The Leading Publisher in Biotechnology

Stem cell factor (SCF) stimulation of the receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit has effects on the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptotic regulation of hematopoietic progenitor cell populations. Rat bone marrow myelomonocytic stem cells (MSC) isolated in vitro by wheat germ agglutinin culture exclusively undergo self-renewal divisions when stimulated by SCF but bipotentially differentiate in the presence of dexamethasone or 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ to granulocytes and macrophages, respectively. We show here that withdrawal of SCF from MSC induces rapid apoptosis in all stages of the cell cycle accompanied by development of an ultrastructural apoptotic morphology. To investigate immediate-early gene induction during MSC apoptosis, a differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) screen coupled with rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR was performed. An immediate-early apoptosis response gene was isolated from growth factor-deprived MSC that was not expressed during self-renewal or differentiation induction cultures containing SCF. The protein contains a PEST region enriched in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine residues common to proteins with a high turnover and has a cytoplasmic, vesicular localization in apoptotic MSC shown by immunohistochemistry. The human orthologous gene, isolated by RACE PCR, shows 86% homology to the rat protein and high similarity with a human uncharacterized hypothalamus predicted protein (HSMNP1) localized to the long arm of chromosome 20. Because deletions in this region are a common occurrence in a wide range of myeloproliferative disorders characterized by treatment resistance to apoptosis, HSMNP1 expression may play a role in normal and pathological myeloid development.