|
|
Previous Article | Table of Contents | Next Article 
Blood, 15 January 2002, Vol. 99, No. 2, pp. 472-478
HEMATOPOIESIS
Multiple hematopoietic cell lineages develop in vivo from
transplanted Pax5-deficient pre-B I-cell clones
Christoph Schaniel,
Ludovica Bruno,
Fritz Melchers, and
Antonius G. Rolink
From the Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland.
 |
Abstract |
Pax5-deficient pre-B I-cell clones,
transplanted into natural killer
(NK)-cell-deficient RAG2 /
IL-2R / hosts, populate the NK-cell
compartment with functional NK cells. NK-cell generation from
Pax5 / pre-B I cells is also observed in
NK-cell-proficient Balb/c RAG2 / hosts. In
the same Balb/c RAG2 / hosts,
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones not only
populate the pre-B I-cell compartment and fill the deficient
T-cell-lineage compartment in the thymus and the periphery of all
hosts, as shown before, they also generate CD8 and
CD8 + dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and
granulocytes in vivo in approximately half the hosts. In some
recipients, practically all the mature myeloid cells are of
Pax5 / origin, indicating the effectiveness
by which Pax5 / pre-B I cells can compete
with endogenous myeloid precursors. In a smaller percentage of hosts,
the generation of Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell-derived erythrocytes is observed 4 to 6 months after transplantation. The results indicate that Pax5 /
pre-B I cells can develop in vivo in hosts that have undergone transplantation to erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid cell
lineages. Hence, the Pax5 / mutation
introduces an unusual instability of differentiation in pre-B I cells
so that they appear to dedifferentiate as far back as the pluripotent
hematopoietic stem cell.
(Blood. 2002;99:472-478)
© 2002 by The American Society of Hematology.
 |
Introduction |
A rare cell in bone marrow is responsible for the
sustained production of the different erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid
cells of blood throughout life.1 This hematopoietic stem
cell (HSC) is characterized by 2 capacities, the potential to give rise
to all cells of the blood and the capacity to self-renew. Recently, it
was reported that HSCs also contribute to the production of cells of
brain, liver, and skeletal muscle.2-9 Moreover, muscle- and central nervous system-derived stem cells have been reported to
generate blood cells.9-11 Thus, HSCs and other stem cells
appear to have even greater plasticity than previously thought.
The differentiation of HSCs into the various hematopoietic lineages is
usually pictured in a hierarchical fashion in which these cells develop
first into progenitors and then into precursors, with decreasing
pluripotency and increasing commitment to single differentiation
pathways. This idea is supported by the recent identification of a
common lymphoid progenitor (CLP)12 and a common myeloid
progenitor (CMP).13 CLP can differentiate into T, B, and
natural killer (NK) cells but not into myeloid cells. CMP, on the other
hand, can give rise to various cells of the myeloid lineage but not of
the lymphoid lineage. In other studies with a series of transcription
factor-deficient mouse strains, a slightly different hierarchy of
blood cell development has been proposed.14
Progenitors and intermediate stages of hematopoietic development have
been shown to exhibit some plasticity in their developmental program
when they are genetically modified. Thus, Kondo et al15 have recently shown that CLPs isolated from wild-type mice transfected with the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R ) gene or from
IL-2R transgenic mice can, under the appropriate in vitro
conditions, differentiate into cells of the myeloid lineage. The
bipotential B lymphocyte-macrophage progenitor isolated from adult
bone marrow is another example of plasticity of a more differentiated
hematopoietic precursor.16 Moreover, it has been reported
that DCs can be generated from CD19+ B-lymphoid
precursors.17 Perhaps the greatest plasticity of this kind
yet demonstrated is the in vitro and in vivo differentiation of
Pax5-deficient pre-B I cells into various hematopoietic
lineages.18,19
Transcription factor Pax5-deficient mouse is blocked in
B-cell development at the transition from
DHJH-rearranged pre-B I to
VHDHJH-rearranged pre-B II
cells.20,21 Pax5 / pre-B I cells
express various lymphoid and B-cell-specific genes, including
RAG1, RAG2, TdT, 5,
VpreB, immunoglobulin (Ig) , Ig , E2A, and EBF, similar to wild-type pre-B I
cells.21,22 Moreover, like wild-type cells,
Pax5 / pre-B I cells have the long-term
capacity to grow in vitro on stromal cells in the presence of
IL-7.21 However, and in marked contrast to wild-type pre-B
I cells, Pax5-deficient B-cell precursors can develop into
myeloid cells under appropriate in vitro conditions that is, in the
presence of different cytokines known to induce development of the
various myeloid cell lineages.18 Transfer of
Pax5 / pre-B I cells into
osteoclast-deficient c-fos / mice results in
a partial but rapid restoration of the osteoclast compartment.18 Moreover, again unlike wild-type pre-B I
cells, the transfer of in vitro-grown Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones into lymphoid-deficient
RAG2 / mice results in full and long-term
reconstitution of T-cell development and in repopulation of the bone
marrow with Pax5 / pre-B I
cells.19
Here we analyzed the in vivo reconstitution capacity of in vitro-grown
Pax5-deficient pre-B I-cell clones in more detail. We
extended our analysis by using one other deficient mouse strain, that
lacking the common -chain of the IL-2/IL-7/IL-9/IL-15 receptor (c / ) in combination with a RAG-2 deficiency, to show
that NK cells can develop in these hosts that received transplants of
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones. Furthermore, we
investigate the development of various hematopoietic lineages in
RAG2 / recipients that received transplants
of Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones for extended
periods of time, such as in hosts with normal differentiation
capacities for myeloid and erythroid cell development. After the rapid
reconstitution of bone marrow with Pax5 /
pre-B I cells and T-cell compartments with thymocytes, we found reconstitution of NK cells, DCs, myeloid cells, and even erythrocytes. Thus, the in vivo plasticity in hematopoietic cell differentiation of
in vitro-grown Pax5 / pre-B I cells is much
greater than previously anticipated. Our findings suggest that
Pax5 / pre-B I cells have the capacity to
dedifferentiate into HSCs.
 |
Materials and methods |
Mice
RAG2 / mice were originally provided
by Dr F. Alt (Boston, MA). Balb/c RAG2 / mice
were generated at the Basel Institute for Immunology by backcrossing
the RAG2 mutation into Balb/c mice for 15 generations. RAG2/IL-2R -chain double-deficient
(RAG2c / ) mice were purchased
from Taconic Farms (Germantown, NY).
Cells
Pre-B I cell lines and clones from Pax5 /
mice20 were established as
described.21,23 Green fluorescent protein
(GFP)-expressing pre-B I cells were generated by retroviral infection
as described.19
Transfer of cells
Balb/c RAG2 / or
RAG2c / mice at 8 to 12 weeks
of age were -irradiated with 4 Gy, and 107 in
vitro-grown Pax5 / pre-B I cells were
injected intravenously 6 to 8 hours after irradiation. Cell suspensions
of various lymphoid organs were prepared by collagenase-DNase digestion
at different time points after cell transfer, as
described.24
Flow cytometry
Flow cytometric analysis was performed using a FACScalibur
(Becton Dickinson, Silicon Valley, CA). Biotinylated CD11c
(HL3), Ly49A (A1), TER-119, Gr-1, phycoerythrin (PE)-labeled Ly49A+D (12A8) PE- or biotin-labeled NK1.1, allophycocyanin (APC)- or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled CD8 (53-6.7) and CD3 (2C11), and APC-labeled Ly49G2 (LGL-1) were purchased from PharMingen (San Diego, CA). Biotinylated antibodies were visualized with streptavidin-PE (PharMingen) or streptavidin-APC (Molecular Probes, Leiden, The Netherlands). Anti-H-2Kb monoclonal antibody
(mAb) Y-3 (HB-176) and F4/80 hybridoma (HB-198) were obtained from
American Type Culture Collection. Y-3 mAb was labeled with Cy5 as
recommended by the provider (Amersham, Little Chalfont, United
Kingdom). Stained cells were sorted with a MoFlo (Cytomation, Fort
Collins, CO) or a FACStar Plus (Becton Dickinson).
Cytotoxicity assay and mixed-lymphocyte reaction
Sorted NK1.1+CD3 cells were stimulated
with IL-2 for 6 days. Thereafter, their cytotoxic activity was tested
on YAC-1 cells and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated spleen cells of
2m / mice as previously
described.25
For the mixed lymphocyte reaction, 3 × 103 sorted and
-irradiated CD11c+CD8 + and
CD11c+CD8 cells and 2 × 106
-irradiated C57Bl/6 or Balb/c splenocytes were cocultured with 2 × 105 C57Bl/6 or Balb/c lymph node cells for 5 days.
[3H]-thymidine uptake was measured during the last 14 hours of culture.
 |
Results |
In vivo NK-cell development from Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones in NK-cell-deficient mice
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can be
induced to develop to osteoclasts in vitro by the removal of IL-7 and
the presence of tumor necrosis factor-related activation-induced
cytokine (TRANCE)-expressing stromal cells.18
Furthermore, Pax5 / pre-B I cells have been
found to give rise to osteoclasts in osteoclast-deficient
c-fos / mice.18 These
experiments showed that the transplantation of Pax5 / pre-B I cells can, at least in part,
reconstitute a deficient hematopoietic lineage compartment. Therefore,
we attempted to repair other hematopoietic deficiencies.
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones have been shown
to develop into NK cells in vitro with the removal of IL-7 and the
presence of IL-2.18 Because NK-cell development is
deficient in c / mice,26 we
transplanted in vitro-grown Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell clones into RAG2c /
recipients. Within weeks, a small population of
NK1.1+CD3 cells appeared in thymus, spleen,
and bone marrow of the NK-cell-deficient recipients (Figure
1A). However, appreciable numbers of NK
cells were only detectable 6 weeks after the transplantation of
Pax5 / pre-B I cells. We conclude that
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can, to a degree,
reconstitute NK-cell development in NK-cell-deficient hosts.

View larger version (35K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
| Figure 1.
Generation of NK cells.
Flow cytometric analysis of (A)
RAG2c / and (B) Balb/c
RAG2 / thymi 2 months after reconstitution
with a Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clone. (C)
Cytotoxic activity of sorted NK1.1+CD3 cells
was sorted from RAG2c / (
and ) and Balb/c RAG2 / ( and )
thymi transplanted 2 months earlier with Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones 4 ( and ) and 5 ( and ). Sorted
cells were activated for 7 days with IL-2 and then were assayed for
their cytotoxicity against YAC-1 targets.
|
|
In vivo NK-cell development from Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones in NK-cell-competitive mice
Most of our previous in vivo analyses of T-cell development from
Pax5 / pre-B I cells in
RAG2 / recipients were performed 3 to 6 weeks
after transplantation. The slow kinetics of reconstitution of NK-cell
development in RAG2c /
recipients prompted us to test the potential of
Pax5 / pre-B I cells to give rise to NK cells
in vivo in a competitive situation. Therefore,
Pax5-deficient pre-B I- cell clones were transferred into
Balb/c RAG2 / mice, which have normal NK-cell
development. Donor-derived NK-cell development can be distinguished
from that derived from endogenous progenitors because only transplanted
but not endogenous NK cells express the NK1.1 marker. In vitro-grown
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can also give
rise to NK cells when transplanted into Balb/c
RAG2 / recipients (Figure 1B).
To test the functional capacity of the Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell-derived NK cells,
NK1.1+CD3 cells were FACS-purified from
RAG2c / and from Balb/c
RAG2 / recipients and then stimulated in
vitro with IL-2 for 6 days. NK cells developed in vivo from 2 transplanted Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones,
PC-4 and PC-5 and, when stimulated with IL-2 in vitro, were found to
lyse the classical NK target YAC-1 efficiently (Figure 1C). This was
the case for both types of NK cells, isolated either from
RAG2c / or Balb/c
RAG2 / recipients.
In the mouse, NK cells express various receptors for major
histocompatibility complex class I molecules. These receptors prevent NK cells from killing major histocompatibility complex class
I-expressing target cells. The Ly49 gene family encodes at
least 9 closely related receptors of this kind. Recently, it has been
shown that NK cells acquire these receptors with
development.27 We compared Ly49A, G2, and A+D
receptor expression on C57Bl/6 and Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell-derived NK cells. A small fraction of each NK-cell population expresses Ly49A, and approximately half express Ly49G2, Ly49A+D, or both (Figure 2A). Thus, with
respect to Ly49 receptor expression, NK cells derived from transplanted
Pax5 / pre-B I cells do not seem to differ
from endogenous wild-type NK cells. Moreover, FACS-purified,
IL-2-stimulated Pax5 / -derived NK cells lyse
YAC-1 and 2m / targets as efficiently as
endogenous wild-type C57Bl/6 NK cells do (Figure 2B). We conclude that
functional NK cells can develop in vivo from transplanted
Pax5 / pre-B I cells in NK-cell-deficient or
NK-cell-competitive hosts.

View larger version (32K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
| Figure 2.
Generation of NK cells.
(A) Flow cytometric analysis of wild-type C57Bl/6 spleen cells and
RAG2c / spleen cells 3 months
after reconstitution with a Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell clone. (B) Cytotoxicity assay.
NK1.1+CD3 cells were sorted from C57Bl/6
spleen ( ), and reconstituted
RAG2c / ( ) were activated
for 7 days in vitro with IL-2 and then assayed for their cytotoxicity
against YAC-1 and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated spleen cells of
2m / mice.
|
|
In vivo development of dendritic cells, macrophages, and
granulocytes from Pax5 / pre-B I-cell
clones
Our findings that NK cells develop from
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones in vivo in a
mouse with NK-proficient progenitors prompted us to test the
Pax5 / pre-B-cell-transplantation hosts for
the development of donor-derived DCs, macrophages, and granulocytes.
Pax5 / pre-B I cells have previously been
found capable, under appropriate stimulatory conditions of cytokines
and cell contacts, to develop in vitro into CD8 DCs,
phagocytic macrophages, and granulocytes.18
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones of
H-2b/d haplotype were transplanted into Balb/c
(H-2d) RAG2 / mice. To test for
the development of DCs, 3-color FACS analyses were performed 6 to 12 weeks after transplantation, and cell suspensions were prepared by
enzymatic digestion of thymus (data not shown) and spleen (Figure
3A). Results of these analyzes show that
30% to 40% of the CD11c+CD8 and the
CD11c+CD8 + cells are
H-2b-positive (ie, of Pax5 /
origin). They also carry the clone-characteristic
DHJH rearrangements (data not shown). Similar
findings were made with the transfer of GFP-marked
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones (data not
shown).

View larger version (33K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
| Figure 3.
Generation of DCs.
(A) Flow cytometric analysis on splenic cells of Balb/c
RAG2 / (H-2d) mice that received
transplantations 3 months earlier of Pax5 /
H-2b/d pre-B I cells. (B) Mixed lymphocyte reaction.
CD11c+CD8 + and CD8 cells of
Pax5 / origin (H-2b) and of host
Balb/c RAG2 / (H-2d) were sorted
and -irradiated, and 3 × 103 of these were incubated
for 5 days with 2 × 105 Balb/c or C57Bl/6 lymph node
cells. -Irradiated spleen cells (1 × 106) of Balb/c
or C57Bl/6 mice were used as controls. [3H]-thymidine
incorporation was measured during the last 14 hours of incubation.
Stimulators were CD11+CD8 +
H-2b/d, CD11+CD8 +
H-2d, CD11+CD8
H-2b/d, CD11+CD8
H-2d, and Balb/c H-2d splenocytes, and C57Bl/6
H-2b splenocytes.
|
|
To test the functionality of these CD11c+ cells, endogenous
Balb/c (H-2d-positive) and
Pax5 / -derived (H-2b/d-positive)
CD11c+CD8 and CD8 + DCs were
sorted and used in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. As few as 3000 H-2b-positive (Pax5 / -derived
H-2b/d-positive) CD11c+CD8
and CD8 + cells elicited a strong proliferative T-cell
response from Balb/c and C57Bl/6 (H-2b-positive) mice
(Figure 3B). On the other hand, endogenous H-2d-positive,
CD11c+CD8 + and CD8 cells
induced a strong response of allogeneic C57Bl/6 T cells but not of
syngeneic Balb/c T cells (Figure 3B). Hence,
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can develop in
vivo into functional CD8 DCs. In contrast to
development in vitro, Pax5 / pre-B I-cell
clones can also differentiate in vivo to functional CD8 + DCs.
Next, we analyzed Balb/c RAG2 / hosts that
received transplants of GFP-marked Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones from 6 weeks to 6 months after
transplantation for GFP+CD11b+ (Mac-1),
GFP+Gr-1+, and
GFP+Ter119+ cells. Because granulocytes express
high levels of Gr-1 and CD11b, whereas macrophages are
Gr-1int and CD11bhigh, we FACS-sorted
GFP+Gr-1high and Gr-1int cells.
After a 30-hour culture period in the presence of
granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), all cells
still expressed high levels of GFP. May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining
of cytospin preparations of these cells then revealed large numbers of
cells with segmented nuclear morphology, typical for granulocytes, in the GFP+Gr-1high population (Figure
4). On the other hand,
GFP+Gr-1int cells showed typical macrophage
morphology (Figure 4). We conclude that Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones can give rise to granulocytes and macrophages not only in vitro but also in vivo.

View larger version (68K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
| Figure 4.
Generation of granulocytes and macrophages.
Flow cytometric analysis of splenocytes of Balb/c
RAG2 / mice reconstituted 5 months earlier
with a GFP+ Pax5 / pre-B I-cell
clone. May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining of cytospin preparations of
sorted GFP+Gr-1high (right, upper panel) and
Gr-1int (right, lower panel) spleen cells. Magnification
× 400.
|
|
In vivo development of erythrocytes from
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones
Finally, we analyzed by flow cytometry Balb/c
RAG2 / mice that received transplants of
GFP-expressing Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones
for the presence of GFP+Ter119+ erythrocytes.
Pax5 / pre-B I cells have so far not been
seen to develop into erythrocytes in vitro. Up to 4 months after
transplantation, none of the recipients had detectable numbers of
GFP+Ter119+ erythrocytes in their circulatory
systems. However, in 4 of 25 recipients analyzed as late as 4 to 6 months after transplantation, between 0.15% and 3% of all erythroid
cells were GFP+Ter119+ erythrocytes (Figure
5). May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining of
cytospins of GFP+Ter119+ cells confirmed their
erythrocyte nature (Figure 5). Our results thus show that
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can give rise
even to cells of the erythroid lineage.

View larger version (49K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
| Figure 5.
Generation of erythrocytes.
Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood of Balb/c
RAG2 / mice reconstituted 6 months earlier
with a GFP+ Pax5 / pre-B I-cell
clone. May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining of sorted
GFP+Ter119+ cells (right panel). Magnification
× 630.
|
|
Variations in Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell-derived hematopoietic engraftment
We have observed previously that all RAG2 /
recipients become populated by donor-derived thymocytes and mature
CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in normal
numbers19 and with normal antigen-recognizing repertoires
of T-cell receptors (data not shown) within 3 to 5 weeks of
transplantation. In the blood, donor
Pax5 / -derived T cells constitute 5% to 30%
of all leukocytes at 3 months after transplantation (Table
1). Furthermore, all recipients are
engrafted with approximately 5% to 10% of their total nucleated bone
marrow cells by donor-derived cells, which, in most, are of original
B220+c-Kit+CD19 Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell phenotype. The engraftments in the thymus, the
peripheral T-cell compartments, and the pre-B I-cell compartments of
the bone marrow appear to be stable in phenotype and cell number for several months after transplantation.
By contrast, only half the recipients that received transplants become
populated in the myeloid (macrophage and granulocyte) compartments. The
contribution of donor Pax5 / -derived cells in
the blood increases with time to 75% to 95% of total myeloid cells
within 4 months of transplantation (Table 1). The slow, but continued,
increase of donor-derived cells suggests that the
Pax5 / -progenitor compartment has a stronger
repopulation capacity than does the endogenous host. Because no myeloid
tumors have been observed in hosts that received transplants within 6 months of transplantation, this stronger repopulation capacity does not appear to be the result of a neoplastic transformation of the Pax5 / progenitors.
 |
Discussion |
It has been demonstrated that
Pax5 / -derived pre-B I-cell clones can
differentiate in vitro, in the proper environments of cytokines and
cell contacts, into various myeloid cell lineages macrophages and
granulocytes, CD8 DCs and osteoclasts, and NK
cells.18 Moreover, in vivo transplantation of
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones into
lymphoid-deficient RAG2 / mice results in
rapid and full reconstitution of T-cell lineage compartments and the
precursor B-cell compartment in bone marrow,19 whereas
transplantation into osteoclast-deficient c-fos /
mice gives rise to at least partial reconstitution with
Pax5 / -derived osteoclasts.18 In
these earlier experiments, the other hematopoietic cell lineages into
which Pax5 / pre-B I cells can develop in
vitro were not detected in vivo. Hence, it was argued that
Pax5 / pre-B I cells could only populate
those hematopoietic compartments for which the host carried a genetic
deficiency, resulting in the absence or in reduced numbers of that
hematopoietic cell lineage.18
However, in this study we demonstrated that Pax5 /
pre-B I- cell clones can also repopulate hematopoietic cell
lineages for which host endogenous progenitors and mature cell
compartments are not deficient. Thus, we show here that the
transplantation of Pax5 / pre-B I-cell
clones into RAG2 / mice can result in the
development of NK cells, DCs, macrophages, granulocytes, and, in some
cases, even erythrocytes that is, into lineages in which the
RAG2 / host has no obvious defects. It should
be noted, however, that the kinetics of development of these cell
lineages is slower than that of the development of T cells, which is
why they were missed in previous studies.18,19
We also conclude from the results presented here that the in vivo
developmental potential of Pax5 / pre-B I
cells exceeds even the previously observed in vitro differentiation capacity. It has been observed that Pax5 /
pre-B I cells can differentiate in vitro in the presence of M-CSF and GM-CSF into CD8 but not into CD8 +
DCs (into myeloid but not lymphoid DCs).18 Here we show
that Pax5 / pre-B I cells can give rise to
CD8 + DCs in vivo. This now allows study of the genetic
program of development of these 2 DC lineages and of their functions
and their relations to each other from a clone of
Pax5 / pre-B I cells.
Moreover, and again for the first time, we show that
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell clones can give rise to
erythrocytes. We detected cells of the erythroid lineage as
Ter119+ cells and those generated from
Pax5 / pre-B I cells as
GFP+Ter119+. If GFP had a short half-life in
erythrocytes and if it was shorter than that of Ter119, we might not
have scored all Pax5 / pre-B I-cell-derived
erythroid cells but might have considered them to be host derived. This
could partially have explained the apparently slow kinetics and low
frequency of erythroid development. We plan to use a different form of
the enzyme glucose-phosphate-isomerase for the detection of erythroid
cells in transplantation experiments with Pax5 /
pre-B I cell-clones. Alternatively, it is also possible that the
slow and inefficient development of erythrocytes is a result of an
inefficient competition between Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell-derived erythroid progenitors with those of the host. The low
efficiency of Pax5 / pre-B I cells to
generate erythroid cells might be another reason these cells cannot be
used to rescue lethally irradiated recipients from death in a bone
marrow transplantation-like situation.
One obvious question arising from previous studies and the current
study is why Pax5 / , but not wild-type pre-B
I, cells can differentiate into various hematopoietic lineages.
Pax5 / pre-B I cells, unlike their wild-type
counterparts, express multiple genes known to play key roles in the
development of hematopoietic lineages other than B cells, such as
M-CSF-receptor and MPO for myeloid and
GATA-1 for erythroid development. Retroviral introduction of
Pax5 into Pax5 / pre-B I cells
results in the complete down-regulation of expression of those
genes.18 It has been shown that the transgenic expression of the M-CSF-receptor in early pre-B-cell lines enables
these cells to differentiate into macrophages in the presence of
M-CSF,28 whereas the introduction of GATA-1
reprograms avian myelomonocytic cell lines into eosinophils,
thromboblasts, and erythroblasts.29 Thus, the expression
of genes such as M-CSF-receptor, MPO, or GATA-1 in Pax5 / pre-B I cells
might be expected to allow these cells, under appropriate in vitro and,
as shown here, in vivo conditions, to dedifferentiate and develop into
various hematopoietic lineages other than B cells.
Why does the differentiation of Pax5 / pre-B
I cells into the various hematopoietic lineages occur with different
kinetics and with different efficiencies? Three possible reasons can be
considered. The first is that it might be easier to reconstitute an
empty thymus and peripheral mature T-cell compartments, even though the
CD4 CD8 thymocyte progenitors are present in
the RAG2 / hosts in normal numbers. Moreover,
and in contrast to myeloid and erythroid cells, during their
development in the thymus, T-lineage cells go through a phase of
proliferative expansion. This cellular expansion, mediated by the
pre-T-cell receptor,30,31 would allow the detection of
T-lineage cells in appropriate numbers much earlier (ie, shortly after
transplantation), whereas it would take longer for nonproliferating
myeloid precursors to accumulate detectable numbers of mature myeloid cells.
The second reason for the differential efficiencies of hematopoietic
lineage developments from Pax5 / pre-B I
cells could be a result of the number of dedifferentiation and
redifferentiation steps this pre-B I cell must take to develop into the
various lineages of hematopoietic differentiation. Two models of
differentiation of HSCs into various hematopoietic lineages have been
proposed. In one, HSCs differentiate through intermediate HSC stages,
with decreasing self-renewal capacity, into CLPs, which give rise to T,
B, and NK cells, and into CMPs, which develop into myeloid and
erythroid lineages.1 Neither CLP nor CMP has self-renewal
potential; therefore, they have to be produced throughout life to keep
the hematopoietic system intact. In the other model, hematopoietic
differentiation is based on a series of experimentally induced
mutations in genes encoding transcription factors.14 This
model proposes a common progenitor with myeloid and lymphoid capacity
that has lost the ability to generate erythroid and megakaryocytic cells. This progenitor then can give rise to all cell types, similar to
the CLP of the first model. In each model, the choice of
differentiation to T, B, or NK cells is a late event. Therefore, the
dedifferentiation of Pax5 / pre-B I cells
into the T- and NK-cell lineage is the closest step and might be the
easiest and most efficient. On the other hand, in the Weissman
model1 of differentiation, Pax5 /
pre-B I cells would have to dedifferentiate to HSCs to become erythroid cells, whereas in the Singh model,14
they would only have to dedifferentiate to an
erythroid-myeloid-lymphoid progenitor. In mice in which erythrocytes of
Pax5 / origin are detectable, the myeloid
compartment is to a large extent Pax5 / pre-B
I-cell derived.
The third reason for a differential hematopoietic reconstitution
capacity could be the consequence of varying strengths of the various
progenitors and precursors of the different hematopoietic lineages to
compete with endogenous counterparts. That Pax5 /
pre-B I cells repopulate the full precursor B-cell compartments for long periods of time at stable, normal numbers argues the possibility that Pax5 / pre-B I cells and
their dedifferentiated T-lymphoid progenitors are stronger in
reconstituting the host than endogenous progenitors. NK-cell and DC
development appear equally effective, though it is difficult to judge
whether these lineages actually outcompete the endogenously derived
ones. We should be able to test this possibility by transplanting
Pax5 / pre-B I cells into normal wild-type
hosts rather than into severe combined immunodeficient hosts.
A similarly stronger and stable repopulation capacity of the
Pax5 / pre-B I cells can be observed in the
myeloid lineages. In half of all hosts that underwent transplantations
that develop these myeloid cells,
Pax5 / -derived macrophages and granulocytes
outgrow those of the host (Table 1). However, because only 50% of all
hosts develop myeloid cells yet all of them develop T-lineage cells,
the competition of Pax5 progenitors for reconstitution to
the myeloid lineage compartments appears to be less efficient. Given
that only 15% of all hosts that received transplants develop
Pax5 / pre-B-cell-derived erythrocytes, this
competition for lineage development with the endogenous cells appears
even less efficient. The lack of evidence that T-lymphoid or -myeloid
neoplasms develop in hosts that received transplants is taken as an
indication that the stronger repopulation capacity of the
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell-derived cells is not
the result of a malignant, oncogenic transformation as a result of the
Pax5 mutation.
The 3 possible reasons for differential capacities of
Pax5 / pre-B I-cell-derived progenitors to
compete with endogenous counterparts for the cellular chimerisms in a
given compartment and for the strength to generate mature cells are,
obviously, not mutually exclusive. Pax5 /
pre-B I-cell clones and their dedifferentiated progenitors of the
various hematopoietic lineages offer fascinating possibilities to
quantitate hematopoietic capacities of different progenitor compartments, maybe even of pluripotent HSCs, in competition with wild-type cells of the hosts that underwent transplantations. Although
the pluripotency of hematopoietic differentiation of Pax5 / pre-B I cells is of the right quality
but not yet of the right quantity, further mutations and alterations of
the control of gene expression programs active in early hematopoiesis
might eventually lead to a better understanding of how to manipulate
hematopoietic progenitor development for bone marrow transplantation.
 |
Acknowledgments |
We thank Drs K. Karjalainen and A. Potocnik for critical reading of
the manuscript.
 |
Footnotes |
Submitted June 26, 2001; accepted August 14, 2001.
The Basel Institute for Immunology was founded and is supported by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Switzerland.
C.S. and L.B. contributed equally to this work.
The publication costs of this
article were defrayed in part by
page charge payment. Therefore,
and solely to indicate this fact,
this article is hereby marked
"advertisement"
in accordance with 18 U.S.C.
section 1734.
Reprints: Antonius G. Rolink, Basel Institute for
Immunology, Grenzacherstrasse 487, CH-4005 Basel, Switzerland; e-mail:
rolink{at}bii.ch.
 |
References |
1.
Weissman IL.
Stem cells: units of development, units of regeneration, and units in evolution.
Cell.
2000;100:157-168[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
2.
Brazelton TR, Rossi FMV, Keshet GI, Blau HM.
From marrow to brain: expression of neuronal phenotypes in adult mice.
Science.
2000;290:1775-1779[Abstract/Free Full Text].
3.
Mezey E, Chandross KJ, Harta G, Maki RA, McKercher SR.
Turning blood into brain: cells bearing neuronal antigens generated in vivo from bone marrow.
Science.
2000;290:1779-1782[Abstract/Free Full Text].
4.
Petersen BE, Bowen WC, Patrene KD, et al.
Bone marrow as a potential source of hepatic oval cells.
Science.
1999;284:1168-1170[Abstract/Free Full Text].
5.
Theise ND, Nimmakayalu M, Gardner R, et al.
Liver from bone marrow in humans.
Hepatology.
2000;32:11-16[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
6.
Theise ND, Badve S, Saxena R, et al.
Derivation of hepatocytes from bone marrow cells in mice after radiation-induced myeloablation.
Hepatology.
2000;31:235-240[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
7.
Lagasse E, Connors H, Al-Dhalimy M, et al.
Purified hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate into hepatocytes in vivo.
Nat Med.
2000;11:1229-1234.
8.
Ferrari G, Cusella-De Angelis G, Coletta M, et al.
Muscle regeneration by bone marrow-derived myogenic progenitors.
Science.
1998;279:1528-1530[Abstract/Free Full Text].
9.
Gussoni E, Soneoka Y, Strickland CD, et al.
Dystrophin expression in the mdx mouse restored by stem cell transplantation.
Nature.
1999;1999:390-394.
10.
Jackson KA, Mi T, Goodell MA.
Hematopoietic potential of stem cells isolated from murine skeletal muscle.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
1999;96:14482-14486[Abstract/Free Full Text].
11.
Bjornson CR, Rietze RL, Reynolds BA, Magli MC, Vescovi AL.
Turning brain into blood: a hematopoietic fate adopted by adult neural stem cells in vivo.
Science.
1999;283:534-537[Abstract/Free Full Text].
12.
Kondo M, Weissman IL, Akashi K.
Identification of clonogenic common lymphoid progenitors in mouse bone marrow.
Cell.
1997;91:661-672[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
13.
Akashi K, Traver D, Miyamoto T, Weissman IL.
A clonogenic common myeloid progenitor that gives rise to all myeloid lineages.
Nature.
2000;404:193-197[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
14.
Singh H.
Gene targeting reveals a hierarchy of transcription factors regulating specification of lymphoid cell fates.
Curr Opin Immunol.
1996;8:160-165[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
15.
Kondo M, Scherer DC, Miyamoto T, et al.
Cell-fate conversion of lymphoid-committed progenitors by instructive actions of cytokines.
Nature.
2000;407:383-386[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
16.
Montecino-Rodriguez E, Leathers H, Dorshkind K.
Bipotential B-macrophage progenitors are present in adult bone marrow.
Nat Immunol.
2001;2:84-88.
17.
Bjorck P, Kincade PW.
CD19+ pro-B cells can give rise to dendritic cells in vitro.
J Immunol.
1998;161:5795-5799[Abstract/Free Full Text].
18.
Nutt SL, Heavey B, Rolink AG, Busslinger M.
Commitment to the B-lymphoid lineage depends on the transcription factor Pax5.
Nature.
1999;401:556-562[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
19.
Rolink AG, Nutt SL, Melchers F, Busslinger M.
Long-term in vivo reconstitution of T-cell development by Pax5-deficient B-cell progenitors.
Nature.
1999;401:603-606[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
20.
Urbanek P, Wang ZQ, Fetka I, Wagner EF, Busslinger M.
Complete block of early B cell differentiation and altered patterning of the posterior midbrain in mice lacking Pax5/BSAP.
Cell.
1994;79:901-912[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
21.
Nutt SL, Urbanek P, Rolink A, Busslinger M.
Essential functions of Pax5 (BSAP) in pro-B cell development: difference between fetal and adult B lymphopoiesis and reduced V-to-DJ recombination at the IgH locus.
Genes Dev.
1997;11:476-491[Abstract/Free Full Text].
22.
Nutt SL, Morrison AM, Dorfler P, Rolink A, Busslinger M.
Identification of BSAP (Pax-5) target genes in early B-cell development by loss- and gain-of-function experiments.
EMBO J.
1998;17:2319-2333[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
23.
Rolink A, Kudo A, Karasuyama H, Kikuchi Y, Melchers F.
Long-term proliferating early pre B cell lines and clones with the potential to develop to surface Ig-positive, mitogen reactive B cells in vitro and in vivo.
EMBO J.
1991;10:327-336[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
24.
Rodewald HR, Brocker T, Haller C.
Developmental dissociation of thymic dendritic cell and thymocyte lineages revealed in growth factor receptor mutant mice.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
1999;96:15068-15073[Abstract/Free Full Text].
25.
Liao NS, Bix M, Zijlstra M, Jaenisch R, Raulet D.
MHC class I deficiency: susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cells and impaired NK activity.
Science.
1991;253:199-202[Abstract/Free Full Text].
26.
DiSanto JP, Muller W, Guy-Grand D, Fischer A, Rajewsky K.
Lymphoid development in mice with a targeted deletion of the interleukin 2 receptor gamma chain.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
1995;92:377-381[Abstract/Free Full Text].
27.
Roth C, Carlyle JR, Takizawa H, Raulet DH.
Clonal acquisition of inhibitory Ly49 receptors on developing NK cells is successively restricted and regulated by stromal class I MHC.
Immunity.
2000;13:143-153[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
28.
Borzillo GV, Ashmun RA, Sherr CJ.
Macrophage lineage switching of murine early pre-B lymphoid cells expressing transduced fms genes.
Mol Cell Biol.
1990;10:2703-2714[Abstract/Free Full Text].
29.
Kulessa H, Frampton J, Graf T.
GATA-1 reprograms avian myelomonocytic cell lines into eosinophils, thromboblasts, and erythroblasts.
Genes Dev.
1995;9:1250-1262[Abstract/Free Full Text].
30.
Fehling HJ, Krotkova A, Saint-Ruf C, von Boehmer H.
Crucial role of the pre-T-cell receptor alpha gene in development of alpha beta but not gamma delta T cells.
Nature.
1995;375:795-798[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].
31.
Mombaerts P, Clarke AR, Rudnicki MA, et al.
Mutations in T-cell antigen receptor genes alpha and beta block thymocyte development at different stages.
Nature.
1992;360:225-231[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve].

CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Malhotra, Y. Baba, K. P. Garrett, F. J. T. Staal, R. Gerstein, and P. W. Kincade
Contrasting Responses of Lymphoid Progenitors to Canonical and Noncanonical Wnt Signals
J. Immunol.,
September 15, 2008;
181(6):
3955 - 3964.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Pridans, M. L. Holmes, M. Polli, J. M. Wettenhall, A. Dakic, L. M. Corcoran, G. K. Smyth, and S. L. Nutt
Identification of Pax5 Target Genes in Early B Cell Differentiation
J. Immunol.,
February 1, 2008;
180(3):
1719 - 1728.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Roessler, I. Gyory, S. Imhof, M. Spivakov, R. R. Williams, M. Busslinger, A. G. Fisher, and R. Grosschedl
Distinct Promoters Mediate the Regulation of Ebf1 Gene Expression by Interleukin-7 and Pax5
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
January 15, 2007;
27(2):
579 - 594.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Hoflinger, K. Kesavan, M. Fuxa, C. Hutter, B. Heavey, F. Radtke, and M. Busslinger
Analysis of Notch1 Function by In Vitro T Cell Differentiation of Pax5 Mutant Lymphoid Progenitors
J. Immunol.,
September 15, 2004;
173(6):
3935 - 3944.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Streubel, A. Chott, D. Huber, M. Exner, U. Jager, O. Wagner, and I. Schwarzinger
Lymphoma-Specific Genetic Aberrations in Microvascular Endothelial Cells in B-Cell Lymphomas
N. Engl. J. Med.,
July 15, 2004;
351(3):
250 - 259.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. Smith and M. Sigvardsson
The roles of transcription factors in B lymphocyte commitment, development, and transformation
J. Leukoc. Biol.,
June 1, 2004;
75(6):
973 - 981.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Sato, F. Saito-Ohara, J. Inazawa, and A. Kudo
Pax-5 Is Essential for {kappa} Sterile Transcription during Ig{kappa} Chain Gene Rearrangement
J. Immunol.,
April 15, 2004;
172(8):
4858 - 4865.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. Reynaud, N. Lefort, E. Manie, L. Coulombel, and Y. Levy
In vitro identification of human pro-B cells that give rise to macrophages, natural killer cells, and T cells
Blood,
June 1, 2003;
101(11):
4313 - 4321.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. V. Cotta, Z. Zhang, H.-G. Kim, and C. A. Klug
Pax5 determines B- versus T-cell fate and does not block early myeloid-lineage development
Blood,
June 1, 2003;
101(11):
4342 - 4346.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. Boulton, H. Cleary, and M. Plumb
Myeloid, B and T lymphoid and mixed lineage thymic lymphomas in the irradiated mouse
Carcinogenesis,
June 1, 2002;
23(6):
1079 - 1085.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Schaniel, M. Gottar, E. Roosnek, F. Melchers, and A. G. Rolink
Extensive in vivo self-renewal, long-term reconstitution capacity, and hematopoietic multipotency of Pax5-deficient precursor B-cell clones
Blood,
April 15, 2002;
99(8):
2760 - 2766.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|
|