Latent Cardiogenic Potential in Endocardium and Hemogenic Endothelium Revealed in the Absence of Scl/tal1

Abstract Abstract 2362 The endothelium in embryonic and extraembryonic hematopoietic tissues has the capacity to generate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HS/PC). However, it is unknown how this unique endothelium is specified. Microarray analysis of endothelial cells from hematopoietic tissues of embryos deficient for the bHLH transcription factor Scl/tal1 revealed that Scl establishes a robust hematopoietic transcriptional program in the endothelium. Surprisingly, lack of Scl also induced an unexpected fate switching of the prospective hemogenic endothelium to the cardiac lineage. Scl deficient embryos displayed a dramatic upregulation of cardiac transcription factors and structural proteins within the yolk sac vasculature, resulting in the generation of spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes. Ectopic cardiac potential in Scl deficient embryos arose from endothelial-derived CD31+Pdgfrα+ cardiogenic progenitor cells (CPCs), which were present in all sites of HS/PC generation. Analysis of Runx1-deficient embryos revealed, that although Runx1 acts downstream of Scl during the emergence of definitive HS/PCs, it is not required for the suppression of the cardiac fate in the endothelium. The only wild type tissue that contained CD31+Pdgfrα+ putative CPCs was the heart, and this population was greatly expanded in Scl deficient embryos. Strikingly, endocardium in Scl−/− hearts also activated a robust cardiomyogenic transcriptional program and generated Troponin T+ cardiomyocytes both in vivo and in vitro. Although CD31+Pdgfrα+ CPCs from wild type hearts did not generate readily beating cells in culture, they produced cells expressing endothelial, smooth muscle and cardiomyocyte specific genes, implying multipotentiality of this novel CPC population. Furthermore, CD31+Pdgfrα+ CPCs were greatly reduced in Isl1−/− hearts, which fail to generate functional, multipotential CPCs. Lineage tracing using VE-cadherin Cre Rosa-YFP mouse strain demonstrated that, in addition to generating HS/PCs in hematopoietic tissues, endothelial cells are also the cell of origin for CD31+Pdgfrα+ CPCs in the heart. Together, these data suggest a broader role for embryonic endothelium as a potential source of tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells and implicate Scl/tal1 as an important regulator of endothelial fate choice. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Blood Flow Is Required for the Release of Hematopoietic Stem- and Progenitor Cells From Hemogenic Endothelium in the Placenta.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.698.698 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 698-698

Author(s):

Katrin E Rhodes ◽

Ben Van Handel ◽

Michele Wang ◽

Yanling Wang ◽

Akanksha Chhabra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Yolk Sac ◽

Positive Staining ◽

Hemogenic Endothelium ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Notch1 Signaling ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells

Abstract Abstract 698 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are required for continuous blood cell production throughout life. HSCs emerge only within a short developmental time window during embryogenesis. Mounting evidence posits that HSCs arise directly from hemogenic endothelial cells during midgestation within the large arteries of the conceptus, which include the dorsal aorta, the umbilical and vitelline arteries and the chorioallantoic vessels of the placenta. However, the microenvironmental signals that mediate this temporally regulated process remain unclear. Here we examine, by using Ncx1−/− embryos that lack heartbeat and circulation, how blood flow imparts instructive cues that ensure proper HSC development. Immunostaining revealed that CD41+ hematopoietic cells, although present, were markedly decreased in Ncx1-/-placentas as compared to wild-type controls. Furthermore, mutant placentas evidenced large clusters of round CD31+ cells protruding into the lumens of the chorioallantoic vessels. Based on these data, we hypothesized that lack of blood flow may impede the generation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HS/PCs) and that the endothelial clusters represent hemogenic intermediates. FACS analysis and colony forming assays confirmed a dramatic reduction in the number of clonogenic progenitors in the placenta and the embryo proper of Ncx mutants, while the yolk sac was unaffected. However, HS/PC generation in the placenta and embryo could be rescued by culturing explants on OP9 stroma before plating in colony forming assays, verifying intact hematopoietic potential. To determine if the rescue observed was due to expansion of existing progenitors or generation of new HS/PCs, we sorted CD41medckit+hematopoietic progenitors and CD31+CD41− endothelial cells from hematopoietic tissues and co-cultured them on stroma. These experiments demonstrated that endothelial cells from placenta, embryo proper and yolk sac can generate HS/PCs following stroma stimulation, confirming the presence of hemogenic endothelium in these organs. Immunostaining of Ncx−/− placentas revealed that although the development of the arterio-venous vascular network was impaired, Notch1 signaling, required for both arterial specification and HSC development, was robust in cells of the endothelial clusters. Furthermore, positive staining for Runx1 and c-myb indicated that cells in the clusters had activated the hematopoietic program. Interestingly, electron microscopy demonstrated that cells in the clusters were tethered to each other via adherens junctions, a characteristic of endothelial cells. In addition, they also maintained high levels of Flk1, expressed VEGF and were actively proliferating, consistent with exposure to extended hypoxia. These data suggest that although cells in the clusters have initiated hematopoietic commitment, they are unable to down-regulate their endothelial identity and complete hematopoietic emergence, resulting in the formation of clusters of hemogenic intermediates. These results imply that cues imparted via circulation are required to complete the commitment to a hematopoietic fate from hemogenic endothelium. Data from co-culture experiments suggest that prolonged Notch1 signaling impairs hematopoietic emergence from hemogenic endothelial cells, and may account for the HSC emergence defect in the absence of blood flow. Overall, these data suggest that blood flow and circulating primitive red blood cells are critical components of the dynamic microenvironment necessary to both relieve the hypoxia required for the specification and proliferation of hemogenic endothelium and provide important mechanical and/or molecular signals required by HSCs to fully commit to the hematopoietic fate and complete emergence. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Via Transcription Factor Conversion of Hemogenic Endothelium

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v128.22.371.371 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 128 (22) ◽

pp. 371-371

Author(s):

Ryohichi Sugimura ◽

Areum Han ◽

Deepak Jha ◽

Yi-Fen Lu ◽

Jeremy A Goettel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

T Cells ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽

Target Genes ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Hemogenic Endothelium ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells

Abstract A variety of tissues can be differentiated from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in vitro through stepwise exposure to morphogens, or by conversion of one differentiated cell type into another by enforced expression of master transcription factors (TFs). Despite considerable effort, neither approach has yielded functional human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Building upon recent evidence that HSCs derive from definitive hemogenic endothelium (HE), we performed morphogen-directed differentiation of human PSCs into HE followed by screening of 26 candidate HSC-specifying TFs for the capacity to promote multi-lineage hematopoietic engraftment in irradiated immune deficient murine hosts. From genomic PCR of engrafted cells, we recovered seven TFs (ERG, HOXA5, HOXA9, HOXA10, LCOR, RUNX1, SPI1) that were sufficient to convert HE into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that engraft GLY-A+ erythrocytes, CD33+ myeloid, CD15+ CD31+ neutrophils, CD19+ IgM+ B and CD3+ T cells in primary and secondary murine recipients for 12-14 weeks. Limiting dilution analysis indicated that the frequency of repopulating cells generated by this method was 1 in 4,707-15,029, lower than the frequency in CD34+ cord blood cells (1 in 1,819-5,173). Functional characterization of terminally differentiated cells demonstrated features of definitive erythropoiesis (expression of adult beta globin and enucleation). Engrafted neutrophils responded to cytokine stimuli by activation of myeloperoxidase. Human IgM and IgG could be detected in the serum of engrafted mice, and titers of ovalbumin specific antibody increased in response to protein immunization, indicating boostable immunity. T-cells responded to PMA/Ionomycin stimuli by activation of IFNγ, and sequencing of the T cell receptor revealed a broad clonotype diversity. Proviral integration analysis demonstrated derivation of myeloid and lymphoid progeny from common clones in secondary animals, indicating generation of self-renewing, multipotential HSC-like cells from PSCs. Mechanistically, the seven TFs induced HOXA target genes (LMO2, SOX4, MEIS1 and ID2); upregulated expression of homing-related genes (CXCR4, VLA5 and S1PR1); and enhanced the endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT), as indicated by a 2.4-fold induction of a RUNX1c-reporter. Our combined approach of morphogen-driven differentiation and TF-mediated cell fate conversion produced HSPCs from PSCs that hold promise for modeling hematopoietic disease in humanized mice and for therapeutic strategies in genetic blood disorders. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Consistent Activation of Flt3 Promotes Hematopoietic Progenitors Toward Dendritic Cell Development in Mouse

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v118.21.4789.4789 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (21) ◽

pp. 4789-4789

Author(s):

Xuejun Zhu ◽

Zhongfa Yang ◽

Junling Wang ◽

Alan G. Rosmarin

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Cytokine Signaling ◽

Flt3 Ligand ◽

Wild Type ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells ◽

Acquired Immune Responses

Abstract Abstract 4789 Dendritic cells (DCs) play key roles in mediating innate and acquired immune responses. DCs have a short half life in peripheral organs and are derived constitutively from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and Flt3+ progenitors. Cytokine signaling from Flt3 is crucial for stimulation of DC development. Previous studies demonstrated that injection of Flt3 ligand (Flt3L) in mouse caused a transient, but substantial increase in DC development. The effects of long-term activation of Flt3 signaling with physiological levels of Flt3L, however, have not yet been defined. Transgenic mice with constitutively activated Flt3 signaling were generated by replacing the Flt3 alleles with a mutant version Flt3ITD. Both mature DCs and DC progenitors increased modestly in Flt3ITD mice; both lymphoid and myeloid derived DCs were increased compared with wild type mice. Although the level of DCs in Flt3ITD mice did not reach the high levels in mice injected with Flt3L, the effect of Flt3ITD on DC development was consistent and long-lasting. Thus, activation of Flt3 signaling by different mechanisms led to distinct responses of bone marrow stem and progenitor cells for DC development. Flt3ITD mice provide a unique model to analyze DC differentiation from bone marrow stem and progenitor cells at physiological levels of Flt3L. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Endothelial Cells Promote Expansion of Long-Term Engrafting Marrow Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Primates

Stem Cells Translational Medicine ◽

10.5966/sctm.2016-0240 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 864-876 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jennifer L. Gori ◽

Jason M. Butler ◽

Balvir Kunar ◽

Michael G. Poulos ◽

Michael Ginsberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells

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The N-glycome regulates the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aaz2121 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 370 (6521) ◽

pp. 1186-1191

Author(s):

Dionna M. Kasper ◽

Jared Hintzen ◽

Yinyu Wu ◽

Joey J. Ghersi ◽

Hanna K. Mandl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells ◽

High Mannose

Definitive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) arise from the transdifferentiation of hemogenic endothelial cells (hemECs). The mechanisms of this endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT) are poorly understood. We show that microRNA-223 (miR-223)–mediated regulation of N-glycan biosynthesis in endothelial cells (ECs) regulates EHT. miR-223 is enriched in hemECs and in oligopotent nascent HSPCs. miR-223 restricts the EHT of lymphoid-myeloid lineages by suppressing the mannosyltransferase alg2 and sialyltransferase st3gal2, two enzymes involved in protein N-glycosylation. ECs that lack miR-223 showed a decrease of high mannose versus sialylated sugars on N-glycoproteins such as the metalloprotease Adam10. EC-specific expression of an N-glycan Adam10 mutant or of the N-glycoenzymes phenocopied miR-223 mutant defects. Thus, the N-glycome is an intrinsic regulator of EHT, serving as a key determinant of the hematopoietic fate.

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Sequence-Specific Conversion of βA- to βS-Globin by Small Fragment Homologous Replacement In Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.3754.3754 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 3754-3754

Author(s):

Alireza Abdolmohammadi ◽

Rosalie Maurisse ◽

Babek Bedayat ◽

David DeSemir ◽

Damian Laber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Progenitor Cells ◽

Sickle Cell ◽

Sickle Cell Anemia ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Globin Gene ◽

Specific Gene ◽

Small Fragment ◽

Wild Type ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Abstract 3754 Introduction: An ultimate goal of gene therapy is the development of effective strategies to correct mutant genomic sequences in pathologic cells. To that end, studies have been undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic potential of an oligo/polynucleotide-based sequence-specific gene modification strategy, small fragment homologous replacement (SFHR) in the correction of the mutation giving rise to sickle cell anemia. Small DNA fragments (SDFs) comprising the sickle cell anemia mutation (an A>T transversion in codon 6) and flanking DNA sequences in the human b-globin gene were introduced into Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells (HSPCs). The studies presented indicated modification at the level of DNA, RNA, and protein when cells were differentiated into erythrocytes. Methods: In this study, SFHR was used to convert A>T in codon 6 of the b-globin gene in CD34+/CD38-/Lin- HSPCs isolated from full term umbilical cord blood as a proof of principle. HSPCs were transfected with a defined number of a 559-bp SDF using the Amaxa electroporation (nucleofection) system. After growing the transfected cells in stem cell media containing EPO for different time intervals up to 32 days, RNA was extracted and DNase I-treated before further analysis. Erythrocytes were also analyzed using antibodies that differentiate between wild-type hemoglobin A (HBA) and sickle cell hemoglobin S (HBS). Results: RFLP analysis of a 430-bp PCR product generated from mRNA-derived cDNA with the DdeI enzyme indicated conversion of bA- to bS-globin. Sequencing of the 430-bp amplicon showed the A > T conversion. Analysis of the transfected wild-type HSPC-derived erythrocytes with HBA and HBS specific antibodies demonstrated the presence of a subpopulation of cells expressing HBS. These data are consistent with previous studies showing both conversion of bS- to bA-globin in SC1 cells and bA- to bS-globin in HSPCs after electroporation and microinjection of SDF, respectively. Conclusion: These studies represent a critical next step in developing SFHR as a therapy for sickle cell disease, in that they demonstrate long-term SFHR-mediated modification of b-globin following mass transfection by electroporation of HSPCs. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Sociology of Normal Stem and Progenitor Cells in CML Niche

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.1234.1234 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 1234-1234

Author(s):

Robert S Welner ◽

Giovanni Amabile ◽

Deepak Bararia ◽

Philipp B. Staber ◽

Akos G. Czibere ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells ◽

Quiescent State ◽

Hematopoietic Progenitor ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells

Abstract Abstract 1234 Specialized bone marrow (BM) microenvironment niches are essential for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell maintenance, and recent publications have focused on the leukemic stem cells interaction and placement within those sites. Surprisingly, little is known about how the integrity of this leukemic niche changes the normal stem and progenitor cells behavior and functionality. To address this issue, we started by studying the kinetics and differentiation of normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in mice with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). CML accounts for ∼15% of all adult leukemias and is characterized by the BCR-ABL t(9;22) translocation. Therefore, we used a novel SCL-tTA BCR/ABL inducible mouse model of CML-chronic phase to investigate these issues. To this end, BM from leukemic and normal mice were mixed and co-transplanted into hosts. Although normal hematopoiesis was increasingly suppressed during the disease progression, the leukemic microenvironment imposed distinct effects on hematopoietic progenitor cells predisposing them toward the myeloid lineage. Indeed, normal hematopoietic progenitor cells from this leukemic environment demonstrated accelerated proliferation with a lack of lymphoid potential, similar to that of the companion leukemic population. Meanwhile, the leukemic-exposed normal hematopoietic stem cells were kept in a more quiescent state, but remained functional on transplantation with only modest changes in both engraftment and homing. Further analysis of the microenvironment identified several cytokines that were found to be dysregulated in the leukemia and potentially responsible for these bystander responses. We investigated a few of these cytokines and found IL-6 to play a crucial role in the perturbation of normal stem and progenitor cells observed in the leukemic environment. Interestingly, mice treated with anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody reduced both the myeloid bias and proliferation defects of normal stem and progenitor cells. Results obtained with this mouse model were similarly validated using specimens obtained from CML patients. Co-culture of primary CML patient samples and GFP labeled human CD34+CD38- adult stem cells resulted in selective proliferation of the normal primitive progenitors compared to mixed cultures containing unlabeled normal bone marrow. Proliferation was blocked by adding anti-IL-6 neutralizing antibody to these co-cultures. Therefore, our current study provides definitive support and an underlying crucial mechanism for the hematopoietic perturbation of normal stem and progenitor cells during leukemogenesis. We believe our study to have important implications for cancer prevention and novel therapeutic approach for leukemia patients. We conclude that changes in cytokine levels and in particular those of IL-6 in the CML microenvironment are responsible for altered differentiation and functionality of normal stem cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Blood Cell Replenishment and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Pool Renewal Are Regulated By Different Circadian Peaks Via Norepinephrine and TNFα/S1P Signaling

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.217.217 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 217-217

Author(s):

Karin Golan ◽

Aya Ludin ◽

Tomer Itkin ◽

Shiri Cohen-Gur ◽

Orit Kollet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Surface Expression ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Activated Macrophage ◽

Sphingosine 1 Phosphate ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells ◽

Primitive State

Abstract Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) are mostly retained in a quiescent, non-motile mode in the bone marrow (BM), shifting to a cycling, differentiating and migratory state on demand. How HSC replenish the blood with new mature leukocytes on a daily basis while maintaining a constant pool of primitive cells in the BM throughout life is not clear. Recently, we reported that the bioactive lipid Sphingosine 1-Phosphate (S1P) regulates HSPC mobilization via ROS signaling and CXCL12 secretion (Golan et al, Blood 2012). We hypothesize that S1P influences the daily circadian egress of HSPC and their proliferation. We report that S1P levels in the blood are increased following initiation of light at the peak of HSPC egress and are reduced towards the termination of light when circulating HSPC reach a nadir. Interestingly, mice with constitutively low S1P plasma levels due to lack of one of the enzymes that generates S1P (Sphingosine kinase 1), do not exhibit fluctuations of HSPC levels in the blood between day and night. We report that HSPC numbers in the BM are also regulated in a circadian manner. Unexpectedly, we found two different daily peaks: one in the morning, following initiation of light, which is accompanied by increased HSPC egress and the other at night after darkness, which is associated with reduced HSPC egress. In both peaks HSPC begin to cycle and differentiate via up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) however, the night peak had lower ROS levels. Concomitant with the peak of primitive stem and progenitor cells, we also observed (to a larger extent in the night peak), expansion of a rare activated macrophage/monocyte αSMA/Mac-1 population. This population maintains HSPC in a primitive state via COX2/PGE2 signaling that reduces ROS levels and increases BM stromal CXCL12 surface expression (Ludin et al, Nat. Imm. 2012). We identified two different BM peaks in HSPC levels that are regulated by the nervous system via circadian changes in ROS levels. Augmented ROS levels induce HSPC proliferation, differentiation and motility, which take place in the morning peak; however, they need to be restored to normal levels in order to prevent BM HSPC exhaustion. In the night peak, HSPC proliferate with less differentiation and egress, and activated macrophage/monocyte αSMA/Mac-1 cells are increased to restore ROS levels and activate CXCL12/CXCR4 interactions to maintain a HSPC primitive phenotype. Additionally, S1P also regulates HSPC proliferation, thus mice with low S1P levels share reduced hematopoietic progenitor cells in the BM. Interestingly S1P is required more for the HSPC night peak since in mice with low S1P levels, HSPC peak normally during day time but not at darkness. We suggest that the first peak is initiated via elevation of ROS by norepinephrine that is augmented in the BM following light-driven cues from the brain (Mendez-Ferrer at al, Nature 2008). The morning elevated ROS signal induces a decrease in BM CXCL12 levels and up-regulated MMP-9 activity, leading to HSC proliferation, as well as their detachment from their BM microenvironment, resulting in enhanced egress. Importantly, ROS inhibition by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) reduced the morning HSPC peak. Since norepinephrine is an inhibitor of TNFα, upon light termination norepinephrine levels decrease and TNFα levels are up-regulated. TNFα induces activation of S1P in the BM, leading to the darkness peak in HSPC levels. S1P was previously shown also to induce PGE2 signaling, essential for HSPC maintenance by the rare activated αSMA/Mac-1 population. Indeed, in mice with low S1P levels, we could not detect a peak in COX2 levels in these BM cells during darkness. We conclude that S1P not only induces HSPC proliferation via augmentation of ROS levels, but also activates PGE2/COX2 signaling in αSMA/Mac-1 population to restore ROS levels and prevent HSPC differentiation and egress during the night peak. We hypothesize that the morning HSPC peak, involves proliferation, differentiation and egress, to allow HSPC to replenish the blood circulation with new cells. In contrast, the second HSPC night peak induces proliferation with reduced differentiation and egress, allowing the renewal of the BM HSPC pool. In summary, we identified two daily circadian peaks in HSPC BM levels that are regulated via light/dark cues and concomitantly allow HSPC replenishment of the blood and immune system, as well as maintenance of the HSPC constant pool in the BM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Investigating The Role Of ARAP3 In The Regulation Of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.2409.2409 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 2409-2409

Author(s):

Yiwen Song ◽

Sonja Vermeren ◽

Wei Tong

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Plasma Membrane ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Conditional Knockout ◽

Ph Domain ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Normal Peripheral Blood ◽

Stem And Progenitor Cells

Abstract ARAP3 is a member of the dual Arf-and-Rho GTPase-activating proteins (GAP) family, functioning specifically to inactivate its substrates Arf6 and RhoA GTPases. ARAP3 is translocated to the plasma membrane after PIP3 binding to the first two of its five PH domains, facilitating its GAP activity in a PI3K-mediated manner. Rho family GTPases are found to play critical roles in many aspects of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), such as engraftment and migration, while a role for Arf family GTPases in hematopoiesis is less defined. Previous studies found that either exogenous ARAP3 expression in epithelial cells or RNAi-mediated ARAP3 depletion in endothelial cells disrupts F-actin or lamellipodia formation, respectively, resulting in a cell rounding phenotype and failure to spread. This implies that ARAP3 control of Arf6 and RhoA is tightly regulated, and maintaining precise regulation of ARAP3 levels is crucial to actin organization in the cell. Although ARAP3 was first identified in porcine leukocytes, its function in the hematopoietic system is incompletely understood. Germline deletion of Arap3 results in embryonic lethality due to angiogenic defects. Since endothelial cells are important for the emergence of HSCs during embryonic development, early lethality precludes further studying the role of ARAP3 in definitive hematopoiesis. Therefore, we generated several transgenic mouse models to manipulate ARAP3 in the hematopoietic compartment: (1) Arap3fl/fl;Vav-Cretg conditional knockout mice (CKO) deletes ARAP3 specifically in hematopoietic cells, (2) Arap3fl/fl;VE-Cadherin -Cretg CKO mice selectively deletes ARAP3 in embryonic endothelial cells and thereby hematopoietic cells, and (3) Arap3R302,3A/R302,3A germline knock-in mice (KI/KI) mutates the first PH domain to ablate PI3K-mediated ARAP3 activity in all tissues. We found an almost 100% and 90% excision efficiency in the Vav-Cretg- and VEC-Cretg- mediated deletion of ARAP3 in the bone marrow (BM), respectively. However, the CKO mice appear normal in steady-state hematopoiesis, showing normal peripheral blood (PB) counts and normal distributions of all lineages in the BM. Interestingly, we observed an expansion of the Lin-Scal+cKit+ (LSK) stem and progenitor compartment in the CKO mice. This is due to an increase in the multi-potent progenitor (MPP) fraction, but not the long-term or short-term HSC (LT- or ST-HSC) fractions. Although loss of ARAP3 does not alter the frequency of phenotypically-characterized HSCs, we performed competitive BM transplantation (BMT) studies to investigate the functional impact of ARAP3 deficiency. 500 LSK cells from Arap3 CKO (Arap3fl/fl;Vav-Cretg and Arap3fl/fl;VEC-Cretg) or Arap3fl/fl control littermate donors were transplanted with competitor BM cells into irradiated recipients. We observed similar donor-derived reconstitution and lineage repopulation in the mice transplanted with Arap3fl/fl and Arap3 CKO HSCs. Moreover, Arap3 CKO HSCs show normal reconstitution in secondary transplants. Arap3 KI/KI mice are also grossly normal and exhibit an expanded MPP compartment. Importantly, Arap3KI/KI LSKs show impaired reconstitution compared to controls in the competitive BMT assays. Upon secondary and tertiary transplantation, reconstitution in both PB and BM diminished in the Arap3KI/KI groups, in contrast to sustained reconstitution in the control group. Additionally, we observed a marked skewing towards the myeloid lineage in Arap3KI/KI transplanted secondary and tertiary recipients. These data suggest a defect in HSC function in Arap3KI/KI mice. Myeloid-skewed reconstitution also points to the possibility of selection for “myeloid-primed” HSCs and against “balanced” HSCs, as HSCs exhaust during aging or upon serial transplantation. Taken together, our data suggest that ARAP3 plays a non-cell-autonomous role in HSCs by regulating HSC niche cells. Alternatively, the ARAP3 PH domain mutant that is incapable of locating to the plasma membrane in response to PI3K may exert a novel dominant negative function in HSCs. We are investigating mechanistically how ARAP3 controls HSC engraftment and self-renewal to elucidate the potential cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous roles of ARAP3 in HSCs. In summary, our studies identify a previously unappreciated role of ARAP3 as a regulator of hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Sf3b1 Regulation of Jak/Stat Signaling Is Essential for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Formation

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2018-99-118158 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 1268-1268

Author(s):

Teresa V. Bowman ◽

Rosannah C. Cameron ◽

Kathryn S Potts ◽

Mia McKinstry ◽

Varun Gupta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rna Splicing ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Active Form ◽

Janus Kinase ◽

Splicing Factor ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Wild Type ◽

Hemogenic Endothelium ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Stat Signaling

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain the hematopoietic system throughout the lifetime of an organism. During embryonic development, HSCs emerge through an endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT) from specialized hemogenic endothelial (HE) cells in the dorsal aorta. HSC fate specification depends on gene expression, which is the culmination of coordinated transcription, RNA splicing, and translation. Although transcriptional regulation of HSC fate choice is well studied, the regulatory role of RNA splicing in this process is poorly understood. Using zebrafish loss-of-function mutants for the spliceosomal component splicing factor 3b, subunit 1 (sf3b1), we identified that impaired splicing hindered HSC production. Surprisingly, we found that this constitutive splicing factor selectively regulates the fate of hemogenic endothelium while leaving the identity of closely-related non-hemogenic endothelium unperturbed. To identify Sf3b1-regulated transcripts important in EHT, we performed RNA-sequencing on purified kdrl:gfp+ endothelial cells from sf3b1 mutant and wild-type siblings at 24 hpf. Approximately 900 genes were mis-spliced, 144 of which were differentially expressed. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified Janus Kinase (Jak)/Signaling Transducer and Activator of Transcription (Stat) signaling, in particular Stat3, as one of the top perturbed pathways in the mis-spliced gene set. Stat3 is a transcription factor activated in response to several cytokine and inflammatory signals. To determine if altered splicing of stat3 was critical for HSC formation, we injected antisense splice-blocking morpholinos (MO) targeting the Sf3b1-sensitive stat3 exon19 into wild-type and sf3b1 heterozygous embryos, which normally generate equivalent levels of HSCs. We observed an impairment of HSC production in stat3 morpholino-injected sf3b1 heterozygotes, but not wild-type siblings, indicating a synthetic lethal interaction between sf3b1 and stat3. We also found that overexpression of a constitutively active form of Stat3 significantly suppressed the HSC defects in sf3b1 homozygous mutants. Together, these data indicate that Sf3b1-mediated splicing regulation of the Jak/Stat pathway is critical for HSC emergence. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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