Bone marrow haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are vital for lifelong maintenance of healthy haematopoiesis. In inbred mice housed in gnotobiotic facilities, the top of the haematopoietic hierarchy is occupied by dormant HSCs, which reversibly exit quiescence during stress. Whether HSC dormancy exists in humans remains debatable. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we show a continuous landscape of highly purified human bone marrow HSCs displaying varying degrees of dormancy. We identify the orphan receptor GPRC5C, which enriches for dormant human HSCs. GPRC5C is also essential for HSC function, as demonstrated by genetic loss- and gain-of-function analyses. Through structural modelling and biochemical assays, we show that hyaluronic acid, a bone marrow extracellular matrix component, preserves dormancy through GPRC5C. We identify the hyaluronic acid–GPRC5C signalling axis controlling the state of dormancy in mouse and human HSCs.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and distinct multipotent progenitor populations (MPP1-4) contained within the Lin- Sca-1+ c-Kit+ (LSK) compartment have previously been identified using diverse surface marker panels. Here, we phenotypically define and functionally characterize MPP5 (LSK CD34+ CD135- CD48- CD150-). Upon transplantation, MPP5 support initial emergency myelopoiesis followed by stable contribution to the lymphoid lineage. Since MPP5 are capable of generating MPP1-4, but not HSCs, they represent a dynamic and versatile component of the MPP network. To characterize all hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), we performed RNA-seq analysis to identify specific transcriptomic landscapes of HSCs and MPP1-5. This was complemented by single-cell (sc) RNA-seq analysis of LSK cells to establish the differentiation trajectories from HSCs to MPP1-5. In agreement with the functional reconstitution activity, MPP5 are located immediately downstream of HSCs but upstream of the more committed MPP2-4. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the LSK compartment, focusing on the functional and molecular characteristics of the newly defined MPP5 subset.
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