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We previously showed that immature CD166(+) osteoblasts (OB) promote hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. Here, we demonstrate that CD166 is a functional HSC marker that identifies both murine and human long-term repopulating cells. Both murine LSKCD48(-)CD166(+)CD150(+) and LSKCD48(-)CD166(+)CD150(+)CD9(+) cells, as well as human Lin(-)CD34(+)CD38(-)CD49f(+)CD166(+) cells sustained significantly higher levels of chimerism in primary and secondary recipients than CD166(-) cells. CD166(-/-) knockout (KO) LSK cells engrafted poorly in wild-type (WT) recipients and KO bone marrow cells failed to radioprotect lethally irradiated WT recipients. CD166(-/-) hosts supported short-term, but not long-term WT HSC engraftment, confirming that loss of CD166 is detrimental to the competence of the hematopoietic niche. CD166(-/-) mice were significantly more sensitive to hematopoietic stress. Marrow-homed transplanted WT hematopoietic cells lodged closer to the recipient endosteum than CD166(-/-) cells, suggesting that HSC-OB homophilic CD166 interactions are critical for HSC engraftment. STAT3 has 3 binding sites on the CD166 promoter and STAT3 inhibition reduced CD166 expression, suggesting that both CD166 and STAT3 may be functionally coupled and involved in HSC competence. These studies illustrate the significance of CD166 in the identification and engraftment of HSC and in HSC-niche interactions, and suggest that CD166 expression can be modulated to enhance HSC function., (© 2014 by The American Society of Hematology.)

To maintain lifelong production of blood cells, haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are tightly regulated by inherent programs and extrinsic regulatory signals received from their microenvironmental niche. Long-term repopulating HSCs reside in several, perhaps overlapping, niches that produce regulatory molecules and signals necessary for homeostasis and for increased output after stress or injury. Despite considerable advances in the specific cellular or molecular mechanisms governing HSC-niche interactions, little is known about the regulatory function in the intact mammalian haematopoietic niche. Recently, we and others described a positive regulatory role for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on HSC function ex vivo. Here we show that inhibition of endogenous PGE2 by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment in mice results in modest HSC egress from the bone marrow. Surprisingly, this was independent of the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis implicated in stem-cell migration. Stem and progenitor cells were found to have differing mechanisms of egress, with HSC transit to the periphery dependent on niche attenuation and reduction in the retentive molecule osteopontin. Haematopoietic grafts mobilized with NSAIDs had superior repopulating ability and long-term engraftment. Treatment of non-human primates and healthy human volunteers confirmed NSAID-mediated egress in other species. PGE2 receptor knockout mice demonstrated that progenitor expansion and stem/progenitor egress resulted from reduced E-prostanoid 4 (EP4) receptor signalling. These results not only uncover unique regulatory roles for EP4 signalling in HSC retention in the niche, but also define a rapidly translatable strategy to enhance transplantation therapeutically.

Previous studies have shown that induction of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion leads to tight junction formation, and that blocking cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion inhibits tight junction assembly. Here we report analysis of tight junction assembly in MDCK cells overexpressing a mutant E-cadherin protein that lacks an adhesive extracellular domain (T151 cells). Mutant E-cadherin overexpression caused a dramatic reduction in endogenous cadherin levels. Despite this, tight junction assembly was extensive. The number of tight junction strands observed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy significantly increased in T151 cells compared to that in control cells. Our data indicate that the hierarchical regulation of junctional complex assembly is not absolute, and that inhibition of cadherin function has both positive and negative effects on tight junction assembly.