ABSTRACT: Expression data from mouse induced Erythroid Progenitor (iEP)-derived colonies, mouse bone marrow and fetal liver BFU-Es and mouse fibroblasts.
Project description:Erythroid progenitor BFU-Es are so-named based on their ability to generate in methylcellulose culture large colonies of erythroid cells that consist of “bursts” of smaller erythroid colonies derived from the later CFU-E Epo- dependent progenitors. “Early” BFU-E cells forming large BFU-E colonies presumably have higher capacities for self-renewal than do those forming small BFU-E colonies. In order to understand the mechanism underlying this heterogeneity, we conducted single cell transcriptome analysis on BFU-E cells purified from mouse embryos. Our analyses showed that there are two principal subgroups of mouse BFU-E cells and that the type III TGFβ receptor (TβRIII) is a potential marker that distinguishes “early” and “late” BFU-Es. Expression of TβRIII is correlated with that of GATA1, a gene encoding an erythroid transcription factor induced during the BFU-E to CFU-E transition. The mouse and human BFU-E sub populations (TßRIII10%lo) expressing the 10% lowest amount of surface TβRIII are indeed enriched for early BFU-Es, and are significantly more responsive to glucocorticoid stimulation, which promotes BFU-E self-renewal, as compared to the total BFU-E population. The TßRIII10%lo BFU-E subpopulation presumably represents earlier BFU-Es with maximal capacity for self-renewal. Consistent with this notion, signaling by the TGFβ receptor kinases RI and RII increases during the transition from early (TßRIII10%lo) to late (TßRIII10%hi) BFU-Es and then decreases in CFU-E cells. Blocking TGF-β signaling by receptor kinase inhibitors increase TßRIII10%lo BFU-E cell self-renewal and increases total erythroblast production, suggesting the use of this type of drug in treating Epo unresponsive anemias.
Project description:Burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) cells are erythroid progenitors traditionally defined by colony assays. We developed a flow cytometry-based strategy for isolating human BFU-E and CFU-E cells based on the changes in expression of cell surface markers during in vitro erythroid cell culture. BFU-E and CFU-E are characterized by CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34+CD36-CD71low and CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34-CD36+CD71high phenotypes, respectively. Colony assays validated phenotypic assignment giving rise to BFU-E and CFU-E colonies, both at a purity ~90%. The BFU-E colony forming ability of CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34+CD36-CD71low cells required SCF and erythropoietin, while the CFU-E colony forming ability of CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34-CD36+CD71high cells required only erythropoietin. Bioinformatic analysis of the RNA-seq data revealed unique transcriptomes in each differentiation stage. The sorting strategy was validated in uncultured primary cells isolated from bone marrow and peripheral blood, indicating that marker expression is not an artifact of in vitro cell culture, but represents an in vivo characteristic of erythroid progenitor populations. The ability to isolate highly pure human BFU-E and CFU-E progenitors will enable detailed cellular and molecular characterization of these distinct progenitor populations and define their contribution to disordered erythropoiesis in inherited and acquired hematological disease. Our data provide important resource for future studies. Transcription profiles of Human erythroid progenitors at distinct developmental stages were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate, using IlluminaHiSeq 2000. The complete dataset comprises 4 sample types: CD34, BFU, CFU, and Pro (reanalysis of GSM1304777-GSM1304779).
Project description:We explored the effects of dexamethasone and lenalidomide, individually and in combination, on the differentiation of primary human bone marrow progenitor cells in vitro. Both agents promote erythropoiesis, increasing the absolute number of erythroid cells produced from normal CD34+ cells and from CD34+ cells with the types of ribosome dysfunction found in DBA and del(5q) MDS. However, the drugs had distinct effects on the production of erythroid progenitor colonies; dexamethasone selectively increased the number burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E), while lenalidomide specifically increased colony-forming units-erythroid (CFU-E). Use of the drugs in combination demonstrates that their effects are not redundant.
Project description:Burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) cells are erythroid progenitors traditionally defined by colony assays. We developed a flow cytometry-based strategy for isolating human BFU-E and CFU-E cells based on the changes in expression of cell surface markers during in vitro erythroid cell culture. BFU-E and CFU-E are characterized by CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34+CD36-CD71low and CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34-CD36+CD71high phenotypes, respectively. Colony assays validated phenotypic assignment giving rise to BFU-E and CFU-E colonies, both at a purity ~90%. The BFU-E colony forming ability of CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34+CD36-CD71low cells required SCF and erythropoietin, while the CFU-E colony forming ability of CD45+GPA-IL-3R-CD34-CD36+CD71high cells required only erythropoietin. Bioinformatic analysis of the RNA-seq data revealed unique transcriptomes in each differentiation stage. The sorting strategy was validated in uncultured primary cells isolated from bone marrow and peripheral blood, indicating that marker expression is not an artifact of in vitro cell culture, but represents an in vivo characteristic of erythroid progenitor populations. The ability to isolate highly pure human BFU-E and CFU-E progenitors will enable detailed cellular and molecular characterization of these distinct progenitor populations and define their contribution to disordered erythropoiesis in inherited and acquired hematological disease. Our data provide important resource for future studies.
Project description:Forced expression of Gata1, Tal1, Lmo2 and c-Myc reprograms murine adult fibroblasts into erythroid progenitor cells. The resulting cells, called induced erythroid progenitors/precursors (iEPs), resemble bona fide erythroid cells in terms of morphology, colony forming capacity, and gene expression. We used microarrays to characterize the reprogrammed cells (iEP_red and iEP_non-red) at the molecular level and compare their global gene expression profile with bona fide erythroid cells (FL and BM BFU-Es) and starting fibroblasts (Fibs).
Project description:Massive expansion of erythroid progenitor cells is essential for surviving anemic stress. Research towards understanding this critical process, referred to as stress-erythropoiesis, has been hampered due to lack of specific marker-combinations enabling analysis of the distinct stress-progenitor cells capable of providing radioprotection and enhanced red blood cell production. Here we present a method for precise identification and in vivo validation of progenitor cells contributing to both steady-state and stress-erythropoiesis, enabling for the first time in-depth molecular characterization of these cells. Differential expression of surface markers CD150, CD9 and Sca1 defines a hierarchy of splenic stress-progenitors during irradiation-induced stress recovery in mice, and provides high-purity isolation of the functional stress-BFU-Es with a 100-fold improved enrichment compared to state-of-the-art. By transplanting purified stress-progenitors expressing the fluorescent protein Kusabira Orange, we have for the first time determined their kinetics in vivo and demonstrated that CD150+CD9+Sca1- stress-BFU-Es provide a massive but transient radioprotective erythroid wave, followed by multi-lineage reconstitution from CD150+CD9+Sca1+ multi-potent stem/progenitor cells. Whole genome transcriptional analysis revealed that stress-BFU-Es express gene signatures more associated with erythropoiesis and proliferation compared to steady-state BFU-Es, and are BMP-responsive. Evaluation of chromatin accessibility through ATAC sequencing reveals enhanced and differential accessibility to binding sites of the chromatin-looping transcription factor CTCF in stress-BFU-Es compared to steady-state BFU-Es. Our findings offer molecular insight to the unique capacity of stress-BFU-Es to rapidly form erythroid cells in response to anemia and constitute an important step towards identifying novel erythropoiesis stimulating agents.
Project description:We explored the effects of dexamethasone and lenalidomide, individually and in combination, on the differentiation of primary human bone marrow progenitor cells in vitro. Both agents promote erythropoiesis, increasing the absolute number of erythroid cells produced from normal CD34+ cells and from CD34+ cells with the types of ribosome dysfunction found in DBA and del(5q) MDS. However, the drugs had distinct effects on the production of erythroid progenitor colonies; dexamethasone selectively increased the number burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E), while lenalidomide specifically increased colony-forming units-erythroid (CFU-E). Use of the drugs in combination demonstrates that their effects are not redundant. Human CD34+ cells were cultured for 48 hours in the erythroid differentiation media described above with the addition of 40 ng/mL of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (flt-3; Miltenyi Biotech) and 15 ng/mL of Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; Amgen). Cells were cultured in the presence of the drugs of interest for 24 hours. RNA was purified using Trizol (Invitrogen). RNA was amplified and labeled by in vitro transcription and hybridized to the Affymetrix HT Human Genome U133A Array. Three replicates per condition.
Project description:Analyses of gene expression by RNA-Seq in mouse E14.5 fetal liver burst-forming unit erythroid (BFU-E) cells untreated or treated by dexamethasone (DEX) with or without PPAR? agonist GW7647. RNA-Seq was performed on enriched populations of mouse BFU-E isolated from E14.5 fetal liver, as well as BFU-E enriched cells treated with Dex ± GW7647.
Project description:The serine threonine kinase Stk40 has been shown to involve in mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation, pulmonary maturation and adipocyte differentiation. Here we report that targeted deletion of Stk40 leads to fetal liver hypoplasia and anemia in the mouse embryos. The reduction of erythrocytes in the fetal liver is accompanied by increased apoptosis and compromised erythroid maturation. Stk40-/- fetal liver cells have significantly reduced colony forming units (CFUs) capable of erythroid differentiation, including burst forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), colony forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E), and CFU-granulocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte and macrophage (CFU-GEMM), but not CFU-granulocyte/macrophages (CFU-GM). Purified Stk40-/- megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) produced substantially fewer CFU-E colonies compared to control cells. Moreover, Stk40-/- fetal liver erythroblasts failed to form normal erythroblastic islands in association with wild type or Stk40-/- macrophages, indicating an intrinsic defect of Stk40-/- erythroblasts. Furthermore, the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell pool is reduced in Stk40-/- fetal livers but still retains the multi-lineage reconstitution capacity. Finally, analysis of microarray data of E14.5 fetal liver cells suggests a potential role of aberrantly activated TNF-α signaling in Stk40 depletion induced dyserythropoiesis with a concomitant increase in cleaved Caspase-3 and decrease in Gata1 proteins. Altogether, the identification of Stk40 as a regulator for fetal erythroid differentiation, maturation and survival provides new clues to the molecular regulation of erythropoiesis and related diseases.
Project description:Dhh negatively regulates multiple stages of erythrocyte differentiation. In Dhh-deficient bone marrow, the common myeloid progenitor (CMP) population was increased, but differentiation from CMP to granulocyte/macrophage progenitor was decreased, and the mature granulocyte population was decreased, compared with wild-type (WT). In contrast, differentiation from CMP to megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitor was increased, and the megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitor population was increased. In Dhh-deficient spleen and bone marrow, BFU-Es and erythroblast populations were increased compared with WT. During recovery of hematopoiesis after irradiation, and under conditions of stress-induced erythropoiesis, erythrocyte differentiation was accelerated in both spleen and bone marrow of Dhh-deficient mice compared with WT. To investigate possible mechanisms for its regulation of erythropoiesis we carried out RNAsequencing on Facs-sorted erythroblast population II (CD71+Ter119+) cells from Dhh-/-, Dhh+/- and WR mice.