Turning mesoderm into blood: the formation of hematopoietic stem cells during embryogenesis.
The formation of hematopoietic stem cells during development occurs by a multistep process that begins with the induction of ventral mesoderm. This mesoderm is patterned during gastrulation by a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway that is mediated, at least in part, by members of the Mix and Vent families of homeobox transcription factors. Following gastrulation, a subset of ventral mesoderm is specified to become hematopoietic stem cells. Key determinants of hematopoietic fate include the product of the zebrafish cloche gene and the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor SCL. Future studies in Xenopus and zebrafish should reveal other critical factors in this developmental pathway.
Davidson
A J
AJ
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Zon
L I
LI
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000502:physiology; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*