title: The notch ligand jagged-1 represents a novel growth factor of human hematopoietic stem cells.
abstract: The Notch ligand, Jagged-1, plays an essential role in tissue formation during embryonic development of primitive organisms. However, little is known regarding the role of Jagged-1 in the regulation of tissue-specific stem cells or its function in humans. Here, we show that uncommitted human hematopoietic cells and cells that comprise the putative blood stem cell microenvironment express Jagged-1 and the Notch receptors. Addition of a soluble form of human Jagged-1 to cultures of purified primitive human blood cells had modest effects in augmenting cytokine-induced proliferation of progenitors. However, intravenous transplantation of cultured cells into immunodeficient mice revealed that human (h)Jagged-1 induces the survival and expansion of human stem cells capable of pluripotent repopulating capacity. Our findings demonstrate that hJagged-1 represents a novel growth factor of human stem cells, thereby providing an opportunity for the clinical utility of Notch ligands in the expansion of primitive cells capable of hematopoietic reconstitution.
authors.affiliation: John P. Robarts Research Institute, Developmental Stem Cell Biology, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Karanu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murdoch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallacher
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koremoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhatia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D000072099:Serrate-Jagged Proteins
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C000606273:JAG1 protein, human; C000606274:Jag1 protein, mouse; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D000072099:Serrate-Jagged Proteins