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. 2005 Aug 1;106(3):860-70.
doi: 10.1182/blood-2004-11-4522. Epub 2005 Apr 14.

Hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells progresses through sequential hematoendothelial, primitive, and definitive stages resembling human yolk sac development

Elias T Zambidis  1 , Bruno Peault, Tea Soon Park, Fred Bunz, Curt I Civin
Affiliations

Hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells progresses through sequential hematoendothelial, primitive, and definitive stages resembling human yolk sac development

Elias T Zambidis et al. Blood. .

Abstract

We elucidate the cellular and molecular kinetics of the stepwise differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to primitive and definitive erythromyelopoiesis from human embryoid bodies (hEBs) in serum-free clonogenic assays. Hematopoiesis initiates from CD45 hEB cells with emergence of semiadherent mesodermal-hematoendothelial (MHE) colonies that can generate endothelium and form organized, yolk sac-like structures that secondarily generate multipotent primitive hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs), erythroblasts, and CD13+CD45+ macrophages. A first wave of hematopoiesis follows MHE colony emergence and is predominated by primitive erythropoiesis characterized by a brilliant red hemoglobinization, CD71/CD325a (glycophorin A) expression, and exclusively embryonic/fetal hemoglobin expression. A second wave of definitive-type erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e's), erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-e's), granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFCs), and multilineage CFCs follows next from hEB progenitors. These stages of hematopoiesis proceed spontaneously from hEB-derived cells without requirement for supplemental growth factors during hEB differentiation. Gene expression analysis of differentiating hEBs revealed that initiation of hematopoiesis correlated with increased levels of SCL/TAL1, GATA1, GATA2, CD34, CD31, and the homeobox gene-regulating factor CDX4 These data indicate that hematopoietic differentiation of hESCs models the earliest events of embryonic and definitive hematopoiesis in a manner resembling human yolk sac development, thus providing a valuable tool for dissecting the earliest events in human HSPC genesis.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and FACS expression analysis of key hematoendothelial genes in differentiating hEBs. Human-specific PCR primers (Table 1) were used to amplify indicated target genes. Levels of gene expression differences for (A) hematoendothelial surface markers or (B) hematopoietic regulatory transcription factors were calculated using the 2–ΔΔCT method as described in “Materials and methods,” based on the CT (threshold curve) for each target gene and internal normalizations with actin. Values of fold change in expression are relative to baseline expression levels in FACS-sorted populations of undifferentiated hESCs (day 0 hEBs) and are expressed as “fold expression from undifferentiated hESC.” Shown above graphs are the corresponding agarose gels of PCR products obtained at linear phases of qPCR reactions. Standard deviations between duplicate or triplicate samples are shown. PECAM indicates platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1. (C) Developmental progression of hematoendothelial surface marker expression on disaggregated hEB cells at various time points. “% positive hEB cell” represents fluorescence value obtained by FACS analysis following subtraction of control sample background. Each time point represents the mean of 3 to 5 independent experiments with indicated standard deviations.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Hematopoietic differentiation from recultured hEB cells initiates with expansion of adherent MHE colonies. Single-cell suspensions of hEB cells differentiated for 3 to 25 days were plated in modified serum-free methylcellulose medium containing hematopoietic growth factors as described in “Materials and methods.” (A) Within 1 to 3 weeks following day 7 to 12 hEB cell suspension CFC assay plating, a population of semiadherent MHE colonies expanded either from plastic-adherent hEB clonogenic progenitors, or rarely from attached secondary hEBs. Plastic-adherent MHE colonies (i; magnification × 200) differentiate by lateral endothelioid expansion accompanied by budding, hemoglobinizing hematopoietic blasts (arrows) that are intimately intermixed with adherent cells (ii; magnification × 40). MHE clusters can become quite prolific after 3 to 5 weeks (iii; magnification × 200) if refreshed with fresh medium with growth factors every 1 to 2 weeks. Wright stains (iv; magnification × 600, oil) of budding, nonadherent cells from prolific MHE clusters revealed abundant hematopoietic blasts (Bl), primitive nucleated erythrocytes (EryP), foamy primitive macrophages (Macro-P), and rare definitive cells including granulocytes and definitive erythroid cells (not shown). (B) Kinetics of MHE colony appearance from differentiating hEBs (mean and standard deviations of 3 independent experiments). Loosely adherent cells from prolific HE clusters were picked and analyzed by FACS (C) and found to express abundant levels of early erythroid (CD71), myeloid (CD13), and panhematopoietic (CD45) markers. Mature (3- to 5-week-old) MHE colonies were extensively washed of budding, nonadherent hematopoietic cells, and remaining plastic-adherent cells were incubated with 10 μg/mL acetylated Dil-LDL overnight and then fixed, permeabilized, and further evaluated for expression of endothelial-specific and mesodermal markers. Approximately 15% to 20% of elongated, plastic-adherent cells that formed the base of MHE colonies were shown by in situ immunofluorescence (D) or FACS analysis (as single cells) (E) to be capable of simultaneously taking up acetylated Dil-LDL and costaining with either Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1–FITC (D; UEA1, magnification × 100) (E) or VE-cadherin plus FITC-conjugated secondary antibody (D; magnification × 200). The remainder of the adherent cells that surrounded intermixed, robust Dil-LDL–positive endothelial clusters stained brightly for intracellular vimentin, thus identifying them as mesodermal-mesenchymal (nonendothelial) in lineage (D, right 4 panels; magnification × 100, × 200, respectively). Shown are merged images of phase and red and/or green immunofluorescent filters.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Secondary blast colonies can arise directly from adherent MHE colonies and differentiate directly to primitive erythroblasts, macrophages, or mixed erythromyeloid colonies. During their initial differentiation, adherent MHE clusters (A; magnification × 100) often produced secondary budding, blast colonies (B, magnification × 200) with a Wright-Giemsa stain hematopoeitic blast morphology (C; magnification × 1000, oil) and that differentiated rapidly into hemoglobinizing cells. To further evaluate the clonogenic potential of MHE-derived budding hematopoietic blast colonies derived from day 7 to 9 hEB cells, they were individually picked prior to full differentiation (about 1 week after hEB plating) and recultured in H4436 supplemented with 50 ng/mL bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) (which greatly improved their replating efficiency). Single, picked, MHE-derived primary blast colonies (B) were demonstrated to be multipotential by their ability to give rise to multiple secondary mixed, macrophage, or erythroid colonies (D,E) in secondary replating experiments ([E] with 5 of 7 primary blast colonies successfully replated in a representative experiment repeated 3 times). After 4 to 6 weeks of continuous culture, prolific, mature MHE clusters (F, left panel; magnification × 40) are composed of nonadherent hematopoietic cells arising from an adherent bed of mesenchymal-endothelial cells. When nonadherent cells are extensively washed away and adherent cells were incubated overnight with acetylated Dil-LDL, approximately 20% to 30% of adherent cells were positive (F, right panel). To further evaluate the endothelial component of MHE colonies, adherent cells from individual colonies (Gi) were picked, disaggregated, analyzed by FACS, or replated in endothelial medium (EGM2) on Matrigel-coated plates. Replated adherent cells from 6 of 6 individual MHE colonies gave rise to cells with endothelial morphology (ii) and ability to take up acetylated Dil-LDL after several days of EGM2 endothelial culture. (iv) These cells were further evaluated for expression of endothelial genes including von Willebrand factor (VWF) and VE-cadherin by qRT-PCR (HU indicates human umbilical vein endothelial cell [HUVEC] RNA control; C, cord blood RNA control; E, endothelial cells from replated MHE adherent layers). More than 50% to 70% of elongated, adherent cells expressed CD34 and/or CD31 (iii, left); EGM2 replated adherent cells continued to express CD31/CD34 and were devoid of CD45 expression (iii, right).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Day 7 to 20 hEB cells contain clonogenic progenitors for both primitive and definitive erythropoiesis. Erythroid colonies with a “brilliant red” hemoglobinization from day 9 hEB-derived BFU-e-P (Ai; magnification × 100) and EryP (ii; magnification × 100) containing nucleated primitive erythrocytes were generated from day 7 to 15 day hEBs. Erythroid colonies containing a brownish, “salmon-red” hemoglobinization were generated from day 12 to 20 day hEBs ([B] BFU-e-D, CFU-e-D). Colonies (3 to 5 pooled) were picked from semisolid medium for staining or FACS analyses. Wright stains from multiclustered BFU-e-P (Aiii; magnification × 600) revealed an increased abundance of erythroblasts, while more mature EryP (iv; magnification × 600) contained primarily differentiated nucleated erythrocytes. Primitive erythroblast (Bl) colonies predominate from day 9 to 12 hEBs differentiate directly into nucleated erythrocytes positive for hemoglobin by benzidine staining (C, top; magnification × 400). Erythroblast colonies stain brightly positive for fetal hemoglobins by erythrosin-B K-B stains (C, bottom; magnification × 200). (Inset) Positive control K-B staining from maternal peripheral blood with 10% fetal erythrocyte cells. (D) Kinetic analysis of primitive and definitive erythroid CFCs. Shown is a representative analysis of 3 independent experiments. Although all types of erythroid CFCs had surface expression of CD71+/GlyA+ cells (F) and expressed various levels fetal hemoglobin (HbF), only day 12 to 20 BFU-e-D and CFU-e-D expressed adult hemoglobin A (HbA). Day 15 to 20 BFU-e-D or CFU-e-D often contained brownish, lysed cells. Coexpression of both HbF and HbA in BFU-e-D from CD34+ cord blood (CB) progenitors was used as a positive control ([F] CB BFU-e).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Day 7 to 20 hEB cells contain clonogenic, multilineage erythromyeloid progenitors for both primitive and definitive hematopoiesis. (A) Kinetics of mixed, multipotent erythromyeloid primitive (Mixed CFC-P) or definitive (Mixed CFC-D) colonies. (B) Kinetics of primitive macrophage (Macro-P) colonies and definitive GM-CFC and M-CFC (scored in combination and presented together as “GMCFC-D”). Shown is a representative experiment performed 3 independent times. Large, loosely packed primitive mixed erythromyeloid colonies (C; MIXED-P, magnification × 100) containing foamy macrophages and primitive erythroblasts (C; Wright stain, MIXED CFC-P, magnification × 600, oil) peak from day 9 to 12 hEBs (along with primitive erythroid CFCs) and differentiate from blast colonies similar to those that arise from MHE clusters. (D) Foamy macrophage colonies with no evidence of monocytic precursors on Wright stains (magnification × 1000, oil) also predominated from day 9 to 15 hEBs. (E) Compact colonies containing definitive monocytes/granulocytes (MIXED CFC-D) as well as GMCFC-D (F, left and middle; magnification × 1000, oil) and M-CFC-D (F, right; Wright stain, magnification × 600, oil) arose primarily from day 12 to 20 hEBs. (G) Day 9 hEB-derived MIXED CFCs (C) were picked (2 to 3 colonies) and shown by FACS analysis to express abundant amounts of CD71 and CD45 (as well as CD13; not shown). Shown in the bottom row is the FACS profile of day 9 hEB pooled EryP colonies from the same cultures.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Molecular phenotypes of primitive erythroid and primitive/definitive multipotent colonies by real-time qRT-PCR. Day 9 hEB colonies were scored with primitive/definitive parameters as described in the text. Primitive erythroid (BFU-e-P, EryP) colonies, primitive mixed (MIXED-P) colonies, and definitive mixed (MIXED-D) colonies were pooled (2 to 3 colonies), and RNA was analyzed by qRT-PCR methods as described in text. “Fold change in expression from undifferentiated hEB cells” was calculated using the 2–/ΔΔCT method as described in “Materials and methods,” based on the CT (threshold curve) for each target gene and internal normalizations with actin. Expression of target genes was compared with levels in undifferentiated day 9 hEB cells prior to plating. (A) qRT-PCR analysis of key regulatory genes in primitive and definitive colonies. (B) qRT-PCR expression analysis of primitive (epsilon, zeta), fetal (alpha, gamma), and definitive adult (alpha, beta) hemoglobins. (C) qRT-PCR analysis of AML1 isoforms. (D) Corresponding agarose gels of PCR products obtained at linear phases of qPCR reactions. RNA from erythroleukemia cell line K562 and cord blood were used as positive controls for qRT-PCR reactions.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Summary of cellular and molecular events during hEB differentiation. (A) Developmental progression of hematoendothelial gene expression during hEB differentiation. (B) Correlation of key genes and markers to hEB development of MHE, primitive (PRIM), and definitive (DEF) hematopoiesis.
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