Emilin-2 is a component of bone marrow extracellular matrix regulating mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and hematopoietic progenitors

Abstract Background Dissection of mechanisms involved in the regulation of bone marrow microenvironment through cell–cell and cell–matrix contacts is essential for the detailed understanding of processes underlying bone marrow activities both under physiological conditions and in hematologic malignancies. Here we describe Emilin-2 as an abundant extracellular matrix component of bone marrow stroma. Methods Immunodetection of Emilin-2 was performed in bone marrow sections of mice from 30 days to 6 months of age. Emilin-2 expression was monitored in vitro in primary and mesenchymal stem cell lines under undifferentiated and adipogenic conditions. Hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors in bone marrow of 3- to 10-month-old wild-type and Emilin-2 null mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results Emilin-2 is deposited in bone marrow extracellular matrix in an age-dependent manner, forming a meshwork that extends from compact bone boundaries to the central trabecular regions. Emilin-2 is expressed and secreted by both primary and immortalized bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, exerting an inhibitory action in adipogenic differentiation. In vivo Emilin-2 deficiency impairs the frequency of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in bone marrow during aging. Conclusion Our data provide new insights in the contribution of bone marrow extracellular matrix microenvironment in the regulation of stem cell niches and hematopoietic progenitor differentiation.

Download Full-text

Nuclear Export of Smads by RanBP3L Regulates Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.00121-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (10) ◽

pp. 1700-1711 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Fenfang Chen ◽

Xia Lin ◽

Pinglong Xu ◽

Zhengmao Zhang ◽

Yanzhen Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽

Nuclear Export ◽

Stem Cell Differentiation ◽

Bmp Signaling ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play vital roles in regulating stem cell maintenance and differentiation. BMPs can induce osteogenesis and inhibit myogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. Canonical BMP signaling is stringently controlled through reversible phosphorylation and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Smad1, Smad5, and Smad8 (Smad1/5/8). However, how the nuclear export of Smad1/5/8 is regulated remains unclear. Here we report that the Ran-binding protein RanBP3L acts as a nuclear export factor for Smad1/5/8. RanBP3L directly recognizes dephosphorylated Smad1/5/8 and mediates their nuclear export in a Ran-dependent manner. Increased expression of RanBP3L blocks BMP-induced osteogenesis of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and promotes myogenic induction of C2C12 mouse myoblasts, whereas depletion of RanBP3L expression enhances BMP-dependent stem cell differentiation activity and transcriptional responses. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that RanBP3L, as a nuclear exporter for BMP-specific Smads, plays a critical role in terminating BMP signaling and regulating mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.

Download Full-text

Biomaterials Nano Geometry for Control of Stem Cell Differentiation

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-1239-vv02-02 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 1239 ◽

Author(s):

Karla Brammer ◽

Seunghan Oh ◽

Sungho Jin

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽

Stem Cell Differentiation ◽

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽

Oxide Surface ◽

Specific Cell ◽

Implant Surface ◽

Multipotent Stem Cells

AbstractTwo important goals in stem cell research are to control the cell proliferation without differentiation, and also to direct the differentiation into a specific cell lineage when desired. Recent studies indicate that the nanostructures substantially influence the stem cell behavior. It is well known that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into stromal lineages such as adipocyte, chondrocyte, fibroblast, myocyte, and osteoblast cell types. By examining the cellular behavior of MSCs cultured in vitro on nanostructures, some understanding of the effects that the nanostructures have on the stem cell’s response has been obtained. Here we demonstrate that TiO2 nanotubes produced by anodization on Ti implant surface can regulate human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation towards an osteoblast lineage in the absence of osteogenic inducing factors. Altering the dimensions of nanotubular-shaped titanium oxide surface structures independently allowed either augmented human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion at smaller diameter levels or a specific differentiation of hMSCs into osteoblasts using only the geometric cues. Small (˜30 nm diameter) nanotubes promoted adhesion without noticeable differentiation, while larger (˜70 - 100 nm diameter) nanotubes elicited a dramatic, ˜10 fold stem cell elongation, which induced cytoskeletal stress and selective differentiation into osteoblast-like cells, offering a promising nanotechnology-based route for novel orthopaedics-related hMSC treatments. The fact that a guided and preferential osteogenic differentiation of stem cells can be achieved using substrate nanotopography alone without using potentially toxic, differentiation-inducing chemical agents is significant, which can be useful for future development of novel and enhanced stem cell control and therapeutic implant development.

Download Full-text

Dose-Independent Therapeutic Benefit of Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation after MI in Mice

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines8060157 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 157

Author(s):

Nicole Zarniko ◽

Anna Skorska ◽

Gustav Steinhoff ◽

Robert David ◽

Ralf Gaebel

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Stem Cell Transplantation ◽

Cell Transplantation ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Therapeutic Benefit ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Mesenchymal Progenitors

Several cell populations derived from bone marrow (BM) have been shown to possess cardiac regenerative potential. Among these are freshly isolated CD133+ hematopoietic as well as culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells. Alternatively, by purifying CD271+ cells from BM, mesenchymal progenitors can be enriched without an ex vivo cultivation. With regard to the limited available number of freshly isolated BM-derived stem cells, the effect of the dosage on the therapeutic efficiency is of particular interest. Therefore, in the present pre-clinical study, we investigated human BM-derived CD133+ and CD271+ stem cells for their cardiac regenerative potential three weeks post-myocardial infarction (MI) in a dose-dependent manner. The improvement of the hemodynamic function as well as cardiac remodeling showed no therapeutic difference after the transplantation of both 100,000 and 500,000 stem cells. Therefore, beneficial stem cell transplantation post-MI is widely independent of the cell dose and detrimental stem cell amplification in vitro can likely be avoided.

Download Full-text

Differential Role for VLA-5 in Mobilization of Heamotopoieic Stem Cells Toward Peripheral Blood and Homing to Bone Marrow and Spleen.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v106.11.2190.2190 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 2190-2190 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pieter K. Wierenga ◽

Ellen Weersing ◽

Bert Dontje ◽

Gerald de Haan ◽

Ronald P. van Os

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Late Antigen ◽

Cell Mobilization

Abstract Adhesion molecules have been implicated in the interactions of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with the bone marrow extracellular matrix and stromal cells. In this study we examined the role of very late antigen-5 (VLA-5) in the process of stem cell mobilization and homing after stem cell transplantation. In normal bone marrow (BM) from CBA/H mice 79±3 % of the cells in the lineage negative fraction express VLA-5. After mobilization with cyclophosphamide/G-CSF, the number of VLA-5 expressing cells in mobilized peripheral blood cells (MPB) decreases to 36±4%. The lineage negative fraction of MPB cells migrating in vitro towards SDF-1α (M-MPB) demonstrated a further decrease to 3±1% of VLA-5 expressing cells. These data are suggestive for a downregulation of VLA-5 on hematopoietic cells during mobilization. Next, MPB cells were labelled with PKH67-GL and transplanted in lethally irradiated recipients. Three hours after transplantation an increase in VLA-5 expressing cells was observed which remained stable until 24 hours post-transplant. When MPB cells were used the percentage PKH-67GL+ Lin− VLA-5+ cells increased from 36% to 88±4%. In the case of M-MPB cells the number increased from 3% to 33±5%. Although the increase might implicate an upregulation of VLA-5, we could not exclude selective homing of VLA-5+ cells as a possible explanation. Moreover, we determined the percentage of VLA-5 expressing cells immediately after transplantation in the peripheral blood of the recipients and were not able to observe any increase in VLA-5+ cells in the first three hours post-tranpslant. Finally, we separated the MPB cells in VLA-5+ and VLA-5− cells and plated these cells out in clonogenic assays for progenitor (CFU-GM) and stem cells (CAFC-day35). It could be demonstared that 98.8±0.5% of the progenitor cells and 99.4±0.7% of the stem cells were present in the VLA-5+ fraction. Hence, VLA-5 is not downregulated during the process of mobilization and the observed increase in VLA-5 expressing cells after transplantation is indeed caused by selective homing of VLA-5+ cells. To shed more light on the role of VLA-5 in the process of homing, BM and MPB cells were treated with an antibody to VLA-5. After VLA-5 blocking of MPB cells an inhibition of 59±7% in the homing of progenitor cells in bone marrow could be found, whereas homing of these subsets in the spleen of the recipients was only inhibited by 11±4%. For BM cells an inhibition of 60±12% in the bone marrow was observed. Homing of BM cells in the spleen was not affected at all after VLA-5 blocking. Based on these data we conclude that mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor/stem cells does not coincide with a downregulation of VLA-5. The observed increase in VLA-5 expressing cells after transplantation is caused by preferential homing of VLA-5+ cells. Homing of progenitor/stem cells to the bone marrow after transplantation apparantly requires adhesion interactions that can be inhibited by blocking VLA-5 expression. Homing to the spleen seems to be independent of VLA-5 expression. These data are indicative for different adhesive pathways in the process of homing to bone marrow or spleen.

Download Full-text

Inhibition of PDGFRβ by Imatinib Mesylate Suppresses Proliferation and Alters Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.2563.2563 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 2563-2563

Author(s):

Fernando Fierro ◽

Thomas Illmer ◽

Duhoui Jing ◽

Philip Le Coutre ◽

Gerhard Ehninger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

Tyrosine Kinase ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Imatinib Mesylate ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Differentiation Potential ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Recent data show that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Imatinib mesylate (IM) also affects normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), T lymphocyte activation and dendritic cell function not relying on the specific inhibition of bcr-abl activity. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been identified in the bone marrow (BM) as multipotent non-hematopoietic progenitor cells that differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, tenocytes, skeletal myocytes, and cells of visceral mesoderm. MSC interact with HSC, influencing their homing and differentiation through cell-cell contact and the production of factors including chemokines We evaluated possible effects of IM in vitro on human bone marrow-derived MSC. Screening the activity of fourty-two receptor tyrosine kinases by a phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-array revealed an exclusive inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFRβ) by IM which consequently affects downstream targets of PDGFRβ as Akt and Erk1/2 signalling pathways in a concentration and time dependent manner. Furthermore, perinuclear multivesicular bodies harbouring PDGFRβ were found within 18–20 hours culture of MSC in the presence of 5 μM IM. Cell proliferation and clonogenicity (evaluated as the capability to form colony forming units - fibroblasts (CFU-F)) of MSC were significantly inhibited by IM in a concentration dependent fashion. IM inhibits significantly the differentiation process of MSC into osteoblasts as evaluated by decreased alkaline phosphatase activity and reduced calcium phosphate precipitates. In contrary, differentiation of MSC into adipocytes was strongly favoured in presence of IM. All these functional deficits described, probably contribute to an observed 50% reduction in the support of clonogenic hematopoietic stem cells, as evaluated by a long term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC)-based assay. In summary our experiments show that IM inhibits the capacity of human MSC to proliferate and to differentiate into the osteogenic lineage, favouring adipogenesis. This effect is mainly mediated by an inhibition of PDGFRβ autophosphorylation leading to a more pronounced inhibition of PI3K/Akt compared to Erk1/2 signalling. This work confirms the role of PDGFRβ recently described for the proliferation and differentiation potential of MSC and provides a first possible explanation for the altered bone metabolism found in certain patients treated with IM.

Download Full-text

Partial Characterization and In Vitro Expansion of Putative CLL Precursor/Stem Cells Which Are Dependent on Bone Marrow Microenvironment for Survival

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.2433.2433 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 2433-2433

Author(s):

Medhat Shehata ◽

Rainer Hubmann ◽

Martin Hilgarth ◽

Susanne Schnabl ◽

Dita Demirtas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells ◽

Marrow Stromal Cells ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Healthy Persons

Abstract Abstract 2433 Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the clonal expansion of B lymphocytes which typically express CD19 and CD5. The disease remains incurable and recurrence often occurs after current standard therapies due to residual disease or probably due to the presence of therapy-resistant CLL precursors. Based on the growing evidence for the existence of leukemia stem cells, this study was designed to search for putative CLL precursors/stem cells based on the co-expression of CLL cell markers (CD19/CD5) with the hematopoietic stem cell marker (CD34). Forty seven CLL patients and 17 healthy persons were enrolled in the study. Twenty four patients had no previous treatment and 23 had pre-therapy. Twenty two patients were in Binet stage C and 25 patients in B. Twenty two patients had unmutated and 18 mutated IgVH gene (7: ND). Cytogenetic analysis by FISH showed that 14 patients had del 13q, 8 had del 11q, 4 had del 17p and 9 had trisomy 12. Peripheral blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells were subjected to multi-colour FACS analysis using anti-human antibodies against CD34, CD19 and CD5 surface antigens. The results revealed the presence of triple positive CD34+/CD19+/CD5+ cells in CLL samples (mean 0.13%; range 0.01–0.41) and in healthy donors (0.31%; range 0.02–0.6) within the CD19+ B cells. However, due to the high leukocyte count in CLL patients, the absolute number of these cells was significantly higher in CLL samples (mean: 78.7; range 2.5–295 cells /μL blood) compared to healthy persons (mean: 0.45: range 0.04–2.5 cells/μl)(p<0,001). These triple positive “putative CLL stem cells” (PCLLSC) co-express CD133 (67%), CD38 (87%), CD127 (52%), CD10 (49%), CD20 (61%), CD23 (96%), CD44 (98%) and CD49d (74%). FISH analysis on 4 patients with documented chromosomal abnormalities detected the corresponding chromosomal aberrations of the mature clone in the sorted CD34+/CD5+/CD19+ and/or CD34+/CD19-/CD5- cells but not in the CD3+ T cells. Multiplex RT-PCR analysis using IgVH family specific primer sets confirmed the clonality of these cells. Morphologically, PCLLSC appeared larger than lymphocytes with narrow cytoplasm and showed polarity and motility in co-culture with human bone marrow stromal cells. Using our co-culture microenvironment model (Shehata et al, Blood 2010), sorted cell fractions (A: CD34+/19+/5+, B: CD34+/19-/5- or C: CD34-/CD19+/5+) from 4 patients were co-cultured with primary autologous human stromal cells. PCLLSC could be expanded in the co-culture to more than 90% purity from fraction A and B but not from fraction C. These cells remained in close contact or migrated through the stromal cells. PCLLSC required the contact with stromal cells for survival and died within 1–3 days in suspension culture suggesting their dependence on bone marrow microenvironment or stem cell niches. RT-PCR demonstrated that these cells belong to the established CLL clone. They also eexpress Pax5, IL-7R, Notch1, Notch2 and PTEN mRNA which are known to play a key role in the early stages of B cells development and might be relevant to the early development of the malignant clone in CLL. Using NOD/SCID/IL2R-gamma-null (NOG) xenogeneic mouse system we co-transplanted CLL cells from 3 patients (5 million PBMC/mouse) together with autologous bone marrow stromal cells (Ratio: 10:1). The percentage of PCLLSC in the transplanted PBMC was 0.18% (range 0.06–0.34%). Using human-specific antibodies, human CD45+ cells were detected in peripharal blood of the mice (mean 0.9 % range 0.47–1.63%) after 2 months of transplantation. More than 90% of the human cells were positive for CD45 and CD5. Among this population, 26% (range 15–35%) of the cells co-expressed CD45, CD19, CD5 and CD34 and thus correspond to the PCLLSC. In conclusion, our data suggest the existence of putative CLL precursors/stem cells which reside within the CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell compartment and carry the chromosomal aberrations of the established CLL clone. These cells could be expanded in vitro in a bone marrow stroma-dependent manner and could be engrafted and significantly enriched in vivo in NOG xenotransplant system. Further characterization and selective targeting and eradication of these cells may pave the way for designing curative therapeutic strategies for CLL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Download Full-text

Novel In Vivo Evidence That Not Only Androgens But Also Pituitary Gonadotropins and Prolactin Directly Stimulate Murine Bone Marrow Stem Cells – Implications For Potential Treatment Strategies In Aplastic Anemias

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.2476.2476 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 2476-2476

Author(s):

Kasia Mierzejewska ◽

Ewa Suszynska ◽

Sylwia Borkowska ◽

Malwina Suszynska ◽

Maja Maj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Sex Hormones ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Clonogenic Potential

Abstract Background Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are exposed in vivo to several growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and bioactive lipids in bone marrow (BM) in addition to various sex hormones circulating in peripheral blood (PB). It is known that androgen hormones (e.g., danazol) is employed in the clinic to treat aplastic anemia patients. However, the exact mechanism of action of sex hormones secreted by the pituitary gland or gonads is not well understood. Therefore, we performed a complex series of experiments to address the influence of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), androgen (danazol) and prolactin (PRL) on murine hematopoiesis. In particular, from a mechanistic view we were interested in whether this effect depends on stimulation of BM-residing stem cells or is mediated through the BM microenvironment. Materials and Methods To address this issue, normal 2-month-old C57Bl6 mice were exposed or not to daily injections of PMSG (10 IU/mice/10 days), LH (5 IU/mice/10 days), FSH (5 IU/mice/10 days), danazol (4 mg/kg/10 days) and PRL (1 mg/day/5days). Subsequently, we evaluated changes in the BM number of Sca-1+Lin–CD45– that are precursors of long term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) (Leukemia 2011;25:1278–1285) and bone forming mesenchymal stem cells (Stem Cell & Dev. 2013;22:622-30) and Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) cells by FACS, the number of clonogenic progenitors from all hematopoietic lineages, and changes in peripheral blood (PB) counts. In some of the experiments, mice were exposed to bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to evaluate whether sex hormones affect stem cell cycling. By employing RT-PCR, we also evaluated the expression of cell-surface and intracellular receptors for hormones in purified populations of murine BM stem cells. In parallel, we studied whether stimulation by sex hormones activates major signaling pathways (MAPKp42/44 and AKT) in HSPCs and evaluated the effect of sex hormones on the clonogenic potential of murine CFU-Mix, BFU-E, CFU-GM, and CFU-Meg in vitro. We also sublethally irradiated mice and studied whether administration of sex hormones accelerates recovery of peripheral blood parameters. Finally, we determined the influence of sex hormones on the motility of stem cells in direct chemotaxis assays as well as in direct in vivo stem cell mobilization studies. Results We found that 10-day administration of each of the sex hormones evaluated in this study directly stimulated expansion of HSPCs in BM, as measured by an increase in the number of these cells in BM (∼2–3x), and enhanced BrdU incorporation (the percentage of quiescent BrdU+Sca-1+Lin–CD45– cells increased from ∼2% to ∼15–35% and the percentage of BrdU+Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ cells increased from 24% to 43–58%, Figure 1). These increases paralleled an increase in the number of clonogenic progenitors in BM (∼2–3x). We also observed that murine Sca-1+Lin–CD45– and Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ cells express sex hormone receptors and respond by phosphorylation of MAPKp42/44 and AKT in response to exposure to PSMG, LH, FSH, danazol and PRL. We also observed that administration of sex hormones accelerated the recovery of PB cell counts in sublethally irradiated mice and slightly mobilized HSPCs into PB. Finally, in direct in vitro clonogenic experiments on purified murine SKL cells, we observed a stimulatory effect of sex hormones on clonogenic potential in the order: CFU-Mix > BFU-E > CFU-Meg > CFU-GM. Conclusions Our data indicate for the first time that not only danazol but also several pituitary-secreted sex hormones directly stimulate the expansion of stem cells in BM. This effect seems to be direct, as precursors of LT-HSCs and HSPCs express all the receptors for these hormones and respond to stimulation by phosphorylation of intracellular pathways involved in cell proliferation. These hormones also directly stimulated in vitro proliferation of purified HSPCs. In conclusion, our studies support the possibility that not only danazol but also several other upstream pituitary sex hormones could be employed to treat aplastic disorders and irradiation syndromes. Further dose- and time-optimizing mouse studies and studies with human cells are in progress in our laboratories. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Download Full-text

Stem Cell Factor Sall4 Regulates Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis In an Isoform-Specific Manner

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.3728.3728 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 3728-3728

Author(s):

Samuel Milanovich ◽

Jeremy Allred ◽

Jonathan Peterson ◽

Cary Stelloh ◽

Sridhar Rao

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Empty Vector ◽

Bmi1 Expression ◽

Colony Forming Units ◽

Colony Forming Capacity

Abstract Stem cells play key roles in early normal development (e.g. embryonic stem cells (ESCs)), maintenance of adult organs (e.g. hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)) and in some cancers (e.g. leukemia stem cells). To what degree these different types of stem cells rely upon shared versus distinct transcriptional programs remains controversial. Sall4 is a zinc finger transcription factor that exists in two distinct splice isoforms, Sall4a (long) and Sall4b (short). Sall4 has been implicated in embryonic, hematopoietic and malignant stem cell transcriptional regulation. Additionally, Sall4 has been proposed as a potential means of ex-vivo hematopoietic stem cell expansion prior to transplantation. Sall4 isoform-specific differences have been described in ESCs, with Sall4b shown to be critical for maintaining ESC “stemness”. Here we investigate the role of Sall4 isoforms in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and murine hematopoiesis to unravel shared versus unique transcriptional programs across different stem cell types. Quantitative real time PCR shows that Sall4b is the predominant Sall4 isoform in murine HSCs and lin-, Sca1+, cKit+ (LSK) cells. Sall4b expression decreases in early lineage-committed progenitors, while Sall4a expression is minimal to absent across murine HSCs and progenitors. Next, we evaluated seven pediatric AML samples and found highly variable Sall4 expression across AML cases. All samples had measurable Sall4a and Sall4b; in 3/7 cases Sall4a and Sall4b expression was similar to that of ESCs, in the other 4 cases Sall4 expression was minimal (<3% of ESCs). To study overexpression of Sall4, we used a murine stem cell retrovirus system to express Sall4a or Sall4b. Bone marrow was harvested from C57/BL6 mice and lineage-committed cells were removed by magnetic column separation. Lineage-negative bone marrow was infected with either empty vector, Sall4a or Sall4b. Transduced bone marrow was then cultured in methylcellulose media to assess colony forming capacity and proliferation in vitro or transplanted in syngeneic mice to assess engraftment and hematopoietic reconstitution in vivo. Sall4a or Sall4b overexpression caused diminished colony forming capacity and cellular proliferation in vitro compared to bone marrow transduced with empty vector (Figure 1). In bone marrow transplant assays, all mice (4/4) transplanted with Sall4b-transduced bone marrow following lethal irradiation succumbed to bone marrow failure within 10 days of transplant. Transplantation of Sall4b-transduced bone marrow into sublethally irradiated mice failed to contribute to hematopoiesis as measured by peripheral blood leukocyte GFP expression (encoded by the viral vector). Together, this data shows that Sall4b-transduced hematopoietic cells fail to engraft and reconstitute hematopoiesis in vivo. We postulated that this phenotype might be mediated through the interaction of Sall4 with Bmi1. Bmi1 is a member of the polycomb complex necessary for normal hematopoiesis, and is known to be bound by Sall4. In preliminary experiments, we have found that overexpression of Sall4 leads to decreased Bmi1 expression at 48 hours post-infection compared to bone marrow infected with empty vector.Figure 1Lin- bone marrow expressing Sall4a, Sall4b or empty vector was cultured in methylcellulose; plates were flushed and replated out to three generations. Colony forming units were assessed (A) and viable cells were counted (B) after 7-10 days in culture.Figure 1. Lin- bone marrow expressing Sall4a, Sall4b or empty vector was cultured in methylcellulose; plates were flushed and replated out to three generations. Colony forming units were assessed (A) and viable cells were counted (B) after 7-10 days in culture. In conclusion, our data shows that Sall4b is expressed in murine hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors, suggesting that Sall4b but not Sall4a influences a hematopoietic cell fate. Additionally, Sall4 expression is variable in AML specimens, implicating a potential pathogenic role in some leukemias, while others are Sall4-independent. Lastly, Sall4 overexpression is associated with decreased expression of the critical hematopoietic gene Bmi1. Together this data suggests that hematopoiesis is dependent upon appropriately regulated Sall4 expression with alterations leading to impaired proliferation and self-renewal. These effects on hematopoiesis appear to be mediated at least in part through a dose-dependent effect on Bmi1 expression. Future studies will evaluate other genes targeted by Sall4 in hematopoiesis and leukemia to define Sall4-dependent gene signatures in normal versus malignant hematopoiesis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Download Full-text

Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells by Interferons and by DNA Methylation: Implications for Bone Marrow Failure

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.sci-20.sci-20 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. SCI-20-SCI-20

Author(s):

Margaret A. Goodell

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow Failure ◽

Stem Cell Differentiation ◽

Primary Myelofibrosis ◽

Differentiation Potential ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Bone marrow failure (BMF), the inability to regenerate the differentiated cells of the blood, has a number of genetic and environmental etiologies, such as mutation of telomere-associated protein genes and immune-related aplastic anemia. Recently, mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) have been found to be associated with approximately 15% of cases of primary myelofibrosis (MF), which can be a cause of BMF. The role of DNMT3A more broadly in hematopoiesis, and specifically in BMF, is currently poorly understood. DNMT3A is one of two de novo DNA methylation enzymes important in developmental fate choice. We showed that Dnmt3a is critical for normal murine hematopoiesis, as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from Dnmt3a knockout (KO) mice displayed greatly diminished differentiation potential while their self-renewal ability was markedly increased1, in effect, leading to failure of blood regeneration or BMF. Combined with loss of Dnmt3b, HSCs exhibited a profound differentiation block, mediated in part by an increase of stabilized b-catenin. While we did not initially observe bone marrow pathology or malignancy development in mice transplanted with Dnmt3a KO HSCs, when we aged a large cohort of mice, all mice succumbed to hematologic disease within about 400 days. Roughly one-third of mice developed frank leukemia (acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia), one-third developed MDS, and the remainder developed primary myelofibrosis or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. The pathological characteristics of the mice broadly mirror those of patients, suggesting the Dnmt3a KO mice can serve as a model for human DNMT3A-mutation associated disease. Strikingly, bone marrow of mice with different disease types exhibit distinct DNA methylation features. These will findings and the implications for disease development will be discussed. We are currently investigating the factors that drive different outcomes in the mice, including stressors such as exposure to interferons. We have hypothesized that HSC proliferation accelerates the Dnnmt3a-associated disease phenotypes. We have previously shown that interferons directly impinge on HSCs in the context of infections. Interferons activate HSCs to divide, generating differentiated progeny and cycling HSCs. Repeated interferon stimulation may permanently impair HSC function and bias stem cell output. When combined with loss of Dnmt3a, interferons may promote BMF. We will discuss broadly how external factors such as aging and infection may collaborate with specific genetic determinants to affect long-term hematopoiesis and malignancy development. Reference: Challen GA, Sun D, Jeong M, et al. Dnmt3a is essential for hematopoietic stem cell differentiation. Nat Genet 2012; 44: 23-31 Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Download Full-text

UM171 Regulates the Hematopoietic Differentiation of Human Acquired Aplastic Anemia-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-127466 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 2500-2500

Author(s):

Tellechea Maria Florencia ◽

Flavia S. Donaires ◽

Tiago C. Silva ◽

Lilian F. Moreira ◽

Yordanka Armenteros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Hematopoietic Differentiation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Cd34 Cells ◽

Induced Pluripotent

Aplastic anemia (AA) is characterized by a hypoplastic bone marrow associated with low peripheral blood counts. In acquired cases, the immune system promotes hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) depletion by the action of several pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines. The current treatment options for severe cases consist of sibling-matched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti-thymocyte globulin, cyclosporine, and eltrombopag. However, most patients are not eligible for HSCT and, although about 85% of patients respond to IST with eltrombopag, a proportion of patients eventually relapse, requiring further therapies. Failure to respond adequately to immunosuppression may be attributed to the scarcity of HSPCs at the time of diagnosis. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are potentially an alternative source of patient-specific hematopoietic cells. Patient-specific HSPCs derived from in vitro iPSC differentiation may serve as a tool to study the disease as well as a source of hematopoietic tissue for cell therapies. The pyrimidoindole molecule UM171 induces ex vivo expansion of HSCs of human cord and peripheral blood and bone marrow, but the pathways modulated by this molecule are not well understood. Here we evaluated the hematopoietic differentiation potential of iPSCs obtained from patients with acquired AA. We further determined the effects of UM171 on this differentiation process. First, we derived iPSCs from 3 patients with acquired AA after treatment (1 female; average age, 31 years; 2 partial responders, 1 complete responder) and 3 healthy subjects (3 females; average age, 61 years) and induced differentiation in vitro through the embryoid body system in cell feeder and serum-free medium supplemented with cytokines. The hematopoietic differentiation of healthy-iPSCs yielded 19% ± 8.1% (mean ± SEM) of CD34+cells after 16 days in culture, in contrast with 11% ± 4.9% of CD34+cells obtained from the differentiation of AA-iPSCs, which corresponds to a 1.7-fold reduction in CD34+cell yield. The total number of erythroid and myeloid CFUs was lower in the AA-iPSC group as compared to healthy-iPSCs (12±4.2 vs.24±7.2; respectively; p<0.03). These findings suggest that erythroid-derived AA-iPSC have an intrinsic defect in hematopoietic differentiation. Next, we tested whether UM171 modulated hematopoietic differentiation of AA-iPSCs. We found that UM171 significantly stimulated the differentiation of both healthy and AA-iPSCs. In the healthy-iPSC group, the percentage of CD34+cells was 1.9-fold higher when treated with UM171 compared to controls treated with DMSO (37% ± 7.8% vs.19% ± 8.1%; respectively; p<0.03) and in AA-iPSCs the increase was 3.9-fold (45% ± 11% vs. 11% ± 4.9%; p<0.07). The clonogenic capacity of progenitors to produce erythroid and myeloid colonies also was augmented in both groups in comparison to DMSO (28±11 vs. 23±7.2) for healthy-iPSCs and for AA-iPSCs (23±8.5 vs. 12±4.2, p<0.06). We then investigated the molecular pathways influenced by UM171. The transcriptional profile of differentiated CD34+cells showed that UM171 up-regulated genes involved in early hematopoiesis from mesoderm (BRACHYURY and MIXL1) and primitive streak specification (APELA and APLNR), to hemangioblasts and primitive hematopoietic progenitor commitment (TDGF1, SOX17, and KLF5). We also observed the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory NF-kB activators (MAP4K1, ZAP70, and CARD11) and the anti-inflammatory gene PROCR, a marker of cultured HSCs and an NF-kB inhibitor. This balanced network has been previously suggested to be modulated by UM171 (Chagraoui et. al. Cell Stem Cell 2019). Taken together, our results showed that acquired AA-iPSCs may have intrinsic defects that impair hematopoietic differentiation in vitro. This defect may be atavic to the cell or, alternatively, the consequence of epigenetic changes in erythroid precursors provoked by the immune attack. In addition, our findings demonstrate that UM171 significantly stimulate the hematopoietic differentiation of AA-iPSCs and identified a novel molecular mechanism for UM171 as an enhancer of early hematopoietic development programs. These observations may be valuable for improving the achievement of de novo hematopoietic cells. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Download Full-text