技术资料

Adipose tissue development is associated with neovascularization,which might be exploited therapeutically. We investigated the neovasculogenesis antigenic profile and kinetics in adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) to understand the potential of ADSCs to generate new vessels. Murine and human visceral adipose tissues were processed with collagenase to obtain ADSCs from the stromal vascular fraction. Freshly isolated murine and human ADSCs featured the expression of early markers of endothelial differentiation [uptake of DiI-labeled acetylated LDL,CD133,CD34,kinase insert domain receptor (KDR)],but not markers for more mature endothelial cells (CD31 and von Willebrand factor). In methylcellulose medium,multilocular cells positive for Oil Red O staining appeared after 6 days. After 10 days,clusters of ADSCs spontaneously formed branched tubelike structures,which were strongly positive for CD34 and CD31,while losing their ability to undergo adipocyte differentiation. In Matrigel,in the presence of endothelial growth factors ADSCs formed branched tubelike structures. By clonal assays in methylcellulose we also determined the frequency of granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU-E) colony-forming units from ADSCs,compared with bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) used as a positive control. After 4-14 days,BMSCs formed 8 +/- 3 BFU-E and 40 +/- 10 CFU-GM,while ADSCs never produced colonies of myeloid progenitors. The developing adipose tissue has neovasculogenic potential,based on the recruitment of local rather than circulating progenitors. Adipose tissue might therefore be a viable autonomous source of cells for postnatal neovascularization. View Publication

OBJECTIVE: The T-cell receptor zeta (TCR zeta)-chain is a master sensor and regulator of lymphocyte responses. Loss of TCR zeta-chain expression has been documented during infectious and inflammatory diseases and defines a population of effector T cells (TCR zeta(dim) T cells) that migrate to inflamed tissues. We assessed the expression and functional correlates of circulating TCR zeta(dim) T cells in coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the expression of TCR zeta-chain by flow cytometry in 140 subjects. Increased peripheral blood CD4(+) TCR zeta(dim) T cells were found in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS,n=66; median 5.3%,interquartile 2.6 to 9.1% of total CD4(+) T cells; Ptextless0.0001) compared to chronic stable angina (CSA,n=32; 1.6%; 1.0 to 4.1%) and controls (n=42; 1.5%; 0.5 to 2.9%). Such increase was significantly greater in ACS patients with elevated levels of C-reactive protein,and it persisted after the acute event. Moreover,TCR zeta(dim) cells were also more represented within CD8(+) T cell,NK,and CD4(+)CD28(null) T cell subsets in ACS compared to CSA and controls. Finally,CD4(+) and CD8(+) TCR zeta(dim) T cells isolated from ACS displayed an enhanced transendothelial migratory capacity. CONCLUSIONS: TCR zeta(dim) T cells,an effector T-cell subset with transendothelial migratory ability,are increased in ACS,and may be implicated in coronary instability. View Publication

Recent evidence suggests that blockade of aberrant Hedgehog signaling can be exploited as a therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. Our previous studies using the prototype Hedgehog small-molecule antagonist cyclopamine had shown the striking inhibition of systemic metastases on Hedgehog blockade in spontaneously metastatic orthotopic xenograft models. Cyclopamine is a natural compound with suboptimal pharmacokinetics,which impedes clinical translation. In the present study,a novel,orally bioavailable small-molecule Hedgehog inhibitor,IPI-269609,was tested using in vitro and in vivo model systems. In vitro treatment of pancreatic cancer cell lines with IPI-269609 resembled effects observed using cyclopamine (i.e.,Gli-responsive reporter knockdown,down-regulation of the Hedgehog target genes Gli1 and Ptch,as well as abrogation of cell migration and colony formation in soft agar). Single-agent IPI-269609 profoundly inhibited systemic metastases in orthotopic xenografts established from human pancreatic cancer cell lines,although Hedgehog blockade had minimal effect on primary tumor volume. The only discernible phenotype observed within the treated primary tumor was a significant reduction in the population of aldehyde dehydrogenase-bright cells,which we have previously identified as a clonogenic tumor-initiating population in pancreatic cancer. Selective ex vivo depletion of aldehyde dehydrogenase-bright cells with IPI-269609 was accompanied by significant reduction in tumor engraftment rates in athymic mice. Pharmacologic blockade of aberrant Hedgehog signaling might prove to be an effective therapeutic strategy for inhibition of systemic metastases in pancreatic cancer,likely through targeting subsets of cancer cells with tumor-initiating (cancer stem cell") properties." View Publication

With their unique ability to differentiate into all cell types,embryonic stem (ES) cells hold great therapeutic promise. To improve the efficiency of embryoid body (EB)-mediated ES cell differentiation,we studied murine EBs on the basis of their size and found that EBs with an intermediate size (diameter 100-300 microm) are the most proliferative,hold the greatest differentiation potential,and have the lowest rate of cell death. In an attempt to promote the formation of this subpopulation,we surveyed several biocompatible substrates with different surface chemical parameters and identified a strong correlation between hydrophobicity and EB development. Using self-assembled monolayers of various lengths of alkanethiolates on gold substrates,we directly tested this correlation and found that surfaces that exhibit increasing hydrophobicity enrich for the intermediate-size EBs. When this approach was applied to the human ES cell system,similar phenomena were observed. Our data demonstrate that hydrophobic surfaces serve as a platform to deliver uniform EB populations and may significantly improve the efficiency of ES cell differentiation. View Publication

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays important roles in various physiological and pathological processes,and is regulated by signaling pathways mediated by cytokines,including transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta). Embryonic endothelial cells also undergo differentiation into mesenchymal cells during heart valve formation and aortic maturation. However,the molecular mechanisms that regulate such endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) remain to be elucidated. Here we show that TGFbeta plays important roles during mural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells (MESECs). TGFbeta2 induced the differentiation of MESECs into mural cells,with a decrease in the expression of the endothelial marker claudin 5,and an increase in expression of the mural markers smooth muscle alpha-actin,SM22alpha and calponin,whereas a TGFbeta type I receptor kinase inhibitor inhibited EndMT. Among the transcription factors involved in EMT,Snail was induced by TGFbeta2 in MESECs. Tetracycline-regulated expression of Snail induced the differentiation of MESECs into mural cells,whereas knockdown of Snail expression abrogated TGFbeta2-induced mural differentiation of MESECs. These results indicate that Snail mediates the actions of endogenous TGFbeta signals that induce EndMT. View Publication

Expression of Mpl is restricted to hematopoietic cells in the megakaryocyte lineage and to undifferentiated progenitors,where it initiates critical cell survival and proliferation signals after stimulation by its ligand,thrombopoietin (TPO). As a result,a deficiency in Mpl function in patients with congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) and in mpl(-/-) mice produces profound thrombocytopenia and a severe stem cell-repopulating defect. Gene therapy has the potential to correct the hematopoietic defects of CAMT by ectopic gene expression that restores normal Mpl receptor activity. We rescued the mpl(-/-) mouse with a transgenic vector expressing mpl from the promoter elements of the 2-kb region of DNA just proximal to the natural gene start site. Transgene rescued mice exhibit thrombocytosis but only partial correction of the stem cell defect. Furthermore,they show very low-level expression of Mpl on platelets and megakaryocytes,and the transgene-rescued megakaryocytes exhibit diminished TPO-dependent kinase phosphorylation and reduced platelet production in bone marrow chimeras. Thrombocytosis is an unexpected consequence of reduced Mpl expression and activity. However,impaired TPO homeostasis in the transgene-rescued mice produces elevated plasma TPO levels,which serves as an unchecked stimulus to drive the observed excessive megakaryocytopoiesis. View Publication

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells can be maintained in an undifferentiated state if the culture medium is first conditioned on a layer of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder cells. Here we show that human ES cell proliferation is coordinated by MEF-secreted heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in conditioned medium (CM). These HSPG and other heparinoids can stabilize basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) in unconditioned medium at levels comparable to those observed in CM. They also directly mediate binding of FGF2 to the human ES cell surface,and their removal from CM impairs proliferation. Finally,we have developed a purification scheme for MEF-secreted HSPG in CM. Using column chromatography,immunoblotting,and mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis,we have identified multiple HSPG species in CM. The results demonstrate that HSPG are key signaling cofactors in CM-based human ES cell culture. View Publication

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) is a cell surface regulator that accelerates the dissociation of C3/C5 convertases and thereby prevents the amplification of complement activation on self cells. In the context of transplantation,DAF has been thought to primarily regulate antibody-mediated allograft injury,which is in part serum complement-dependent. Based on our previously delineated link between DAF and CD4 T cell responses,we evaluated the effects of donor Daf1 (the murine homolog of human DAF) deficiency on CD8 T cell-mediated cardiac allograft rejection. MHC-disparate Daf1(-/-) allografts were rejected with accelerated kinetics compared with wild-type grafts. The accelerated rejection predominantly tracked with DAF's absence on bone marrow-derived cells in the graft and required allograft production of C3. Transplantation of Daf1(-/-) hearts into wild-type allogeneic hosts augmented the strength of the anti-donor (direct pathway) T cell response,in part through complement-dependent proliferative and pro-survival effects on alloreactive CD8 T cells. The accelerated allograft rejection of Daf1(-/-) hearts occurred in recipients lacking anti-donor Abs. The results reveal that donor DAF expression,by controlling local complement activation on interacting T cell APC partners,regulates the strength of the direct alloreactive CD8(+) T cell response. The findings provide new insights into links between innate and adaptive immunity that could be exploited to limit T cell-mediated injury to an allograft following transplantation. View Publication

The role of epitope-specific TCR repertoire diversity in the control of HIV-1 viremia is unknown. Further analysis at the clonotype level is important for understanding the structural aspects of the HIV-1 specific repertoire that directly relate to CTL function and ability to suppress viral replication. In this study,we performed in-depth analysis of T cell clonotypes directed against a dominantly recognized HLA B57-restricted epitope (KAFSPEVIPMF; KF11) and identified common usage of the TCR beta-chain TRBV7 in eight of nine HLA B57 subjects examined,regardless of HLA B57 subtype. Despite this convergent TCR gene usage,structural and functional assays demonstrated no substantial difference in functional or structural avidity between TRBV7 and non-TRBV7 clonotypes and this epitopic peptide. In a subject where TRBV7-usage did not confer cross-reactivity against the dominant autologous sequence variant,another circulating TCR clonotype was able to preferentially recognize the variant peptide. These data demonstrate that despite selective recruitment of TCR for a conserved epitope over the course of chronic HIV-1 infection,TCR repertoire diversity may benefit the host through the ability to recognize circulating epitope variants. View Publication

Endoglin is an accessory receptor for TGF-beta signaling and is required for normal hemangioblast,early hematopoietic,and vascular development. We have previously shown that an upstream enhancer,Eng -8,together with the promoter region,mediates robust endothelial expression yet is inactive in blood. To identify hematopoietic regulatory elements,we used array-based methods to determine chromatin accessibility across the entire locus. Subsequent transgenic analysis of candidate elements showed that an endothelial enhancer at Eng +9 when combined with an element at Eng +7 functions as a strong hemato-endothelial enhancer. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-chip analysis demonstrated specific binding of Ets factors to the promoter as well as to the -8,+7+9 enhancers in both blood and endothelial cells. By contrast Pu.1,an Ets factor specific to the blood lineage,and Gata2 binding was only detected in blood. Gata2 was bound only at +7 and GATA motifs were required for hematopoietic activity. This modular assembly of regulators gives blood and endothelial cells the regulatory freedom to independently fine-tune gene expression and emphasizes the role of regulatory divergence in driving functional divergence. View Publication

Hematopoiesis during development is a dynamic process,with many factors involved in the emergence and regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells. Whereas previous studies have focused on developmental signaling and transcription factors in embryonic hematopoiesis,the role of well-known adult hematopoietic cytokines in the embryonic hematopoietic system has been largely unexplored. The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1),best known for its proinflammatory properties,has radioprotective effects on adult bone marrow HSCs,induces HSC mobilization,and increases HSC proliferation and/or differentiation. Here we examine IL-1 and its possible role in regulating hematopoiesis in the midgestation mouse embryo. We show that IL-1,IL-1 receptors (IL-1Rs),and signaling mediators are expressed in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region during the time when HSCs emerge in this site. IL-1 signaling is functional in the AGM,and the IL-1RI is expressed ventrally in the aortic subregion by some hematopoietic,endothelial,and mesenchymal cells. In vivo analyses of IL-1RI-deficient embryos show an increased myeloid differentiation,concomitant with a slight decrease in AGM HSC activity. Our results suggest that IL-1 is an important homeostatic regulator at the earliest time of HSC development,acting to limit the differentiation of some HSCs along the myeloid lineage. View Publication

The c-myb proto-oncogene encodes an obligate hematopoietic cell transcription factor important for lineage commitment,proliferation,and differentiation. Given its critical functions,c-Myb regulatory factors are of great interest but remain incompletely defined. Herein we show that c-Myb expression is subject to posttranscriptional regulation by microRNA (miRNA)-15a. Using a luciferase reporter assay,we found that miR-15a directly binds the 3'-UTR of c-myb mRNA. By transfecting K562 myeloid leukemia cells with a miR-15a mimic,functionality of binding was shown. The mimic decreased c-Myb expression,and blocked the cells in the G(1) phase of cell cycle. Exogenous expression of c-myb mRNA lacking the 3'-UTR partially rescued the miR-15a induced cell-cycle block. Of interest,the miR-15a promoter contained several potential c-Myb protein binding sites. Occupancy of one canonical c-Myb binding site was demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and shown to be required for miR-15a expression in K562 cells. Finally,in studies using normal human CD34(+) cells,we showed that c-Myb and miR-15a expression were inversely correlated in cells undergoing erythroid differentiation,and that overexpression of miR-15a blocked both erythroid and myeloid colony formation in vitro. In aggregate,these findings suggest the presence of a c-Myb-miR-15a autoregulatory feedback loop of potential importance in human hematopoiesis. View Publication