title: Aminopeptidase N/CD13 regulates the fetal liver microenvironment of hematopoiesis.
abstract: Fetal liver (FL) hematopoiesis is thought to be important for expanding the cell number during ontogeny. In order to investigate the cellular interaction molecules among FL stromal and hematopoietic cells, we established a monoclonal antibody, Ndk-10, that reacts with FL stromal cells but not with dish non-adherent cells. When Ndk-10 was added to an FL stromal and hematopoietic cell-coculture, it inhibited the survival of c-kit+ cells. The inhibitory activity of Ndk-10 was also observed in the fetal liver organ culture. The Ndk-10 recognized a 150 kD molecule in the adherent cells of FL and kidney, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was identical to that of mouse aminopeptidase N/CD13. The peptidase activity of CD13 was inhibited by Ndk-10, and addition of its specific inhibitor resulted in the same inhibitory activity as Ndk-10. We propose that aminopeptidase N/CD13 is a critical molecule that regulates the survival of c-kit+ cells in the FL microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakane
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takatani
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kohama
authors.forename: Kazutake
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujikawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018826:CD13 Antigens / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D006411:Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018826:CD13 Antigens