways observed in Ing4-/- HSCs, and Ing4 has previously been reported to negatively regulate c-Myc activity directly. When treated with the c-Myc inhibitor, 10058-F4, both LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs are pushed into cycling, but this treatment also resulted in fewer cells overall. These results suggest that dampening of the c-Myc pathway can partially rescue Ing4 loss of function. Overall, our findings suggest that Ing4 plays a crucial role in the regulation of hematopoiesis and provides key tools for further identification and characterization of Ing4 pathways and functions. Given the role of Ing4 in both normal hematopoiesis and cancer, this gene likely has a critical role in regulation of stem cell self-renewal and maintenance. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Role of N-Cadherin in the Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in the Fetal Liver and Bone Marrow

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.1205.1205 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 1205-1205

Author(s):

Hirofumi Toyama ◽

Kentaro Hosokawa ◽

Yoshiko Matsumoto Ikushima ◽

Toshio Suda ◽

Fumio Arai

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Critical Role ◽

Phage Library ◽

Facs Analysis ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Abstract 1205 The interaction of stem cells with their supportive microenvironmental niche is critical for sustaining stem cell pools in tissues over long periods of time. Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions between hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their niches contribute to the maintenance of stem cell properties. We previously demonstrated that N-cadherin mediated cell adhesion plays a critical role in the HSC engraftment and slow cell division of HSCs. Furthermore, in vitro culture of HSCs with bone-derived osteoblasts that expressed high levels of N-cadherin enhanced the LTR activity of HSCs. However, the expression and function of N-cadherin in HSCs is still controversial. A major problem is that there have been no specific anti-N-cadherin antibodies (Abs) that can be used for the detection of N-cadherin on the surface of living cells. To address this problem, we produced a new anti-N-cadherin Ab. For the production of anti-N-cadherin Abs, we used the phage display library and isolated recombinant Ab clones against mouse N-cadherin. After screening of the phage library and performing quality control ELISA with positive and negative control proteins, we found that three of the seven newly-developed Ab clones were suitable for FACS. FACS analysis with a new N-cadherin Ab showed that BM LSK cells expressed low levels of N-cadherin protein. Furthermore, we confirmed that the reactivity of the new N-cadherin Ab was significantly reduced in N-cadherin deficient LSK cells compared to the wild-type LSK cells. RT-PCR and Q-PCR analysis revealed significantly higher levels of N-cadherin mRNA in N-cadherin+ LSK cells compared with N-cadherin– LSK cells. Next, we performed BMT assays with adult BM-derived N-cadherin+ and N-cadherin– LSK cells isolated by using the new N-cadherin Ab, clone AbD13081, and found that N-cadherin+ LSK cells showed higher BM reconstitution compared with N-cadherin– cells. Furthermore, one of our N-cadherin Ab clones, AbD13077, has neutralizing activity and the use of this clone in cell sorting reduces the LTR activity of N-cadherin+ LSK cells. These data suggested that adult BM HSCs express N-cadherin. Next we examined the expression of N-cadherin in the fetal HSCs using a new N-cadherin Ab. We found that a large number (29.3 ± 2.6 %) of LSK cells in E12.5 fetal liver (FL) expressed N-cadherin. Interestingly, N-cadherin expression was drastically decreased in E15.5 and E18.5 FL LSK cells (13.2 ± 1.9 % in E15.5 and 16.5 ± 1.4 % in E18.5). Immunohistochemical staining revealed that N-cadherin+c-Kit+ cells/N-cadherin+EPCR+ hematopoietic cells adhered to Lyve-1+ endothelial cells in E12.5 FL. Consistent with FACS analysis, N-cadherin expression was decreased in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. In contrast, the expression of E-cadherin in hepatic cells was significantly upregulated in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. Next we analyzed the expression of the LT-HSC marker, EPCR in N-cadherin+ and N-cadherin− LSK cells. We found that EPCR+ cells were enriched in the N-cadherin+ LSK fraction in E12.5 FL, while there was no significant difference in the frequency of EPCR+ cells between N-cadherin+ and N-cadherin− LSK in E15.5 and E18.5 FL LSK cells. Finally, we performed the BMT assay with E12.5, E15.5, and E18.5 FL-derived N-cadherin+ and N-cadherin– LSK cells isolated by AbD13081. Similar to the BM N-cadherin+ LSK cells, E12.5 FL N-cadherin+ LSK cells showed higher LTR activity than N-cadherin– LSK cells. Interestingly, the advantage of LTR in N-cadherin+ LSK cells was decreased in E15.5 and E18.5 FL compared to E12.5 N-cadherin+ LSK cells, although the reconstitution of the N-cadherin+ fraction was higher than N-cadherin– fraction. Altogether, these data suggest that N-cadherin is highly expressed in E12.5 FL HSCs and plays an important role in the HSC-niche interaction for the maintenance of HSC activity. We speculated that the decrease of N-cadherin in HSC and FL cells during FL development might contribute to the migration of HSCs from FL to BM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Bone Morphogenetic Proteins Regulate the Developmental Program of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.189.7.1139 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 189 (7) ◽

pp. 1139-1148 ◽

Cited By ~ 270

Author(s):

Mickie Bhatia ◽

Dominique Bonnet ◽

Dongmei Wu ◽

Barbara Murdoch ◽

Jeff Wrana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Critical Role ◽

Type I ◽

Hematopoietic Tissue ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Proliferation And Differentiation

The identification of molecules that regulate human hematopoietic stem cells has focused mainly on cytokines, of which very few are known to act directly on stem cells. Recent studies in lower organisms and the mouse have suggested that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) may play a critical role in the specification of hematopoietic tissue from the mesodermal germ layer. Here we report that BMPs regulate the proliferation and differentiation of highly purified primitive human hematopoietic cells from adult and neonatal sources. Populations of rare CD34+CD38−Lin− stem cells were isolated from human hematopoietic tissue and were found to express the BMP type I receptors activin-like kinase (ALK)-3 and ALK-6, and their downstream transducers SMAD-1, -4, and -5. Treatment of isolated stem cell populations with soluble BMP-2, -4, and -7 induced dose-dependent changes in proliferation, clonogenicity, cell surface phenotype, and multilineage repopulation capacity after transplantation in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice. Similar to transforming growth factor β, treatment of purified cells with BMP-2 or -7 at high concentrations inhibited proliferation yet maintained the primitive CD34+CD38− phenotype and repopulation capacity. In contrast, low concentrations of BMP-4 induced proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ CD38−Lin− cells, whereas at higher concentrations BMP-4 extended the length of time that repopulation capacity could be maintained in ex vivo culture, indicating a direct effect on stem cell survival. The discovery that BMPs are capable of regulating repopulating cells provides a new pathway for controlling human stem cell development and a powerful model system for studying the biological mechanism of BMP action using primary human cells.

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MiR-150 Suppresses MLL-AF9 Associated Leukemia Through Simultaneously Targeting Multiple Oncogenes,

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v118.21.3461.3461 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (21) ◽

pp. 3461-3461

Author(s):

Beiyan Zhou

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Target Genes ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Gene Profiling ◽

Fusion Genes ◽

Leukemic Stem Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Mll Gene

Abstract Abstract 3461 The mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene codes for an evolutionarily conserved histone methyltransferase that is crucial for early hematopoiesis. As a result of a chromosomal translocation involving locus 11q23 results in formation of chimeras composed of the 5' part of the MLL gene fused with more than 60 partner genes lead to disruption of normal function of MLL as a histone methytransferase and acquisition of transcriptional properties conferred by the partner genes. MLL fusion genes (MLL-FG) are often the causal mutations for aggressive acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias (AML and ALL) that correlated with poor prognosis. In order to treat or even eliminate MLL-associated leukemias, extensive studies on the regulatory mechanism underlying MLL associated transformation and progression have been carried out. Leukemic stem cells (LSC) can derive from either hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells with the recruitment of MLL-fusion genes (MLL-FG) and wild type MLL protein. We report that miR-150, a key hematopoietic regulatory microRNA (miRNA) and one of the most downregulated miRNAs in MLL-associated leukemias, acts as a tumor suppressor to block the leukemogenic potency of leukemic stem cells. When expression of miR-150 was restored, a significantly suppressed leukemic stem cell potency of MLL-AF9 cells was observed both in vivo and in vitro. Gene profiling analysis demonstrated that elevated miR-150 altered various aspects of gene expression patterns in MLL-AF9 cells, including stem cell signatures, cancer pathways, and cell survival. By screening more than 30 predicted target genes, we identified multiple leukemia-associated oncogenes as bona fide miR-150 targets, and knockdown of these genes by shRNAs recapitulated the tumor suppressive effects observed after ectopically expression of miR-150 in MLL-AF9 cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Bcr-Abl Impairs T Cell Development From Murine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Hematopoietic Stem Cells; A Partial Explanation for the Concept That Ph+ Clone Never Involves T Cell Lineage in CML,

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v118.21.3748.3748 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (21) ◽

pp. 3748-3748

Author(s):

Bidisha Chanda ◽

Kiyoko Izawa ◽

Ratanakanit Harnprasopwat ◽

Keisuke Takahashi ◽

Seiichiro Kobayashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

T Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

T Cell Development ◽

Cell Lineage ◽

Cell Development ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Abstract 3748 Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder generally believed to originate from a hematopoietic stem cell carrying the BCR-ABL fusion gene, which generally encodes 210kD and 190kD constitutively active tyrosine kinases termed as p210 and p190, respectively. In spite of the putative stem cell origin and the competence for differentiation toward mature B cells, there is a longstanding consensus that CML never involves the T cell lineage at least in chronic phase. To gain insight into this apparent conflict, we used in vitro T cell differentiation model from murine pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as well as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). C57BL/6 MEFs were reprogrammed using a polycistronic lentiviral Tet-On vector encoding human Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4, which were tandemly linked via porcine teschovirus-1 2A peptides, together with another lentiviral vector expressing rtTA driven by the EF-1a promoter. Almost all the vector sequences including the transgenes were deleted by adenovirus-mediated transduction of Crerecombinase after derivation of iPSCs, and only remnant 291-bp LTRs containing a single loxP site remained in the genome. A clone of MEF-iPSCs were retrovirally transduced with p190DccER, a ligand-controllable p190-estrogen receptor fusion protein, whose tyrosine kinase activity absolutely depends on 4-hydroxytamoxyfen (4-HT).For T cell lineage differentiation, p190DccER-MEF-iPSCs were recovered from a feeder-free culture supplemented with LIF and plated onto a subconfluent OP9-DL1 monolayer in the presence of Flt3 ligand and IL7 with or without 0.5 mM 4-HT.After 3 weeks of culture, iPSC-derived blood cells were collected and subjected to FACS analysis for their lineage confirmation. About 70% of lymphocyte-like cells from the 4-HT(-) culture expressed CD3, but only 20% of counterparts from the 4-HT(+)culture expressed CD3, suggesting impaired T cell development by Bcr-Abl. Next, c-Kit+Sca1+Lin− (KSL) bone marrow cells were prepared by FACS from 8-weeks old C57BL/6 mice treated with 5-FU. KSL cells were similarly transduced with p190DccER and were subjected to the OP9-DL1co-culture system with or without 0.5 mM 4-HT.After 2 weeks of culture, 90% of lymphocytes from the 4-HT(-)culture revealed CD3+TCRβ+ phenotype, but only 30% of those were double positive in the presence of 4-HT(+). In addition, 96% of lymphocytes from the 4-HT(-) culture progressed to the DN2 stage with c-Kit−CD44+CD25+phenotype, whereas 40% of those from the 4-HT(+) culture arrested at the DN1 stage showing c-Kit+CD44+CD25−.Since IL7 plays a central role at the stage from DN1 to DN2 of progenitor T cells, Bcr-Abl is suggested to impair T cell development possibly through interfering with the IL7 signal. The precise mechanism underlying impaired T lymphopoiesis by Bcr-Abl is under investigation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Metabolic Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells During Stress

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.sci-42.sci-42 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. SCI-42-SCI-42

Author(s):

Toshio Suda

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Metabolic Regulation ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽

Ros Generation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Abstract SCI-42 Tissue homeostasis over the life of an organism relies on both self-renewal and multipotent differentiation of stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are sustained in a specific microenvironment known as the stem cell niche. Adult HSCs are kept quiescent during the cell cycle in the endosteal niche of the bone marrow. Normal HSCs maintain intracellular hypoxia, stabilize the hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) protein, and generate ATP by anaerobic metabolism. In HIF-1a deficiency, HSCs became metabolically aerobic, lost cell cycle quiescence, and finally became exhausted. An increased dose of HIF-1a protein in VHL-mutated HSCs and their progenitors induced cell cycle quiescence and accumulation of HSCs in the bone marrow (BM), which were not transplantable. This metabolic balance promotes HSC maintenance by limiting the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but leaves HSCs susceptible to changes in redox status (1). We have performed the metabolomic analysis in HSCs. Upregulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases enhanced the glycolytic pathway, cell cycle quiescence, and stem cell capacity. Thus, HSCs directly utilize the hypoxic microenvironment to maintain their slow cell cycle by HIF-1a-dependent metabolism. Downregulation of mitochondrial metabolism might be reasonable, since it reduces ROS generation. On the other hand, at the time of BM transplantation, HSCs activate oxidative phosphorylation to acquire more ATP for proliferation. Autophagy also energizes HSCs by providing amino acids during transplantation. ATG (autophagy-related) 7 is essential for transplantation and metabolic homeostasis. The relationship between mitochondrial heat shock protein, mortalin, and metabolism in HSCs will also be discussed. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Inhibition of CML Development Following Conditional SIRT1 Deletion in Transgenic BCR-ABL Mice

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v128.22.931.931 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 128 (22) ◽

pp. 931-931

Author(s):

Ajay Abraham ◽

Puneet Agarwal ◽

Hui Li ◽

Andrew Paterson ◽

Jianbo He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Critical Role ◽

Chronic Phase ◽

Sirtuin 1 ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Exon 4

Abstract Despite the success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in treatment of CML, cures remain elusive, as primitive leukemia stem cells (LSC) are retained in patients achieving remission. Previous studies from our group have suggested that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) inhibition may represent a novel approach for elimination of LSCs in chronic phase CML. SIRT1 was shown to be overexpressed in CML LSCs, and SIRT1 inhibition using shRNA or a small molecule SIRT1 inhibitor selectively eliminated CML LSCs by increasing p53 acetylation and activity (Li et.al; Cancer Cell 2012). These studies were limited by possible off-target effects and limited duration of in vivo exposure. Here we used a genetic mouse model to definitively delineate the role of SIRT1 in CML development. A model for conditional SIRT1 deletion in hematopoietic stem cells was established by crossing homozygous SIRT1 exon-4 floxed (SIRT1fl/fl) mice with Mx1-Cre mice. To study the requirement of SIRT1 for development of CML, Mx1-cre SIRT1fl/fl mice were crossed with SCL-tTA/BCR-ABL mice, representing a tet-regulated inducible transgenic mouse model of CML, to generate SCL-tTA/BCR-ABL Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl mice (BA Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl). BA SIRT1fl/fl mice lacking Mx1-Cre were used as controls. The mice were maintained on doxycycline until CML induction. Cre mediated deletion of SIRT1 was induced by intraperitoneal pIpC injections (250µg/mouse) administered every other day for a total of 7 doses. SIRT1 knockdown was confirmed by PCR for excised exon-4 and by RT-Q-PCR. Bone marrow (BM) cells from either BA Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl or controls (both CD45.2) were transplanted into irradiated (800 cGy) CD45.1 congenic recipients (2X106 cells/mouse). Cre-mediated deletion of SIRT1 was induced by pIpC injection starting at 4 weeks post-transplant, followed by withdrawal of tetracycline to induce BCR-ABL expression. Serial PB counts and phenotypic evaluation of cell types by flow cytometry (Fig 1 A-B) showed SIRT1 knockdown to have a profound effect on CML development. By 8 weeks after BCR-ABL induction, BA SIRT1fl/fl mice (n=10), showed significantly lower neutrophils (p=0.0003) and Gr-1/Mac-1 positive myeloid cells (p=0.0002) compared to control mice. Subsequently, control mice developed progressive neutrophilic leukocytosis and increasing morbidity from leukemia, whereas BA SIRT1fl/fl mice demonstrated significantly lower WBC counts, without evidence of progressive increase or morbidity (Fig 1 A). This cohort of mice continues to be followed for survival. Another cohort of BA Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl mice was sacrificed at 8 weeks post pIpC injection and BCR-ABL induction to evaluate the effect of SIRT1 knockdown on stem and progenitor populations (n=6 each). SIRT1 deleted mice demonstrated significant reduction in spleen size, weight, cellularity, and myeloid infiltration (Fig 2 A-B), and in myeloid cell expansion in the BM compared to controls (p=0.002). Primitive lineage negative, Sca1 positive, c-Kit negative (LSK) cells and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMP) were significantly reduced in BM and spleen of BA SIRT1 deletedmice compared to control mice, whereas megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEP) were increased (Fig 3 A-B). Long term hematopoietic stem cells (LTHSC) in the BM are reduced following CML development. The percentage and number of LTHSC were significantly increased in SIRT1 deletedmice compared to control mice (Fig 3C-D). We also evaluated the effect of SIRT1 deletion on normal hematopoiesis by studying Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl mice lacking BCR-ABL. SIRT1fl/fl mice without Mx1-Cre were studied as controls. Mx1-Cre SIRT1fl/fl and control mice were treated with pIpC to induce SIRT1 deletion. SIRT1deletedmice did not show significant alteration in blood counts, but demonstrated significantly higher LSK and LTHSC numbers in BM compared to control mice. Upon secondary transfer, recipients of BM from SIRT1deleted mice showed a modest increase in donor cell engraftment at 12 weeks compared to controls (90.8% (83.2-92.2%) vs 83.6% (75.8-86.7%); p=0.001). We conclude that genetic deletion of SIRT1 markedly inhibits all aspects of CML development in transgenic BCR-ABL mice, without impairing normal hematopoiesis. These observations demonstrate a critical role for SIRT1 in leukemia development, and support further evaluation of SIRT1 as a therapeutic target in CML. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Adaptation of Marrow Osteoblast Morphology Mediated By a Hematopoietic-Derived Endosteal Cell Is Critical for Donor HSC Engraftment after BMT

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.3603.3603 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 3603-3603 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kathleen Overholt ◽

Satoru Otsuru ◽

Victoria Best ◽

Adam Guess ◽

Timothy S. Olson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Diphtheria Toxin ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Critical Role ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Cell Engraftment

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cells reside in the bone marrow within specialized microenvironments designated the stem cell niche. The remarkable advances over the past decade have dramatically enhanced our perception of the niche; yet, the operative mechanisms after radioablation in preparation for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remain poorly understood. We have previously described a profound remodeling of the bone marrow architecture after total body irradiation (TBI). This remodeling, comprised of enlarged, proliferating marrow osteoblasts and megakaryocyte migration from the central marrow space to the endosteal surface, is essential for efficient engraftment of donor cells after BMT; hence, marrow remodeling seems to represent an adaptation of the endosteal niche. To investigate whether hematopoietic cells regulate these changes, we sought to deplete all hematopoietic cells prior to TBI. We generated mice expressing the diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) in all CD45-derived cells using the Cre/loxP model. To validate this strategy, we first crossed CD45Cre mice, where cre is expressed under the control of the endogenous promoter, with Z/RED mice which will then irreversibly express red fluorescent protein (RFP) in all cells that were derived from CD45-expressing progenitors. Surprisingly, we identified a population of RFP-expressing cells residing among osteoblasts along the endosteal and trabecular bone surfaces (designated red Bone Lining Cell, red BLC). By immunofluorescence staining, these cells lacked expression of CD45, lineage markers (Gr1, CD11b, F 4/80, CD3, B220, Ter119), and cathepsin K indicating it is not a hematopoietic cell, specifically not an osteal macrophage or osteoclast, but was unequivocally derived from CD45-expressing progenitors. We reproduced this fate map by crossing vav1Cre mice with Z/RED mice, confirming the identification and hematopoietic lineage of the red BLC. When crossed with Col2.3GFP transgenic mice, which express green fluorescent protein (GFP) in mature osteoblasts, red BLCs lacked GFP co-expression indicating it is not a generic osteoblast. Interestingly, after TBI, red BLCs markedly proliferate, but do not enlarge, in the metaphysis and epiphysis, but not in the diaphysis, coincident with the osteoblast proliferation suggesting a possible role in marrow remodeling. To pursue our original hypothesis that hematopoietic cells may regulate marrow remodeling, we treated mice expressing DTR in all CD45-derived cells and their non-expressing littermates (controls) with diphtheria toxin (DT) followed by TBI to induce marrow remodeling without the effect of CD45-derived cells. Marrow remodeling ensued; however, the characteristically enlarged endosteal osteoblasts adopted a strikingly flattened morphology (cell thickness, 8.45±0.31 vs. 3.42±0.11 μm, P<0.0001). We then used our competitive secondary transplantation assay to assess engraftment of long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in primary recipients. Only 1 of 15 CD45-cell depleted mice engrafted HSCs compared to 10 of 15 control mice (P=0.0017) indicating a critical role of osteoblast morphology, governed by a CD45-derived cell, for donor stem cell engraftment in BMT. Megakaryocytes (Mks) and monocytes/macrophages (MMs) are the two marrow hematopoietic lineages that are recognized to survive short term after TBI and we have shown that the CD45-derived red BLC survives and proliferates after TBI. To determine if these cells regulate osteoblasts, we depleted Mks by treating Mk-specific DTR-expressing mice (generated with PF4Cre mice) with DT (>95%), and in separate cohort, MMs using clondronate (>95%). In each cohort, post-TBI marrow remodeling included the expected enlarged endosteal osteoblasts indistinguishable from controls, suggesting that neither Mks nor MMs direct the acquired osteoblast morphology. Collectively, our data indicate that enlarging of endosteal osteoblasts after marrow ablation is critical for donor cell engraftment, possibly due to altered adhesive properties for primitive hematopoietic cells. During post-TBI marrow remodeling, a CD45-derived cell that survives radioablation governs this osteoblast morphology. Our data implicate the red BLC as this key regulatory element. Understanding the red BLC will likely offer new insight into the niche and may lead to novel strategies to enhance HSC engraftment in BMT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Phenotypic analysis of mouse hematopoietic stem cells shows a Thy-1- negative subset

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v80.8.1957.bloodjournal8081957 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 80 (8) ◽

pp. 1957-1964 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

GJ Spangrude ◽

DM Brooks

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽

Bone Marrow Cells ◽

Cell Activity ◽

Mouse Strains ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem Cell Activity

Mouse hematopoietic stem cells can be identified and enriched from populations of normal bone marrow cells by immunofluorescent labeling of cell surface molecules followed by flow cytometric separation. We show here that the majority of hematopoietic stem cell activity, as defined by long-term competitive repopulation of irradiated animals and by a secondary transplant assay for spleen colony-forming units (CFU- S), could be localized in Ly-6b haplotype mice to a fraction of bone marrow cells that expresses the Ly-6A/E (Sca-1) molecule. Further, an analysis of hematopoietic stem cell activity in bone marrow of mouse strains expressing the Thy-1.1 allele indicated that the vast majority of activity was included in the Thy-1low population. In contrast, hematopoietic stem cell activity found in the bone marrow of Thy-1.2 genotype mouse strains was recovered in both the Thy-1neg and the Thy- 1low populations. However, similar to Thy-1.1 strains, most activity was localized to the Ly-6A/E+ population of cells. The difference in Thy-1 phenotype of hematopoietic stem cell activity apparent between Thy-1.1- and Thy-1.2-expressing mouse strains was not caused by differences in the staining intensity of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) specific for the Thy-1 alleles. Furthermore, an antiframework MoAb that stains both alleles of Thy-1 separated hematopoietic stem cell activity from mice expressing the two alleles in the same manner as did allele- specific MoAb. The results of this study show that Thy-1 expression is not an invariant characteristic of mouse hematopoietic stem cells, and that mice expressing the Thy-1.1 allele are unique in that hematopoietic stem cell activity is found exclusively in the Thy-1low population.

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In vivo and in vitro stem cell function of c-kit- and Sca-1-positive murine hematopoietic cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v80.12.3044.bloodjournal80123044 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 80 (12) ◽

pp. 3044-3050 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S Okada ◽

H Nakauchi ◽

K Nagayoshi ◽

S Nishikawa ◽

Y Miura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Cell Function ◽

Bone Marrow Cells ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Single Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

c-kit is expressed on hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, but not on lymphohematopoietic differentiated cells. Lineage marker- negative, c-kit-positive (Lin-c-kit+) bone marrow cells were fractionated by means of Ly6A/E or Sca-1 expression. Lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cells, which consisted of 0.08% of bone marrow nucleated cells, did not contain day-8 colony-forming units-spleen (CFU-S), but 80% were day-12 CFU-S. One hundred cells rescued the lethally irradiated mice and reconstituted hematopoiesis. On the other hand, 2 x 10(3) of Lin-c- kit+Sca-1- cells formed 20 day-8 and 11 day-12 spleen colonies, but they could not rescue the lethally irradiated mice. These data indicate that Lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cells are primitive hematopoietic stem cells and that Sca-1-cells do not contain stem cells that reconstitute hematopoiesis. Lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cells formed no colonies in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF) or interleukin-6 (IL-6), and only 10% of them formed colonies in the presence of IL-3. However, approximately 50% of them formed large colonies in the presence of IL-3, IL-6, and SCF. Moreover, when single cells were deposited into culture medium by fluorescence-activated cell sorter clone sorting system, 40% of them proliferated on a stromal cell line (PA-6) and proliferated for more than 2 weeks. In contrast, 15% of the Lin-c- kit+Sca-1-cells formed colonies in the presence of IL-3, but no synergistic effects were observed in combination with SCF plus IL-6 and/or IL-3. Approximately 10% proliferated on PA-6, but most of them degenerated within 2 weeks. The population ratio of c-kit+Sca-1+ to c-kit+Sca-1- increased 2 and 4 days after exposure to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). These results are consistent with the relative enrichment of highly proliferative colony-forming cells by 5-FU. These data show that, although c-kit is found both on the primitive hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors, Sca-1+ cells are more primitive and respond better than Sca-1- cells to a combination of hematopoietic factors, including SCF and stromal cells.

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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engraftment in Bone Marrow Is Dependent upon Gsα.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.857.857 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 857-857

Author(s):

Gregor B. Adams ◽

Ian R. Alley ◽

Karissa T. Chabner ◽

Ung-il Chung ◽

Emily S. Marsters ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Bone Marrow Cells ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Conditional Knockout ◽

Wild Type ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Cell Engraftment

Abstract During development, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) translocate from the fetal liver to the bone marrow, which remains the site of hematopoiesis throughout adulthood. In the bone marrow the HSCs are located at the endosteal surface, where the osteoblasts are a key component of the stem cell niche. The exogenous signals that specifically direct HSCs to the bone marrow have been thought to include stimulation of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 by its cognate ligand stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α or CXCL12). However, experiments in which CXCR4−/− fetal liver hematopoietic cells were transplanted into wild-type hosts demonstrated efficient engraftment of the HSCs in the bone marrow. In addition, treatment of HSCs with inhibitors of Gαi-coupled signaling, which blocks transmigration towards SDF-1αin vitro, does not affect bone marrow homing and engraftment in vivo. Therefore, we examined whether Gsα-coupled mechanisms play a key role in the engraftment of the HSCs in the bone marrow environment. Utilizing an inducible-conditional knockout of Gsα, we found that deletion of the gene in hematopoietic bone marrow cells did not affect their ability to perform in the in vitro primitive CFU-C or LTC-IC assay systems. However, Gsα−/− cells were unable to establish effective hematopoiesis in the bone marrow microenvironment in vivo in a competitive repopulation assay (41.1% contribution from wild-type cells versus 1.4% from knockout cells). These effects were not due to an inability of the cells to function in the bone marrow in vivo as deletion of Gsα following establishment of hematopoiesis had no effects on the HSCs. Examining the ability of the HSCs to home to the bone marrow, though, demonstrated that deletion of Gsα resulted in a marked impairment of the ability of the stem cells to localize to the marrow space (approximately 9-fold reduction in the level of primitive cell homing). Furthermore, treatment of BM MNCs with an activator of Gsα augmented the cells homing and thus engraftment potential. These studies demonstrate that Gsα is critical to the localization of HSCs to the bone marrow. Which receptors utilize this pathway in this context remains unknown. However, Gsα represents a previously unrecognized signaling pathway for homing and engraftment of HSCs to bone marrow. Pharmacologic activation of Gsα in HSC ex vivo prior to transplantation offers a potential method for enhancing stem cell engraftment efficiency.

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