4. Hematopoiesis Flashcards
What is hematopoiesis?
The formation of BLOOD CELLS (exclusively, which include immune cells
Animal hematopoietic diseases can involve what?
Acquired or congenital defects in any steps required for blood cell formation and can affect leukocyte numbers and/or fxn
Stem cell: what is it, what does it have the capacity to do, what does it provide?
- Early progenitor cell with the capacity to differentiate into mature cells
- Potential to mature into a number of different cell types
- Provides “raw material” to repopulate cells that die (normal turnover), are killed (through infections or die fighting), or are removed because of errors/injuries
What is the stem cell hierarchy?
Totipotent
- The ability of stem cells to give rise to all embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues
- Ex. the zygote that forms by the fusion of an egg and sperm
Pluripotent
- The ability to give rise to all embryonic, but NOT extra-embryonic tissues
- Ex. stem cells in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst
Multipotent
- The ability to give rise to the diverse cell types of one or a few tissues
- Ex. the hematopoietic stem cell that gives rise to all blood lineages
Where do all of the cells of the immune system derive from?
A common hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) in the bone marrow
What do hematopoietic stem cells supply?
Supply ENTIRE repertoire of mature blood cells for the LIFETIME of an organism
How do hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) supply the entire repertoire of mature blood cells for the lifetime of an organism?
- SELF-RENEWAL CAPACITY: maintains and expands stem cell pool
- in theory, ONE cell should be sufficient to replenish the whole blood cell repertoire of an irradiated animal - MULTI-LINEAGE DIFFERENTIATION POTENTIAL: produces the diverse blood cell types of the mature hematopoietic system
In addition to immune cells, what else do hematopoietic stem cells yield?
- Erythrocytes (RBC)
- Megakaryocytes/platelets (responsible for blood clotting)
In general terms, on each division what does a stem cell give rise to?
Another stem cell and a progenitor cell
- Progenitor cell committed to producing related cells
- The greater the level of differentiation, the greater the level of commitment to a particular lineage and lower capacity to self-renew
- Under homeostatic conditions the number of HSC in a particular organ remains fairly constant
How can you distinguish between the various leukocyte population? Why would you want to?
HOW
1. Can do it at protein level
- Ex. flow cytometry
2. Or the gene (mRNA expression) level
- Ex. Q-PCR and Microarrays
- looking at if the cellular population is expressing the genes we expect or if the tissue has high levels of a leukocyte-specific gene
WHY
- For research studies
- To identify and characterize diseases
- To assess animal health status
Flow cytometry
- Start with a basis which is a mixture of cells, all of which are expressing different antigens
- Add fluorescent antibodies that bind specific antigens
- Send the “bag of cells” single file through a laser that based on the antibodies, tells you how “red” or how “green” the cell is and gets plotted on a table
What does bone marrow provide?
An important STEM CELL NICHE
- occupies the centre portion of bones
- 2 types: yellow and red
- only red marrow actively generates blood cells
- yellow marrow is dormant
- at birth all marrow is red; in adults it remains through the axial skeleton and epiphysis of the humerus and femur
What is the importance of interaction between stem cells and the microenvironment (stem cell niche) for differentiation?
- Bone marrow stem cell niche helps maintain stem cell properties, including self-renewing capacity and ability to differentiate into multiple lineages
- For example, critical component for sustaining slow-cycling/dormant (quiescent) stem cells
- Quiescent state is an essential mechanism to protect stem cells from stress and sustain long-term hematopoiesis
- Both stem cells and microenvironment are important!
How do stromal and other cells provide a nurturing hematopoietic microenvironment for stem cells?
- Cell-derived components
- soluble growth factors, cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix molecules - Systemic control factors
- injury and neurohormones - Physiological conditions
- O2 tension
There are many hematopoietic organs, what does this depend on?
- Depends on species
- Depends on developmental stage