title: VEGF signaling on hematopoietic precursors restricts B-lymphoid commitment in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signals on vascular and hematopoietic cells via its receptors, VEGFR-2 (KDR) and VEGFR-1 (FLT-1). Elevated levels of VEGF, such as during tumor growth or inflammation, have been suggested to suppress hematopoiesis; most studies refer to KDR as the main receptor involved in this inhibitory effect. In the present study, having detected expression of FLT-1 in B-lymphoid precursors, we exploited the possibility that VEGF signaling via FLT-1 might affect early B-cell commitment. Using a well-established in vitro B-cell differentiation assay, we demonstrate that FLT-1 blockade promotes B-cell commitment and subsequent differentiation, while KDR blockade has no effect on B-cell commitment. In agreement, in vivo transplantation of human (CD34+) or murine (Sca1+l/Lin-) FLT-1-negative hematopoietic precursors into irradiated severe combined immune-deficient mice restored the bone marrow lymphoid compartment, while transplanting the FLT-1-positive counterpart failed to repopulate the lymphoid compartment, and unexpectedly resulted in early death of the irradiated recipients due to hematopoietic suppression. Taken together, we suggest that VEGF signaling via FLT-1 on hematopoietic precursors may restrict lymphopoiesis.
authors.affiliation: Angiogenesis Laboratory, Centro de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (CIPM), Instituto Portugês de Oncologia Francisco de Gentil (IPOFG), Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Igreja
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clode
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Appleton
authors.forename: Zhenping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; C000608037:Pgf protein, mouse; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D012313:RNA; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2