Summary Definitive hematopoiesis emerges during embryogenesis via an endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition. We attempted to induce this process in mouse fibroblasts by screening a panel of factors for hemogenic activity. We identified a combination of four transcription factors, Gata2, Gfi1b, cFos, and Etv6 that efficiently induces endothelial-like precursor cells with the subsequent appearance of hematopoietic cells. The precursor cells express a human CD34 reporter, Sca1 and Prominin1 within a global endothelial transcription program. Emergent hematopoietic cells possess nascent/specifying hematopoietic stem cell gene expression profiles and cell surface phenotypes. After transgene silencing and reaggreagtion culture the specified cells generate hematopoietic colonies in vitro. Thus, we have shown that a simple combination of transcription factors is sufficient to induce a complex, dynamic and multi-step developmental program in vitro. These findings provide insights into the specification of definitive hemogenesis and a platform for future development of patient-specific stem/progenitor cells as well as more differentiated blood products.

Highlights d Mitochondrial heterogeneity reveals fundamental metabolic properties of HSCs d Lysosomal repression enhances HSC quiescence and potency d Active, but not quiescent, HSCs use glycolysis as their main source of energy d Label-retaining dormant HSCs and low-MMP HSCs exhibit overlapping molecular signatures

SummaryWe investigated the homeostatic behavior of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) temporally defined according to their divisional histories using an HSPC-specific GFP label-retaining system. We show that homeostatic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) lose repopulating potential after limited cell divisions. Once HSCs exit dormancy and accrue divisions, they also progressively lose the ability to return to G0 and functional activities associated with quiescent HSCs. In addition, dormant HSPCs phenotypically defined as multipotent progenitor cells display robust stem cell activity upon transplantation, suggesting that temporal quiescence is a greater indicator of function than cell-surface phenotype. Our studies suggest that once homeostatic HSCs leave dormancy, they are slated for extinction. They self-renew phenotypically, but they lose self-renewal activity. As such, they question self-renewal as a characteristic of homeostatic, nonperturbed HSCs in contrast to self-renewal demonstrated under stress conditions.

The detection of a DNA double-strand break (DSB) is necessary to initiate DSB repair. Several proteins, including the MRX/N complex, Tel1/ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated), and Mec1/ATR (ATM and Rad3 related), have been proposed as sensors of DNA damage, yet how they recognize the breaks is poorly understood. DSBs occur in the context of chromatin, implicating factors capable of altering local and/or global chromatin structure in the cellular response to DNA damage, including DSB sensing. Emerging evidence indicates that ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes function in DNA repair. Here we describe an important and novel early role for the RSC ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler linked to DSB sensing in the cell's DNA-damage response. RSC is required for full levels of H2A phosphorylation because it facilitates the recruitment of Tel1/ATM and Mec1/ATR to the break site. Consistent with these results, we also show that Rsc2 is needed for efficient activation of the Rad53-dependent checkpoint, as well as for Cohesin's association with the break site. Finally, Rsc2 is needed for the DNA-damage-induced changes in nucleosome structure surrounding the DSB site. Together, these new findings functionally link RSC to DSB sensing, highlighting the importance of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling factors in the cell's early response to DNA damage.

The role of Wnt signaling in hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions remains controversial. We elected to dysregulate Wnt signaling from the perspective of the stem cell niche by expressing the pan Wnt inhibitor, Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (Wif1), specifically in osteoblasts. Here we report that osteoblastic Wif1 overexpression disrupts stem cell quiescence, leading to a loss of self-renewal potential. Primitive stem and progenitor populations were more proliferative and elevated in bone marrow and spleen, manifesting an impaired ability to maintain a self-renewing stem cell pool. Exhaustion of the stem cell pool was apparent only in the context of systemic stress by chemotherapy or transplantation of wild-type stem cells into irradiated Wif1 hosts. Paradoxically this is mediated, at least in part, by an autocrine induction of canonical Wnt signaling in stem cells on sequestration of Wnts in the environment. Additional signaling pathways are dysregulated in this model, primarily activated Sonic Hedgehog signaling in stem cells as a result of Wif1-induced osteoblastic expression of Sonic Hedgehog. We find that dysregulation of the stem cell niche by overexpression of an individual component impacts other unanticipated regulatory pathways in a combinatorial manner, ultimately disrupting niche mediated stem cell fate decisions. (Blood. 2011; 118(9):2420-2429) IntroductionHematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate, producing blood cells throughout life. In the adult, the balance of self-renewal and differentiation is tightly regulated by cross-talk between HSCs and specialized cells within the bone marrow (BM) constituting the stem cell niche. This molecular dialogue is beginning to be explored, repeatedly implicating the Wnt signaling pathway. Wnt signaling can be mediated through either canonical ␤-catenin-mediated Lef/Tcf transcriptional activity or other noncanonical pathways. 1,2 Signaling is initiated in most all pathways through binding of Wnts to Frizzled (Fzd) receptors. There are multiple Wnts and Fzds allowing for many ligand/receptor combinations. On the other hand, Wnt signaling can be inhibited by several regulatory molecules. The Dickkopf family (Dkk) actively prevents binding of Wnt to Fzd and its coreceptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6, inhibiting canonical signaling, whereas secreted Fzd-related proteins (Sfrps) and Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (Wif1) bind Wnt proteins and sequester them in the extracellular space thus inhibiting both pathways. 3 Evidence for a role of Wnt proteins in hematopoiesis arose from experiments demonstrating that multiple Wnts could expand hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in culture. 4,5 Subsequently, culture of single HSCs, in the presence of purified Wnt3a, resulted in expansion concomitant with maintenance of phenotype and robust repopulating activity. 6 In addition, retroviral expression of constitutively active ␤-catenin in HSCs allowed their expansion in vitro without loss of rec...