title: Primitive human hematopoietic precursors express Bcl-x but not Bcl-2.
abstract: Bcl-2 and its homologue, bcl-xL, encode membrane-associated proteins that suppress programmed cell death of hematopoietic cell lines after growth factor withdrawal, and are expressed in hematopoietic precursor cells. To better understand the maintenance of long-term survival in the hematopoietic stem cell population, we evaluated the expression patterns of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in primitive hematopoietic precursor populations. Hematopoietic precursor cells expressing CD34 (CD34+) and lacking maturation-linked surface antigens (lin-) were isolated from adult human bone marrow using two-color immunofluorescence cell sorting and fractionated on the basis of forward light scatter characteristics into blast-sized and small to medium lymphocyte-sized cell populations. Bcl-2 expression was shown in 78% to 90% of CD34+ lin- blast-sized cells versus less than 10% of small to medium lymphocyte-sized CD34+ lin- cells by immunohistochemical analysis. Small to medium lymphocyte-sized CD34+ lin- cells were further enriched for primitive precursors by selecting cells that lacked expression of CD38 (CD34+ lin- CD38-). In parallel experiments, only 1% to 4% of CD34+ lin- CD38- cells expressed Bcl-2, whereas 45% to 56% of these cells generated colony-forming cells. In contrast, > or = 94% of cells in all bone marrow subpopulations studied expressed Bcl-x protein. Both alternatively spliced bcl-x transcripts, bcl-xL and bcl-xs, were present. Our data show that the most primitive hematopoietic precursors express Bcl-x but not Bcl-2. Thus, the functional bcl-2 homologue, bcl-xL, may be essential for the long-term survival of the hematopoietic stem cell population.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Programs, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hockenbery
mesh_terms: D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1