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The 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS),also referred to as stem cell leukemia/lymphoma,is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder that rapidly progresses into acute leukemia. Molecularly,EMS is characterized by fusion of various partner genes to the FGFR1 gene,resulting in constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinases in FGFR1. To date,no previous study has addressed the functional consequences of ectopic FGFR1 expression in the potentially most relevant cellular context,that of normal primary human hematopoietic cells. Herein,we report that expression of ZMYM2/FGFR1 (previously known as ZNF198/FGFR1) or BCR/FGFR1 in normal human CD34(+) cells from umbilical-cord blood leads to increased cellular proliferation and differentiation toward the erythroid lineage in vitro. In immunodeficient mice,expression of ZMYM2/FGFR1 or BCR/FGFR1 in human cells induces several features of human EMS,including expansion of several myeloid cell lineages and accumulation of blasts in bone marrow. Moreover,bone marrow fibrosis together with increased extramedullary hematopoiesis is observed. This study suggests that FGFR1 fusion oncogenes,by themselves,are capable of initiating an EMS-like disorder,and provides the first humanized model of a myeloproliferative disorder transforming into acute leukemia in mice. The established in vivo EMS model should provide a valuable tool for future studies of this disorder. View Publication

BACKGROUND: CBL missense mutations have recently been associated with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML),an aggressive myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasm of early childhood characterised by excessive macrophage/monocyte proliferation. CBL,an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a multi-adaptor protein,controls proliferative signalling networks by downregulating the growth factor receptor signalling cascades in various cell types. METHODS AND RESULTS: CBL mutations were screened in 65 patients with JMML. A homozygous mutation of CBL was found in leukaemic cells of 4/65 (6%) patients. In all cases,copy neutral loss of heterozygosity of the 11q23 chromosomal region,encompassing the CBL locus,was demonstrated. Three of these four patients displayed additional features suggestive of an underlying developmental condition. A heterozygous germline CBL p.Y371H substitution was found in each of them and was inherited from the father in one patient. The germline mutation represents the first hit,with somatic loss of heterozygosity being the second hit positively selected in JMML cells. The three patients display a variable combination of dysmorphic features,hyperpigmented skin lesions and microcephaly that enable a 'CBL syndrome' to be tentatively delineated. Learning difficulties and postnatal growth retardation may be part of the phenotype. CONCLUSION: A report of germline mutations of CBL in three patients with JMML is presented here,confirming the existence of an unreported inheritable condition associated with a predisposition to JMML. View Publication

Adult neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) are usually defined retrospectively by their ability to proliferate in vivo (bromodeoxyuridine uptake) or to form neurospheres and to differentiate into neurons,astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in vitro. Additional strategies to identify and to isolate NSPCs are of great importance for the investigation of cell differentiation and fate specification. Using the cell surface molecules Prominin-1 and Lewis X and a metabolic marker,the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity,we isolated and characterized five main populations of NSPCs in the neurogenic subventricular zone (SVZ) and the non-neurogenic spinal cord (SC). We used clonal analysis to assess neurosphere formation and multipotency,BrdU retention to investigate in vivo proliferation activity and quantified the expression of NSPC associated genes. Surprisingly,we found many similarities in NSPC subpopulations derived from the SVZ and SC suggesting that subtypes with similar intrinsic potential exist in both regions. The marker defined classification of NSPCs will help to distinguish subpopulations of NSPCs and allows their prospective isolation using fluorescence activated cell sorting. View Publication

The molecular basis for the unique proliferative and self-renewal properties that hierarchically distinguish human stem cells from progenitors and terminally differentiated cells remains largely unknown. We report a role for the Bcl-2 family member myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) as an indispensable regulator of self-renewal in human stem cells and show that a functional dependence on Mcl-1 defines the human stem cell hierarchy. In vivo pharmacologic targeting of the Bcl-2 family members in human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and human leukemic stem cells reduced stem cell regenerative and self-renewal function. Subsequent protein expression studies showed that,among the Bcl-2 family members,only Mcl-1 was up-regulated exclusively in the human HSC fraction on in vivo regeneration of hematopoiesis. Short hairpin RNA-knockdown of Mcl-1 in human cord blood cells did not affect survival in the HSC or hematopoietic progenitor cell fractions in vitro but specifically reduced the in vivo self-renewal function of human HSCs. Moreover,knockdown of Mcl-1 in ontogenetically primitive human pluripotent stem cells resulted in almost complete ablation of stem cell self-renewal function. Our findings show that Mcl-1 is an essential regulator of stem cell self-renewal in humans and therefore represents an axis for therapeutic interventions. View Publication

Serum response factor (Srf) is a MADS-box transcription factor that is critical for muscle differentiation. Its function in hematopoiesis has not yet been revealed. Mkl1,a cofactor of Srf,is part of the t(1;22) translocation in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia,and plays a critical role in megakaryopoiesis. To test the role of Srf in megakaryocyte development,we crossed Pf4-Cre mice,which express Cre recombinase in cells committed to the megakaryocytic lineage,to Srf(F/F) mice in which functional Srf is no longer expressed after Cre-mediated excision. Pf4-Cre/Srf(F/F) knockout (KO) mice are born with normal Mendelian frequency,but have significant macrothrombocytopenia with approximately 50% reduction in platelet count. In contrast,the BM has increased number and percentage of CD41(+) megakaryocytes (WT: 0.41% ± 0.06%; KO: 1.92% ± 0.12%) with significantly reduced ploidy. KO mice show significantly increased megakaryocyte progenitors in the BM by FACS analysis and CFU-Mk. Megakaryocytes lacking Srf have abnormal stress fiber and demarcation membrane formation,and platelets lacking Srf have abnormal actin distribution. In vitro and in vivo assays reveal platelet function defects in KO mice. Critical actin cytoskeletal genes are down-regulated in KO megakaryocytes. Thus,Srf is required for normal megakaryocyte maturation and platelet production partly because of regulation of cytoskeletal genes. View Publication

BACKGROUND We previously showed that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting the Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) RNA polymerase L protein formulated in stable nucleic acid-lipid particles (SNALPs) completely protected guineapigs when administered shortly after a lethal ZEBOV challenge. Although rodent models of ZEBOV infection are useful for screening prospective countermeasures,they are frequently not useful for prediction of efficacy in the more stringent non-human primate models. We therefore assessed the efficacy of modified non-immunostimulatory siRNAs in a uniformly lethal non-human primate model of ZEBOV haemorrhagic fever. METHODS A combination of modified siRNAs targeting the ZEBOV L polymerase (EK-1 mod),viral protein (VP) 24 (VP24-1160 mod),and VP35 (VP35-855 mod) were formulated in SNALPs. A group of macaques (n=3) was given these pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs (2 mg/kg per dose,bolus intravenous infusion) after 30 min,and on days 1,3,and 5 after challenge with ZEBOV. A second group of macaques (n=4) was given the pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs after 30 min,and on days 1,2,3,4,5,and 6 after challenge with ZEBOV. FINDINGS Two (66%) of three rhesus monkeys given four postexposure treatments of the pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs were protected from lethal ZEBOV infection,whereas all macaques given seven postexposure treatments were protected. The treatment regimen in the second study was well tolerated with minor changes in liver enzymes that might have been related to viral infection. INTERPRETATION This complete postexposure protection against ZEBOV in non-human primates provides a model for the treatment of ZEBOV-induced haemorrhagic fever. These data show the potential of RNA interference as an effective postexposure treatment strategy for people infected with Ebola virus,and suggest that this strategy might also be useful for treatment of other emerging viral infections. FUNDING Defense Threat Reduction Agency. View Publication

Defining the molecular mechanisms underpinning fetal (gamma) globin gene silencing may provide strategies for reactivation of gamma-gene expression,a major therapeutic objective in patients with beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD). We have previously demonstrated that symmetric methylation of histone H4 Arginine 3 (H4R3me2s) by the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 is required for recruitment of the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A to the gamma-promoter,and subsequent DNA methylation and gene silencing. Here we show in an erythroid cell line,and in primary adult erythroid progenitors that PRMT5 induces additional repressive epigenetic marks at the gamma-promoter through the assembly of a multiprotein repressor complex containing the histone modifying enzymes SUV4-20h1,casein kinase 2alpha (CK2alpha),and components of the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation complex. Expression of a mutant form of PRMT5 lacking methyltransferase activity or shRNA-mediated knockdown of SUV4-20h1 resulted in loss of complex binding to the gamma-promoter,reversal of both histone and DNA repressive epigenetic marks,and increased gamma-gene expression. The repressive H4K20me3 mark induced by SUV4-20h1 is enriched on the gamma-promoter in erythroid progenitors from adult bone marrow compared with cord blood,suggesting developmental specificity. These studies define coordinated epigenetic events linked to fetal globin gene silencing,and provide potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of beta-thalassemia and SCD. View Publication

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a pleiotropic cytokine with major in vitro effects on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and lymphocyte development. Little is known about hematopoiesis from mice with constitutive TGF-beta1 inactivation largely because of important embryonic lethality and development of a lethal inflammatory disorder in TGF-beta1(-/-) pups,making these studies difficult. Here,we show that no sign of the inflammatory disorder was detectable in 8- to 10-day-old TGF-beta1(-/-) neonates as judged by both the number of T-activated and T-regulator cells in secondary lymphoid organs and the level of inflammatory cytokines in sera. After T-cell depletion,the inflammatory disease was not transplantable in recipient mice. Bone marrow cells from 8- to 10-day-old TGF-beta1(-/-) neonates showed strikingly impaired short- and long-term reconstitutive activity associated with a parallel decreased in vivo homing capacity of lineage negative (Lin(-)) cells. In addition an in vitro-reduced survival of immature progenitors (Lin(-) Kit(+) Sca(+)) was observed. Similar defects were found in liver cells from TGF-beta1(-/-) embryos on day 14 after vaginal plug. These data indicate that TGF-beta1 is a critical regulator for in vivo homeostasis of the HSCs,especially for their homing potential. View Publication

Compared with adults,pediatric mastocytosis has a relatively favorable prognosis. Interestingly,a difference was also observed in the status of c-kit mutations according to the age of onset. Although most adult patients have a D(816)V mutation in phosphotransferase domain (PTD),we have described that half of the children carry mutations in extracellular domain (ECD). KIT-ECD versus KIT-PTD mutants were introduced into rodent Ba/F3,EML,Rat2,and human TF1 cells to investigate their biologic effect. Both ECD and PTD mutations induced constitutive receptor autophosphorylation and ligand-independent proliferation of the 3 hematopoietic cells. Unlike ECD mutants,PTD mutants enhanced cluster formation and up-regulated several mast cell-related antigens in Ba/F3 cells. PTD mutants failed to support colony formation and erythropoietin-mediated erythroid differentiation. ECD and PTD mutants also displayed distinct whole-genome transcriptional profiles in EML cells. We observed differences in their signaling properties: they both activated STAT,whereas AKT was only activated by ECD mutants. Consistently,AKT inhibitor suppressed ECD mutant-dependent proliferation,clonogenicity,and erythroid differentiation. Expression of myristoylated AKT restored erythroid differentiation in EML-PTD cells,suggesting the differential role of AKT in those mutants. Overall,our study implied different pathogenesis of pediatric versus adult mastocytosis,which might explain their diverse phenotypes. View Publication

In mouse,a subset of dendritic cells (DCs) known as CD8alpha+ DCs has emerged as an important player in the regulation of T cell responses and a promising target in vaccination strategies. However,translation into clinical protocols has been hampered by the failure to identify CD8alpha+ DCs in humans. Here,we characterize a population of human DCs that expresses DNGR-1 (CLEC9A) and high levels of BDCA3 and resembles mouse CD8alpha+ DCs in phenotype and function. We describe the presence of such cells in the spleens of humans and humanized mice and report on a protocol to generate them in vitro. Like mouse CD8alpha+ DCs,human DNGR-1+ BDCA3hi DCs express Necl2,CD207,BATF3,IRF8,and TLR3,but not CD11b,IRF4,TLR7,or (unlike CD8alpha+ DCs) TLR9. DNGR-1+ BDCA3hi DCs respond to poly I:C and agonists of TLR8,but not of TLR7,and produce interleukin (IL)-12 when given innate and T cell-derived signals. Notably,DNGR-1+ BDCA3+ DCs from in vitro cultures efficiently internalize material from dead cells and can cross-present exogenous antigens to CD8+ T cells upon treatment with poly I:C. The characterization of human DNGR-1+ BDCA3hi DCs and the ability to grow them in vitro opens the door for exploiting this subset in immunotherapy. View Publication

During disease progression in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS),clonal blasts gain a more aggressive nature,whereas nonclonal immune cells become less efficient via an unknown mechanism. Using MDS cell lines and patient samples,we showed that the expression of an immunoinhibitory molecule,B7-H1 (CD274),was induced by interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) on MDS blasts. This induction was associated with the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and nearly completely blocked by an NF-kappaB inhibitor,pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). B7-H1(+) MDS blasts had greater intrinsic proliferative capacity than B7-H1(-) MDS blasts when examined in various assays. Furthermore,B7-H1(+) blasts suppressed T-cell proliferation and induced T-cell apoptosis in allogeneic cocultures. When fresh bone marrow samples from patients were examined,blasts from high-risk MDS patients expressed B7-H1 molecules more often compared with those from low-risk MDS patients. Moreover,MDS T cells often overexpressed programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) molecules that transmit an inhibitory signal from B7-H1 molecules. Taken together,these findings provide new insight into MDS pathophysiology. IFNgamma and TNFalpha activate NF-kappaB that in turn induces B7-H1 expression on MDS blasts. B7-H1(+) MDS blasts have an intrinsic proliferative advantage and induce T-cell suppression,which may be associated with disease progression in MDS. View Publication

The endosteal niche is critical for the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However,it consists of a heterogeneous population in terms of differentiation stage and function. In this study,we characterized endosteal cell populations and examined their ability to maintain HSCs. Bone marrow endosteal cells were subdivided into immature mesenchymal cell-enriched ALCAM(-)Sca-1(+) cells,osteoblast-enriched ALCAM(+)Sca-1(-),and ALCAM(-)Sca-1(-) cells. We found that all 3 fractions maintained long-term reconstitution (LTR) activity of HSCs in an in vitro culture. In particular,ALCAM(+)Sca-1(-) cells significantly enhanced the LTR activity of HSCs by the up-regulation of homing- and cell adhesion-related genes in HSCs. Microarray analysis showed that ALCAM(-)Sca-1(+) fraction highly expressed cytokine-related genes,whereas the ALCAM(+)Sca-1(-) fraction expressed multiple cell adhesion molecules,such as cadherins,at a greater level than the other fractions,indicating that the interaction between HSCs and osteoblasts via cell adhesion molecules enhanced the LTR activity of HSCs. Furthermore,we found an osteoblastic marker(low/-) subpopulation in ALCAM(+)Sca-1(-) fraction that expressed cytokines,such as Angpt1 and Thpo,and stem cell marker genes. Altogether,these data suggest that multiple subsets of osteoblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells constitute the endosteal niche and regulate HSCs in adult bone marrow. View Publication