PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Palis

Publications and source records attributed to J Palis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Spatial and temporal emergence of high proliferative potential hematopoietic precursors during murine embryogenesis.

During mouse embryogenesis, two waves of hematopoietic progenitors originate in the yolk sac. The first wave consists of primitive erythroid progenitors that arise at embryonic day 7.0 (E7.0), whereas the second wave consists of definitive erythroid progenitors that arise at E8.25. To determine whether these unilineage hematopoietic progenitors arise from multipotential precursors, we investigated the kinetics of high proliferative potential colony-forming cells (HPP-CFC), multipotent precursors that give rise to macroscopic colonies when cultured in vitro. No HPP-CFC were found at presomite stages (E6.5-E7.5). Rather, HPP-CFC were detected first at early somite stages (E8.25), exclusively in the yolk sac. HPP-CFC were found subsequently in the bloodstream at higher levels than the remainder of the embryo proper. However, the yolk sac remains the predominant site of HPP-CFC expansion (>100-fold) until the liver begins to serve as the major hematopoietic organ at E11.5. On secondary replating, embryonic HPP-CFC give rise to definitive erythroid and macrophage (but not primitive erythroid) progenitors. Our findings support the hypothesis that definitive but not primitive hematopoietic progenitors originate from yolk sac-derived HPP-CFC during late gastrulation.

Animals↗

"Liver function tests" are not always tests of liver function.

A child with Wilm's tumor and a child with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were each noted to have persistent elevations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Both children underwent thorough evaluation for liver disease and, as a result, experienced delays in treatment of the Wilm's tumor and ITP. Eventually both children were found to have extremely elevated serum creatine kinase (CK). Muscle biopsy confirmed diagnoses of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy in one child, and Becker's muscular dystrophy in the second. Hematologists/oncologists should consider obtaining a serum CK to rule out muscle disease in patients with unexplained elevations of AST, ALT, and LDH.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Yolk-sac hematopoiesis: the first blood cells of mouse and man.

OBJECTIVE: To review the process of blood-cell formation in the murine and human yolk sac. DATA SOURCES: Most articles were selected from the PubMed database. DATA SYNTHESIS: The yolk sac is the first site of blood-cell production during murine and human ontogeny. Primitive erythroid cells originate in the yolk sac and complete their maturation, including enucleation, in the bloodstream. Though species differences exist, the pattern of hematopoietic progenitor cell emergence in the yolk sac is similar in mouse and man. In both species, there is a stage of development where both primitive red blood cells and definitive erythroid progenitors are produced in the yolk sac. An "embryonic" hematopoietic stem cell that engrafts in myeloablated newborn but not adult mice can be detected in the murine yolk sac and embryo. Stem-cell activity in the human yolk sac has not been reported. CONCLUSIONS: The yolk sac is the sole site of embryonic erythropoiesis. However, definitive erythroid, myeloid, and multipotential progenitors also originate in the yolk sac. The relationship between these progenitors and the "embryonic" hematopoietic stem cell has not been elucidated. Yolk sac-derived progenitor cells may seed the developing liver via the circulation and serve as the immediate source of the mature blood cells that are required to meet the metabolic needs of the rapidly growing fetus.

Animals↗

Subtractive hybridization reveals tissue-specific expression of ahnak during embryonic development.

The gene product ahnak has been identified from extra-embryonic mesoderm cDNA enriched using a subtractive hybridization approach modified for using small amounts of starting material. Clones for cyclin D2 and H19 have also been isolated as being preferentially enriched in the extra-embryonic mesoderm compared with the embryo proper of embryonic day (E) 7.5 neural plate stage mouse embryos. The differential expression of these genes was confirmed at gastrulation stage using in situ hybridization. More detailed analysis of the human genomic ahnak sequence suggests that its highly repetitive structure was formed by unequal cross-over and gene conversion. During organogenesis, ahnak is expressed in a variety of tissues, including migratory mesenchyme. By E12.5, the major site of expression of ahnak is craniofacial mesenchyme. Immunohistochemical analysis has shown that ahnak protein is expressed mainly at the cell membrane of migratory mesenchymal cells, primarily in the nucleus of bone growth plate cells and mostly in the cytoplasm of differentiating nasal epithelia. The potential functions of ahnak are discussed in light of these results.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Serglycin proteoglycan synthesis in the murine uterine decidua and early embryo.

This study has explored the localization and synthesis of the serglycin proteoglycan in the murine embryo and uterine decidua during midgestation. Embryos in deciduae were subjected to in situ hybridization with cRNA probes and to immunohistochemical detection with a specific antibody against murine serglycin. Adherent decidual cell cultures were prepared from freshly isolated deciduae. Proteoglycan biosynthesis was investigated by labeling intact deciduae and decidual cultures with (35)S-sulfate. Serglycin mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization throughout the mesometrial portion and at the periphery of the antimesometrial portion of the decidua at Embryonic Day (E) 8.5, and in the parietal endoderm surrounding the embryo. Serglycin mRNA was detected in fetal liver at E11.5-E14.5. Serglycin was detected by immunohistochemistry in decidua and parietal endoderm at E8.5 and in liver at E13.5. Most of the proteoglycans synthesized by cultured intact deciduae (78%) and adherent decidual cultures (91%) were secreted into the medium. Serglycin proteoglycan may play an important role in uterine decidual function during early postimplantation development.

Animals↗

Regulation of hemangioblast development.

The in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells provides a powerful approach for studying the earliest events involved in the commitment of the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Using this model system, we have identified a precursor with the potential to generate both primitive and definitive hematopoietic cells as well as cells with endothelial characteristics. The developmental potential of this precursor suggests that it represents the in vitro equivalent of the hemangioblast, a common stem cell for both lineages. ES cells deficient for the transcription factor scl/tal-1 are unable to generate hemangioblasts, while those deficient for Runx1 generate reduced numbers of these precursors. These findings indicate that both genes play pivotal roles at the earliest stages of hematopoietic and endothelial development. In addition, they highlight the strength of this model system in studying the function of genes in embryonic development.

Animals↗

The relationship of CD5+ B lymphocytes to macrophages: insights from normal biphenotypic B/macrophage cells.

For decades, numerous investigators have reported derivation of macrophage-like cells from CD5(+) pre-B cell lymphomas. Recently, it has become clear that biphenotypic CD5(+) B/macrophage cells are not a spurious result of malignancy. Indeed, the existence of normal biphenotypic cells with CD5(+) B lymphocyte and macrophage characteristics has been demonstrated in the mouse. This review considers normal B/macrophage cell function in an evolutionary context where a primitive, flexible cell type could perform dual roles in adaptive and innate immunity.

Animals↗

Positional cloning of zebrafish ferroportin1 identifies a conserved vertebrate iron exporter.

Defects in iron absorption and utilization lead to iron deficiency and overload disorders. Adult mammals absorb iron through the duodenum, whereas embryos obtain iron through placental transport. Iron uptake from the intestinal lumen through the apical surface of polarized duodenal enterocytes is mediated by the divalent metal transporter, DMTi. A second transporter has been postulated to export iron across the basolateral surface to the circulation. Here we have used positional cloning to identify the gene responsible for the hypochromic anaemia of the zebrafish mutant weissherbst. The gene, ferroportin1, encodes a multiple-transmembrane domain protein, expressed in the yolk sac, that is a candidate for the elusive iron exporter. Zebrafish ferroportin1 is required for the transport of iron from maternally derived yolk stores to the circulation and functions as an iron exporter when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Human Ferroportin1 is found at the basal surface of placental syncytiotrophoblasts, suggesting that it also transports iron from mother to embryo. Mammalian Ferroportin1 is expressed at the basolateral surface of duodenal enterocytes and could export cellular iron into the circulation. We propose that Ferroportin1 function may be perturbed in mammalian disorders of iron deficiency or overload.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Embryonic expression and function of the chemokine SDF-1 and its receptor, CXCR4.

Directed cell movement is integral to both embryogenesis and hematopoiesis. In the adult, the chemokine family of secreted proteins signals migration of hematopoietic cells through G-coupled chemokine receptors. We detected embryonic expression of chemokine receptor messages by RT-PCR with degenerate primers at embryonic day 7.5 (E7.5) or by RNase protection analyses of E8.5 and E12.5 tissues. In all samples, the message encoding CXCR4 was the predominate chemokine receptor detected, particularly at earlier times (E7.5 and E8.5). Other chemokine receptor messages (CCR1, CCR4, CCR5, CCR2, and CXCR2) were found in E12.5 tissues concordant temporally and spatially with definitive (adult-like) hematopoiesis. Expression of CXCR4 was compared with that of its only known ligand, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), by in situ hybridization. During organogenesis, these genes have dynamic and complementary expression patterns particularly in the developing neuronal, cardiac, vascular, hematopoietic, and craniofacial systems. Defects in the first four of these systems have been reported in CXCR4- and SDF-1-deficient mice. Our studies suggest new potential mechanisms for some of these defects as well as additional roles beyond the scope of the reported abnormalities. Earlier in development, expression of these genes correlates with migration during gastrulation. Migrating cells (mesoderm and definitive endoderm) contain CXCR4 message while embryonic ectoderm cells express SDF-1. Functional SDF-1 signaling in midgastrula cells as well as E12.5 hematopoietic progenitors was demonstrated by migration assays. Migration occurred with an optimum dose similar to that found for adult hematopoietic cells and was dependent on the presence of SDF-1 in a gradient. This work suggests roles for chemokine signaling in multiple embryogenic events.

Animals↗

Characterization of human endotoxin lipopolysaccharide receptor CD14 expression in transgenic mice.

CD14 is a major receptor for the bacterial endotoxin LPS. Since CD14 is specifically and highly expressed on the surface of monocytic cells, it has been used as a monocyte/macrophage differentiation marker. To identify elements that are critical for the direction of the tissue-specific expression of CD14, an 80-kb genomic DNA fragment containing the coding region of the CD14 gene, as well as a considerable amount of both upstream and downstream sequence, was used to generate transgenic mice. The analysis of mice from six different founder lines demonstrated that this genomic DNA fragment was sufficient to direct human CD14 gene expression in a monocyte-specific manner among hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, the data lead us to a new finding that CD14 is highly expressed in the human liver, a primary organ involved in the acute phase response. These transgenic mice provide a useful model to analyze the biological function of human CD14.

Animals↗

Biphenotypic B/macrophage cells express COX-1 and up-regulate COX-2 expression and prostaglandin E(2) production in response to pro-inflammatory signals.

B/macrophage cells are biphenotypic leukocytes of unknown function that simultaneously express B lymphocyte (IgM, IgD, B220, CD5) and macrophage (phagocytosis, F4/80, Mac-1) characteristics. B/macrophage cells can be generated from purified mouse B lymphocytes incubated in fibroblast-conditioned medium. A potential role for B/macrophage cells in inflammation was shown by their ability to express prostaglandin H synthase-1 (COX-1) and prostaglandin H synthase-2 (COX-2) and by their production of prostaglandin (PG) E(2). COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA expression is not observed in the precursor B lymphocytes and is not known to be a property of B lineage cells. In contrast, COX-2 and the prostanoids PGE(2), PGF(2alpha) and PGD(2) are highly inducible in B/ macrophage cells upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, CD40 ligand, or via engagement of surface IgM, supporting a role for these cells in inflammation. PGD(2) and its metabolites are of interest because they activate the nuclear receptor PPARgamma that regulates lipid metabolism. The B/macrophage represents the first instance of a normal B-lineage cell capable of expressing COX-2. Importantly, B/macrophage cells were identified in vivo, providing evidence that they may play a significant role in immune responses. Since PGE(2) blunts IL-12 production, its synthesis by B/macrophage cells may shift the balance of an immune response towards Th2 and humoral immunity.

Animals↗

A novel ubiquitin-specific protease, UBP43, cloned from leukemia fusion protein AML1-ETO-expressing mice, functions in hematopoietic cell differentiation.

Using PCR-coupled subtractive screening-representational difference analysis, we have cloned a novel gene from AML1-ETO knockin mice. This gene is highly expressed in the yolk sac and fetal liver of the knockin mice. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that its cDNA contains an 1,107-bp open reading frame encoding a 368-amino-acid polypeptide. Further protein sequence and protein translation analysis shows that it belongs to a family of ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBP), and its molecular mass is 43 kDa. Therefore, we have named this gene UBP43. Like other ubiquitin proteases, the UBP43 protein has deubiquitinating enzyme activity. Protein ubiquitination has been implicated in many important cellular events. In wild-type adult mice, UBP43 is highly expressed in the thymus and in peritoneal macrophages. Among nine different murine hematopoietic cell lines analyzed, UBP43 expression is detectable only in cell lines related to the monocytic lineage. Furthermore, its expression is regulated during cytokine-induced monocytic cell differentiation. We have investigated its function in the hematopoietic myeloid cell line M1. UBP43 was introduced into M1 cells by retroviral gene transfer, and several high-expressing UBP43 clones were obtained for further study. Morphologic and cell surface marker examination of UBP43/M1 cells reveals that overexpression of UBP43 blocks cytokine-induced terminal differentiation of monocytic cells. These data suggest that UBP43 plays an important role in hematopoiesis by modulating either the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway or the ubiquitination state of another regulatory factor(s) during myeloid cell differentiation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Development of erythroid and myeloid progenitors in the yolk sac and embryo proper of the mouse.

In this study, we have mapped the onset of hematopoietic development in the mouse embryo using colony-forming progenitor assays and PCR-based gene expression analysis. With this approach, we demonstrate that commitment of embryonic cells to hematopoietic fates begins in proximal regions of the egg cylinder at the mid-primitive streak stage (E7.0) with the simultaneous appearance of primitive erythroid and macrophage progenitors. Development of these progenitors was associated with the expression of SCL/tal-1 and GATA-1, genes known to be involved in the development and maturation of the hematopoietic system. Kinetic analysis revealed the transient nature of the primitive erythroid lineage, as progenitors increased in number in the developing yolk sac until early somite-pair stages of development (E8.25) and then declined sharply to undetectable levels by 20 somite pairs (E9.0). Primitive erythroid progenitors were not detected in any other tissue at any stage of embryonic development. The early wave of primitive erythropoiesis was followed by the appearance of definitive erythroid progenitors (BFU-E) that were first detectable at 1-7 somite pairs (E8.25) exclusively within the yolk sac. The appearance of BFU-E was followed by the development of later stage definitive erythroid (CFU-E), mast cell and bipotential granulocyte/macrophage progenitors in the yolk sac. C-myb, a gene essential for definitive hematopoiesis, was expressed at low levels in the yolk sac just prior to and during the early development of these definitive erythroid progenitors. All hematopoietic activity was localized to the yolk sac until circulation was established (E8.5) at which time progenitors from all lineages were detected in the bloodstream and subsequently in the fetal liver following its development. This pattern of development suggests that definitive hematopoietic progenitors arise in the yolk sac, migrate through the bloodstream and seed the fetal liver to rapidly initiate the first phase of intraembryonic hematopoiesis. Together, these findings demonstrate that commitment to hematopoietic fates begins in early gastrulation, that the yolk sac is the only site of primitive erythropoiesis and that the yolk sac serves as the first source of definitive hematopoietic progenitors during embryonic development.

Animals↗

Developmental expression of extracellular glutathione peroxidase suggests antioxidant roles in deciduum, visceral yolk sac, and skin.

Extracellular glutathione peroxidase (EGPx) is a secreted selenium-dependent enzyme that reduces hydroperoxides and organic hydroperoxides. Selenium deficiency in females is associated with infertility and spontaneous abortion, suggesting a role for selenium-requiring proteins during embryonic development. To gain insight into functions of EGPx in vivo, we determined sites of murine EGPx synthesis by in situ hybridization during embryogenesis and in adult tissues. At E7.5 of development, high EGPx expression was found in the maternally derived deciduum, with lower levels of accumulation in the embryonic visceral endoderm. At E9.5, the major sites of expression were the yolk sac endoderm and heart musculature. By E16.5, EGPx mRNA expression persisted in yolk sac endoderm but also accumulated significantly in atrially derived myocytes, ossification centers, adipose tissue, intestinal epithelium, and in a ventral-to-dorsal gradient in developing skin. Glutathione peroxidase activity due to EGPx protein was identified in the fluids surrounding the developing mouse embryo at midgestation. The expression of EGPx in tissues at the maternal-fetal interface--deciduum, visceral yolk sac, and skin--suggests that EGPx may serve to protect the embryo from oxidant damage. In adult mice, we identified the S1 segment of the kidney proximal tubules as the primary site of EGPx mRNA accumulation, with lower EGPx levels in atrial cardiac muscle, intestine, skin, and adipose tissue. These findings suggest that EGPx may serve a wider antioxidant role than previously recognized in the interstitium of multiple localized tissues, particularly those associated with the active transport of lipids.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Developmental biology of erythropoiesis.

A newborn infant represents the culmination of developmental events from conception through organogenesis. Red cells are critically important for survival and growth of the embryo. During development, erythropoiesis occurs in two distinct forms. The first 'primitive' form consists of nucleated erythroblasts that differentiate within the blood vessels of the extraembryonic yolk sac. The second 'definitive' form consists of anucleate erythrocytes that differentiate within the liver and third trimester bone marrow of the fetus. While adult bone marrow and cord blood now serve as sources of stem cells for the treatment by transplantation of genetic and malignant diseases, the developmental origin of hematopoietic stem cells has not been determined. During the third trimester the fetus grows rapidly and the production of red cells is approximately 3-5 times that of adult steady state levels. Birth brings dramatic changes in oxygenation and erythropoietin production that result in a tenfold drop in red cell production and in a transient 'physiologic' anemia. Other causes of fetal and infant anemias have their origins in development processes. These include globin gene switching in alpha and beta thalassemia, the expression of red cell antigens in alloimmune hemolytic disease, and the poorly understood defects in the regulation of erythropoiesis in Diamond Blackfan anemia. Even in the adult, vestiges of fetal erythropoiesis are evident during transient states of accelerated erythroid expansion. A better understanding of the development of erythropoiesis will bring improvements in the treatment of anemia, not only in the newborn, but also in the fetus and the adult.

Anemia↗

Initiation of murine embryonic erythropoiesis: a spatial analysis.

Hematopoiesis in the mouse conceptus begins in the visceral yolk (VYS), with primitive erythroblasts first evident in blood islands at the headfold stage (E8.0). VYS erythropoiesis is decreased or abrogated by targeted disruption of the hematopoietic transcription factors tal-1, rbtn2, GATA-1, and GATA-2. To better understand the potential roles of these genes, and to trace the initial temporal and spatial development of mammalian embryonic hematopoiesis, we examined their expression patterns, and that of betaH1-globin, in normal mouse conceptuses by means of in situ hybridization. Attention was focused on the 36-hour period from mid-primitive streak to early somite stages (E7.25 to E8.5), when the conceptus undergoes rapid morphologic changes with formation of the yolk sac and blood islands. Each of these genes was expressed in extraembryonic mesoderm, from which blood islands are derived. This VYS expression occurred in a defined temporal sequence: tal-1 and rbtn2 transcripts were detected earlier than the others, followed by GATA-2 and GATA-1, and then by betaH1-globin. Transcripts for all of these genes were present in VYS mesoderm cell masses at the neural plate stage (E7.5), indicating commitment of these cells to the erythroid lineage before the appearance of morphologically recognizable erythroblasts. By early somite stages (E8.5), GATA-2 mRNA expression is downregulated in VYS blood islands as terminal primitive erythroid differentiation proceeds. We conclude that primitive mammalian erythropoiesis arises during gastrulation through the ordered temporal expression of tal-1, rbtn2, GATA2, and GATA-1 in a subset of extraembryonic mesoderm cells. During the stages analyzed, tal-1 and rbtn2 expression was also present in posterior embryonic mesoderm, while GATA-1 and GATA-2 expression was evident in extraembryonic tissues of ectodermal origin.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Expression of homeobox genes, including an insulin promoting factor, in the murine yolk sac at the time of hematopoietic initiation.

The visceral yolk sac (YS), a simple bilayer structure formed during gastrulation, supplies blood cells and intestine- and liver-like functions to support embryonic growth. To better understand gene regulation in extraembryonic tissues, we examined the early murine YS for expression of the homeobox family of developmental transcription regulators. We identified a subset of known homeobox sequences (Hox 1l, b1, a9, c9, a7, b7, b8, a10, cdx-1, and PDX-1), as well as two novel homeodomains consisting of a fourth labial class Hox genes and one that matches the Antennapedia class on the amino acid level. The two most frequently isolated YS Hox genes, a9 and c9, are initially expressed only in the YS (E.5) and subsequently expressed in both the embryo and YS (E8.5). Another of the identified genes, PDX-1, is involved in pancreatic development and insulin regulation. Whereas the4 rodent YS is known to produce insulin from mid to late gestation, YS insulin expression had not been examined earlier in development . We detected insulin mRNA in the YS at both E7.5 and E8.5, prior to expression in the embryo proper or formation of the pancreas. However, other pancreatic products, such as glucagon, somatostatin, and carboxypeptidase A, are not expressed in the YS. In situ analysis indicates insulin is produced in YS mesothelial cells and endoderm cells, but not in blood cells. We hypothesize the early expression of insulin in the YS is required for the expansion of insulin responsive cells including primitive erythroblasts.

Animals↗