Project description:Red blood cells and platelets derive from bi-potential bone marrow megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors, but their study is constrained by cell scarcity and limited experimental systems. Here we show that conditional expression of a virally transduced, regulated form of Hoxa7 enables expansion of murine cells resembling megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors (Hoxa7-TPO), which undergo erythro-megakaryocytic differentiation upon Hoxa7 inactivation. The close relationship of Hoxa7-TPO cells to megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors is supported by genetic and phenotypic analyses, and mature Hoxa7-TPO-derived red blood cells and platelets are largely indistinguishable from their primary counterparts. Genetic knock-out studies in Hoxa7-TPO cells recapitulate the key function of Klf1 and Nfe2 in red blood cell and platelet development, respectively, while disruption of the von Willebrand receptor gene Gp1ba recapitulates features of human Bernard-Soulier syndrome. Hence, we developed a versatile experimental system for expansion and differentiation of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors to study red blood cell and platelet development and model human diseases.
Project description:We newly identified prospectively-isolatable unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor population (MegP) as the major source of megakaryocytes, which emerges directly from early stage of hematopoiesis bypassing megakaryocyte-erythroid lineage bifurcation and contributes to physiological and pathological human megakaryopoiesis. To explore gene expression signature of hematopoietic stem/progenitor populrations miroarry-based whole transcriptome analysis was performed. As a result, gene expression signature of MegP clearly reflected its differentiation potential.
Project description:RNA-seq on mouse megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cells (paired end) For data usage terms and conditions, please refer to http://www.genome.gov/27528022 and http://www.genome.gov/Pages/Research/ENCODE/ENCODE_Data_Use_Policy_for_External_Users_03-07-14.pdf
Project description:Background: Recent advances in single-cell techniques have provided the opportunity to finely dissect cellular heterogeneity within populations previously defined by âbulkâ assays and to uncover rare cell types. In human hematopoiesis, megakaryocytes and erythroid cells differentiate from a shared precursor, the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP), which remains poorly defined.Results: To clarify the cellular pathway in erythro-megakaryocyte differentiation, we correlated the surface immunophenotype, transcriptional profile and differentiation potential of individual MEP cells. Highly purified, single MEP cells (n=681) were analyzed using index fluorescence-activated cell sorting with parallel targeted transcriptional profiling of the same cells performed using a specifically designed panel of 87 genes. Differentiation potential was tested in novel, single-cell differentiation assays. Our results demonstrated that immunophenotypic MEP in fact comprise three distinct subpopulations: (1) âPre-MEPâ, enriched for erythroid/megakaryocyte progenitors but with residual myeloid differentiation capacity (2) âE-MEPâ, strongly biased towards erythroid differentiation, and (3) âMK-MEPâ, a previously undescribed, rare population of cells that are bipotent but primarily generate megakaryocytic progeny. Therefore, conventionally-defined MEP are in fact a mixed population: a minority give rise to mixed-lineage colonies while the majority of cells are transcriptionally-primed to generate exclusively single-lineage output. Conclusions: Our study clarifies the cellular hierarchy in human megakaryocyte/erythroid lineage commitment and highlights the importance of using a combination of single-cell approaches to dissect cellular heterogeneity and identify rare cell types within a population. We present a novel immunophenotyping strategy that enables the prospective identification of specific intermediate progenitor populations in erythro-megakaryopoiesis, allowing for in-depth study of disorders including inherited cytopenias, myeloproliferative disorders and erythromegakaryocytic leukemias. Multiplex RT-PCR gene expression profiling of 807 human megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cells (MEP) isolated from three healthy donors by apheresis following G-CSF treatment. Cells were excluded if more than 70 assays did not result in amplification or displayed Ct higer than 13 for B2M or higher than 15 for GAPDH. Furthermore cells with a mean non-dropout Ct value greater than 20 were removed. This resulted in a dataset of 681 cells, which were subsequently normalised to the mean of B2M and GAPDH expression.
Project description:Background: Recent advances in single-cell techniques have provided the opportunity to finely dissect cellular heterogeneity within populations previously defined by “bulk” assays and to uncover rare cell types. In human hematopoiesis, megakaryocytes and erythroid cells differentiate from a shared precursor, the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP), which remains poorly defined.Results: To clarify the cellular pathway in erythro-megakaryocyte differentiation, we correlated the surface immunophenotype, transcriptional profile and differentiation potential of individual MEP cells. Highly purified, single MEP cells (n=681) were analyzed using index fluorescence-activated cell sorting with parallel targeted transcriptional profiling of the same cells performed using a specifically designed panel of 87 genes. Differentiation potential was tested in novel, single-cell differentiation assays. Our results demonstrated that immunophenotypic MEP in fact comprise three distinct subpopulations: (1) “Pre-MEP”, enriched for erythroid/megakaryocyte progenitors but with residual myeloid differentiation capacity (2) “E-MEP”, strongly biased towards erythroid differentiation, and (3) “MK-MEP”, a previously undescribed, rare population of cells that are bipotent but primarily generate megakaryocytic progeny. Therefore, conventionally-defined MEP are in fact a mixed population: a minority give rise to mixed-lineage colonies while the majority of cells are transcriptionally-primed to generate exclusively single-lineage output. Conclusions: Our study clarifies the cellular hierarchy in human megakaryocyte/erythroid lineage commitment and highlights the importance of using a combination of single-cell approaches to dissect cellular heterogeneity and identify rare cell types within a population. We present a novel immunophenotyping strategy that enables the prospective identification of specific intermediate progenitor populations in erythro-megakaryopoiesis, allowing for in-depth study of disorders including inherited cytopenias, myeloproliferative disorders and erythromegakaryocytic leukemias.
Project description:SCL/TAL1, a tissue-specific transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family, and c-Kit, a tyrosine kinase receptor, control hematopoietic stem cell survival and quiescence. Here we report that SCL and c-Kit signaling control a common gene expression signature, of which 19 genes are associated with apoptosis. In vivo, SCL levels are limiting for the clonal expansion of Kit+ multipotent and erythroid progenitors. In addition, increased SCL expression specifically enhances the sensitivity of multipotent and megakaryocyte/erythroid progenitors to Steel factor (KIT ligand), whilst a DNA binding mutant antagonizes KIT function and induces apoptosis in progenitors. We conclude that Scl operates downstream of Kit to support the survival of megakaryocyte/erythroid progenitors. Finally, higher SCL expression upregulates Kit in normal bone marrow cells and increases chimerism after bone marrow transplantation, indicating that Scl is also upstream of Kit. We conclude that Scl and Kit establish a positive feedback loop in multipotent and megakaryocyte/erythroid progenitors. c-Kit regulated genes were extrapolated from gene expression profiles of TF-1 erythroid progenitor cells (empty MSCV vector) stimulated with SF (Kit ligand), Epo or GM-CSF. Second, SCL-regulated genes were obtained by expressing a DNA binding-defective SCL mutant (DbSCL) and selecting genes that were differentially expressed in M-oM-^AM-^DbSCL cells versus control cells (MSCV) stimulated with the same cytokines.
Project description:Investigation of immune cell differentiation and function is limited by shortcomings of suitable and scalable experimental systems. Although forced expression of certain Hox genes allows immortalization of hematopoietic progenitor cells, their differentiation potential is limited to select myeloid lineages. Here we show that an estrogen-regulated form of Hoxb8 that is retrovirally delivered into bone marrow cells can be used along with FLT3 ligand to conditionally immortalize early hematopoietic progenitor cells (Hoxb8-FL). Hoxb8-FL cells have lost self-renewal capacity and the ability to adopt megakaryocyte/ erythroid lineage fates, but sustain myeloid and lymphoid differentiation potential. Hoxb8-FL cells differentiate in vitro and in vivo into different myeloid and lymphoid cell types, including macrophages, granulocytes, dendritic cells and B- and T-lymphocytes, which are phenotypically and functionally indistinguishable from their primary counterparts. Given the simplicity to generate Hoxb8-FL cells and their unlimited proliferative capacity, this system provides unique opportunities to investigate cell differentiation and immune cell functions. Hoxb8 expressing immortalized cells
Project description:Advances in sequencing-based genomic profiling present a new challenge of explaining how changes in DNA/RNA are translated into proteins linking genotypes to phenotypes. The developing erythroid cells require highly coordinated gene expression and metabolism, and serve as a unique model in dissecting regulatory events in development and disease. Here we compare the proteomic and transcriptomic changes in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and lineage-committed erythroid progenitors, and uncover pathways related to mitochondrial biogenesis enhanced through post-transcriptional regulation. Two principal mitochondrial factors TFAM and PHB2 are tightly regulated at the protein level and indispensable for mitochondria and erythropoiesis. mTORC1 signaling is progressively enhanced to promote translation of mitochondrial proteins during erythroid specification. Genetic and pharmacological perturbation of mTORC1 or mitochondria impairs erythropoiesis. Our studies suggest a new mechanism for regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis through mTORC1-mediated protein translation, and may have direct relevance to the hematological defects associated with mitochondrial diseases and aging. Transcriptional profiling in human primary fetal and adult CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) erythroid progenitor cells (ProEs) by RNA-seq analysis.
Project description:MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate cellular development by interfering with mRNA stability and translation. We defined the kinetics of global microRNA expression during the differentiation of murine hematopoietic progenitors into megakaryocytes. Of 435 miRNAs analyzed, 13 were upregulated and 81 were downregulated. Many of these changes are consistent with miRNA profiling studies of human megakaryocytes and platelets, although new patterns also emerged. Among 7 conserved miRNAs that were upregulated most strongly in megakaryocytes, 6 were also induced in the related erythroid lineage. MiR-146a was strongly upregulated during mouse and human megakaryopoiesis, but not erythropoiesis. However, overexpression of miR-146a in mouse bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor populations produced no detectable alterations in megakaryocyte development or platelet production in vivo or in colony assays. Our findings extend the repertoire of differentially regulated miRNAs during murine megakaryopoiesis and provide a useful new dataset for hematopoiesis research. In addition, we show that enforced hematopoietic expression of miR-146a has minimal effects on megakaryopoiesis. These results are compatible with prior studies indicating that miR-146a inhibits megakaryocyte production indirectly by suppressing cytokine production from innate immune cells, but cast doubt on a different study, which suggests that this miRNA inhibits megakaryopoiesis cell-autonomously. Exiqon locked nucleic acid (LNA) microarrays were used to compare microRNA expression in starting populations (ter 119- progenitors) and purified megakaryocytes. Day13.5-14.5 murine fetal livers (strain CD1) were depleted of erythroid cells and cultured with thrombopoietin to generate megakaryocytes. Each total RNA sample (0.5 μg per reaction) was labeled with Hy3 and Hy5 dyes using the Exiqon Power Labeling Kit and automated microarray hybridizations and washes were performed on a Tecan HS4800 station with 20 hr hybridization at 56ºC. Dye-swap pairs of three replicate experiments comparing Ter119- fetal liver cells vs. BSA-purified megakaryocytes were co-hybridized to six arrays. The geometric average of the 532 and 635 measurements after normalization was determined for each sample.