Catecholaminergic neurotransmitters regulate migration and repopulation of immature human CD34+ cells through Wnt signaling

Asaf Spiegel, Shoham Shivtiel, Alexander Kalinkovich, Aya Ludin, Neta Netzer, Polina Goichberg, Yaara Azaria, Igor Resnick, Izhar Hardan, Herzel Ben-Hur, Arnon Nagler, Menachem Rubinstein, Tsvee Lapidot*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

280 Scopus citations

Abstract

Catecholamines are important regulators of homeostasis, yet their functions in hematopoiesis are poorly understood. Here we report that immature human CD34+ cells dynamically expressed dopamine and β2-adrenergic receptors, with higher expression in the primitive CD34+CD38lo population. The myeloid cytokines G-CSF and GM-CSF upregulated neuronal receptor expression on immature CD34+ cells. Treatment with neurotransmitters increased the motility, proliferation and colony formation of human progenitor cells, correlating with increased polarity, expression of the metalloproteinase MT1-MMP and activity of the metalloproteinase MMP-2. Treatment with catecholamines enhanced human CD34+ cell engraftment of NOD-SCID mice through Wnt signaling activation and increased cell mobilization and bone marrow Sca-1+ c-Kit+Lin- cell numbers. Our results identify new functions for neurotransmitters and myeloid cytokines in the direct regulation of human and mouse progenitor cell migration and development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1123-1131
Number of pages9
JournalNature Immunology
Volume8
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2007
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
Helen and Martin Kimmel Institute for Stem Cell Research
Weizmann Institute of Science
Israel Science Foundation796/04

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