HOXA4 provides stronger engraftment potential to short-term repopulating cells than HOXB4.

ABSTRACT: Genes of the HOX4 paralog group have been shown to expand hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Endogenous expression of HOXA4 is 10-fold higher than HOXB4 in embryonic primitive hematopoietic cells undergoing self-renewal suggesting a more potent capacity of HOXA4 to expand HSC. In this study, we provide evidence by direct competitive bone marrow cultures that HOXA4 and HOXB4 induce self-renewal of primitive hematopoietic cells with identical kinetics. Transplantation assays show that short-term repopulation by HOXA4-overexpressing multilineage progenitors was significantly greater than HOXB4-overexpressing progenitors in vivo, indicating differences in the sensitivity of the cells to external signals. Small array gene expression analysis showed an increase in multiple Notch and Wnt signaling

SUBMITTER: Fournier M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4598939 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature