title: A role for Wnt signalling in self-renewal of haematopoietic stem cells.
abstract: Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the ability to renew themselves and to give rise to all lineages of the blood; however, the signals that regulate HSC self-renewal remain unclear. Here we show that the Wnt signalling pathway has an important role in this process. Overexpression of activated beta-catenin expands the pool of HSCs in long-term cultures by both phenotype and function. Furthermore, HSCs in their normal microenvironment activate a LEF-1/TCF reporter, which indicates that HCSs respond to Wnt signalling in vivo. To demonstrate the physiological significance of this pathway for HSC proliferation we show that the ectopic expression of axin or a frizzled ligand-binding domain, inhibitors of the Wnt signalling pathway, leads to inhibition of HSC growth in vitro and reduced reconstitution in vivo. Furthermore, activation of Wnt signalling in HSCs induces increased expression of HoxB4 and Notch1, genes previously implicated in self-renewal of HSCs. We conclude that the Wnt signalling pathway is critical for normal HSC homeostasis in vitro and in vivo, and provide insight into a potential molecular hierarchy of regulation of HSC development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. t.reya@duke.edu
authors.forename: Tannishtha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reya
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ailles
authors.forename: Jos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domen
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Willert
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hintz
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nusse
authors.forename: Irving L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497574:Lef1 protein, mouse; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497762:Notch1 protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin