Fractionation of mouse bone marrow by adherence separates primitive
hematopoietic stem cells from in vitro colony-forming cells and spleen
colony-forming cells
F Kiefer, EF Wagner and G Keller
Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.
Fractionation of mouse bone marrow by adherence to tissue culture plastic
was used to characterize the adhesive properties of hematopoietic stem (HS)
cells capable of long-term reconstitution. The adherent fraction that
represents approximately 13% of the total marrow population was virtually
devoid of in vitro colony-forming cells and spleen colony-forming cells but
did contain approximately 30% of the total HS cells recovered from the
procedure. These cells could be detected by both the competitive
repopulation assay and by repopulation of W/Wv recipients. In approximately
60% of the recipients from the competitive repopulation experiments, the
contribution of the adherent marrow cells was relatively low early (8 to 10
weeks) after transplantation. With time, however, the hematopoietic
contribution from these cells increased, reaching a stable level 20 to 30
weeks posttransplantation. In the remaining recipients (40%), the
contribution from adherent cells was already significant within 8 to 10
weeks of transplantation and did not change dramatically throughout the
course of the experiment. Adherent bone marrow containing significant
numbers of HS cells was unable to protect mice from radiation death,
indicating that these early cells in the absence of later-stage progenitors
are unable to provide this function.
Volume 78,
Issue 10,
pp. 2577-2582,
11/15/1991
Copyright © 1991 by The American Society of Hematology
