Project description:Although Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) routinely treats hematologic disease, many patients experience adverse outcomes. Understanding the molecular regulation of HSC engraftment is paramount to improving HSCT regimens. Here, we executed a large-scale transplant-based functional screen for novel regulators of HSC repopulation.. Of >50 gene candidates tested, 18 were required for in vivo hematopoietic repopulation and two were detrimental to repopulation, as their loss enhanced this activity. Each Hit was validated in a second screen. Eleven Hits have never before been implicated in HSC biology. We further show that one novel Hit, Foxa3, is required for optimal engraftment as Foxa3-/- bone marrow is defective in both primary and secondary hematopoietic reconstitution. We also present evidence that Foxa3 is a novel pioneer factor in HSC. Each gene identified in our screen is a window into the cellular mechanisms that control hematopoietic reconstitution. Thus, this work represents a resource to the community to better understand these processes 3 FOXA3 KO samples are compared to 3 wt samples
Project description:Although Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) routinely treats hematologic disease, many patients experience adverse outcomes. Understanding the molecular regulation of HSC engraftment is paramount to improving HSCT regimens. Here, we executed a large-scale transplant-based functional screen for novel regulators of HSC repopulation.. Of >50 gene candidates tested, 18 were required for in vivo hematopoietic repopulation and two were detrimental to repopulation, as their loss enhanced this activity. Each Hit was validated in a second screen. Eleven Hits have never before been implicated in HSC biology. We further show that one novel Hit, Foxa3, is required for optimal engraftment as Foxa3-/- bone marrow is defective in both primary and secondary hematopoietic reconstitution. We also present evidence that Foxa3 is a novel pioneer factor in HSC. Each gene identified in our screen is a window into the cellular mechanisms that control hematopoietic reconstitution. Thus, this work represents a resource to the community to better understand these processes
Project description:Hematopoietic stem cells are both necessary and sufficient to sustain the complete blood system of vertebrates. Here we show that Nfix, a member of the nuclear factor I (Nfi) family of transcription factors, is highly expressed by hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) of murine adult bone marrow. Although shRNA mediated knockdown of Nfix expression in Lineage-Sca-1+c-Kit+ HSPC had no effect on in vitro cell growth or viability, Nfix-depleted HSPC displayed a significant loss of colony forming potential, as well as short- and long-term in vivo hematopoietic repopulating activity. Analysis of recipient mice 4-20 days post-transplant revealed that Nfix-depleted HSPC establish in the bone marrow but fail to persist due to increased apoptotic cell death. Gene expression profiling of Nfix-depleted HSPC reveals that loss of Nfix expression in HSPC is concomitant with a decrease in the expression of multiple genes known to be important for HSPC survival, such as Erg, Mecom, Mpl and Prdm16. These data reveal that Nfix is a novel regulator of HSPC survival post-transplantation and establish, for the first time, a role for Nfi genes in the regulation of this cellular compartment. 3 NFIX depleted samples are compared to 3 wt samples
Project description:We performed a FACS-based genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen in primary murine macrophages to identify regulators of efferocytosis, the phagocytic clearance of dying cells. The screen identified known and novel regulators of macrophage efferocytosis. More broadly, the screen approach can be applied to interrogate complex functional phenotypes in primary macrophages.
Project description:Umbilical cord blood (CB) is a non-invasive, convenient and broadly used source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, limiting numbers of HSCs remain a major constraint for its clinical application. One feasible option would be to expand HSCs to improve therapeutic outcome, however available protocols and the molecular mechanisms governing the self-renewal of HSC are unclear. Here we show that ectopic expression of a single miRNA, miR-125a, in purified murine and human multipotent progenitors (MPP) resulted in increased self-renewal and robust long-term multi-lineage repopulation in transplanted recipient mice. Using quantitative proteomics and Western blot analysis, we identified a restricted set of miR-125a targets which revealed the involvement of the MAP kinase signaling pathway in conferring long-term repopulating capacity to multipotent progenitors in human and mice. Our findings offer the innovative potential to use MPP with enhanced self-renewal activity to augment limited sources of HSC to improve clinical protocols.
Project description:Two small molecules, valproic acid (VPA) and lithium (Li), were tested to inhibit differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPC) cells in culture. HSPCs exposed to VPA and Li during differentiation-inducing culture preserved an immature cell phenotype, provided radioprotection to lethally irradiated recipients and enhanced in vivo repopulating potential. Furthermore, VPA and Li synergistically preserved expression of stem cell-related genes and repressed genes involved in differentiation. Target genes were collectively co-regulated during normal hematopoietic differentiation. Additionally, transcription factor networks were identified as possible primary regulators. Our results demonstrate that the combination of VPA and Li potently prevents differentiation at the biological and the molecular level, and provide evidence to suggest that combinatorial screening of chemical compounds may uncover possible additive/synergistic effects to modulate stem cell fate decisions. These data consist of total mRNA obtained from hematopoietic cells cultured for 7 days in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. All samples were analyzed in independent biological triplicates.
Project description:The homeobox (Hox) transcription factor HOXA10 has been implicated in regulation of hematopoietic cell fate. Here, using a transgenic mouse model where expression of HOXA10 is tightly regulated in a graded, doxycyclin-dependent manner we demonstrate that several key commitment steps in hematopoietic differentiation have distinctly different outcomes depending on the expression level of HOXA10. Similarly, HOXA10 regulates hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) proliferation in a dose dependent manner, since intermediate levels of HOXA10 generated a 4.5-fold increase in long-term repopulating capacity after 13 days of liquid culture, whereas high levels reduced proliferation of HSCs. Interestingly, the effects on HSC proliferation were associated with altered expression of several known regulators of stem cell self-renewal. Taken together, our findings reveal entirely novel functional and molecular aspects of HOXA10 in regulation of hematopoiesis and emphasize the need for tightly regulated production of HOX proteins in possible future applications of stem cell expansion. Keywords: Affymetrix
Project description:We demonstrate that ex vivo culture of human adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with Delta1ext-IgG under hypoxia limits endoplasmic reticulum stress in long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells and, to a lesser extent, in lineage committed progenitors compared to normoxic cultures. Data were submitted on behalf of Dr. Larochelle's lab at the NIH.
Project description:Hematopoietic stem cells are both necessary and sufficient to sustain the complete blood system of vertebrates. Here we show that Nfix, a member of the nuclear factor I (Nfi) family of transcription factors, is highly expressed by hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) of murine adult bone marrow. Although shRNA mediated knockdown of Nfix expression in Lineage-Sca-1+c-Kit+ HSPC had no effect on in vitro cell growth or viability, Nfix-depleted HSPC displayed a significant loss of colony forming potential, as well as short- and long-term in vivo hematopoietic repopulating activity. Analysis of recipient mice 4-20 days post-transplant revealed that Nfix-depleted HSPC establish in the bone marrow but fail to persist due to increased apoptotic cell death. Gene expression profiling of Nfix-depleted HSPC reveals that loss of Nfix expression in HSPC is concomitant with a decrease in the expression of multiple genes known to be important for HSPC survival, such as Erg, Mecom, Mpl and Prdm16. These data reveal that Nfix is a novel regulator of HSPC survival post-transplantation and establish, for the first time, a role for Nfi genes in the regulation of this cellular compartment.
Project description:Expression profiles of 7-day cultured HSPCs in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. Two small molecules, valproic acid (VPA) and lithium (Li), were tested to inhibit differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPC) cells in culture. HSPCs exposed to VPA and Li during differentiation-inducing culture preserved an immature cell phenotype, provided radioprotection to lethally irradiated recipients and enhanced in vivo repopulating potential. Furthermore, VPA and Li synergistically preserved expression of stem cell-related genes and repressed genes involved in differentiation. Target genes were collectively co-regulated during normal hematopoietic differentiation. Additionally, transcription factor networks were identified as possible primary regulators. Our results demonstrate that the combination of VPA and Li potently prevents differentiation at the biological and the molecular level, and provide evidence to suggest that combinatorial screening of chemical compounds may uncover possible additive/synergistic effects to modulate stem cell fate decisions. These data consist of total mRNA obtained from hematopoietic cells cultured for 7 days in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. All samples were analyzed in independent biological triplicates.