Eva Maria Deiner

Activation of an inducible c-FosER fusion protein causes loss of epithelial polarity and triggers epithelial-fibroblastoid cell conversion

As a novel approach to studying the modulation of the polarized epithelial phenotype, we have expressed c-Fos and c-Myc estrogen receptor fusion proteins (c-FosER and c-MycER) in mammary epithelial cells. The hybrid proteins could be activated by estrogen for defined time periods and after the cells had achieved their fully polarized organization. Activation of c-MycER deregulated proliferation but did not affect epithelial polarity. Short-term activation of c-FosER induced the reversible loss of morphological and functional cell polarity. In contrast, long-term stimulation of c-FosER caused the cells to depolarize irreversibly, to invade collagen gels, and to undergo epithelial-fibroblastoid cell conversion. Our data suggest that Fos proteins are important in modulating the epithelial phenotype both in normal tissue development and in invasive processes.

The glucocorticoid receptor is a key regulator of the decision between self‐renewal and differentiation in erythroid progenitors

During development and in regenerating tissues such as the bone marrow, progenitor cells constantly need to make decisions between proliferation and differentiation. We have used a model system, normal erythroid progenitors of the chicken, to determine the molecular players involved in making this decision. The molecules identified comprised receptor tyrosine kinases (c‐Kit and c‐ErbB) and members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily (thyroid hormone receptor and estrogen receptor). Here we identify the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as a key regulator of erythroid progenitor self‐renewal (i.e. continuous proliferation in the absence of differentiation). In media lacking a GR ligand or containing a GR antagonist, erythroid progenitors failed to self‐renew, even if c‐Kit, c‐ErbB and the estrogen receptor were activated simultaneously. To induce self‐renewal, the GR required the continuous presence of an activated receptor tyrosine kinase and had to cooperate with the estrogen receptor for full activity. Mutant analysis showed that DNA binding and a functional AF‐2 transactivation domain are required for proliferation stimulation and differentiation arrest. c‐myb was identified as a potential target gene of the GR in erythroblasts. It could be demonstrated that Δc‐Myb, an activated c‐Myb protein, can functionally replace the GR

Establishment of normal, terminally differentiating mouse erythroid progenitors: molecular characterization by cDNA arrays

Expression profiling with cDNA arrays is an excellent tool for molecular analysis of complex processes such as terminal erythroid differentiation. The shortcomings of the currently available erythroid in vitro differentiation models, however, severely impaired the usefulness of this approach to study erythropoiesis. Here, we describe a novel, murine erythroid cell system closely corresponding to in vivo erythroid progenitors. Mortal, long‐term proliferating erythroid progenitors of fetal liver or immortal strains of p53‐deficient erythroblasts were established in culture. Both cell types proliferated in serum‐free medium and were strictly dependent on physiologically relevant cytokines and hormones, stably retaining a diploid set of chromosomes. If exposed to physiological differentiation factors (erythropoietin plus insulin), cells synchronously recapitulated the normal in vivo differentiation program to mature terminally into enucleated erythrocytes and expressed stage‐specific erythroid transcription factors in the expected temporal order. Using cDNA arrays, we found a large number of genes differentially expressed at time points during differentiation. Already 6 h after differentiation induction, 17% of the expressed genes showed significant alterations in mRNA abundance, increasing to 53% (12% up‐regulated, 41% down‐regulated genes) by 48 h. Cluster analysis of mRNA expression kinetics during differentiation identified six distinct expression patterns. All genes on the array with a known function in erythropoiesis showed the expected variations in expression. The genes identified also allowed first insights into the sequence of events within the regulatory network responsible for erythroid maturation. In mortal wild‐type as well as immortal p53‐/‐ erythroblasts, changes in mRNA abundance of several well‐regulated gene products was verified at the protein level. Taken together, this novel hematopoietic cell system faithfully executes essential steps of normal erythropoiesis and allows us to dissect and characterize molecular mechanisms involved in erythropoiesis.

Leukemic transformation of normal murine erythroid progenitors: v- and c-ErbB act through signaling pathways activated by the EpoR and c-Kit in stress erythropoiesis.

Primary erythroid progenitors can be expanded by the synergistic action of erythropoietin (Epo), stem cell factor (SCF) and glucocorticoids. While Epo is required for erythropoiesis in general, glucocorticoids and SCF mainly contribute to stress erythropoiesis in hypoxic mice. This ability of normal erythroid progenitors to undergo expansion under stress conditions is targeted by the avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV), harboring the oncogenes v-ErbB and v-ErbA. We investigated the signaling pathways required for progenitor expansion under stress conditions and in leukemic transformation. Immortal strains of erythroid progenitors, able to undergo normal, terminal differentiation under appropriate conditions, were established from fetal livers of p53−/− mice. Expression and activation of the EGF-receptor (HER-1/c-ErbB) or its mutated oncogenic version (v-ErbB) in these cells abrogated the requirement for Epo and SCF in expansion of these progenitors and blocked terminal differentiation. Upon inhibition of ErbB function, differentiation into erythrocytes occurred. Signal transducing molecules important for renewal induction, i.e. Stat5- and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), are utilized by both EpoR/c-Kit and v/c-ErbB. However, while v-ErbB transformed cells and normal progenitors depended on PI3K signaling for renewal, c-ErbB also induces progenitor expansion by PI3K-independent mechanisms.

Raf-1 antagonizes erythroid differentiation by restraining caspase activation

The Raf kinases are key signal transducers activated by mitogens or oncogenes. The best studied Raf isoform, Raf-1, was identified as an inhibitor of apoptosis by conventional and conditional gene ablation in mice. c-raf-1 − / − embryos are growth retarded and anemic, and die at midgestation with anomalies in the placenta and fetal liver. Here, we show that Raf-1–deficient primary erythroblasts cannot be expanded in culture due to their accelerated differentiation into mature erythrocytes. In addition, Raf-1 expression is down-regulated in differentiating wild-type cells, whereas overexpression of activated Raf-1 delays differentiation. As recently described for human erythroid precursors, we find that caspase activation is necessary for the differentiation of murine fetal liver erythroblasts. Differentiation-associated caspase activation is accelerated in erythroid progenitors lacking Raf-1 and delayed by overexpression of the activated kinase. These results reveal an essential function of Raf-1 in erythropoiesis and demonstrate that the ability of Raf-1 to restrict caspase activation is biologically relevant in a context distinct from apoptosis.

Erythroid progenitor renewal versus differentiation: genetic evidence for cell autonomous, essential functions of EpoR, Stat5 and the GR.

The balance between hematopoietic progenitor commitment and self-renewal versus differentiation is controlled by various transcriptional regulators cooperating with cytokine receptors. Disruption of this balance is increasingly recognized as important in the development of leukemia, by causing enhanced renewal and differentiation arrest. We studied regulation of renewal versus differentiation in primary murine erythroid progenitors that require cooperation of erythropoietin receptor (EpoR), the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit and a transcriptional regulator (glucocorticoid receptor; GR) for sustained renewal. However, mice defective for GR- (GRdim/dim), EpoR- (EpoRH) or STAT5ab function (Stat5ab–/–) show no severe erythropoiesis defects in vivo. Using primary erythroblast cultures from these mutants, we present genetic evidence that functional GR, EpoR, and Stat5 are essential for erythroblast renewal in vitro. Cells from GRdim/dim, EpoRH, and Stat5ab–/– mice showed enhanced differentiation instead of renewal, causing accumulation of mature cells and gradual proliferation arrest. Stat5ab was additionally required for Epo-induced terminal differentiation: differentiating Stat5ab–/– erythroblasts underwent apoptosis instead of erythrocyte maturation, due to absent induction of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-XL. This defect could be fully rescued by exogenous Bcl-XL. These data suggest that signaling molecules driving leukemic proliferation may also be essential for prolonged self-renewal of normal erythroid progenitors.

Primary, self-renewing erythroid progenitors develop through activation of both tyrosine kinase and steroid hormone receptors

BACKGROUND Self renewal in the hematopoietic system is thought to be restricted to a class of pluripotent stem cells. The capacity of cells with the properties of committed progenitors to self renew in many leukemias is thought to be an abnormal property resulting from the mutations responsible for leukemic transformation. It is not known how cells that can self-renew differ from cells that cannot. The notion that only pluripotent stem cells self renew has recently been challenged: normal committed erythroid progenitors capable of sustained self renewal have been described. These cells, called SCF/TGF alpha progenitors, co-express the c-Kit receptor tyrosine kinase and c-ErbB, the avian receptor for epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor (TGF) alpha, and they undergo continuous self renewal in response to TGF alpha and estradiol. In contrast, common erythroid progenitors (termed SCF progenitors) express only c-Kit and undergo a limited number of cell divisions in response to the c-Kit ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). Both types of progenitor faithfully reproduce terminal erythroid differentiation in vitro when exposed to differentiation factors. Here, we have investigated the developmental origin of these two classes of self-renewing erythroid progenitors. RESULTS We show that SCF progenitors can develop into SCF/TGF alpha progenitors. This developmental conversion requires 10-14 days and is accompanied by a gradual up-regulation of bioactive TGF alpha receptor. Using sera depleted of endogenous growth factors, we demonstrate that the development of SCF progenitors into SCF/TGF alpha progenitors absolutely requires the simultaneous presence of SCF, TGF alpha and estradiol, and is strongly enhanced by an unknown activity in chicken serum. CONCLUSIONS SCF progenitors can be induced to develop into self-renewing SCF/TGF alpha progenitors. The development of self renewal is triggered by specific combinations of growth factors and hormones. This has important implications for understanding leukemogenesis, as the self renewal of leukemic cells may reflect the normal potential of certain committed progenitor cells and not, as has been thought, a unique abnormal property of leukemic cells.

A novel way to induce erythroid progenitor self renewal: cooperation of c-Kit with the erythropoietin receptor.

Abstract Red blood cells are of vital importance for oxygen transport in vertebrates. Thus, their formation during development and homeostasis requires tight control of both progenitor proliferation and terminal red cell differentiation. Self renewal (i.e. long-term proliferation without differentiation) of committed erythroid progenitors has recently been shown to contribute to this regulation. Avian erythroid progenitors expressing the EGF receptor/c-ErbB (SCF/TGFα progenitors) can be induced to long-term proliferation by the c-ErbB ligand transforming growth factor α and the steroids estradiol and dexamethasone. These progenitors have not yet been described in mammals and their factor requirements are untypical for adult erythroid progenitors. Here we describe a second, distinct type of erythroid progenitor (EpoR progenitors) which can be established from freshly isolated bone marrow and is induced to self renew by ligands relevant for erythropoiesis, i.e. erythropoietin, stem cell factor, the ligand for c-Kit and the glucocorticoid receptor ligand dexamethasone. Limiting dilution cloning indicates that these EpoR progenitors are derived from normal BFU-E/CFU-E. For a detailed study, mEpoR progenitors were generated by retroviral expression of the murine Epo receptor in bone marrow erythroblasts. These progenitors carry out the normal erythroid differentiation program in recombinant differentiation factors only. We show that mEpoR progenitors are more mature than SCF/TGFα progenitors and also do no longer respond to transforming growth factor α and estradiol. In contrast they are now highly sensitive to low levels of thyroid hormone, facilitating their terminal maturation into erythrocytes.

Recombinant Murine Erythropoietin Receptor Expressed in Avian Erythroid Progenitors Mediates Terminal Erythroid Differentiation In Vitro

The biological activity of the recombinant murine erythropoietin receptor (muEpoR) has so far been ascertained only in nonerythroid, established cell lines ectopically expressing the exogenous receptor. Here we show that the regulation of proliferation and differentiation by the muEpoR can be studied in chicken erythroid cells capable of terminal differentiation. The cloned muEpoR was introduced into primary and immortalized chicken erythroblast clones transformed by conditional oncogenes, using retroviral gene transfer. After turning off oncoprotein function, these cells terminally differentiated in response to human erythropoietin (rhu-Epo), similar to cells treated with chicken anemic serum containing avian Epo. Control vector-containing erythroblasts were totally unresponsive to rhu-Epo, but differentiated normally in presence of avian Epo. The avian erythroblasts expressed biologically active muEpoR at physiological levels and bound rhu-Epo with similar high affinity as mammalian erythroblasts expressing endogenous EpoR. Finally, rhu-Epo synergized with insulin in these cells similar to avian Epo. Our results demonstrate that the exogenous muEpoR is able to mediate normal, terminal differentiation in avian erythroid progenitors.