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Penyakit merupakan salah satu stressor psikososial dalam kehidupan seseorang. Apalagi bagi penderita HIV/AIDS, penyakit ini tergolong kronis sekaligus terminal. Dimana penderita­nya selain dihadapkan pada pengobatan seumur hidup, juga di­hadap­kan pada ancaman kematian mengingat belum di­temu­kan obatnya. ODHA (orang dengan HIV/AIDS) pasti mengalami stress yang berat baik yang bersumber dari penyakitnya sendiri ataupun dampak psikososialnya. Setiap orang memiliki beragam cara mengatasi stress yang dihadapi dalam hidupnya. Sebagian mengembangkan strategi coping yang positif dan sebagian yang lain justru memilih strategi yang negatif yang merugikan. Pe­milihan dan pengembagan strategi coping akan sangat me­nentukan perjalanan ODHA dalam menghadapi penyakitnya. Gambaran ini pula yang terjadi pada para perempuan dengan HIV/AIDS yang dengan cara mereka masing-masing berjuang menaklukan stress yang dialami dalam hidupnya.

In the past few years social scientists have extensively focused on the domain of human reproduction. This focus has provided many incentives for the development of related social theory. Building on these recent scholarly discussions, which emphasize the central role played by human reproduction in our social lives, this paper focuses on childbirth as one of the peak reproductive events and on its gender aspects. Predominantly building on the anthropology of reproduction and gender and related scholarship in the social sciences, the paper‘s aim is to provide a review of key ideas and concepts that make the „genderedness“ of childbirth visible. First, I explain what constitutes the gendered nature of childbirth and in what ways gender relations shape the birthing process. I build on Connell’s distinction of three main theoretical understandings of gender. Subsequently, I focus on the cultural aspects of childbirth and demonstrate its cultural construction with regard to gender. Next I highlight the importance of gender roles which are deeply internalized and work even during the birthing process, thus affecting the whole birthing experience. The interaction between medical personnel and a birthing woman is in itself an important part of this experience in Western societies and is shaped by the the overall medicalization of childbirth, which I then go on to discuss. Sunsequesntly, I focus on the issue of modern obstetrics as the ultimate source of authoritative knowledge. Childbirth however is also a crucial lifecycle event accompanied by rite de passage in non-Western as well as Western societies and the conclusion of this paper is therefore dedicated to presenting key works and ideas related to this important anthropological concept in relation to childbirth.

mengidentifikasi pengaruh terapi sentuhan terhadap suhu dan nadi bayi prematur di ruang perinatologi RS X Tangerang. Desain penelitian menggunakan kuasi eksperimen dengan pre dan post test. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan cara consecutive sampling. Responden berjumlah 30 bayi prematur, dengan 15 bayi pada kelompok intervensi dan 15 bayi pada kelompok kontrol. Pengujian rata-rata suhu dan nadi pada kelompok kontrol dan kelompok intervensi menggunakan uji t-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan rata-rata suhu bayi prematur secara signifikan pada kelompok intervensi (p= 0,000, α= 0,05). Kesimpulannya, terapi sentuhan dapat meningkatkan suhu bayi prematur. Disarankan agar terapi sentuhan dapat diterapkan dalam asuhan keperawatan pada bayi prematur.

High protein in Spirulina platensis can be used as a source of Single-Celled Protein. By using mice (Mus musculus) as a animal laboratory, the objective of this research is to know the influence of Biomass S. platensis to the increase of body weight of mice. The name of species is Mus musculus, strain is Swiss derivate.Utilized mice were male, 30-50 weighing gram, and 5-7 weeks of age. Treatment group was given by palette and given by biomass of S. Platensis, while control also fed palette but did not give biomass of S. platensis. Yielded biomass was used as food mixed with palette with composition of dry biomass S. platensis with palette was 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Data analysis was conducted by using t-tes and analysis of variance. The results showed that by giving of dry biomass of S. platensis affected to the increasement of body weight from the first day until twelfth day of observation, and decrease on the thirteenth and fourteenth day. Pursuant to result of statistic, there is a significant difference (p < 0,05) between before giving and after giving of dry biomass S. platensis during 17 day. By giving dry biomass of S. platensis to mice (Mus musculus) at first and second week, it was found the difference of average mice body weight among six concentrations of biomass but did not at the third week. It means that not all concentration of biomass have same effect to the increase of mice body weight as a Single-Celled Protein.

The objective of this research was to identify mould in university's library using cross sectional design. The existence of mould and physical and chemical quality of air in library have been investigated and observed in three faculties; they were in FA, FB, and FC. To identify the mould, it used petri dish in Potato Dextrose Agar medium. There were 6-9 samples from each library. The temperature in three libraries were higher than standard, the intensity of light were very low in location FB and FC, and the dust concentration in FA was very high. It was found the pathogenic mould; they were Aspergillus fumigatus in FA, Scopulariopsis candida in FB, and Fusarium verticilloides in FC. In general, the physical, chemical and microbial quality of air in libraries exceeded the legal standard.

A costly search for food in subterranean rodents resulted in various adaptations improving their foraging success under given ecological conditions. In Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies, adaptations to local ecological conditions can promote speciation, which was recently supposed to occur even in sympatry at sites where two soil types of contrasting characteristics abut each other. Quantitative description of ecological conditions in such a site has been, nevertheless, missing. We measured characteristics of food supply and soil within 16 home ranges of blind mole rats Spalax galili in an area subdivided into two parts formed by basaltic soil and pale rendzina. We also mapped nine complete mole rat burrow systems to compare burrowing patterns between the soil types. Basaltic soil had a higher food supply and was harder than rendzina even under higher moisture content and lower bulk density. Population density of mole rats was five-times lower in rendzina, possibly due to the lower food supply and higher cover of Sarcopoterium shrubs which seem to be avoided by mole rats. A combination of food supply and soil parameters probably influences burrowing patterns resulting in shorter and more complex burrow systems in basaltic soil.

Patin (Pangasius sp) with the common name is catfish, has been well-known as a highly economic freshwater fish in Indonesia. Its high lipid content is considered as source of unsaturated fatty acids including omega-3 which brings advantages for human health. This research project aimed to obtain characteristics of the purified oil derived from the waste of Siam (Pangasius hypothalamus) and Jambal (Pangasius djambal) catfish fillet production, particularly on its fatty acids profile. During the catfish fillet processing, besides of getting the flesh-fillet as the main product, it leaves the other parts of fish (waste) that can be classified into 6 components i.e. head, spin-fin, skin, belly flap, trimmed flesh, and viscera. Fish oil extraction is conducted by using a modified wet rendering method. The head, belly flap, and viscera are considered to be the potential parts used for raw material in fish oil production that could yield the crude oil of 9.84%, 28.52%, and 20.34%, respectively derived from Siam, while 9.54%, 25.60% dan 30.05% derived from Jambal catfish. Fatty acids profile derived from both Siam and Jambal catfish showed that the palmitic and oleic acids were the major components. The percentage of unsaturated fatty acid showed a higher amount as againts saturated fatty acid from the total amount of fatty acids, that were 53.24%, 54.38%, 52.74% respectively derived from head, belly flap, and viscera of Siam, and 62.70%, 62.92%, 61.97% derived from Jambal catfish. Even though in small amount, omega-3 fatty acids i.e. linoleic, EPA and DHA were detected in this experiment from both species. DSC results demonstrated the 3 zones of melting point of Siam catfish oil, i.e range of -30 to-16°C, range of -16 to 25°C, and range of 25 – 46°C. While in Jambal catfish oil, it was earlier detected, i.e. at -34°C at the range up to 42°C. Keywords: Pangasius hypopthalmus, Pangasius djambal, extraction, fish oil, fatty acids profile ABSTRAK Ikan Patin merupakan salah satu ikan air tawar ekonomis penting di Indonesia yang dikenal dengan sebutan catfish. Ikan patin memiliki kandungan lemak yang tinggi dan merupakan sumber asam lemak tidak jenuh termasuk asam lemak omega 3 yang memiliki fungsi positif bagi kesehatan manusia. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mendapatkan data karakteristik minyak ikan dari limbah pengolahan fillet ikan patin jenis Siam (Pangasius hypopthalmus) dan Jambal (Pangasius djambal) terutama mengenai profil asam lemaknya. Proses pengolahan filet menghasilkan filet sebagai produk utama dan sisanya berupa 6 komponen limbah yang terdiri dari kepala, tulang-ekor, kulit, daging trimm (sisa perapian fillet), daging belly flap (daging bagian perut) dan isi perut. Ekstraksi minyak ikan dilakukan menggunakan metode wet rendering yang dimodifikasi. Bagian kepala, daging belly flap dan isi perut merupakan bagian yang potensial digunakan sebagai bahan baku pembuatan minyak ikan dengan rendemen minyak ikan kasar yang dihasilkan berturut – turut sebesar 9,84%, 28,52% dan 20,34% untuk ikan patin Siam dan 9,54%, 25,60% dan 30,05% untuk ikan patin Jambal. Profil asam lemak dari minyak ikan patin Siam maupun Jambal menunjukkan bahwa asam lemak palmitat dan oleat merupakan komponen utama. Persentase asam lemak tak jenuh memiliki jumlah yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan asam lemak jenuh dari total asam lemak secara keseluruhan yaitu sebesar 53,24%, 54,38%, 52,74% dan 62,70%, 62,92%, 61,97% berturut–turut untuk ikan patin jenis Siam dan Jambal bagian kepala, daging belly flap dan isi perut. Asam lemak omega 3 yaitu linolenat, EPA dan DHA terdeteksi pada kedua jenis minyak ikan patin dengan jumlah yang relatif kecil. Hasil analisis DSC minyak ikan patin Siam menunjukkan tiga kisaran zona pencairan minyak yang terdeteksi, yaitu pada kisaran suhu – 30 sampai – 16 oC, kisaran suhu – 16 sampai 25 oC, dan kisaran suhu 25 sampai 46 oC. Pada patin Jambal pencairan minyak terdeteksi lebih awal yaitu pada suhu -34 oC dengan kisaran suhu sampai dengan 42 oC. Kata kunci: Pangasius hypopthalmus, Pangasius djambal, ekstraksi, minyak ikan, profil asam lemak

Focusing on Czech birth care, this article examines the birth experience of 40 women who gave birth in different maternity hospitals during the past seven years. It investigates how these women approached birth care and what ideas they had about it. The article builds on semi ‑structured and narrative interviews with postpartum women, which were conducted within two different research projects. The interviewees differed in many aspects and especially in their general approach to childbirth issues and their interest in the subject. Several key issues emerged out of the thematic analysis of interviews: fear of childbirth, birth care evaluations, priorities and demands, and strategies of their enforcement. These issues are part of a wider concept of birth care, and five different conceptions of birth care were identified in the women’s birth narratives. They reflect different attitudes to the medicalization of birth care, different levels of knowledge and interest in childbirth issues, and different perceptions of their own position in the context of care provision.

Despite significant progress in the cultivation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the establishment of lineage-specific cell culture systems remains inadequately developed. This study compares the effects of recombinant human serum albumin (r-HSA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in serum-free culture systems on the differentiation of HSCs into multiple lineages. Both single-cell and multi-cellular culture systems are used, and differentiation is evaluated by flow cytometry and slides-based techniques under various cytokine conditions. Our results show that r-HSA strongly promotes differentiation into megakaryocytes (MKs) compared to PVA. The findings indicate that r-HSA outperforms PVA in supporting MK differentiation through both early expansion and later differentiation. This study provides insights into optimizing megakaryocyte generation and offers a more effective culture system for clinical applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been considered to progressively lose their self-renewal and differentiation potentials prior to the commitment to each blood lineage. However, recent studies have suggested that megakaryocyte progenitors (MkPs) are generated at the level of HSCs. In this study, we newly identified early megakaryocyte lineage-committed progenitors (MgPs) mainly in CD201 - CD48 - cells and CD48 + cells separated from the CD150 + CD34 - Kit + Sca-1 + Lin - HSC population of the bone marrow in adult mice. Single-cell colony assay and single-cell transplantation showed that MgPs, unlike platelet-biased HSCs, had little repopulating potential in vivo, but formed larger megakaryocyte colonies in vitro (on average 8 megakaryocytes per colony) than did previously reported MkPs. Single-cell RNA sequencing supported that HSCs give rise to MkPs through MgPs along a Mk differentiation pathway. Single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that MgPs expressed Mk-related genes, but were transcriptionally heterogenous. Clonal culture of HSCs suggested that MgPs are not direct progeny of HSCs. We propose a differentiation model in which HSCs give rise to MgPs which then give rise to MkPs, supporting a classic model in which Mk-lineage commitment takes place at a late stage of differentiation., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., on behalf of the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) and Institute of Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (IHCAMS).)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained in the quiescent state for protection from stress. How quiescent HSCs expand in vivo under stress and nonstress conditions, however, is poorly understood. Using the fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (Fucci) mice, we analyzed quiescent and cycling HSCs in the bone marrow after transplantation and during development and aging. The cell cycle of HSCs in Fucci mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Single-cell colony assays suggested that cycling cells were likely in the process of differentiation. Long-term competitive repopulation and limiting dilution assays revealed that given a higher frequency of functional HSCs in quiescent cells, durable self-renewal potential was greater in quiescent cells than cycling cells. In the bone marrow, functional HSC pool, represented by quiescent HSCs, was rapidly re-established by three weeks after transplantation, significantly expanded by three weeks of age in development, and gradually accumulated with aging. Single-cell RNA-sequencing with flow cytometric index sorting suggested that high levels of CD201 and Sca-1 expression and a low level of mitochondrial activity were associated with quiescent HSCs. A set of candidate quiescent genes in HSCs were also provided. This study implied that controlling quiescence in HSCs is important for their in vivo expansion and maintenance., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Little is known regarding whether the cell of origin differs among different leukemia types. To address this fundamental issue, we determined the cell of origin in five distinct types of acute leukemia induced by N-Myc overexpression in mice. CD150 + CD48 - CD41 - CD34 - c-Kit + Sca-1 + Lin - (KSL) (HSC1) cells, CD150 - CD48 - CD41 - CD34 - KSL (HSC2) cells, CD150 + CD41 + CD34 - KSL (HPC1) cells, CD150 + CD41 + CD34 + KSL (HPC2) cells, and CD150 - CD41 - CD34 + KSL (HPC3) cells were purified from the bone marrow of adult C57BL/6 mice, transduced with the N-Myc retrovirus vector, and transplanted into lethally irradiated mice. B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL), and mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) developed from five populations. RNA sequencing data supported the phenotypical diagnoses of leukemia, except that AUL appeared transcriptionally close to T-ALL. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that retroviral integration sites were irrelevant to the leukemia types and that T-ALL and AML of MPAL shared the same integration site and many gene mutations, suggesting their common origin. Additionally, leukemic stem cells were identified in the KSL cell population, suggesting that the phenotypes of leukemic stem cells are irrelevant to leukemia types. This study provides experimental evidence for the similar and multiple cells of origin in acute leukemia., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside at the top of the hierarchy and have the ability to differentiate to variety of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) or mature hematopoietic cells in each system. At present, the procress of HSC and HPC differentiating to the complete hematopoietic system under physiological and stressed conditions is poorly understood. In vivo lineage tracing is a powerful technique that can mark the individual cells and identify the differentiation pathways of their daughter cells, it takes as a strong technical system to research HSC. Traditional lineage tracing studies mainly rely on imaging techniques with fluorescent dyes and nucleic acid analogs. Recently, newly cell tracing technologies have been invented, and the combination of clonal tracing and DNAsequencing technologies have provided a new perspective on cell state, cell fate, and lineage commitment at the single cell level. In this review, these new tracing methods were introduce and discuss, and their advantages over traditional methods in the study of hematopoiesis were summarized briefly.

Radioprotection was previously considered as a function of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, recent studies have reported its activity in hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). To address this issue, we compared the radioprotection activity in 2 subsets of HSCs (nHSC1 and 2 populations) and 4 subsets of HPCs (nHPC1-4 populations) of the mouse bone marrow, in relation to their in vitro and in vivo colony-forming activity. Significant radioprotection activity was detected in the nHSC2 population enriched in lymphoid-biased HSCs. Moderate radioprotection activity was detected in nHPC1 and 2 populations enriched in myeloid-biased HPCs. Low radioprotection activity was detected in the nHSC1 enriched in myeloid-biased HSCs. No radioprotection activity was detected in the nHPC3 and 4 populations that included MPP4 (LMPP). Single-cell colony assay combined with flow cytometry analysis showed that the nHSC1, nHSC2, nHPC1, and nHPC2 populations had the neutrophils/macrophages/erythroblasts/megakaryocytes (nmEMk) differentiation potential whereas the nHPC3 and 4 populations had only the nm differentiation potential. Varying day 12 spleen colony-forming units (day 12 CFU-S) were detected in the nHSC1, nHSC2, and nHPC1-3 populations, but very few in the nHPC4 population. These data suggested that nmEMk differentiation potential and day 12 CFU-S activity are partially associated with radioprotection activity. Reconstitution analysis showed that sufficient myeloid reconstitution around 12 to 14 days after transplantation was critical for radioprotection. This study implied that radioprotection is specific to neither HSC nor HPC populations, and that lymphoid-biased HSCs and myeloid-biased HPCs as populations play a major role in radioprotection., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., on behalf of the Chinese Association for Blood Sciences.)

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used for genome editing of human and mouse cells. In this study, we established a protocol for gene knockout (KO) in mouse hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs were highly purified from the bone marrow of tamoxifen-treated Cas9-EGFP/Cre-ER transgenic mice, maintained in serum-free polyvinyl alcohol culture with cytokines, lentivirally transduced with sgRNA-Crimson, and transplanted into lethally irradiated mice with competitor cells. Previous studies of Pax5 KO mice have shown B cell differentiation block. To verify our KO HSC strategy, we deleted Pax5 gene in 600 CD201 + CD150 + CD48 - c-Kit + Sca-1 + Lin - cells (HSC1 cells), highly enriched in myeloid-biased HSCs, and CD201 + CD150 - CD48 - c-Kit + Sca-1 + Lin - cells (HSC2 cells), highly enriched in lymphoid-biased HSCs. As predicted, both Pax5 KO HSC1 and HSC2 cells showed few B cells in the peripheral blood and the accumulation of pro-B cells in the bone marrow of recipient mice. Our data suggesetd that myeloid-biased and lymphoid-biased HSCs share a common B cell differentiation pathway. This population-specific KO strategy will find its applications for gene editing in a varity of somatic cells, particuarly rare stem and progenitor cells from different tissues., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used in clinical settings to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into the circulation for HSC harvesting and transplantation. However, whether G-CSF directly stimulates HSCs to change their cell cycle state and fate is controversial. HSCs are a heterogeneous population consisting of different types of HSCs, such as myeloid-biased HSCs and lymphoid-biased HSCs. We hypothesized that G-CSF has different effects on different types of HSCs. To verify this, we performed serum-free single-cell culture and competitive repopulation with cultured cells. Single highly purified HSCs and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) were cultured with stem cell factor (SCF), SCF + G-CSF, SCF + granulocyte/macrophage (GM)-CSF, or SCF + thrombopoietin (TPO) for 7 days. Compared with SCF alone, SCF + G-CSF increased the number of divisions of cells from the lymphoid-biased HSC-enriched population but not that of cells from the My-bi HSC-enriched population. SCF + G-CSF enhanced the level of reconstitution of lymphoid-biased HSCs but not that of myeloid-biased HSCs. Clonal transplantation assay also showed that SCF + G-CSF did not increase the frequency of myeloid-biased HSCs. These data showed that G-CSF directly acted on lymphoid-biased HSCs but not myeloid-biased HSCs. Our study also revised the cytokine network at early stages of hematopoiesis: SCF directly acted on myeloid-biased HSCs; TPO directly acted on myeloid-biased HSCs and lymphoid-biased HSCs; and GM-CSF acted only on HPCs. Early hematopoiesis is controlled differentially and sequentially by a number of cytokines.

Flow cytometry has been widely used in basic and clinical research for analysis of a variety of normal and malignant cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemic stem cells (LSCs) can be highly purified by flow cytometry. Isolated HSCs and LSCs can be functionally identified by transplantation assays and can also be studied at the molecular level. Here we describe the flow cytometry methods for analysis and isolation of mouse HSCs and LSCs.

How transplanted haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) behave soon after they reside in a preconditioned host has not been studied due to technical limitations. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we first obtained the transcriptome-based classifications of 28 haematopoietic cell types. We then applied them in conjunction with functional assays to track the dynamic changes of immunophenotypically purified HSCs in irradiated recipients within the first week after transplantation. Based on our transcriptional classifications, most homed HSCs in bone marrow and spleen became multipotent progenitors and, occasionally, some HSCs gave rise to megakaryocytic-erythroid or myeloid precursors. Parallel in vitro and in vivo functional experiments supported the paradigm of robust differentiation without substantial HSC expansion during the first week. Therefore, this study uncovers the previously inaccessible kinetics and fate choices of transplanted HSCs in myeloablated recipients at early stage, with implications for clinical applications of HSCs and other stem cells.

Abstract　　Hematopoietic stem cells are able to self-renewal and differentiate to all blood lineages. With the development of new technologies, recent studies have proposed the revised versions of hematopoiesis. In the classical model of hematopoietic differentiation, HSCs were located at the apex of hematopoietic hierarchy. During differentiation process, HSCs progressively lose self-renewal potential to be commited to progenitors with restricted differentiation potential. For instance, HSCs first give rise to multipotent progenitor cells, then produce bipotent and unipotent progenitors, and finally differentiate to mature blood cells. For the differentiation of megakaryocytes, common myeloid progenitors derived from HSCs give rise to megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors and then develop to megakaryocytes. However, recent results show that megakaryocytes can be directly generated from HSCs without multipotent or bipotent phases. Alternatively, platelet-biased HSCs produce megakaryocyte progenitors. In this article, recent advances in the hematopoiesis and megakaryocyte differentiation pathway are reviewed.

Abstract　　Currently, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is widely used in the therapy of hematological malignancies, non-malignant refractory anemia, genetic diseases and certain tumors with satisfactory therapeutic efficacy. HSC sources used for transplantation include bone marrow, mobilized peripheral blood and neonate umbilical cord blood. However, for many patients, sufficient number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -matched HSC cannot be found for transplantation, because the number of HSC in these tissues is small and HLA-identical donors are rare. Thus, in vitro generation of HSC has recently been focused. At present, the origin of HSC is hPSC, including hESC and hiPSC, which is worth to be the new origin of HSC transplantation. However, to generate functional hematopoietic stem cells which have efficient multi-lineage differentiation and in vivo engraftment potentials still is a big challenge to be confronted. In this review, the recent technical progress in HSC generation is summarizd, and the problems to be solved and new challenges to be confronted were discussed.

Ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is considered the holy grail in stem cell biology and therapy, as it has long been difficult to make this procedure possible. Yamazaki's research team has established new, polyvinyl alcohol-based culture conditions and shown a significant expansion of mouse HSCs from a small number of cells after a month of culture. Surprisingly, expanded HSCs were able to reconstitute unconditioned normal mice. There is generally a technical concern in limiting dilution assay to estimate a fold-expansion of HSCs. But, this work paves the way toward expansion of human HSCs useful for transplantation medicine., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., on behalf of the Chinese Association for Blood Sciences.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) self-renew or differentiate through division. Cytokines are essential for inducing HSC division, but the optimal cytokine combination to control self-renewal of HSC in vitro remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and thrombopoietin (TPO) in combination with stem cell factor (SCF) on in vitro self-renewal of HSCs. Single-cell assays were used to overcome the heterogeneity issue of HSCs, and serum-free conditions were newly established to permit reproduction of data. In single-cell cultures, CD150 + CD48 - CD41 - CD34 - c-Kit + Sca-1 + lineage - HSCs divided significantly more slowly in the presence of SCF+IL-12 compared with cells in the presence of SCF+TPO. Serial transplantation of cells from bulk and clonal cultures revealed that TPO was more effective than IL-12 at supporting in vitro self-renewal of short-term (<6 months) HSCs, resulting in a monophasic reconstitution wave formation, whereas IL-12 was more effective than TPO at supporting the in vitro self-renewal of long-term (>6 months) HSCs, resulting in a biphasic reconstitution wave formation. The control of division rate in HSCs appeared to be crucial for preventing the loss of self-renewal potential from their in vitro culture., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., on behalf of the Chinese Association for Blood Sciences.)

Whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) express lineage markers is controversial. In this study, we highly purified HSCs from the adult bone marrow of C57BL/6 mice and examined their gene expression and reconstitution potential. We first focused on the integrin family. Single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of ItgaM/Itgb2 (Mac-1) and Itga2b/Itgb3 (CD41/CD61) gradually increased along HSC differentiation, whereas Itga4, Itga5, Itga6, and ItgaV (CD51) together with Itgb1 were highly expressed in both HSCs and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). We next fractionated HSCs based on their expression of Mac-1, CD41, and CD51 by flow cytometry. We detected Mac-negative and Mac-low, but not Mac-high cells, in the HSC population. We also detected CD41-negative, -low, and -high cells in the HSC population. Competitive repopulation revealed that Mac-1-negative and -low HSCs were functionally similar, and CD41-negative and -low HSCs were functionally similar, at the single-cell level, but CD41-high HSCs were not detectable. We then found that the selection of Mac-1-negative HSCs or CD41-negative HSCs had no advantage in HSC purification. We moreover found that HSCs expressed more CD51 than CD41, and HPCs expressed more CD41 than CD51, suggesting that CD51 expression was gradually replaced by CD41 expression during megakaryocyte differentiation. We concluded that low levels of Mac-1 and CD41 expression are irrelevant to the self-renewal and differentiation potentials in HSCs., (Copyright © 2019 ISEH -- Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The cell of origin, defined as the normal cell in which the transformation event first occurs, is poorly identified in leukemia, despite its importance in understanding of leukemogenesis and improving leukemia therapy. Although hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) were used for leukemia models, whether their self-renewal and differentiation potentials influence the initiation and development of leukemia is largely unknown. In this study, the self-renewal and differentiation potentials in 2 distinct types of HSCs (HSC1 [CD150 + CD41 - CD34 - Lineage - Sca-1 + c-Kit + cells] and HSC2 [CD150 - CD41 - CD34 - Lineage - Sca-1 + c-Kit + cells]) and 3 distinct types of HPCs (HPC1 [CD150 + CD41 + CD34 - Lineage - Sca-1 + c-Kit + cells], HPC2 [CD150 + CD41 + CD34 + Lineage - Sca-1 + c-Kit + cells], and HPC3 [CD150 - CD41 - CD34 + Lineage - Sca-1 + c-Kit + cells]) were isolated from adult mouse bone marrow, and examined by competitive repopulation assay. Then, cells from each population were retrovirally transduced to initiate MLL-AF9 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and the intracellular domain of NOTCH-1 T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). AML and T-ALL similarly developed from all HSC and HPC populations, suggesting multiple cellular origins of leukemia. New leukemic stem cells (LSCs) were also identified in these AML and T-ALL models. Notably, switching between immunophenotypical immature and mature LSCs was observed, suggesting that heterogeneous LSCs play a role in the expansion and maintenance of leukemia. Based on this mouse model study, we propose that acute leukemia arises from multiple cells of origin independent of the self-renewal and differentiation potentials in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and is amplified by LSC switchover., (© 2019 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles existing only in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria perform various important functions，such as producing energy，regulating signal transduction，and contributing to stress response. Recent studies have highlighted an important role of mitochondria in the determination of hematopoietic stem cells （HSC） fate. Limited biogenesis or timely clearance of mitochondria is an important way against oxidative stress，which favors the quiescence of HSC. Accumulation of mitochondria may lead to proliferation of HSC，even the aging of HSC. Mitochondrial signaling regulates Ca 2+ concentration，which is essential for HSC differentiation. This review summarizes the current findings of the mitochondrial roles in HSC quiescence，self-renewal，lineage differentiation and aging.

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) plays a role in the maintenance of quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vivo. We asked whether TGF-β1 controls the cell cycle status of HSCs in vitro to enhance the reconstitution activity. To examine the effect of TGF-β1 on the HSC function, we used an in vitro culture system in which single HSCs divide with the retention of their short- and long-term reconstitution ability. Extensive single-cell analyses showed that, regardless of its concentration, TGF-β1 slowed down the cell cycle progression of HSCs but consequently suppressed their self-renewal potential. Cycling HSCs were not able to go back to quiescence with TGF-β1. This study revealed a negative role of TGF-β1 in the regulation of the HSC number and reconstitution activity., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Stem cell self-renewal is critical for tissue homeostasis, and its dysregulation can lead to organ failure or tumorigenesis. While obesity can induce varied abnormalities in bone marrow components, it is unclear how diet might affect hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. Here, we show that Spred1, a negative regulator of RAS-MAPK signaling, safeguards HSC homeostasis in animals fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Under steady-state conditions, Spred1 negatively regulates HSC self-renewal and fitness, in part through Rho kinase activity. Spred1 deficiency mitigates HSC failure induced by infection mimetics and prolongs HSC lifespan, but it does not initiate leukemogenesis due to compensatory upregulation of Spred2. In contrast, HFD induces ERK hyperactivation and aberrant self-renewal in Spred1-deficient HSCs, resulting in functional HSC failure, severe anemia, and myeloproliferative neoplasm-like disease. HFD-induced hematopoietic abnormalities are mediated partly through alterations to the gut microbiota. Together, these findings reveal that diet-induced stress disrupts fine-tuning of Spred1-mediated signals to govern HSC homeostasis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is a pivotal regulator in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway that have been shown to play key roles in the functional development of B and T cells via activation of AGC protein kinases during hematopoiesis. However, the role of PDK1 in HSCs has not been fully defined. Here we specifically deleted the PDK1 gene in the hematopoietic system and found that PDK1-deficient HSCs exhibited impaired function and defective lineage commitment abilities. Lack of PDK1 caused HSCs to be less quiescent and to produce a higher number of phenotypic HSCs and fewer progenitors. PDK1-deficient HSCs were also unable to reconstitute the hematopoietic system. Notably, HSC function was more dependent on PDK1 than on mTORC2, which indicates that PDK1 plays a dominant role in the Akt-mediated regulation of HSC function. PDK1-deficient HSCs also exhibited reduced ROS levels, and treatment of PDK1-deficient HSCs with L-butathioninesulfoximine in vitro elevated the low ROS level and promoted colony formation. Therefore, PDK1 appears to contribute to HSC function partially via regulating ROS levels.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are considered one of the most promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of various blood disorders. However, due to difficulties in establishing stable maintenance and expansion of HSCs in vitro, their insufficient supply is a major constraint to transplantation studies. To solve these problems we have developed a fully defined, all-recombinant protein-based culture system. Through this system, we have identified hemopexin (HPX) and interleukin-1α as responsible for HSC maintenance in vitro. Subsequent molecular analysis revealed that HPX reduces intracellular reactive oxygen species levels within cultured HSCs. Furthermore, bone marrow immunostaining and 3D immunohistochemistry revealed that HPX is expressed in non-myelinating Schwann cells, known HSC niche constituents. These results highlight the utility of this fully defined all-recombinant protein-based culture system for reproducible in vitro HSC culture and its potential to contribute to the identification of factors responsible for in vitro maintenance, expansion, and differentiation of stem cell populations., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor CDKN2C (p18(INK4c)) restrains self-renewal in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and participates in the development and maturation of lymphoid cells. Deficiency in p18 predisposes mice and humans to hematopoietic lymphoid malignancies such as T-cell leukemia and multiple myeloma. However, the mechanism by which p18 regulates differentiation from HSCs to lymphoid cells is poorly understood. In this study, we found that a progenitor population characterized by its expression of surface markers, Lin(-) Sca-1(+) c-Kit(low) (LSK(low)), was markedly expanded in the bone marrow of p18 knock-out (p18(-/-)) mice. This novel population possessed lymphoid differentiation potential, but not myeloid differentiation potential, both in vitro and in vivo. Whereas LSK(low) cells and common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) overlapped functionally in generating lymphoid cells, they were distinct cell populations, because they had different gene expression profiles. Unlike CLPs, LSK(low) cells did not express the interleukin-7 receptor. LSK(low) cells were derived from HSCs and were independent of the p18-deleted microenvironment. This cell population may represent a previously unappreciated transitional stage from HSCs to lymphoid progenitors that is strictly restricted by p18 under physiological conditions. Likewise, LSK(low) might serve as a new cellular target of lymphoid malignances in the absence of p18., (Copyright © 2016 ISEH - International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the ideal system for regenerative research, were isolated at single cell levels decades ago, whereas studies on embryonic HSCs are much more difficult., Methods: Zhou et al identified a new pre-HSC cell surface marker, CD201, by which they isolated pre-HSCs at single cell levels for further analyses., Results: The novel expression pattern of HSC development is revealed, including the fundamental role of mammalian targets of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in HSCs emergence, and the repopulation potential of S/G2/M phase pre-HSCs., Conclusions: Deeper understandings of the cellular origin and developmental regulatory network of HSCs are essential to develop new strategies of generating HSCs in vitro for clinical application.

A large number of studies have shown that quiescence is essential for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to maintain their number and function. Otherwise, HSCs are exhausted or damaged by various substances. We need to understand how the quiescent state is maintained in HSCs, how HSCs are driven into the cell cycle, and how HSCs return to the quiescent state. We also need to understand how cycling HSCs make the decision whether to self-renew. A number of molecules have been reported as candidate regulators of these events in HSCs. In this review, we focus on the HSC niche, the cytokine network, and associated transcription factors; and then discuss to what extent we can currently understand these critical issues in stem cell biology.

The transplantation of blood tissues from bone marrow into a lethally irradiated animal is an experimental procedure that is used to study how the blood system is reconstituted by haematopoietic stem cells (HSC). In a competitive repopulation experiment, a lethally irradiated mouse was transplanted with a single HSC as a test cell together with a number of bone marrow cells as competitor cells, and the fraction of the test cell progeny (percentage of chimerism) was traced over time. In this paper, we studied the stem cell kinetics in this experimental procedure. The balance between symmetric self-renewal and differentiation divisions in HSC determined the number of cells which HSC produce and the length of time for which HSC live after transplantation. The percentage of chimerism depended on the type of test cell (long-, intermediate-, or short-term HSC), as well as the type and number of HSC included in competitor cells. We next examined two alternative HSC differentiation models, one-step and multi-step differentiation models. Although these models differed in blood cell production, the percentage of chimerism appeared very similar. We also estimated the numbers of different types of HSC in competitor cells. Based on these results, we concluded that the experimental results inevitably include stochasticity with regard to the number and the type of HSC in competitor cells, and that, in order to detect different types of HSC, an appropriate number of competitor cells needs to be used in transplantation experiments., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Emergency myelopoiesis is inflammation-induced hematopoiesis to replenish myeloid cells in the periphery, which is critical to control the infection with pathogens. Previously, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-γ were demonstrated to play a critical role in the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and myeloid progenitors, leading to production of mature myeloid cells, although their inhibitory effects on hematopoiesis were also reported. Therefore, the molecular mechanism of emergency myelopoiesis during infection remains incompletely understood. Here, we clarify that one of the interleukin (IL)-6/IL-12 family cytokines, IL-27, plays an important role in the emergency myelopoiesis. Among various types of hematopoietic cells in bone marrow, IL-27 predominantly and continuously promoted the expansion of only Lineage-Sca-1+c-Kit+ (LSK) cells, especially long-term repopulating HSCs and myeloid-restricted progenitor cells with long-term repopulating activity, and the differentiation into myeloid progenitors in synergy with stem cell factor. These progenitors expressed myeloid transcription factors such as Spi1, Gfi1, and Cebpa/b through activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 3, and had enhanced potential to differentiate into migratory dendritic cells (DCs), neutrophils, and mast cells, and less so into macrophages, and basophils, but not into plasmacytoid DCs, conventional DCs, T cells, and B cells. Among various cytokines, IL-27 in synergy with the stem cell factor had the strongest ability to augment the expansion of LSK cells and their differentiation into myeloid progenitors retaining the LSK phenotype over a long period of time. The experiments using mice deficient for one of IL-27 receptor subunits, WSX-1, and IFN-γ revealed that the blood stage of malaria infection enhanced IL-27 expression through IFN-γ production, and the IL-27 then promoted the expansion of LSK cells, differentiating and mobilizing them into spleen, resulting in enhanced production of neutrophils to control the infection. Thus, IL-27 is one of the limited unique cytokines directly acting on HSCs to promote differentiation into myeloid progenitors during emergency myelopoiesis.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a more heterogeneous population than previously thought. Extensive analysis of reconstitution kinetics after transplantation allows a new classifications of HSCs based on lineage balance. Previously unrecognized classes of HSCs, such as myeloid- and lymphoid-biased HSCs, have emerged. However, varying nomenclature has been used to describe these cells, promoting confusion in the field. To establish a common nomenclature, we propose a reclassification of short-, intermediate-, and long-term (ST, IT, and LT) HSCs defined as: ST < 6 months, IT > 6 months, and LT > 12. We observe that myeloid-biased HSCs or α cells overlap with LT-HSCs, whereas lymphoid-biased HSCs or γ/δ cells overlap with ST-HSCs, suggesting that HSC lifespan is linked to cell differentiation. We also suggest that HSC heterogeneity prompts reconsideration of long-term (>4 months) multilineage reconstitution as the gold standard for HSC detection. In this review, we discuss relationships among ST-, IT-, and LT-HSCs relevant to stem cell heterogeneity, hierarchical organization, and differentiation pathways., (Copyright © 2014 ISEH - Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Consensus holds that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) give rise to multipotent progenitors (MPPs) of reduced self-renewal potential and that MPPs eventually produce lineage-committed progenitor cells in a stepwise manner. Using a single-cell transplantation system and marker mice, we unexpectedly found myeloid-restricted progenitors with long-term repopulating activity (MyRPs), which are lineage-committed to megakaryocytes, megakaryocyte-erythroid cells, or common myeloid cells (MkRPs, MERPs, or CMRPs, respectively) in the phenotypically defined HSC compartment together with HSCs. Paired daughter cell assays combined with transplantation revealed that HSCs can give rise to HSCs via symmetric division or directly differentiate into MyRPs via asymmetric division (yielding HSC-MkRP or HSC-CMRP pairs). These myeloid bypass pathways could be essential for fast responses to ablation stress. Our results show that loss of self-renewal and stepwise progression through specific differentiation stages are not essential for lineage commitment of HSCs and suggest a revised model of hematopoietic differentiation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fluorescent-protein transgenic mice are useful for obtaining marked somatic cells to study kinetics of development or differentiation. Fluorescence-marked hematopoietic stem cells in particular are commonly used for studying hematopoiesis. However, as far as we know, no transgenic mouse line is described in which a fluorescent protein is stably and constitutively expressed in all hematopoietic cells, including erythrocytes and platelets. Using the random segregation of provirus (RSP) method, we generated from retrovirally transduced mouse embryonic stem cells a transgenic mouse line expressing a red/orange fluorescent protein, Kusabira Orange (KuO). KuO transgenic mouse line cells carry only one proviral integration site and stably express KuO in all hematopoietic-lineage elements, including erythrocytes and platelets. Moreover, bone-marrow transplantation in KuO transgenic mice demonstrated normal hematopoieisis. KuO transgenic mice likely will prove useful for study of hematopoiesis that includes erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The niche microenvironment controls stem cell number, fate, and behavior. The bone marrow, intestine, and skin are organs with highly regenerative potential, and all produce a large number of mature cells daily. Here, focusing on adult stem cells in these organs, we compare the structures and cellular components of their niches and the factors they produce. We then define the niche as a functional unit for stem cell regulation. For example, the niche possibly maintains quiescence and regulates fate in stem cells. Moreover, we discuss our hypothesis that many stem cell types are regulated by both specialized and nonspecialized niches, although hematopoietic stem cells, as an exception, are regulated by a nonspecialized niche only. The specialized niche is composed of 1 or a few types of cells lying on the basement membrane in the epithelium. The nonspecialized niche is composed of various types of cells widely distributed in mesenchymal tissues. We propose that the specialized niche plays a role in local regulation of stem cells, whereas the nonspecialized niche plays a role in relatively broad regional or systemic regulation. Further work will verify this dual-niche model to understand mechanisms underlying stem cell regulation.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained at a very low frequency in adult bone marrow under steady-state conditions. However, it is not fully understood how homeostasis of bone marrow HSCs is maintained. We attempted to identify a key molecule involved in the regulation of HSC numbers, a factor that, in the absence of Lnk, leads to HSC expansion. Here, we demonstrate that upon stimulation with thrombopoietin, expression of Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic protein, was highly enhanced in Lnk-deficient HSCs compared to normal HSCs. As a result, Lnk-deficient HSCs underwent reduced apoptosis following exposure to lethal radiation. Downregulation of Bcl-xL expression in Lnk-deficient HSCs by short-hairpin RNA resulted in a great reduction of their capacity for reconstitution. These findings suggest that Lnk/Sh2b3 constrains the expression of Bcl-xL and that the loss of Lnk/Sh2b3 function enhances survival of HSCs by inhibiting apoptosis. Furthermore, our observations indicate that HSCs in patients with an Lnk/Sh2b3 mutation might become resistant to apoptosis due to thrombopoietin-mediated enhanced expression of Bcl-xL. Consequently, reduced apoptosis could facilitate accumulation of HSCs with oncogenic mutations leading to development of myeloproliferative disorders., (Copyright © 2012 ISEH - Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside and self-renew in the bone marrow (BM) niche. Overall, the signaling that regulates stem cell dormancy in the HSC niche remains controversial. Here, we demonstrate that TGF-β type II receptor-deficient HSCs show low-level Smad activation and impaired long-term repopulating activity, underlining the critical role of TGF-β/Smad signaling in HSC maintenance. TGF-β is produced as a latent form by a variety of cells, so we searched for those that express activator molecules for latent TGF-β. Nonmyelinating Schwann cells in BM proved responsible for activation. These glial cells ensheathed autonomic nerves, expressed HSC niche factor genes, and were in contact with a substantial proportion of HSCs. Autonomic nerve denervation reduced the number of these active TGF-β-producing cells and led to rapid loss of HSCs from BM. We propose that glial cells are components of a BM niche and maintain HSC hibernation by regulating activation of latent TGF-β., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in both bone marrow (BM) and spleen in adult mice. However, whether BM and spleen HSCs are functionally similar is not known. Spleen HSCs were compared with BM HSCs by various assays., Materials and Methods: Whole BM and spleen cells were quantitatively analyzed by competitive repopulation. Single-cell transplantation was performed with HSCs purified from BM and spleen. A parabiosis model was used to distinguish organ-specific HSCs from circulating HSCs. The cell cycle was analyzed with pyronin Y staining and bromodeoxyuridine uptake., Results: Repopulating and self-renewal potentials were similar on a clonal basis between BM and spleen HSCs, whereas the HSC frequency in the spleen was significantly lower than that in the BM. Analysis of parabiotic mice suggested that most HSCs are long-term residents in each organ. Cell-cycle analysis revealed that spleen HSCs cycle twice as frequently as do BM HSCs, suggesting that G(0) phase length is longer in BM HSCs than in spleen HSCs. The cycling difference between BM and spleen HSCs was also observed in mice that had been reconstituted with BM or spleen cells, suggesting that HSC quiescence is regulated in an organ-specific manner., Conclusions: Spleen HSCs and BM HSCs are functionally similar, but their cycling behaviors differ., (Copyright © 2011 ISEH - Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS), a rare hematological malignancy, is an aggressive neoplasm that responds poorly to therapy. The molecular etiology and pathology of this disease remain unclear, hampering the development of an effective therapy, and there remains a need for more, and more realistic, animal models. HS cells typically show a histiocytic (ie, tissue macrophage-like) morphology and express histiocyte/macrophage markers in the absence of lymphocyte markers. In this study, we report that Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-)Dok-3(-/-) mice develop HS, but do not exhibit elevated incidence of other types of tumors. These mutant mice showed earlier mortality than wild-type (WT) or the other mutant mice, and this mortality was associated with HS. In total, 17 of 21 tumor-bearing Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-)Dok-3(-/-) mice necropsied at 25-66 weeks of age showed multiple organ spread, with osteolytic lesions and orthotopic invasion from the bone marrow to skeletal muscle. Tumors from the mice were transplantable. In addition, all Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-)Dok-3(-/-) mice, but only a small proportion of Dok-3(-/-) mice and no Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-) mice, exhibited abnormal accumulation of macrophages in the lung on necropsy at 8-12 weeks of age. Macrophages derived from Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-)Dok-3(-/-) mice displayed an exaggerated proliferative response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) compared with WT and mutant controls. Together, these findings indicate that Dok-1, Dok-2, and Dok-3 cooperatively suppress aggressive HS, and commend Dok-1(-/-)Dok-2(-/-)Dok-3(-/-) mice as a useful model for the study of this neoplasia.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been extensively characterized based on functional definitions determined by experimental transplantation into lethally irradiated mice. In mice, HSCs are heterogeneous with regard to self-renewal potential, in vitro colony-forming activity, and in vivo behavior. We attempted prospective isolation of HSC subsets with distinct properties among CD34(-/low) c-Kit+Sca-1+Lin- (CD34-KSL) cells. CD34-KSL cells were divided, based on CD150 expression, into three fractions: CD150high, CD150med, and CD150neg cells. Compared with the other two fractions, CD150high cells were significantly enriched in HSCs, with great self-renewal potential. In vitro colony assays revealed that decreased expression of CD150 was associated with reduced erythroblast/megakaryocyte differentiation potential. All three fractions were regenerated only from CD150high cells in recipient mice. Using single-cell transplantation studies, we found that a fraction of CD150high cells displayed latent and barely detectable myeloid engraftment in primary-recipient mice but progressive and multilineage reconstitution in secondary-recipient mice. These findings highlight the complexity and hierarchy of reconstitution capability, even among HSCs in the most primitive compartment.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generally uses fibroblastic cells, but other cell sources may prove useful in both research and clinical settings. Although proof of cellular origin requires genetic-marker identification in both target cells and established iPSCs, somatic cells other than mature lymphocytes mostly lack such markers. Here we show definitive proof of direct reprogramming of murine hematopoietic cells with no rearranged genes. Using iPSC factor transduction, we successfully derived iPSCs from bone marrow progenitor cells obtained from a mouse whose hematopoiesis was reconstituted from a single congenic hematopoietic stem cell. Established clones were demonstrated to be genetically identical to the transplanted single hematopoietic stem cell, thus proving their cellular origin. These hematopoietic cell-derived iPSCs showed typical characteristics of iPSCs, including the ability to contribute to chimerism in mice. These results will prompt further use of hematopoietic cells for iPSC generation while enabling definitive studies to test how cellular sources influence characteristics of descendant iPSCs.

The Rho GTPase family members play essential roles in hematopoiesis. Of these, Rac1 is thought to be required for the appropriate spatial localization of hematopoietic stem and/or progenitor cells (HSPCs) within the bone marrow (BM), whereas Rac2 likely plays a role in BM retention of HSPCs. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Rac-mediated functions in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), we studied Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous proteins (WAVEs), the specific effectors downstream of the Rac GTPases in actin polymerization. We here showed that CD34(-/low)c-Kit(+)Sca-1(+)lineage(-) HSCs (CD34(-)KSL HSCs) express WAVE2 but neither WAVE1 nor WAVE3. Because WAVE2 knockout mice are embryonic-lethal, we utilized HSCs in which the expression of WAVE2 was reduced by small interfering RNA. We found that knockdown (KD) of WAVE2 in HSCs affected neither in vitro colony formation nor cell proliferation but did impair in vivo long-term reconstitution. Interestingly, WAVE2 KD HSCs exhibited unaltered homing but showed poor BM repopulation detected as early as day 5 after transplantation. The mechanistic studies on WAVE2 KD HSCs revealed modest but significant impairment in both cobblestone-like area-forming on stromal layers and actin polymerization upon integrin ligation by fibronectin. These results suggested that WAVE2-mediated actin polymerization, potentially downstream of Rac1, plays an important role in intramarrow mobilization and proliferation of HSCs, which are believed to be crucial steps for long-term marrow reconstitution after transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in a bone marrow niche in a nondividing state from which they occasionally are aroused to undergo cell division. Yet, the mechanism underlying this unique feature remains largely unknown. We have recently shown that freshly isolated CD34-KSL hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in a hibernation state exhibit inhibited lipid raft clustering. Lipid raft clustering induced by cytokines is essential for HSCs to augment cytokine signals to the level enough to re-enter the cell cycle. Here we screened candidate niche signals that inhibit lipid raft clustering, and identified that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) efficiently inhibits cytokine-mediated lipid raft clustering and induces HSC hibernation ex vivo. Smad2 and Smad3, the signaling molecules directly downstream from and activated by TGF-beta receptors were specifically activated in CD34-KSL HSCs in a hibernation state, but not in cycling CD34+KSL progenitors. These data uncover a critical role for TGF-beta as a candidate niche signal in the control of HSC hibernation and provide TGF-beta as a novel tool for ex vivo modeling of the HSC niche.