The Bone Marrow "Mystery Population" of Stem Cells 20 Years Later - a Puzzle Solved?

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 2392-2392
Author(s):  
Malwina Suszynska ◽  
Daniel Pedziwiatr ◽  
Magdalena J Kucia ◽  
Mariusz Z Ratajczak ◽  
Janina Ratajczak
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Murine Bone Marrow ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract Background . Almost 20 years ago, a "mystery" population of small stem cells with many of the phenotypic characteristics attributed to resting hematopoietic stem cells was identified in murine bone marrow (BM) (Stem Cells 1998, 16, 38-48). These cells expressed high levels of Sca-1, H-2K, and CD38 and low levels of Thy-1.1; they expressed CD45 antigen but were lineage-negative (lin-) for other hematopoietic markers. These cells incorporated only low levels of Rh123 and were resistant to the cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil. The only phenotypic characteristic that distinguishes these cells from Sca-1+, Lin-, CD45+ Thy-1.1low long-term-reconstituting hematopoietic stem cell population is the lack of c-kit expression. In sum, this "mystery" population of small Sca-1+, lin-, c-kit- but CD45+ stem cells do not respond to hematopoietic growth factors in vitro, form in vivo spleen colonies, or reconstitute lethally irradiated mice. With our discovery of Sca-1+ Lin- CD45- very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) in murine bone marrow (BM) (Leukemia 2006, 20, 857-869), we became interested in this "mystery" population of stem cells. VSELs, like the "mystery" population, are c-kit - and, if freshly isolated from BM, do not show any hematopoietic activity in standard in vitro and in vivo assays. In order to become specified to hematopoiesis, they need to be expanded over an OP-9 stromal support (Exp Hematol 2011;39:225-237). Hypothesis. Since (1) very small CD45- VSELs can be specified in OP-9 co-cultures into long-term reconstituting CD45+ HSCs, (2) the size of the "mystery" population is intermediate between VSELs and HSCs, and (3) VSELs and HSCs differ in cell surface receptor expression, we hypothesized that the "mystery" population is a missing developmental intermediate between VSELs and HSCs. Materials and Methods . Multicolor FACS analysis was employed to compare size and expression of surface markers between murine BM HSCs, the unknown population of stem cells, and VSELs. Next, the populations of small Sca-1+ H2-K+ lin- c-kit+ CD38+/- CD45+ cells (HSCs), smaller Sca-1+ H-2K+ lin- c-kit- CD38+ CD45+ cells (the "mystery" population), and very small in size Sca-1+ H-2K+ lin- c-kit- CD38+/- CD45- cells (VSELs) were purified by FACS from BM (Figure 1) and tested for in vitro colony formation. All these cell populations were primed/expanded over OP-9 support and subsequently evaluated for their hematopoietic potential after passaging in consecutive methylocellulose cultures (passages 1-4). RQ-PCR analysis was employed for detection of pluripotency marker expression as well as hematopoietic gene expression. Results . We found that, in contrast to HSCs, neither freshly sorted stem cells from the "mystery" BM population nor, as expected, VSELs grew hematopoietic colonies in standard methylcellulose cultures. This was also an important step in excluding contamination of our sorted populations with clonogenic cells. We also found that, while VSELs highly expressed Oct-4, this transcription factor was expressed at very low levels in the "mystery" population and was not detectable in HSCs. The most important observation was that the "mystery" population of stem cells became specified in OP-9-supported cultures into clonogenic HSPCs, and this specification occurred faster than the delayed specification of VSELs. VSELs first became enriched for HSPCs after acquiring CD45 antigen expression. Conclusions . Based on the results presented, we propose that the "mystery" population in murine BM is a population of stem cells intermediate between the most primitive population of BM-residing stem cells (VSELs) and the population of stem cells already specified to lympho-hematopoietic development (HSCs). Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Identification of a Novel Murine CD45 Negative Bone Marrow-Derived Cell Population with In Vivo Marrow Repopulating Potential Following Hematopoietic Specification In Vitro.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1719-1719
Author(s):  
Edward F. Srour ◽  
Tamara L. Horvath
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Murine Bone Marrow

Abstract Murine bone marrow-derived cells expressing Sca-1+c-kit+lin− (KSL), as well as subfractions of these cells, represent an enriched population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) capable of long-term reconstitution of lethally irradiated recipients. Commitment to the hematopoietic lineage is invariably associated with expression of the pan-leukocyte marker CD45 which is also expressed on KSL cells. Whether KSL cells are the most primitive population of HSC present in the bone marrow (BM) is not fully resolved. We hypothesized that putative HSC that are more primitive than KSL cells may not express CD45 or genetic elements that mark early hematopoietic specification and commitment, but may mature under appropriate conditions into CD45+ cells capable of hematopoietic differentiation in conditioned hosts. BM cells from 8 to 10-week old BoyJ mice were collected by flushing and erythrocytes were lysed. The remaining cells were stained and sorted to yield CD45+ Sca-1+ c-kit+ (CD45+HSC) and CD45− Sca-1+ c-kit− (CD45−) cells which represented approximately 0.02% of total cells analyzed. PCR analysis of both cell populations revealed that CD45+HSC expressed CD45 and SCL but not PU.1 while CD45− cells did not express any of these genes. Directly after sorting, CD45+HSC, but not CD45− cells contained clonogenic cells that gave rise to hematopoietic colonies in progenitor cell assays. Similarly, while fresh CD45+HSC were able to respond to exogenous hematopoietic cytokines including SCF, TPO, and FL in liquid suspension cultures as evidenced by expansion and differentiation, their CD45− counterparts failed to proliferate under these conditions and none survived beyond 7 days of culture. When transplanted competitively into lethally irradiated congenic recipients, only freshly isolated CD45+HSC sustained donor-derived hematopoiesis, whereas hematopoiesis in mice injected with freshly isolated CD45− cells was sustained long term by competitor cells and endogenous host-derived stem cells. Both groups of CD45+HSC and CD45− cells could be expanded on irradiated M210B4 stromal cells when supplemented with SCF, TPO, and FL, with CD45− cells giving rise to cobblestone foci of small, round translucent cells beginning on day 7 of culture. Cultured CD45+HSC continued to express CD45 and SCL and, depending on the length of culture, also expressed PU.1. Interestingly, after 15 days in culture, CD45− cells expressed CD45 by RT-PCR and FACS (in addition to Sca-1) and also expressed mRNA for SCL. Given the ability of CD45− cells to expand under these conditions and to acquire CD45 expression, we next compared the repopulating potential of fresh and cultured CD45+HSC and CD45− cells using lethally irradiated C57Bl/6 recipients. As expected, fresh CD45+HSC sustained donor-derived engraftment and culture of these cells over M210B4 for 15 days reduced their repopulating potential more than 7-fold. In contrast, CD45− cells maintained on M210B4 (the expansion equivalent of 750 cells seeded) contributed to hematopoietic engraftment, albeit at low levels (under 5% chimerism). These data demonstrate that CD45− Sca-1+ c-kit− cells may be marrow resident precursors of hematopoietic stem cells and suggest that early stages of the HSC hierarchy may include CD45− cells. Whether these CD45− cells also posses endothelial differentiation potential and can give rise to CD45+HSC in vivo is now under investigation.

High Level Expression of a Membrane-Anchored Inhibitor of HIV Infection in Murine Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Does Not Pertubate Serial Multilineage Repopulation.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1758-1758
Author(s):  
Axel Schambach ◽  
Bernhard Schiedlmeier ◽  
Jens Bohne ◽  
Dorothee von Laer ◽  
Geoff Margison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Transgene Expression ◽  
Bone Marrow Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Murine Bone Marrow ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Marrow Cells

Abstract T20 is a 36-amino-acid peptide that binds to HIV-1 gp41 and thereby acts as a fusion inhibitor, thus mediating potent and selective inhibition of HIV-1 entry in vitro and in vivo. An extended peptide expressed as an artificial, membrane-bound molecule (mbC46) efficiently inhibits HIV infection of primary human T-cells following retroviral vector mediated gene transfer (Egelhofer et al., J Virol, 2004). To develop an even more stringent approach to HIV gene therapy, we targeted hematopoietic stem cells. In 3 experimental groups of C57BL/6 mice (9 animals/group), we investigated the long-term toxicity of murine bone marrow cells transduced with M87o, a therapeutic vector designed to coexpress mbC46 and an HIV-derived RNA RRE-decoy to inhibit HIV replication. As controls we used the same vector containing an inactive C46 peptide and mock-transduced cells. Blood samples were collected monthly. Donor chimerism and transgene expression in multiple lineages were determined by FACS analysis and transgene integration was measured by real time PCR. Six months after transplantation, 4 mice per group were sacrificed and the remaining 5 mice per group were observed for another 6 months. In addition to the parameters mentioned above, we performed complete histopathology, blood counts and clinical biochemistry. Donor chimerism in all groups ranged from 82 – 94% (day 190 and day 349). In the M87o group, 60% of donor cells expressed mbC46. FACS data showed persisting transgene expression in T-cells (CD4, CD8, 65%), B-cells (B220, 46%), myeloid cells (CD11b, 68%), platelets (CD41, 19%), and RBC (60%) of the peripheral blood and bone marrow cells. Highly sustained gene marking (2–4 copies/genome) was noticed on day 190. To reveal latent malignant clones potentially originating from side effects of the genetic manipulation, 1x106 bone marrow cells from 4 primary recipients were transplanted into lethally irradiated secondary recipients (3 recipients/primary mouse) and these mice were observed for 8 months. All together, we could not observe any evidence for leukemogenic capacity. Analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow showed a similar transgene expression pattern compared to the primary mice. To generate a complete chimerism of transgenic cells, we chose the human drug resistance gene methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT, P140K) to select for mbC46-transduced stem cells in vitro and in vivo. Different coexpression strategies were tested. Function of the MGMT protein was confirmed in a quantitative alkyltransferase assay and in a cytotoxicity assay using BCNU or temozolomide. In vitro selection of transduced 32D and PM1 cells with benzylguanine and BCNU showed >95% positive cells with evidence of polyclonal survival. Transduced PM1 cells underwent an HIV challenge assay. In vivo experiments in a murine bone marrow transplantation setting are ongoing to determine the potency and safety of combined retroviral expression of mbC46 and MGMT in relevant preclinical models. Successful conclusion of these studies will hopefully result in a phase I clinical trial testing the concept of generating an HIV-resistant autologous hematopoiesis.

Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells Require Akt1 and Akt2 for Long-Term Self-Renewal

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 502-502
Author(s):  
Marisa M. Juntilla ◽  
Vineet Patil ◽  
Rohan Joshi ◽  
Gary A. Koretzky
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Fetal Liver ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) rely on components of the Akt signaling pathway, such as FOXO family members and PTEN, for efficient self-renewal and continued survival. However, it is unknown whether Akt is also required for murine HSC function. We hypothesized that Akt would be required for HSC self-renewal, and that the absence of Akt would lead to hematopoietic failure resulting in developmental defects in multiple lineages. To address the effect of Akt loss in HSCs we used competitive and noncompetitive murine fetal liver-bone marrow chimeras. In short-term assays, Akt1−/−Akt2−/− fetal liver cells reconstituted the LSK compartment of an irradiated host as well or better than wildtype cells, although failed to generate wildtype levels of more differentiated cells in multiple lineages. When placed in a competitive environment, Akt1−/−Akt2−/− HSCs were outcompeted by wildtype HSCs in serial bone marrow transplant assays, indicating a requirement for Akt1 and Akt2 in the maintainance of long-term hematopoietic stem cells. Akt1−/−Akt2−/− LSKs tend to remain in the G0 phase of the cell cycle compared to wildtype LSKs, suggesting the failure in serial transplant assays may be due to increased quiesence in the absence of Akt1 and Akt2. Additionally, the intracellular content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HSCs is dependent on Akt signaling because Akt1−/−Akt2−/− HSCs have decreased ROS levels. Furthermore, pharmacologic augmentation of ROS in the absence of Akt1 and Akt2 results in an exit from quiescence and rescue of differentiation both in vivo and in vitro. Together, these data implicate Akt1 and Akt2 as critical regulators of long-term HSC function and suggest that defective ROS homeostasis may contribute to failed hematopoiesis.

Reciprocal expression of CD38 and CD34 by adult murine hematopoietic stem cells

Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 2618-2624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumihito Tajima ◽  
Takao Deguchi ◽  
Joseph H. Laver ◽  
Haiqun Zeng ◽  
Makio Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Reciprocal Expression

Abstract The effects of activation of adult murine stem cells on their expression of CD38 were studied using a murine transplantation model. First, the published finding that the majority of long-term engrafting cells from normal adult steady-state marrow are CD38+ was confirmed. Next, it was determined that the majority of stem cells activated in vivo by injection of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or mobilized by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are CD38−. Stem cells that were activated in culture with interleukin-11 and steel factor were also CD38−. Previous studies have shown that expression of CD34 by adult stem cells is also modulated by in vivo or in vitro activation. To determine whether there is reciprocal expression of CD38 and CD34, 4 populations of post–5-FU marrow cells were analyzed. The majority of the stem cells were in the CD38−CD34+ fraction. However, secondary transplantation experiments indicated that when the bone marrow reaches steady state, the majority of the stem cells become CD38+CD34−. In addition, the minority populations of CD34+ stem cells that occur in steady-state bone marrow are CD38−. This reversible and reciprocal expression of CD38 and CD34 by murine stem cells may have implications for the phenotypes of human stem cells.

The spleen is a major site of megakaryopoiesis following transplantation of murine hematopoietic stem cells

Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (12) ◽  
pp. 3975-3982 ◽  
Author(s):  
William B. Slayton ◽  
Ann Georgelas ◽  
L. Jeanne Pierce ◽  
Kojo S. Elenitoba-Johnson ◽  
S. Scott Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Glucose Phosphate ◽  
Stem Cell Pool

The stem cell pool can be fractionated by using the mitochondrial dye, rhodamine-123, into Rholow hematopoietic stem cells and Rhohigh progenitors. Rholow stem cells permanently engraft all lineages, whereas Rhohighprogenitors transiently produce erythrocytes, without substantial platelet or granulocyte production. We hypothesized that the inability of the Rhohigh cells to produce platelets in vivo was due to the fact that these cells preferentially engraft in the spleen and lack marrow engraftment. Initially, we demonstrated that Rhohigh progenitors produced more megakaryocytes in vitro than Rholow stem cells did. To study the activity of the Rholow and Rhohighsubsets in vivo, we used mice allelic at the hemoglobin and glucose phosphate isomerase loci to track donor-derived erythropoiesis and thrombopoiesis. Rholow stem cells contributed to robust and long-term erythroid and platelet engraftment, whereas Rhohigh progenitors contributed only to transient erythroid engraftment and produced very low numbers of platelets in vivo. Donor-derived megakaryopoiesis occurred at higher densities in the spleen than in the bone marrow in animals receiving Rholowstem cells and peaked around day 28. Blockade of splenic engraftment using pertussis toxin did not affect the peak of splenic megakaryopoiesis, supporting the hypothesis that these megakaryocytes were derived from progenitors that originated in the bone marrow. These data emphasize that in vitro behavior of hematopoietic progenitor cell subsets does not always predict their behavior following transplantation. This study supports a major role for the spleen in thrombopoiesis following engraftment of transplanted stem cells in irradiated mice.

scholarly journals Etoposide-Initiated MLL Rearrangements Detected at High Frequency in Human Primitive Hematopoietic Stem Cells with In Vitro and In Vivo Long-Term Repopulating Potential.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 98-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Libura ◽  
Marueen Ward ◽  
Grzegorz Przybylski ◽  
Christine Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Scid Mouse ◽  
P Value ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Cd34 Cells

Abstract Rearrangements involving the MLL gene locus at chromosome band 11q23 are observed in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes following treatment with topoisomerase II (topoII) inhibitors including etoposide. We have shown that one hour of etoposide exposure (20–50 μM) stimulates stable MLL rearrangements in primary human CD34+ cells and that the spectrum of repair products within MLL gene is broader than so far described (Libura et al, Blood, 2005). Clinical data suggest that MLL-associated malignant leukemias originate within primitive hematopietic stem cells capable of differentiation into all hematopoietic lineages and repopulation of myelo-ablated hosts. These cells can be analyzed using the in vivo NOD-SCID mouse model as well as the in vitro long-term culture initiating cell (LTC-IC) assay. We adopted our in vitro CD34+ cell culture model to investigate the impact of etoposide exposure on the most primitive hematopoietic stem cells using parallel assays for LTC-IC and NOD-SCID Repopulating Cells (SRC). Following etoposide exposure (20–50 μM for 1 hour), and 48–96 hours recovery in vitro, untreated control and etoposide-treated CD34+ cells were either seeded in LTC-IC with a supportive feeder layer (Stem Cell Technologies, Inc.), or injected into NOD-SCID mice (0.1–1.5x106 cells per mouse). After 12 weeks, both LTC-IC cultures and bone marrow cells from NOD-SCID mice were seeded in methylcellulose media supplemented with growth factors that promote only human cell colony formation. An increased number of colonies in etoposide-treated samples was obtained from LTC-IC cultures in 3 out of 5 experiments (p value<0.05). This increase in colony number was more dramatic in etoposide-treated samples from NOD-SCID bone marrow (57 versus 0, 8 versus 0). These data demonstrate that etoposide exposure can significantly alter the potential of early hematopoietic stem cells to survive and proliferate both in vitro and in vivo. Injection of as few as 3x105 CD34+ cells into a NOD-SCID mouse was sufficient to obtain methylcellulose colonies, suggesting that this method can be used for the analysis of cells obtained from a single patient sample. Mutation analysis of human methylcellulose colonies derived from both LTC-IC and NOD-SCID was performed by inverse PCR and ligation-mediated PCR followed by sequencing. This analysis revealed that rearrangements originating within the MLL breakpoint cluster region (bcr) were present in 12 out of 29 colonies from etoposide-treated samples versus 5 out of 39 colonies from control samples (p value <0.01), demonstrating that etoposide exposure promotes stable rearrangements within a hematopoietic stem cell compartment with significant proliferative potential. Eight of the 17 events were sequenced, and showed 6 MLL tandem duplications within intron 8, one complex translocation between MLL and chr.15 and tandem duplication, and one event with foreign sequence of unknown origin. Our data are the first report of the spectrum and frequency of MLL rearrangements following topo II inhibitor exposure in a cell population thought to be the target for recombinogenic events leading to therapy-related leukemias.

Transcriptional Targeting of Retroviral Vectors to the Erythroblastic Progeny of Transduced Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Blood ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 3276-3285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Grande ◽  
Bianca Piovani ◽  
Alessandro Aiuti ◽  
Sergio Ottolenghi ◽  
Fulvio Mavilio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Retroviral Vectors ◽  
Transcription Unit ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Gene Therapy Vector ◽  
Murine Bone Marrow

Targeted expression to specific tissues or cell lineages is a necessary feature of a gene therapy vector for many clinical applications, such as correction of hemoglobinopathies or thalassemias by transplantation of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells. We developed retroviral vectors in which the constitutive viral enhancer in the U3 region of the 3′ LTR is replaced by an autoregulatory enhancer of the erythroid-specific GATA-1 transcription factor gene. The replaced enhancer is propagated to the 5′ LTR upon integration into the target cell genome. The modified vectors were used to transduce human hematopoietic cell lines, cord blood-derived CD34+ stem/progenitor cells, and murine bone marrow repopulating stem cells. The expression of appropriate reporter genes (▵LNGFR, EGFP) was analyzed in the differentiated progeny of transduced stem cells in vitro, in liquid culture as well as in clonogenic assay, and in vivo, after bone marrow transplantation in lethally irradiated mice. The GATA-1 autoregulatory enhancer effectively restricts the expression of the LTR-driven proviral transcription unit to the erythroblastic progeny of both human progenitors and mouse-repopulating stem cells. Packaging of viral particles, integration into the target genome, and stability of the integrated provirus are not affected by the LTR modification. Enhancer replacement is therefore an effective strategy to target expression of a retroviral transgene to a specific progeny of transduced hematopoietic stem cells.

Strategies to Protect Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Culture-Induced Stress Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Aerts-Kaya
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Induced Stress

: In contrast to their almost unlimited potential for expansion in vivo and despite years of dedicated research and optimization of expansion protocols, the expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) in vitro remains remarkably limited. Increased understanding of the mechanisms that are involved in maintenance, expansion and differentiation of HSCs will enable the development of better protocols for expansion of HSCs. This will allow procurement of HSCs with long-term engraftment potential and a better understanding of the effects of the external influences in and on the hematopoietic niche that may affect HSC function. During collection and culture of HSCs, the cells are exposed to suboptimal conditions that may induce different levels of stress and ultimately affect their self-renewal, differentiation and long-term engraftment potential. Some of these stress factors include normoxia, oxidative stress, extra-physiologic oxygen shock/stress (EPHOSS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, replicative stress, and stress related to DNA damage. Coping with these stress factors may help reduce the negative effects of cell culture on HSC potential, provide a better understanding of the true impact of certain treatments in the absence of confounding stress factors. This may facilitate the development of better ex vivo expansion protocols of HSCs with long-term engraftment potential without induction of stem cell exhaustion by cellular senescence or loss of cell viability. This review summarizes some of available strategies that may be used to protect HSCs from culture-induced stress conditions.

scholarly journals Isolation in a single step of a highly enriched murine hematopoietic stem cell population with competitive long-term repopulating ability

Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 930-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
SJ Szilvassy ◽  
PM Lansdorp ◽  
RK Humphries ◽  
AC Eaves ◽  
CJ Eaves
Keyword(s):  
Simple Procedure ◽  
Hematopoietic Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Proliferative Potential ◽  
Vitro Assay ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Marrow Cells

Abstract A simple procedure is described for the quantitation and enrichment of murine hematopoietic cells with the capacity for long-term repopulation of lymphoid and myeloid tissues in lethally irradiated mice. To ensure detection of the most primitive marrow cells with this potential, we used a competitive assay in which female recipients were injected with male “test” cells and 1 to 2 x 10(5) “compromised” female marrow cells with normal short-term repopulating ability, but whose long-term repopulating ability had been reduced by serial transplantation. Primitive hematopoietic cells were purified by flow cytometry and sorting based on their forward and orthogonal light-scattering properties, and Thy-1 and H-2K antigen expression. Enrichment profiles for normal marrow, and marrow of mice injected with 5-fluorouracil (5- FU) four days previously, were established for each of these parameters using an in vitro assay for high proliferative potential, pluripotent colony-forming cells. When all four parameters were gated simultaneously, these clonogenic cells were enriched 100-fold. Both day 9 and day 12 CFU-S were copurified; however, the purity (23%) and enrichment (75-fold) of day 12 CFU-S in the sorted population was greater with 5-FU-treated cells. Five hundred of the sorted 5-FU marrow cells consistently repopulated recipient lymphoid and myeloid tissues (greater than 50% male, 1 to 3 months post-transplant) when co-injected with 1 to 2 x 10(5) compromised female marrow cells, and approximately 100 were sufficient to achieve the same result in 50% of recipients under the same conditions. This relatively simple purification and assay strategy should facilitate further analysis of the heterogeneity and regulation of stem cells that maintain hematopoiesis in vivo.

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