title: Hemogenic endothelium: a vessel for blood production.
abstract: Blood cell production, or hematopoiesis, is critical to the survival of the developing mammalian embryo. The origins of hematopoietic stem cells, capable of giving rise to all blood cell types, are being revealed. During embryogenesis, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are generated from a unique population of vascular endothelium termed hemogenic endothelial cells. These unusual endothelial cells are found in a restricted number of sites in the conceptus and within a narrow window of embryonic development. Loss of hemogenic endothelial cells through gene ablation leads to a lack of blood production and embryonic lethality. Here, we describe historical and recent observations exploring the biology of these intriguing endothelial cells and their roles in hematopoiesis both in the embryo and, possibly, in the adult.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Blood Cell Development, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Veronica I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Antas
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Drees
authors.forename: Alexander J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Prudence
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Stuart T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D042783:Endothelial Cells; D055018:Hemangioblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans