Richard Dahl

Regulation of macrophage and neutrophil cell fates by the PU.1: C/EBPα ratio and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

Hematopoietic transcription factors are essential for specifying cell fates; however, the function of cytokines in such developmental decisions is unresolved. We demonstrate here that haploinsufficiency for the gene encoding the transcription factor PU.1 partially suppresses the neutropenia of mice deficient in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. This suppression was due to an increase in granulocytic progenitors and a diminution of monocytic progenitors. With PU.1+/− ES cells as well as PU.1−/− hematopoietic progenitors, we show that higher expression of PU.1 is needed for macrophage than for neutrophil development. In a PU.1−/− progenitor cell line, in which graded activity of PU.1 regulates neutrophil versus macrophage development, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor signaling supported the neutrophil cell fate by increasing expression of the neutrophil transcription factor C/EBPα in relation to expression of PU.1. Collectively, these results indicate that cytokines can promote cell fate decisions by altering the relative concentrations of lineage-determining transcriptional regulators.

The importance of PU.1 concentration in hematopoietic lineage commitment and maturation.

PU.1 is an Ets family transcription factor that is required for the development of myeloid and lymphoid cells. Since PU.1 is required for several different lineages it has been unclear what role PU.1 has in deciding whether a hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiates into a macrophage, granulocyte, or B cell. Recent studies have demonstrated that different cellular concentrations of PU.1 may direct distinct cell fates, with the highest concentrations of PU.1 required for macrophage development and lower concentrations for granulocytic and B-cell fate adoption. Since PU.1 transactivation activity is inhibited by the granulocytic factor, C/EBPalpha and the B-cell factor BSAP, high concentrations of PU.1 may be required for macrophage development in order to overcome the negative effects of alternative lineage specific factors. Lastly, PU.1 upregulation is implicated in the maturation of myeloid cells once they have committed to the macrophage and granulocytic lineages. PU.1 activity is inhibited in some cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), therefore, inhibition of PU.1 induced maturation may be a critical step in leukemogenesis.

MIR-23A microRNA cluster inhibits B-cell development

OBJECTIVE The transcription factor PU.1 (encoded by Sfpi1) promotes myeloid differentiation, but it is unclear what downstream genes are involved. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that regulate many cellular pathways, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The objective of this study was to identify miRNAs downstream of PU.1 that regulate hematopoietic development. MATERIALS AND METHODS miRNAs that change expression in a PU.1-inducible cell line were identified with microarrays. The promoter for an miRNA cluster upregulated by PU.1 induction was analyzed for PU.1 binding by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Retroviral transduction of hematopoietic progenitors was performed to evaluate the effect of miRNA expression on hematopoietic development in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We identified an miRNA cluster whose pri-transcript is regulated by PU.1. The pri-miRNA encodes three mature miRNAs: miR-23a, miR-27a, and miR-24-2. Each miRNA is more abundant in myeloid cells compared to lymphoid cells. When hematopoietic progenitors expressing the 23a cluster miRNAs were cultured in B-cell-promoting conditions, we observed a dramatic decrease in B lymphopoiesis and an increase in myelopoiesis compared to control cultures. In vivo, hematopoietic progenitors expressing the miR-23a cluster generate reduced numbers of B cells compared to control cells. CONCLUSIONS The miR-23a cluster is a downstream target of PU.1 involved in antagonizing lymphoid cell fate acquisition. Although miRNAs have been identified downstream of PU.1 in mediating development of monocytes and granulocytes, the 23a cluster is the first downstream miRNA target implicated in regulating development of myeloid vs lymphoid cells.

The transcriptional repressor GFI-1 antagonizes PU.1 activity through protein-protein interaction.

Mice lacking the zinc finger transcriptional repressor protein GFI-1 are neutropenic. These mice generate abnormal immature myeloid cells exhibiting characteristics of both macrophages and granulocytes. Furthermore, Gfi-1-/- mice are highly susceptible to bacterial infection. Interestingly, Gfi-1-/- myeloid cells overexpress target genes of the PU.1 transcription factor such as the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor and PU.1 itself. We therefore determined whether GFI-1 modulates the transcriptional activity of PU.1. Our data demonstrate that GFI-1 physically interacts with PU.1, repressing PU.1-dependent transcription. This repression is functionally significant, as GFI-1 blocked PU.1-induced macrophage differentiation of a multipotential hematopoietic progenitor cell line. Retroviral expression of GFI-1 in primary murine hematopoietic progenitors increased granulocyte differentiation at the expense of macrophage differentiation. We interbred Gfi-1+/- and PU.1+/- mice and observed that heterozygosity at the PU.1 locus partially rescued the Gfi-1-/- mixed myeloid lineage phenotype, but failed to restore granulocyte differentiation. Our data demonstrate that GFI-1 represses PU.1 activity and that lack of this repression in Gfi-1-/- myeloid cells contributes to the observed mixed lineage phenotype.

Spi-B can functionally replace PU.1 in myeloid but not lymphoid development

Mature macrophages, neutrophils and lymphoid cells do not develop in PU.1−/− mice. In contrast, mice lacking the highly related protein Spi‐B generate all hematopoietic lineages but display a B‐cell receptor signaling defect. These distinct phenotypes could result from functional differences between PU.1 and Spi‐B or their unique temporal and tissue‐specific expression (PU.1: myeloid and B cells; Spi‐B: B cells only). To address this question, we introduced the Spi‐B cDNA into the murine PU.1 locus by homologous recombination. In the absence of PU.1, Spi‐B rescued macrophage and granulocyte development when assayed by in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Adherent, CD11b+/F4/80+ cells capable of phagocytosis were detected in PU.1Spi‐B/Spi‐B embryoid bodies, and myeloid colonies were present in hematopoietic progenitor assays. Despite its ability to rescue myeloid differentiation, Spi‐B did not rescue lymphoid development in a RAG‐2−/− complementation assay. These results demonstrate an important difference between PU.1 and Spi‐B. Careful comparison of these Ets factors will delineate important functional domains of PU.1 involved in lymphocyte lineage commitment and/or maturation.

MiR-24 Promotes the Survival of Hematopoietic Cells

The microRNA, miR-24, inhibits B cell development and promotes myeloid development of hematopoietic progenitors. Differential regulation of cell survival in myeloid and lymphoid cells by miR-24 may explain how miR-24′s affects hematopoietic progenitors. MiR-24 is reported to regulate apoptosis, either positively or negatively depending on cell context. However, no role for miR-24 in regulating cell death has been previously described in blood cells. To examine miR-24′s effect on survival, we expressed miR-24 via retrovirus in hematopoietic cells and induced cell death with cytokine or serum withdrawal. We observed that miR-24 enhanced survival of myeloid and B cell lines as well as primary hematopoietic cells. Additionally, antagonizing miR-24 with shRNA in hematopoietic cells made them more sensitive to apoptotic stimuli, suggesting miR-24 functions normally to promote blood cell survival. Since we did not observe preferential protection of myeloid over B cells, miR-24′s pro-survival effect does not explain its promotion of myelopoiesis. Moreover, expression of pro-survival protein, Bcl-xL, did not mimic miR-24′s impact on cellular differentiation, further supporting this conclusion. Our results indicate that miR-24 is a critical regulator of hematopoietic cell survival. This observation has implications for leukemogenesis. Several miRNAs that regulate apoptosis have been shown to function as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes during leukemogenesis. MiR-24 is expressed highly in primary acute myelogenous leukemia, suggesting that its pro-survival activity could contribute to the transformation of hematopoietic cells.

MiR-24 Is Required for Hematopoietic Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Overexpression of miRNA, miR-24, in mouse hematopoietic progenitors increases monocytic/ granulocytic differentiation and inhibits B cell development. To determine if endogenous miR-24 is required for hematopoiesis, we antagonized miR-24 in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and performed in vitro differentiations. Suppression of miR-24 resulted in an inability to produce blood and hematopoietic progenitors (HPCs) from ESCs. The phenotype is not a general defect in mesoderm production since we observe production of nascent mesoderm as well as mesoderm derived cardiac muscle and endothelial cells. Results from blast colony forming cell (BL-CFC) assays demonstrate that miR-24 is not required for generation of the hemangioblast, the mesoderm progenitor that gives rise to blood and endothelial cells. However, expression of the transcription factors Runx1 and Scl is greatly reduced, suggesting an impaired ability of the hemangioblast to differentiate. Lastly, we observed that known miR-24 target, Trib3, is upregulated in the miR-24 antagonized embryoid bodies (EBs). Overexpression of Trib3 alone in ESCs was able to decrease HPC production, though not as great as seen with miR-24 knockdown. These results demonstrate an essential role for miR-24 in the hematopoietic differentiation of ESCs. Although many miRNAs have been implicated in regulation of hematopoiesis, this is the first miRNA observed to be required for the specification of mammalian blood progenitors from early mesoderm.

Expression of Scl in mesoderm rescues hematopoiesis in the absence of Oct-4

In embryonic stem cells, Oct-4 concentration is critical in determining the development of endoderm, mesoderm, and trophectoderm. Although Oct-4 expression is essential for mesoderm development, it is unclear whether it has a role in the development of specific mesodermal tissues. In this study, we have examined the importance of Oct-4 in the generation of hematopoietic cells using an inducible Oct-4 ESC line. We demonstrate that Oct-4 has a role in supporting hematopoiesis after specifying brachyury-positive mesoderm. When we suppressed Oct-4 expression before or after mesoderm specification, no hematopoietic cells are detected. However, hematopoiesis can be rescued in the absence of Oct-4 after mesoderm specification if the essential hematopoietic transcription factor stem cell leukemia is expressed. Our results suggest that, for hematopoiesis to occur, Oct-4 is required for the initial specification of mesoderm and subsequently is required for the development of hematopoietic cells from uncommitted mesoderm.

The mirn23a microRNA cluster antagonizes B cell development

Ablation of microRNA synthesis by deletion of the microRNA‐processing enzyme Dicer has demonstrated that microRNAs are necessary for normal hematopoietic differentiation and function. However, it is still unclear which specific microRNAs are required for hematopoiesis and at what developmental stages they are necessary. This is especially true for immune cell development. We previously observed that overexpression of the products of the mirn23a gene (microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a) in hematopoietic progenitors increased myelopoiesis with a reciprocal decrease in B lymphopoiesis, both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we generated a microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a germline knockout mouse to determine whether microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a expression was essential for immune cell development. Characterization of hematopoiesis in microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a−/− mice revealed a significant increase in B lymphocytes in both the bone marrow and the spleen, with a concomitant decrease in myeloid cells (monocytes/granulocytes). Analysis of the bone marrow progenitor populations revealed a significant increase in common lymphoid progenitors and a significant decrease in both bone marrow common myeloid progenitors and granulocyte monocyte progenitors. Gene‐expression analysis of primary hematopoietic progenitors and multipotent erythroid myeloid lymphoid cells showed that microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a regulates essential B cell gene‐expression networks. Overexpression of microRNA‐24‐2 target Tribbles homolog 3 can recapitulate the microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a−/− phenotype in vitro, suggesting that increased B cell development in microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a null mice can be partially explained by a Tribbles homolog 3‐dependent mechanism. Data from microRNA‐23a, ‐24‐2, and 27a−/− mice support a critical role for this microRNA cluster in regulating immune cell populations through repression of B lymphopoiesis.

The miR-23a~27a~24-2 microRNA cluster buffers transcription and signaling pathways during hematopoiesis

MicroRNA cluster mirn23a has previously been shown to promote myeloid development at the expense of lymphoid development in overexpression and knockout mouse models. This polarization is observed early in hematopoietic development, with an increase in common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) and a decrease in all myeloid progenitor subsets in adult bone marrow. The pool size of multipotential progenitors (MPPs) is unchanged; however, in this report we observe by flow cytometry that polarized subsets of MPPs are changed in the absence of mirn23a. Additionally, in vitro culture of MPPs and sorted MPP transplants showed that these cells have decreased myeloid and increased lymphoid potential in vitro and in vivo. We investigated the mechanism by which mirn23a regulates hematopoietic differentiation and observed that mirn23a promotes myeloid development of hematopoietic progenitors through regulation of hematopoietic transcription factors and signaling pathways. Early transcription factors that direct the commitment of MPPs to CLPs (Ikzf1, Runx1, Satb1, Bach1 and Bach2) are increased in the absence of mirn23a miRNAs as well as factors that commit the CLP to the B cell lineage (FoxO1, Ebf1, and Pax5). Mirn23a appears to buffer transcription factor levels so that they do not stochastically reach a threshold level to direct differentiation. Intriguingly, mirn23a also inversely regulates the PI3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt and BMP/Smad signaling pathways. Pharmacological inhibitor studies, coupled with dominant active/dominant negative biochemical experiments, show that both signaling pathways are critical to mirn23a’s regulation of hematopoietic differentiation. Lastly, consistent with mirn23a being a physiological inhibitor of B cell development, we observed that the essential B cell transcription factor EBF1 represses expression of mirn23a. In summary, our data demonstrates that mirn23a regulates a complex array of transcription and signaling pathways to modulate adult hematopoiesis.