技术资料

We have shown that a COOH-terminal peptide of p53 (amino acids 361-382,p53p),linked to the truncated homeobox domain of Antennapedia (Ant) as a carrier for transduction,induced rapid apoptosis in human premalignant and malignant cell lines. Here,we report that human and rat glioma lines containing endogenous mutant p53 or wild-type (WT) p53 were induced into apoptosis by exposure to this peptide called p53p-Ant. The peptide was comparatively nontoxic to proliferating nonmalignant human and rat glial cell lines containing WT p53 and proliferating normal human peripheral marrow blood stem cells. Degree of sensitivity to the peptide correlated directly with the level of endogenous p53 expression and mutant p53 conformation. Apoptosis induction by p53p-Ant was quantitated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay and Annexin V staining in human glioma cells in vitro and in a syngeneic orthotopic 9L glioma rat model using convection-enhanced delivery in vivo. The mechanism of cell death by this peptide was solely through the Fas extrinsic apoptotic pathway. p53p-Ant induced a 3-fold increase in extracellular membrane Fas expression in glioma cells but no significant increase in nonmalignant glial cells. These data suggest that p53 function for inducing Fas-mediated apoptosis in gliomas,which express sufficient quantities of endogenous mutant or WT p53,may be restored or activated,respectively,by a cell-permeable peptide derived from the p53 COOH-terminal regulatory domain (p53p-Ant). p53p-Ant may serve as a prototypic model for the development of new anticancer agents with unique selectivity for glioma cancer cells and it can be successfully delivered in vivo into a brain tumor by a convection-enhanced delivery system,which circumvents the blood-brain barrier. View Publication

Autophagy that is induced by starvation or cellular stress can enable cancer cell survival by sustaining energy homeostasis and eliminating damaged organelles and proteins. In response to stress,cancer cells have been reported to accumulate the protein p62/SQSTM1 (p62),but its role in the regulation of autophagy is controversial. Here,we report that the plant phytoalexin resveratrol (RSV) triggers autophagy in imatinib-sensitive and imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells via JNK-dependent accumulation of p62. JNK inhibition or p62 knockdown prevented RSV-mediated autophagy and antileukemic effects. RSV also stimulated AMPK,thereby inhibiting the mTOR pathway. AMPK knockdown or mTOR overexpression impaired RSV-induced autophagy but not JNK activation. Lastly,p62 expression and autophagy in CD34+ progenitors from patients with CML was induced by RSV,and disrupting autophagy protected CD34+ CML cells from RSV-mediated cell death. We concluded that RSV triggered autophagic cell death in CML cells via both JNK-mediated p62 overexpression and AMPK activation. Our findings show that the JNK and AMPK pathways can cooperate to eliminate CML cells via autophagy. View Publication

Current induction schemes directing hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are not well defined to mimic the sequential stages of hematopoietic development in vivo. Here,we report a 3-stage method to direct differentiation of hESCs toward hematopoietic progenitors in chemically defined mediums. In the first 2 stages,we efficiently generated T-positive primitive streak/mesendoderm cells and kinase domain receptor-positive (KDR(+)) platelet-derived growth factor receptor α-negative (PDGFRα(-)) hemato-vascular precursors sequentially. In the third stage,we found that cells in a spontaneous differentiation condition mainly formed erythroid colonies. Addition of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) greatly enhanced generation of hematopoietic progenitors in this stage while suppressing erythroid development. The RA-treated cells highly expressed definitive hematopoietic genes,formed large numbers of multilineage and myeloid colonies,and gave rise to greater than 45% CD45(+) hematopoietic cells. When hematopoietic progenitors were selected with CD34 and C-Kit,greater than 95% CD45(+) hematopoietic cells could be generated. In addition,we found that endogenous RA signaling at the second stage was required for vascular endothelial growth factor/basic fibroblast growth factor-induced hemato-vascular specification,whereas exogenously applied RA efficiently induced KDR(-)PDGFRα(+) paraxial mesoderm cells. Our study suggests that RA signaling plays diverse roles in human mesoderm and hematopoietic development. View Publication

The kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate targeting the oncoprotein Bcr-Abl has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However,even though imatinib successfully controls the leukemia in chronic phase,it seems not to be able to cure the disease,potentially necessitating lifelong treatment with the inhibitor under constant risk of relapse. On a molecular level,the cause of disease persistence is not well understood. Initial studies implied that innate features of primitive progenitor cancer stem cells may be responsible for the phenomenon. Here,we describe an assay using retroviral insertional mutagenesis (RIM) to identify genes contributing to disease persistence in vivo. We transplanted mice with bone marrow cells retrovirally infected with the Bcr-Abl oncogene and subsequently treated the animals with imatinib to select for leukemic cells in which the proviral integration had affected genes modulating the imatinib response. Southern blot analysis demonstrated clonal outgrowth of cells carrying similar integration sites. Candidate genes located near the proviral insertion sites were identified,among them the transcription factor RUNX3. Proviral integration near the RUNX3 promoter induced RUNX3 expression,and Bcr-Abl-positive cell lines with stable or inducible expression of RUNX1 or RUNX3 were protected from imatinib-induced apoptosis. Furthermore,imatinib treatment selected for RUNX1-expressing cells in vitro and in vivo after infection of primary bone marrow cells with Bcr-Abl and RUNX1. Our results demonstrate the utility of RIM for probing molecular modulators of targeted therapies and suggest a role for members of the RUNX transcription factor family in disease persistence in CML patients. View Publication

In this report,we sought to optimize gene transfer into primitive human umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells. Initially,we found that fresh UCB isolated with the CD34brCD38 CD33 phenotype were highly enriched for hematopoietic progenitors detected in extended long-term cultures (8-week LTCs). In addition,following ex vivo gene transfer,this population possessed virtually all the 8-week LTC activity of the cultured cells. A multiparameter FACS assay was developed to efficiently screen the effects of alternative retroviral vector gene transfer procedures on the transduction efficiency and maintenance of CD34brCD38 CD33 cells. Proliferation of the CD34brCD38 CD33 cells was found to be a prerequisite for efficient transduction. However,in all conditions tested,proliferation of the CD34brCD38 CD33 cells was associated with a progressive loss of primitive cell properties including a reduction in CD34 expression,an increase in CD38/CD33 expression,and a decline in the ability to sustain 8-week LTCs. These observations indicate that it will be necessary to define conditions that more effectively support the self-renewal capacity of CD34brCD38 CD33 cells to optimize retroviral vector gene transfer in these cells. Evaluating these conditions and reagents will be facilitated by the multiparameter FACS assay described in this report. View Publication

The development of cell therapies to treat peripheral vascular disease has proven difficult because of the contribution of multiple cell types that coordinate revascularization. We characterized the vascular regenerative potential of transplanted human bone marrow (BM) cells purified by high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH(hi)) activity,a progenitor cell function conserved between several lineages. BM ALDH(hi) cells were enriched for myelo-erythroid progenitors that produced multipotent hematopoietic reconstitution after transplantation and contained nonhematopoietic precursors that established colonies in mesenchymal-stromal and endothelial culture conditions. The regenerative capacity of human ALDH(hi) cells was assessed by intravenous transplantation into immune-deficient mice with limb ischemia induced by femoral artery ligation/transection. Compared with recipients injected with unpurified nucleated cells containing the equivalent of 2- to 4-fold more ALDH(hi) cells,mice transplanted with purified ALDH(hi) cells showed augmented recovery of perfusion and increased blood vessel density in ischemic limbs. ALDH(hi) cells transiently recruited to ischemic regions but did not significantly integrate into ischemic tissue,suggesting that transient ALDH(hi) cell engraftment stimulated endogenous revascularization. Thus,human BM ALDH(hi) cells represent a progenitor-enriched population of several cell lineages that improves perfusion in ischemic limbs after transplantation. These clinically relevant cells may prove useful in the treatment of critical ischemia in humans. View Publication

The clinical use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) requires efficient cellular expansion that must be paired with an ability to generate specialized progeny through differentiation. Self-renewal and differentiation are deemed inherent hallmarks of hESCs and a growing body of evidence suggests that initial culture conditions dictate these two aspects of hESC behavior. Here,we reveal that defined culture conditions using commercial mTeSR1 media augment the expansion of hESCs and enhance their capacity for neural differentiation at the expense of hematopoietic lineage competency without affecting pluripotency. This culture-induced modification was shown to be reversible,as culture in mouse embryonic fibroblast-conditioned media (MEF-CM) in subsequent passages allowed mTeSR1-expanded hESCs to re-establish hematopoietic differentiation potential. Optimal yield of hematopoietic cells can be achieved by expansion in mTeSR1 followed by a recovery period in MEF-CM. Furthermore,the lineage propensity to hematopoietic and neural cell types could be predicted via analysis of surrogate markers expressed by hESCs cultured in mTeSR1 versus MEF-CM,thereby circumventing laborious in vitro differentiation assays. Our study reveals that hESCs exist in a range of functional states and balance expansion with differentiation potential,which can be modulated by culture conditions in a predictive and quantitative manner. Stem Cells 2015;33:1142-1152. View Publication

Ligation of erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) JAK2 kinase complexes propagates signals within erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) that are essential for red blood cell production. To reveal hypothesized novel EPOR/JAK2 targets,a phosphotyrosine (PY) phosphoproteomics approach was applied. Beyond known signal transduction factors,32 new targets of EPO-modulated tyrosine phosphorylation were defined. Molecular adaptors comprised one major set including growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2)-associated binding proteins 1-3 (GAB1-3),insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2),docking protein 1 (DOK1),Src homology 2 domain containing transforming protein 1 (SHC1),and sprouty homologue 1 (SPRY1) as validating targets,and SPRY2,SH2 domain containing 2A (SH2D2A),and signal transducing adaptor molecule 2 (STAM2) as novel candidate adaptors together with an ORF factor designated as regulator of human erythroid cell expansion (RHEX). RHEX is well conserved in Homo sapiens and primates but absent from mouse,rat,and lower vertebrate genomes. Among tissues and lineages,RHEX was elevated in EPCs,occurred as a plasma membrane protein,was rapidly PY-phosphorylated textgreater20-fold upon EPO exposure,and coimmunoprecipitated with the EPOR. In UT7epo cells,knockdown of RHEX inhibited EPO-dependent growth. This was associated with extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1,2 (ERK1,2) modulation,and RHEX coupling to GRB2. In primary human EPCs,shRNA knockdown studies confirmed RHEX regulation of erythroid progenitor expansion and further revealed roles in promoting the formation of hemoglobinizing erythroblasts. RHEX therefore comprises a new EPO/EPOR target and regulator of human erythroid cell expansion that additionally acts to support late-stage erythroblast development. View Publication

Extrinsic signaling cues in the microenvironment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) contribute to disease progression and therapy resistance. Yet,it remains unknown how the bone marrow niche in which AML arises is subverted to support leukemic persistence at the expense of homeostatic function. Exosomes are cell membrane-derived vesicles carrying protein and RNA cargoes that have emerged as mediators of cell-cell communication. In this study,we examined the role of exosomes in developing the AML niche of the bone marrow microenvironment,investigating their biogenesis with a focus on RNA trafficking. We found that both primary AML and AML cell lines released exosome-sized vesicles that entered bystander cells. These exosomes were enriched for several coding and noncoding RNAs relevant to AML pathogenesis. Furthermore,their uptake by bone marrow stromal cells altered their secretion of growth factors. Proof-of-concept studies provided additional evidence for the canonical functions of the transferred RNA. Taken together,our findings revealed that AML exosome trafficking alters the proliferative,angiogenic,and migratory responses of cocultured stromal and hematopoietic progenitor cell lines,helping explain how the microenvironmental niche becomes reprogrammed during invasion of the bone marrow by AML. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a potentially inexhaustible source of cells for replacement therapy. However,successful preclinical and clinical progress requires efficient and controlled differentiation towards the specific differentiated cell fate. METHODS: We previously developed a strategy to generate blast cells (BCs) from hESCs that were capable of differentiating into vascular structures as well as into all hematopoietic cell lineages. Although the BCs were shown to repair damaged vasculature in multiple animal models,the large-scale generation of cells under these conditions was challenging. Here we report a simpler and more efficient method for robust generation of hemangioblastic progenitors. RESULTS: In addition to eliminating several expensive factors that are unnecessary,we demonstrate that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4 and VEGF are necessary and sufficient to induce hemangioblastic commitment and development from hESCs during early stages of differentiation. BMP-4 and VEGF significantly upregulate T-brachyury,KDR,CD31 and Lmo2 gene expression,while dramatically downregulating Oct-4 expression. The addition of basic FGF during growth and expansion was found to further enhance BC development,consistently generating approximately 1 x 10(8) BCs from one six well plate of hESCs. CONCLUSION: This new method represents a significantly improved system for generating hemangioblasts from hESCs,and although simplified,results in an eightfold increase in cell yield. View Publication

Megakaryoblastic leukemia 1 (MKL1),identified as part of the t(1;22) translocation specific to acute megakaryoblastic leukemia,is highly expressed in differentiated muscle cells and promotes muscle differentiation by activating serum response factor (SRF). Here we show that Mkl1 expression is up-regulated during murine megakaryocytic differentiation and that enforced overexpression of MKL1 enhances megakaryocytic differentiation. When the human erythroleukemia (HEL) cell line is induced to differentiate with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate,overexpression of MKL1 results in an increased number of megakaryocytes with a concurrent increase in ploidy. MKL1 overexpression also promotes megakaryocytic differentiation of primary human CD34(+) cells cultured in the presence of thrombopoietin. The effect of MKL1 is abrogated when SRF is knocked down,suggesting that MKL1 acts through SRF. Consistent with these findings in human cells,knockout of Mkl1 in mice leads to reduced platelet counts in peripheral blood,and reduced ploidy in bone marrow megakaryocytes. In conclusion,MKL1 promotes physiologic maturation of human and murine megakaryocytes. View Publication

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is highly restricted to human erythroid progenitor cells. Although previous studies have led to the theory that the basis of this tropism is receptor expression,this has been questioned by more recent observation. In the study reported here,we have investigated the basis of this tropism,and a potential role of erythropoietin (Epo) signaling,in erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) expanded ex vivo from CD34(+) hematopoietic cells in the absence of Epo (CD36(+)/Epo(-) EPCs). We show,first,that CD36(+)/Epo(-) EPCs do not support B19V replication,in spite of B19V entry,but Epo exposure either prior to infection or after virus entry enabled active B19V replication. Second,when Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) phosphorylation was inhibited using the inhibitor AG490,phosphorylation of the Epo receptor (EpoR) was also inhibited,and B19V replication in ex vivo-expanded erythroid progenitor cells exposed to Epo (CD36(+)/Epo(+) EPCs) was abolished. Third,expression of constitutively active EpoR in CD36(+)/Epo(-) EPCs led to efficient B19V replication. Finally,B19V replication in CD36(+)/Epo(+) EPCs required Epo,and the replication response was dose dependent. Our findings demonstrate that EpoR signaling is absolutely required for B19V replication in ex vivo-expanded erythroid progenitor cells after initial virus entry and at least partly accounts for the remarkable tropism of B19V infection for human erythroid progenitors. View Publication