title: Transplantable NK cell progenitors in murine bone marrow.
abstract: Differentiation of NK cells from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells is a poorly understood process. Although it is known that NK cells are bone marrow derived and dependent upon an intact bone marrow microenvironment for complete maturation, it is not known if they arise from an intermediate lymphoid stem cell or from progenitors exclusively committed to the NK lineage. To determine whether phenotypically distinct committed NK progenitor cells exist in murine bone marrow, we sorted cells capable of repopulating recipient mice with mature NK cells upon i.v. transfer. We identified a rare population of bone marrow cells with the phenotype Ly6+ Lin- c-kit+ CD43high Fall-3high TSA-1- AA4.1low Rh123high that is highly enriched for the ability to generate NK cells after transplantation. Although these cells are relatively depleted of Rh123low pluripotent stem cells, they are highly enriched for both lymphoid and myeloid repopulating ability. Thus, we have found no evidence to support the existence of a phenotypically distinct transplantable progenitor population in mouse bone marrow that is either exclusively committed to the NK cell lineage or exhibits the functional characteristics of a common lymphoid stem cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D051917:Leukosialin; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D016513:Mice, SCID; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D051917:Leukosialin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; C497863:Spn protein, mouse; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; C070842:trypomastigote specific surface antigen; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases