Adult T-cell progenitors retain myeloid potential

During haematopoiesis, pluripotent haematopoietic stem cells are sequentially restricted to give rise to a variety of lineage-committed progenitors. The classical model of haematopoiesis postulates that, in the first step of differentiation, the stem cell generates common myelo-erythroid progenitors and common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). However, our previous studies in fetal mice showed that myeloid potential persists even as the lineage branches segregate towards T and B cells. We therefore proposed the 'myeloid-based' model of haematopoiesis, in which the stem cell initially generates common myelo-erythroid progenitors and common myelo-lymphoid progenitors. T-cell and B-cell progenitors subsequently arise from common myelo-lymphoid progenitors through myeloid-T and myeloid-B stages, respectively. However, it has been unclear whether this myeloid-based model is also valid for adult haematopoiesis. Here we provide clonal evidence that the early cell populations in the adult thymus contain progenitors that have lost the potential to generate B cells but retain substantial macrophage potential as well as T-cell, natural killer (NK)-cell and dendritic-cell potential. We also show that such T-cell progenitors can give rise to macrophages in the thymic environment in vivo. Our findings argue against the classical dichotomy model in which T cells are derived from CLPs; instead, they support the validity of the myeloid-based model for both adult and fetal haematopoiesis.     

A clonogenic common myeloid progenitor that gives rise to all myeloid lineages

Haematopoietic stem cells give rise to progeny that progressively lose self-renewal capacity and become restricted to one lineage. The points at which haematopoietic stem cell-derived progenitors commit to each of the various lineages remain mostly unknown. We have identified a clonogenic common lymphoid progenitor that can differentiate into T, B and natural killer cells but not myeloid cells. Here we report the prospective identification, purification and characterization, using cell-surface markers and flow cytometry, of a complementary clonogenic common myeloid progenitor that gives rise to all myeloid lineages. Common myeloid progenitors give rise to either megakaryocyte/erythrocyte or granulocyte/macrophage progenitors. Purified progenitors were used to provide a first-pass expression profile of various haematopoiesis-related genes. We propose that the common lymphoid progenitor and common myeloid progenitor populations reflect the earliest branch points between the lymphoid and myeloid lineages, and that the commitment of common myeloid progenitors to either the megakaryocyte/erythrocyte or the granulocyte/macrophage lineages are mutually exclusive events.     

Inhibition of pluripotential embryonic stem cell differentiation by purified polypeptides

Murine embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cell lines established directly from the early embryo which can contribute differentiated progeny to all adult tissues, including the germ-cell lineage, after re-incorporation into the normal embryo. They provide both a cellular vector for the generation of transgenic animals and a useful system for the identification of polypeptide factors controlling differentiation processes in early development. In particular, medium conditioned by Buffalo rat liver cells contains a polypeptide factor, ES cell differentiation inhibitory activity (DIA), which specifically suppresses the spontaneous differentiation of ES cells in vitro, thereby permitting their growth as homogeneous stem cell populations in the absence of heterologous feeder cells. ES cell pluripotentiality, including the ability to give rise to functional gametes, is preserved after prolonged culture in Buffalo rat liver media as a source of DIA. Here, we report that purified DIA is related in structure and function to the recently identified hematopoietic regulatory factors human interleukin for DA cells and leukaemia inhibitory factor. DIA and human interleukin DA/leukaemia inhibitory factor have thus been identified as related multifunctional regulatory factors with distinct biological activities in both early embryonic and hematopoietic stem cell systems.     

Surface immunoglobulin-negative B-cell precursors detected by formation of antibody-secreting colonies in agar

The development of semi-solid in vitro cloning assays has helped distinguish the different stages in early haematopoietic differentiation. The progenitors of erythrocytes, granulocytes, macrophages and megakaryocytes have been quantitated and characterized in such systems but until now, similar assays for progenitors of antibody-producing B lymphocytes have not been established despite many reports describing the properties of B-cell precursors which proliferate and differentiate either in vivo in adoptive hosts or in in vitro liquid culture systems. A semi-solid agar assay is described here which permits a murine B-cell precursor to develop into a colony containing antibody-secreting cells after 7-11 days in culture. The precursor cells were found in fetal liver and could be clearly distinguished from mature clonable B cells. This assay thus provides a method to quantitate functional B-cell precursors and establish the requirements for the generation of B lymphocytes.     

Identification of the human analogue of a regulator that induces differentiation in murine leukaemic cells

We have recently purified murine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a regulatory glycoprotein which stimulates granulocyte colony formation from committed murine precursor cells in semi-solid agar cultures. G-CSF is one of a family of colony-stimulating factors that regulate the growth and differentiation of granulocytes and macrophages. While the other murine CSFs (granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, macrophage (M)-CSF and multi-CSF) show little or no differentiation-inducing activity on murine myelomonocytic leukaemia cell lines, G-CSF (or MGI-2(6)) is able to induce the production of terminally differentiated cells from WEHI-3B and other myeloid leukaemia cell lines. More importantly, G-CSF-containing materials suppress the self-renewal of myeloid leukaemia stem cells in vitro and the leukaemogenicity of treated myeloid leukaemic cells in vivo. It is important to identify the human analogue of murine G-CSF so that its effectiveness on human myeloid leukaemia cells can be assessed. Here we show that an analogue of G-CSF does exist among the CSFs produced by human cells and that the murine and human molecules show almost complete biological and receptor-binding cross-reactivities to normal and leukaemic murine or human cells. The human G-CSF analogue is identified as a species of CSF that we have previously described as CSF-beta.     

The earliest thymic progenitors for T cells possess myeloid lineage potential

There exists controversy over the nature of haematopoietic progenitors of T cells. Most T cells develop in the thymus, but the lineage potential of thymus-colonizing progenitors is unknown. One approach to resolving this question is to determine the lineage potentials of the earliest thymic progenitors (ETPs). Previous work has shown that ETPs possess T and natural killer lymphoid potentials, and rare subsets of ETPs also possess B lymphoid potential, suggesting an origin from lymphoid-restricted progenitor cells. However, whether ETPs also possess myeloid potential is unknown. Here we show that nearly all ETPs in adult mice possess both T and myeloid potential in clonal assays. The existence of progenitors possessing T and myeloid potential within the thymus is incompatible with the current dominant model of haematopoiesis, in which T cells are proposed to arise from lymphoid-. Our results indicate that alternative models for lineage commitment during haematopoiesis must be considered.     

Cell-fate conversion of lymphoid-committed progenitors by instructive actions of cytokines

The primary role of cytokines in haemato-lymphopoiesis is thought to be the regulation of cell growth and survival. But the instructive action of cytokines in haematopoiesis has not been well addressed. Here we show that a clonogenic common lymphoid progenitor, a bone marrow-resident cell that gives rise exclusively to lymphocytes (T, B and natural killer cells), can be redirected to the myeloid lineage by stimulation through exogenously expressed interleukin (IL)-2 and GM-CSF (granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor) receptors. Analysis of mutants of the beta-chain of the IL-2 receptor revealed that the granulocyte- and monocyte-differentiation signals are triggered by different cytoplasmic domains, showing that the signalling pathway(s) responsible for these unique developmental outcomes are separable. Finally, we show that the endogenous myelomonocytic cytokine receptors for GM-CSF and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) are expressed at low to moderate levels on the more primitive haematopoietic stem cells, are absent on common lymphoid progenitors, and are upregulated after myeloid lineage induction by IL-2. We conclude that cytokine signalling can regulate cell-fate decisions and propose that a critical step in lymphoid commitment is downregulation of cytokine receptors that drive myeloid cell development.     

Clonal origin of haematopoietic colonies in the postnatal mouse liver

The liver of the neonatal mouse continues to show haematopoietic activity for up to 2 weeks after birth and morphological analysis has shown that this activity becomes focused in discrete haematopoietic colonies by the end of the first week postnatal. Furthermore, each colony contains cells of one haematopoietic lineage only, that is, erythroid, myeloid or pre-B-lymphoid cells. This pattern of differentiation suggests that each colony is derived from a single committed precursor cell, which, if true, would represent the first demonstration of non-mixed haematopoietic colonies in normal development and would provide a useful system for studying the factors affecting the clonal diversity of haematopoietic stem cells and their lineage-committed progeny. Here we have analysed the haematopoietic foci in the liver of neonatal mouse chimaeras, using a newly developed ubiquitous in situ cell marker system which clearly demonstrates the clonal origin of these colonies.     

Erythropoietin-stimulated erythropoiesis in long-term bone marrow culture.

The proliferation of multipotential haematopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) is possible in some long-term bone marrow cultures. Granulocyte and macrophage progenitor (CFU-C) and megakaryocyte precursor cells (CFU-M) are present in these cultures and undergo full development into mature cells. In contrast, while immature erythroid progenitors ('early' BFU-E) are maintained in long-term culture, none of the more differentiated progeny (CFU-E) have been detected, and no morphologically recognisable erythroid cells have been observed. We now describe a modified culture system in which the 'early' BFU-E develop into 'late' BFU-E in response to added erythropoietin. Further maturation of these cells into CFU-E and non-nucleated erythrocytes can be achieved by mechanical agitation of the long-term cultures or by transferring the cells into dishes which do not allow cell attachment to occur.     

Clonogenic colony-forming ability of hepatic stem cells in the spleens of mice

To confirm the existence of hepatic stem cells (HSCs), fetal liver cells isolated from mice on embryonic day 13 (ED13) were long-term cultured in vitro. Growth of the cells was observed intensively and characteristics were identified by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that some of the cells grew as colonies, in which some cells expressed AFP, CD34 and Albumin. Then the cells were transplanted intravenously into irradiated syngeneic mice. At day 12 a number of small hyperplasia nodules were seen in the apparently enlarged spleens of recipient mice. Moreover, some nodules were positive for AFP and CD34 and consisted of various types of cells, suggesting the very existence of hepatic stem cells in the mouse fetal liver.     

大鼠胎脑神经干细胞的分离和培养

胚龄14．5～16．5d(E14．5～16．5)的大鼠胎脑组织获得大鼠胎脑神经干细胞(rat fetal neural stem cells，rFNSCs)，培养于含有碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(basic fibroblast growth factor，bFGF)和表皮生长因子(epidermal growth factor，EGF)的无血清培养液DMEM／F12中，用^3[H]胸苷掺入试验检测EGF和bFGF对大鼠胚胎神经干细胞分裂和增殖的影响．BrdU结合反应和nestin免疫组化检测显示培养细胞在早期时代约90％以上具有分裂增殖能力并显示nestln阳性，而且这些细胞在培养过程中可以分化神经元、星形胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞，证明分离培养的是神经干细胞，可用于移植、定向分化和基因转移的研究．     

鸡胚胎干细胞的分离、培养与鉴定的初步研究

采用饲养层培养法,以高糖DM EM为基础培养基,同时添加胎牛血清以及5 ng/m l SCF,l0 ng/m l bFGF和1 000 IU/m l mL IF等细胞因子与鸡胚浸出液等,对鸡的X期胚盘细胞进行离体培养,并利用形态学鉴定、AKP染色、体外分化实验等方法对所获得的细胞克隆进行鉴定。实验结果表明,本实验建立的培养体系培养出了具有多分化潜能的类胚胎干细胞。     

人胎儿骨髓间充质干细胞的分离及生物学鉴定

通过原代细胞培养,从引产胎儿骨髓组织中分离干细胞,然后进行生物学鉴定,旨在体外建立培养胎儿骨髓干细胞的有效方法,为进一步研究干细胞奠定基础．本研究对四个月的引产胎儿骨髓组织进行原代细胞培养,采用贴壁筛选法,在含有15％胎牛血清的L-DMEM／IMDM(1:1)混和培养液中培养,7 d后细胞可长满瓶底．显微镜下观察,细胞形态均一,呈长梭形．传代后,在8代以内的细胞贴壁能力较强,生长速度较快．将其命名为BMMS-03．在第3代时,对培养的细胞进行了于细胞标志物的生物学鉴定,采用流式细胞仪对经免疫荧光染色的细胞进行检测．结果显示:97．2％的细胞呈CD105阳性反应,66．0％的细胞呈CD106阳性反应, 9．2％的细胞呈CD34阳性反应．阴性对照组阳性反应为0．5％．生物学鉴定的初步结果提示,从胎儿骨髓组织中分离培养成功的细胞为骨髓间充质干细胞,其细胞形态学特征、CD105 、CD106 和CD34-的检测结果均符合间充质干细胞的特征．本研究成功地建立了体外培养胎儿骨髓间充质干细胞的有效方法,所获得的间充质干细胞纯度较高,增殖较快,适用于干细胞生物学和组织工程学的研究．     

Interleukin-3 supports growth of mouse pre-B-cell clones in vitro

Study of the differentiation of immunoglobulin-producing B lymphocytes has been hampered by the inability to maintain homogeneous populations of precursor cells in vitro. We describe here that interleukin-3 supports the growth of freshly isolated fetal liver pre-B cells and the long-term culture of interleukin-3 dependent pre-B-cell clones that can be induced to mature into antibody secreting cells in vitro.     

Functional V region formation during in vitro culture of a murine immature B precursor cell line

B lymphocytes originate from pluripotential haematopoietic stem cells and differentiate into immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing cells. B-cell lineage differentiation is accompanied by two types of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements--rearrangement of V, D and J gene segments to create a functional V gene and rearrangement of CH genes for heavy-chain switching. These results, however, have been obtained mainly by analysis of immunoglobulin gene organization of myeloma cells. Baltimore and his colleagues have established Abelson murine leukaemia virus (A-MuLV)-transformed cell lines and found a few lines capable of carrying out kappa-gene rearrangement or undergoing isotype switching during in vitro culture. To study early B-cell lineage differentiation events, we have now also established A-MuLV-transformed cell lines which are capable of differentiating from mu- to mu+ and of undergoing continuing rearrangement of heavy-chain genes in culture. Analysis of immunoglobulin gene organization of these transformed cells revealed that mu- cells have already undergone DNA rearrangements involving JH segments but an additional rearrangement of JH segments is required for initiation of mu-chain synthesis. Southern blot analysis of the DNA and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of intracytoplasmic mu-chain show that mu-chain diversity with respect to antigen specificity may be generated during this second rearrangement process. As no rearrangement of light-chain genes takes place in these cells, this implies that light-chain gene rearrangement requires some further change, or a different enzyme.     

骨髓间充质干细胞向肝样细胞分化的研究进展

摘要: 由各种因素导致的重症肝病的终末治疗的最好手段一直是原位肝移植,但长期以来肝供体的缺乏和免疫排斥引起的一系列问题极大地限制了该手术的运用,同时,在肝脏相关药物的筛选中,原代肝细胞难于培养且易在培养过程中变异,而随着骨髓间充质干细胞研究的深入,越来越多的证据表明骨髓间充质干细胞具有向肝细胞分化的潜能。因此,骨髓间充质干细胞诱导分化而成的肝样细胞在再生医疗和药物筛选领域具有较好的运用前景,本文就间充质干细胞的分离培养及其生物学特性,肝样细胞的诱导培养条件,生物学特性及其运用前景加以综述。     

Formation of haematopoietic microenvironment and haematopoietic stem cells from single human bone marrow stem cells.

Haematopoietic stem cells are a population of cells capable both of self renewal and of differentiation into a variety of haematopoietic lineages. Enrichment techniques of human haematopoietic stem cells have used the expression of CD34, present on bone marrow progenitor cells. But most CD34+ bone marrow cells are committed to their lineage, and more recent efforts have focused on the precise characterization of the pluripotent subset of CD34+ cells. Here we report the characterization of two distinct subsets of pluripotent stem cells from human fetal bone marrow, a CD34+, HLA-DR+, CD38- subset that can differentiate into all haematopoietic lineages, and a distinct more primitive subset, that is CD34+, HLA-DR-, CD38-, that can differentiate into haematopoietic precursors and stromal cells capable of supporting the differentiation of these precursors. These data represent, to our knowledge, the first identification of a single cell capable of reconstituting the haematopoietic cells and their associated bone marrow microenvironment.     

小鼠胚肝基质细胞在体外培养中的动态演化

胚肝基质细胞是研究胚肝造血调控的重要工具，本实验对小鼠胚肝基质细胞在体外培养过程中的生长、细胞类型组成及其组成比例的演变过程进行了观察．实验显示小鼠原代培养初期基质细胞是由平滑肌样上皮细胞、巨噬细胞以及成纤维样细胞、树突状细胞、内皮细胞构成的，经过多次传代后，巨噬细胞等类型的细胞逐渐丢失，平滑肌样上皮细胞和成纤维样细胞成为主体，表明体外培养的小鼠胚肝基质细胞在4代以内都能较真实的反映体内造血微环境的构成，适用于胚肝造血研究．此为进一步研究胚肝基质细胞在胚胎期造血过程中的作用奠定了工作基础．