title: Hematopoietic (stem) cell development - how divergent are the roads taken?
abstract: The development of the hematopoietic system during early embryonic stages occurs in spatially and temporally distinct waves. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), the most potent and self-renewing cells of this system, are produced in the final 'definitive' wave of hematopoietic cell generation. In contrast to HSCs in the adult, which differentiate via intermediate progenitor populations to produce functional blood cells, the generation of hematopoietic cells in the embryo prior to HSC generation occurs in the early waves by producing blood cells without intermediate progenitors (such as the 'primitive' hematopoietic cells). The lineage relationship between the early hematopoietic cells and the cells giving rise to HSCs, the genetic networks controlling their emergence, and the precise temporal determination of HSC fate remain topics of intense research and debate. This Review article discusses the current knowledge on the step-wise embryonic establishment of the adult hematopoietic system, examines the roles of pivotal intrinsic regulators in this process, and raises questions concerning the temporal onset of HSC fate determination.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammation Research, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.|Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mari-Liis
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kauts
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammation Research, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.|Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammation Research, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.|Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dzierzak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice
keywords: ES cell differentiation; Gata2; HSC fate; Runx1; embryo; endothelial-to-hematopoietic cell transition; hematopoietic development; hematopoietic progenitor cells; hematopoietic stem cells