Catecholamines in murine bone marrow derived mast cells.

Cultured murine bone marrow derived mast cells (BMMC) were found to store high levels of dopamine (3753+/-844 pg/10(7) cells) and occasionally produce norepinephrine and epinephrine. The catecholamine synthesis inhibitor, alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine, decreased intracellular catecholamine concentrations, and activation with ionomycin stimulated dopamine release. Neither dopaminergic receptor antagonists nor exogenous dopamine < or =10 microM affected IL-3-induced cell proliferation. High exogenous dopamine (20-100 microM) decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis, and the anti-oxidant ascorbic acid prevented these effects. Increased expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 or loss of pro-apoptotic Bax expression attenuated dopamine-induced apoptosis, suggesting the apoptosis proceeds through a mitochondrial pathway.

The role of apoptosis in regulating hematopoietic stem cell numbers.

The importance of apoptosis, in combination with proliferation, in maintaining stable populations has become increasingly clear in the last decade. Perturbation of either of these processes can have serious consequences, and result in a variety of disorders. Moreover, as the players and pathways gradually emerge, it turns out that there are strong connections in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Apoptosis, proliferation, and the disorders resulting from aberrant regulation have been studied in a variety of cell types and systems. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are defined as primitive mesenchymal cells that are capable of both self-renewal and differentiation into the various cell lineages that constitute the functioning hematopoietic system. Many (but certainly not all) mature hematopoietic cells are relatively short-lived, sometimes with a half-life in the order of days. Homeostasis requires the production of 10(8) (mouse) to 10(11) (human) cells each day. All of these cells are ultimately derived from HSC that mostly reside in the bone marrow in adult mammals. The study of the regulation of HSC numbers has focussed mainly on the choice between self-renewal and differentiation, symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions. Recently, however, it has been directly demonstrated that apoptosis plays an important role in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells in vivo.

The fetal liver counterpart of adult common lymphoid progenitors gives rise to all lymphoid lineages, CD45+CD4+CD3- cells, as well as macrophages.

We identified an IL-7Ralpha(+)Sca-1(low)c-Kit(low) population in E14 fetal liver, which is the phenotypical analog of common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) in adult bone marrow. After transfer into newborn mice, the IL-7Ralpha(+)Sca-1(low)c-Kit(low) population rapidly differentiated into CD45(+)CD4(+)CD3(-) cells, which are candidate cells for initiating lymph node and Peyer's patch formation. In addition, this population also gave rise to B, T, NK, and CD8alpha(+) and CD8alpha(-) dendritic cells. The fetal liver precursors expressed a significantly lower level of the myeloid-suppressing transcription factor Pax-5, than adult CLP, and retained differentiation activity for macrophages in vitro. We propose that the transition from fetal liver IL-7Ralpha(+)Sca-1(low)c-Kit(low) cells to adult CLP involves a regulated restriction of their developmental potential, controlled, at least in part, by Pax-5 expression.

Studies of Excess Heat and Convection in a Water Calorimeter.

To explain a difference of 0.5 % between the absorbed-dose standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), Seuntjens et al. suggest the fault lies with the NIST water calorimeter being operated at 22 °C and the method with which the measurements were made. Their calculations show that this difference is due to overprediction of temperature rises of six consecutive (60)Co radiation runs at NIST. However, the consecutive runs they refer to were merely preliminary measurements to determine the procedure for the NIST beam calibration. The beam calibration was determined from only two consecutive runs followed by water circulation to re-establish temperature equilibrium. This procedure was used for measurements on 77 days, with 32 runs per day. Convection external to the glass cylindrical detector assembly performed a beneficial role. It aided (along with conduction) in increasing the rate of excess heat transported away from the thin cylindrical wall. This decreased the rate of heat conducted toward the axially located thermistors. The other sources of excess heat are the: (1) non-water materials in the temperature probe, and (2) exothermic effect of the once-distilled water external to the cylinder. Finite-element calculations were made to determine the separate and combined effects of the excess heat sources for the afterdrift. From this analysis, extrapolation of the measured afterdrifts of two consecutive runs to mid radiation leads to an estimated over-prediction of no more than about 0.1 %. Experimental measurements contradict the calculated results of Seuntjens et al. that convective motion (a plume) originates from the thermistors operated with an electrical power dissipation as low as 0.6 µW, well below the measured threshold of 50 µW. The method used for detecting a plume was sensitive enough to measure a convective plume (if it had started) down to about the 10 µW power level. Measurements also contradict the NRCC calculations in predicting the behavior of the NIST afterdrifts.

Hematopoietic stem cells need two signals to prevent apoptosis; BCL-2 can provide one of these, Kitl/c-Kit signaling the other.

Growth factors can cause cells to proliferate, differentiate, survive, or die. Distinguishing between these responses is difficult in multicellular, multiparameter systems. Yet this is essential to understand the impact on cells like hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which have strict and still poorly understood growth factor requirements. Single cell plating in serum-free medium allows direct assessment of growth factor responses. The range of tested factors can be expanded if the cells are protected from growth factor deprivation-induced apoptosis. BCL-2 is overexpressed in HSCs of H2K-BCL-2 transgenic mice, protecting them from many apoptotic stimuli. The response of single wild-type and transgenic HSCs to stimulations with individual factors was tested. Surprisingly, we find that high level BCL-2 expression does not prevent rapid death under serum-free conditions, even though it does in the presence of serum. We also find that transgenic, but not wild-type cells, survive and proliferate rapidly in response to steel factor (Kit ligand). These studies show that two separate signals are necessary to prevent apoptosis in HSCs, and that Kit ligand by itself provides a strong proliferative stimulus to HSCs. However, the proliferative response does not result in self-renewal, but in differentiation to all known hematopoietic oligolineage progenitors.

The role of apoptosis in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells: Overexpression of Bcl-2 increases both their number and repopulation potential.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) give rise to cells of all hematopoietic lineages, many of which are short lived. HSC face developmental choices: self-renewal (remain an HSC with long-term multilineage repopulating potential) or differentiation (become an HSC with short-term multilineage repopulating potential and, eventually, a mature cell). There is a large overcapacity of differentiating hematopoietic cells and apoptosis plays a role in regulating their numbers. It is not clear whether apoptosis plays a direct role in regulating HSC numbers. To address this, we have employed a transgenic mouse model that overexpresses BCL-2 in all hematopoietic cells, including HSC: H2K-BCL-2. Cells from H2K-BCL-2 mice have been shown to be protected against a wide variety of apoptosis-inducing challenges. This block in apoptosis affects their HSC compartment. H2K-BCL-2-transgenic mice have increased numbers of HSC in bone marrow (2.4x wild type), but fewer of these cells are in the S/G(2)/M phases of the cell cycle (0.6x wild type). Their HSC have an increased plating efficiency in vitro, engraft at least as well as wild-type HSC in vivo, and have an advantage following competitive reconstitution with wild-type HSC.

The role of apoptosis in regulating hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cells.

Apoptosis, or the ability of cells to die in an orderly and highly regulated manner, is essential for normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Diseases in which deregulation of this process is implicated include autoimmune diseases, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The importance of apoptosis for the development and function of lymphoid cells has been extensively investigated. Less clear is the role apoptosis plays in regulating early progenitor and stem cell compartments. This question is being investigated using a transgenic mouse model, H2K-BCL-2, in which all hematopoietic cells have an increased resistance to apoptosis. The same transgenic model is also being used to address the question whether protection against apoptosis can increase system-wide resistance to lethal challenges such as irradiation and chemotherapeutic agents.

CD8+TCR+ and CD8+TCR- cells in whole bone marrow facilitate the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells across allogeneic barriers.

Although purified hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are sufficient to engraft irradiated allogeneic recipients, bone marrow (BM) contains other cells that facilitate engraftment. Here, several candidate facilitators were tested by cotransplantation with HSC. Both TCR+ and TCR- CD8alpha+ BM subpopulations have facilitative potential. CD8+TCR+ cells are typical T lymphocytes. CD8+TCR- facilitators are CD3 , not CD3+, have a granular morphology, and are CD8beta- and CD11c+; they share phenotypic characteristics with CD8(alpha)alpha lymphoid dendritic cells and veto cells. We also demonstrate that lytic function is nqt necessary for facilitation and that the CD8alpha molecule is either important for facilitation or in the development of facilitators.

Induction of germline transcription in the TCRgamma locus by Stat5: implications for accessibility control by the IL-7 receptor.

IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) plays critical roles in lymphocyte development by promoting survival and proliferation and by inducing V(D)J recombination in TCR and Ig loci. Here, we demonstrate that IL-7R-activated Stat5 binds to consensus motifs in the 5' regions of Jgamma segments and induces germline transcripts. We also show that a constitutively active form of Stat5 restores V-J recombination of TCRgamma genes and partially rescues T cell development from IL-7R(-/-) T cell precursors, especially in favor of gammadelta T cells. Therefore, this study reveals a potential role of Stat5 in T cell development and also implies that IL-7R may control the accessibility of the TCRgamma locus through Stat5-induced germline transcription.

Self-renewal, differentiation or death: regulation and manipulation of hematopoietic stem cell fate.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the rare cells from which all hematopoietic cells are derived. The absence of HSCs is not compatible with life because many essential cells, such as myeloid and erythroid cells, are short lived. The hematopoietic system is the first essential organ system that fails following cytotoxic treatments. It is the vulnerability of HSCs that prevents regeneration following treatment and thus long-term survival. Because HSCs have the capacity to regenerate a functional hematopoietic system, the manipulation of these cells in vitro holds many promises for gene-therapeutic and other applications; however, these are severely curtailed by current difficulties in maintaining and expanding HSCs in culture. This review focuses on recent approaches towards understanding how the HSC compartment is regulated in vivo and discusses how this knowledge might be applied to manipulating HSC numbers.

Growth stimulation of primary B cell precursors by the anti-phosphatase Sbf1.

SET binding factor 1 (Sbf1) was originally discovered by virtue of its interaction with a highly conserved motif (the SET domain) of unknown function in the protooncoprotein homolog of Drosophila trithorax, Hrx. Sbf1 shares extensive sequence similarity with myotubularin, a dual specificity phosphatase (dsPTPase) that is mutated in a subset of patients with inherited myopathies. Both Sbf1 and myotubularin interact with the SET domains of Hrx and other epigenetic regulatory proteins, but Sbf1 lacks phosphatase activity due to several evolutionarily conserved amino acid changes in its structurally preserved catalytic pocket. Thus, Sbf1 has features of an anti-phosphatase that could competitively antagonize dsPTPases; however the in vivo role for such factors remains unknown. Given its ability to physically interact with Hrx, a developmental regulator subject to translocation-induced mutations in B cell precursor leukemias, the current studies were undertaken to assess the effects of Sbf1 on lymphopoiesis. After infection with recombinant Sbf1 retroviruses, bone marrow cells were plated under Whitlock-Witte conditions for long-term culture of B lineage cells. Sbf1-expressing cells rapidly dominated the cultures resulting in clonal outgrowths of B cell progenitors that retained a dependence on their primary bone marrow-derived stroma for continuous growth in vitro. Structure/function analyses demonstrated that the SET interaction domain of Sbf1 was necessary and sufficient for growth alterations of B cell progenitors. These observations support a model in which Sbf1 functions as a SET domain-dependent positive regulator of growth-inducing kinase signaling pathways that impinge on SET domain proteins. SET domain-dsPTPase interactions appear to be critically important for regulating the growth properties of B cell progenitors.

Systemic overexpression of BCL-2 in the hematopoietic system protects transgenic mice from the consequences of lethal irradiation.

A new transgenic mouse has been generated in which the proto-oncogene BCL-2 is ubiquitously overexpressed. H2K-BCL-2 transgenic mice overexpress BCL-2 in all cells of the hematolymphoid system and have been used to assess the role of BCL-2 in protecting cells of the hematolymphoid system from the consequences of ionizing radiation. We have expanded on previous studies that have demonstrated protection for specific (lymphoid) cell populations and show that systemic overexpression of BCL-2 can protect the hematopoietic system as a whole, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), thus increasing the radioresistance of the animal. The increase in radioresistance in H2K-BCL-2 transgenic mice has two components: an increase in the radioresistance of individual cells and, to a lesser extent, an increase in the size of certain critically important cell populations, such as HSC. Bone marrow transplantation experiments show that the increased radioresistance of the transgenic animals is provided by cells of the hematopoietic system. Protection against the consequences of irradiation is not limited to the increased expression levels of BCL-2 in transgenic mice; levels of endogenous BCL-2 are higher in lymphocyte populations that survive irradiation in wild-type mice. We show that ubiquitous overexpression of BCL-2 in the hematopoietic system can be used to increase the resistance of animals to lethal challenges such as irradiation.

Pim-2 transgene induces lymphoid tumors, exhibiting potent synergy with c-myc.

Evidence from proviral tagging experiments has suggested that pim-2 is similar in oncogenic behavior to its well characterized relative pim-1. While the basal expression in tissues differs, both genes are highly expressed in mitogenically stimulated hematopoietic cells and their transcription is induced in response to the same cytokines. Expression of a pim-2 transgene in lymphoid cells predisposed mice to T-cell lymphomas like those promoted by pim-1 transgenes. Moreover, strong collaboration with an E mu-myc transgene was manifested as pre-B cell leukemia in neonate bi-transgenic animals. Remarkably, this collaboration was attenuated but not prevented by X-inactivation of one of the transgenes. The addition of pim-2 to the fold increases the prominence of the pim proto-oncogene family in tumorigenesis.

Bcl-2 rescues T lymphopoiesis, but not B or NK cell development, in common gamma chain-deficient mice.

The common cytokine receptor gamma chain (gamma(c)) is an indispensable subunit for the formation of lymphoid-related cytokine receptors, including IL-7 and IL-15 receptors, that mediate nonredundant or critical signals for the differentiation of T and B cells and natural killer (NK) cells, respectively. We introduced the bcl-2 transgene driven by E mu or H-2K promoters into gamma(c)-deficient mice that lack all three lymphoid subclasses. The forced expression of Bcl-2 restored all stages of T lymphopoiesis, but not B or NK cell development, indicating that a primary function of gamma(c)-mediated signals in the T lineage might be to maintain cell survival. Therefore, the development of T, B, and NK cells may be influenced by distinct intracytoplasmic signaling cascades that are activated by coupling of gamma(c)-related receptors.

From stem cells to lymphocytes: biology and transplantation.

We review the development of the hematopoietic system, focusing on the transition from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to T cells. This includes the isolation of HSCs, and recent progress in understanding their ontogeny, homing properties, and differentiation. HSC transplantation is reviewed, including the kinetics of reconstitution, engraftment across histocompatibility barriers, the facilitation of allogeneic engraftment, and the mechanisms of graft rejection. We describe progress in understanding T-cell development in the bone marrow and thymus as well as the establishment of lymph nodes. Finally, the role of bcl-2 in regulating homeostasis in the hematopoietic system is discussed.

Bcl-2 reduces lymphomagenesis in deltaV-TCRbeta transgenic mice.

Overexpression of the bcl-2 oncogene in the lymphoid compartment of transgenic mice prolongs the lifespan of lymphocytes and leads to a low incidence of lymphomas at later age. Transgenic mice carrying a mutated T-cell receptor lacking the variable domain (deltaV-TCRbeta) suffer from lymphocyte depletion and are highly predisposed to lymphoma development. We intercrossed Bcl-2-Ig and deltaV-TCRbeta transgenic mice to assess whether Bcl-2 could synergize with deltaV-TCRbeta in tumorigenesis as reported previously for other oncogenes. Surprisingly, bitransgenic deltaV-TCRbeta; bcl-2-Ig mice showed a reduction in the incidence of lymphomas. Analyses of prelymphomatous mice showed that Bcl-2 restored some of the phenotypic aberrations caused by the deltaV-TCRbeta transgene in the lymphoid compartment. The inhibitory activity of Bcl-2 on deltaVTCRbeta-induced lymphomagenesis was not observed when both transgenes were crossed into the RAG-1-/- background suggesting an important role for more mature lymphocytes in this phenomenon. These results show that, depending on the specific conditions, overexpression of Bcl-2 can both promote as well as impair lymphoma development.

Proviral tagging in E mu-myc transgenic mice lacking the Pim-1 proto-oncogene leads to compensatory activation of Pim-2.

The Pim-1 proto-oncogene is one of the most potent collaborators of the myc proto-oncogenes in inducing lymphomagenesis in mice. Contrary to the profound effects when overexpressed in vivo, Pim-1-deficient mice showed only subtle phenotypic alterations, which could indicate the presence of redundantly acting genes. In line with this, a PCR-based screen has led to the identification of a closely homologous gene, Pim-2. The X-linked Pim-2 gene is 53% identical to Pim-1 at the amino acid level and shares substrate preference and the usage of non-AUG initiation codons with Pim-1. We have used these data to test whether the strong synergistic interaction between Pim-1 and c-myc can be utilized to gain access to Pim-1 compensatory pathways. We reasoned that, upon proviral tagging in compound mutant mice (E mu-myc/Pim-1-/- mice), the selective advantage of cells carrying provirally activated genes, that act downstream from or parallel to Pim-1, would increase. We show here that this is the case. A dramatic increase (from 15 to 80%) was found in the frequency of proviral activation of the Pim-2 gene. These data show that the described strategy of 'complementation tagging' represents a powerful new tool to identify components of pathways involved in processes as complex as multistep tumorigenesis.

Posterior transformation, neurological abnormalities, and severe hematopoietic defects in mice with a targeted deletion of the bmi-1 proto-oncogene.

The bmi-1 proto-oncogene has been implicated in B-cell lymphomagenesis in E mu-myc transgenic mice. Distinct domains of the Bmi-1 protein are highly conserved within the Drosophila protein Posterior Sex Combs, a member of the Polycomb group involved in maintaining stable repression of homeotic genes during development. We have inactivated the bmi-1 gene in the germ line of mice by homologous recombination in ES cells. Null mutant mice display three phenotypic alterations: (1) a progressive decrease in the number of hematopoietic cells and an impaired proliferative response of these cells to mitogens; (2) neurological abnormalities manifested by an ataxic gait and sporadic seizures; and (3) posterior transformation, in most cases along the complete anteroposterior axis of the skeleton. The observations indicate that Mbi-1 plays an important role in morphogenesis during embryonic development and in hematopoiesis throughout pre- and postnatal life. Furthermore, these data provide the first evidence of functional conservation of a mammalian Polycomb group homolog.