Project description:Native bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs) participate in generating and shaping the skeleton and bone marrow throughout the lifespan. Moreover, BM-MSCs regulate hematopoiesis by contributing to the hematopoietic stem cell niche in providing critical cytokines, chemokines and extracellular matrix components. However, BM-MSCs per se contain a heterogeneous cell population that remains ill-defined. Although studies on the taxonomy of native BM-MSCs in mice have just started to emerge, the taxonomy of native human BM-MSCs remains unelucidated. By using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we aimed to define a proper taxonomy for native human BM non-hematopoietic subsets including endothelial cells (ECs) and mural cells (MCs) but with a focal point on MSCs. To this end, transcriptomic scRNA-seq data were generated from 5 distinct BM donors and were analyzed together with other transcriptomic data and with bioinformatics analyses at different levels to identify, characterize and classify distinct native subsets with relevant biomarkers. We could ascribe novel specific biomarkers to ECs, MCs and MSCs. Unlike ECs and MCs, MSCs exhibited an adipogenic transcriptomic pattern while co-expressing genes related to hematopoiesis support and multilineage commitment potential. Furthermore, by a comparative analysis of scRNA-seq of BM cells from humans and mice, we identified core genes conserved in both species. Notably, we identified MARCKS, CXCL12, PDGFRA, and LEPR together with adipogenic factors as archetypal biomarkers to reveal native MSCs within BM. In addition, our data suggest some complex gene nodes regulating critical biological functions of native BM-MSCs together with a preferential commitment toward an adipocyte lineage. Overall, our taxonomy for native BM non-hematopoietic compartment provides an explicit depiction of gene expression in human ECs, MCs and MSCs at single-cell resolution. This analysis helps enhance our understanding of the phenotype and the complexity of biological functions of native human BM-MSCs.

Project description:Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in bone marrow (BM) niches where they are maintained to replenish all blood cell lineages throughout life. Among the constituents of the murine HSC niches, various cell types such as CXCL12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells, Nestin-GFP+ perivascular cells, leptin receptor (LepR)+ cells, endothelial cells, osteoblasts, sympathetic nerves, macrophages and megakaryocytes in the BM have been proposed to contribute to HSC niche activity. When niche cells are removed from their natural habitat, the ability to maintain HSCs ex vivo is markedly diminished. Mesenchymal-derived stromal cells (MSCs) identified by Nestin-GFP express high levels of niche factors in vivo, but their expression is downregulated rapidly upon culture, suggesting that alterations in transcriptional rewiring may contribute to the reduced HSC maintenance potential. We found that the enforced expression of 5 genes (Klf7, Ostf1, Xbp1, Irf3 and Irf7) markedly restored HSC niche function in cultured BM-derived MSCs. These revitalized MSCs (rMSCs) exhibited boosted synthesis of HSC niche factors while retaining their mesenchymal lineage differentiation capacity. By contrast to HSCs co-cultured with control MSCs, HSCs expanded with rMSCs showed significantly higher repopulation capacity. To evaluate to what extent rMSCs are reprogrammed toward freshly isolated MSCs, we compared, by RNA-seq analysis, the transcriptome of freshly sorted CD45(-) Ter119(-) CD31(-) Scf-GFP(-) cells, CD45(-) Ter119(-) CD31(-) Scf-GFP(+) cells, rMSCs and control vector-transduced stroma. HSC niche-associated genes were highly expressed in both native Scf-GFP(+) stromal cells and rMSCs compared to the Scf-GFP cell fraction and control MSCs. With the motif analysis of ATAC-seq data, we found that myocyte enhancer factor 2c (Mef2c) is one of the key factor in the revitalization of MSCs. These results suggest that rMSC may provide a promising platform for curative transplantation therapies.

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Human native bone marrow CD200 positive mesenchymal stromal cells exhibit characteristics of cells forming the hematopoietic stem cell niche

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