Differential impact of Ink4a and Arf on hematopoietic stem cells and their bone marrow microenvironment in Bmi1-deficient mice.

ABSTRACT: The polycomb group (PcG) protein Bmi1 plays an essential role in the self-renewal of hematopoietic and neural stem cells. Derepression of the Ink4a/Arf gene locus has been largely attributed to Bmi1-deficient phenotypes in the nervous system. However, its role in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal remained undetermined. In this study, we show that derepressed p16(Ink4a) and p19(Arf) in Bmi1-deficient mice were tightly associated with a loss of self-renewing HSCs. The deletion of both Ink4a and Arf genes substantially restored the self-renewal capacity of Bmi1(-/-) HSCs. Thus, Bmi1 regulates HSCs by acting as a critical failsafe against the p16(Ink4a)- and p19(Arf)-dependent premature loss of HSCs. We further identified a novel role for Bmi1 in the organization of a functional bone

SUBMITTER: Oguro H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2118102 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature