A CTX family cell adhesion molecule, JAM4, is expressed in stem cell and progenitor cell populations of both male germ cell and hematopoietic cell lineages.
Stem cells are maintained in an undifferentiated state by interacting with a microenvironment known as the "niche," which is comprised of various secreted and membrane proteins. Our goal was to identify niche molecules participating in stem cell-stem cell and/or stem cell-supporting cell interactions. Here, we isolated genes encoding secreted and membrane proteins from purified male germ stem cells using a signal sequence trap approach. Among the genes identified, we focused on the junctional adhesion molecule 4 (JAM4), an immunoglobulin type cell adhesion molecule. JAM4 protein was actually localized to the plasma membrane in male germ cells. JAM4 expression was downregulated as cells differentiated in both germ cell and hematopoietic cell lineages. To analyze function in vivo, we generated JAM4-deficient mice. Histological analysis of testes from homozygous nulls did not show obvious abnormalities, nor did liver and kidney tissues, both of which strongly express JAM4. The numbers of hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow were indistinguishable between wild-type and mutant mice, as was male germ cell development. These results suggest that JAM4 is expressed in stem cells and progenitor cells but that other cell adhesion molecules may substitute for JAM4 function in JAM4-deficient mice both in male germ cell and hematopoietic lineages.
Nagamatsu
Go
G
Sakaguchi Laboratory, Department of Cell Differentiation, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ohmura
Masako
M
Mizukami
Takuo
T
Hamaguchi
Isao
I
Hirabayashi
Susumu
S
Yoshida
Shosei
S
Hata
Yutaka
Y
Suda
Toshio
T
Ohbo
Kazuyuki
K
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C475024:Igsf5 protein, mouse