Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Dec 13;7(6):1116-1129.
doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.11.003.

USP10 Is an Essential Deubiquitinase for Hematopoiesis and Inhibits Apoptosis of Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Masaya Higuchi  1 , Hiroki Kawamura  2 , Hideaki Matsuki  3 , Toshifumi Hara  3 , Masahiko Takahashi  3 , Suguru Saito  3 , Kousuke Saito  3 , Shuying Jiang  4 , Makoto Naito  5 , Hiroshi Kiyonari  6 , Masahiro Fujii  7
Affiliations

USP10 Is an Essential Deubiquitinase for Hematopoiesis and Inhibits Apoptosis of Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Masaya Higuchi et al. Stem Cell Reports. .

Abstract

Self-renewal, replication, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are regulated by cytokines produced by niche cells in fetal liver and bone marrow. HSCs must overcome stresses induced by cytokine deprivation during normal development. In this study, we found that ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) is a crucial deubiquitinase for mouse hematopoiesis. All USP10 knockout (KO) mice died within 1 year because of bone marrow failure with pancytopenia. Bone marrow failure in these USP10-KO mice was associated with remarkable reductions of long-term HSCs (LT-HSCs) in bone marrow and fetal liver. Such USP10-KO fetal liver exhibited enhanced apoptosis of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) including LT-HSCs but not of lineage-committed progenitor cells. Transplantation of USP10-competent bone marrow cells into USP10-KO mice reconstituted multilineage hematopoiesis. These results suggest that USP10 is an essential deubiquitinase in hematopoiesis and functions by inhibiting apoptosis of HSPCs including LT-HSCs.

Keywords: apoptosis; hematopoietic stem cells; ubiquitin specific peptidase.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
USP10-KO Mice Show Early Lethality and BM Failure (A) Growth retardation of USP10-KO mice. The body weights of male WT (n = 6), male KO (n = 5), female WT (n = 4), and female KO (n = 6) mice were monitored every week after 4 weeks of age. (B) Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of mice with the indicated genotypes. (C) Severe anemia in USP10-KO mice. The appearances of footpad and peripheral blood of a moribund USP10-KO mouse and those of an age-matched WT mouse are shown. (D) Blood cell counts from moribund USP10-KO mice and age-matched WT mice (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). ∗p < 0.05. (E) H&E staining of femur BM from 24-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice. (F and G) Cerebral and cerebellar hemorrhages (F) and esophageal achalasia (G) in USP10-KO mice.
Figure 2
Figure 2
USP10-KO Mice Exhibit Pancytopenia and Multiple Hematopoietic Lineage Defects (A) Blood cell counts from 8- and 16-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice (mean ± SD; n = 5 for each genotype). (B) Cellularities of BM, spleen, and thymus from 8- and 16-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype except for n = 5 for 16-week WT). (C−F) BM (C and D) and spleens (E and F) were prepared from 8- and 16-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice, and then the numbers of B (B220+) and T (CD3+) cells, macrophages (MAC-1+GR-1low), granulocytes (MAC-1+GR-1+), and erythroid cells (TER-119+) in these organs were measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype except for n = 5 for 16-week WT). Two femurs from each mouse were used to determine cell populations in BM. Numbers within the quadrants in (D) and (F) indicate the percentages of B220+ and TER-119+ cells. (G) Spleen and liver weights normalized by total body weight in 8-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice (mean ± SD; n = 5 and n = 4 for WT and KO, respectively). ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01. ns, not significant.
Figure 3
Figure 3
HSPCs Are Depleted in the BM and FL of USP10-KO Mice (A) Gating strategy for HSPCs. LK and LSK were labeled as LCP and HSPC, respectively (upper). CD48+ LSK, CD150−CD48− LSK, and CD150+CD48− LSK were labeled as HPC, MPP, and LT-HSC, respectively (lower). (B) Representative FACS analysis of BM cells from 8-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice comparing the frequencies of LK, LSK, and CD150+CD48− LSK (LT-HSC) cells. Numbers indicate the percentages of each population. (C) Percentages and absolute numbers of LK, LSK, and LT-HSCs in the BM from 8-week-old mice (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). Two femurs from each mouse were used to determine cell populations. (D) Representative FACS analysis of BM cells from 1-week-old USP10-WT and KO mice comparing the frequencies of LK, LSK, and CD150+CD48− LSK (LT-HSC) cells. (E) Percentages and absolute numbers of LK, LSK, and CD150+CD48− LSK (LT-HSCs) in the BM from 1-week-old mice (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). (F and G) Representative FACS analysis of FL cells from E17.5 (F) and E14.5 (G) USP10-WT and KO embryos comparing the frequencies of LK, LSK, and CD150+CD48− LSK (LT-HSC) cells. Numbers indicate the percentages of each population. (H and I) Percentages of CD150+CD48− LSK (LT-HSCs), CD150−CD48− and CD48+ LSK, and LK cells in FL cells (H) and absolute number of FL cells (I) from E14.5 and E17.5 USP10-WT and KO embryos (mean ± SD; n = 8, 9, 6, and 4 for E14.5 WT, E14.5 KO, E17.5 WT, and E17.5 KO, respectively). ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01. ns, not significant.
Figure 4
Figure 4
USP10-KO FL HSCs Have Defects in Hematopoietic Cell Reconstitution Activity (A) Experimental design of the competitive reconstitution assay. E14.5 USP10-WT or KO FL cells (CD45.2+) were mixed with WT BM cells (CD45.1+CD45.2+) and injected into lethally irradiated WT mice (CD45.1+CD45.2+). Reconstitution of peripheral blood cells by FL cells was monitored by CD45.1 staining for 16 weeks. (B) Representative FACS profile of peripheral blood cells. Myeloid-lineage (MAC-1+ or GR-1+), B-lineage (B220+ and CD19+), and T-lineage (CD4+ or CD8+) cells are shown. (C) Contribution of transplanted FL cells to peripheral WBCs, myeloid-, B-, and T-lineage cells in recipient mice (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). Data are representative of three independent experiments. (D) Experimental design of hematopoiesis rescue assay. USP10-WT BM cells (CD45.1+CD45.2+) were injected into 8-week-old USP10-KO mice (CD45.2+) and contribution of donor cells to peripheral blood cells was monitored by CD45.1 staining. (E) Contribution of donor BM derived cells to myeloid-, B-, and T-lineage cells 6 weeks after injection were measured (mean ± SD; n = 4). (F) Survival curves of USP10-KO mice with or without WT bone marrow transplantation (BMT). p Value was calculated by log-rank test.
Figure 5
Figure 5
USP10-KO FL LSK Cells Show Enhanced Apoptosis (A and B) FACS analysis of apoptotic cells in CD48− LSK, CD48+ LSK, and LK cells from E14.5 USP10-WT and KO FL. (A) Representative FACS analysis of CD48− LSK cells stained with annexin V and DAPI. Numbers indicate the percentages of each population. (B) Percentage of annexin V-positive cells in CD48− LSK, CD48+ LSK, and LK cells (mean ± SD; n = 15 and n = 13 for WT and KO, respectively). (C and D) FACS analysis of apoptotic cells in B220+, CD3+, MAC-1+GR-1low, and MAC-1+GR-1+ cells form 8-week-old USP10-WT and KO spleen. (C) Representative FACS analysis of caspase-3/7 activity from each population. Numbers indicate the percentage of apoptotic cells. (D) Percentage of apoptotic cells in each population (mean ± SD; n = 5 and n = 4 for WT and KO, respectively). ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01. ns, not significant.
Figure 6
Figure 6
USP10-KO FL LSK Cells Are More Susceptible to Cytokine Deprivation-Induced Apoptosis In Vitro (A) In vitro growth of USP10-WT and KO FL cells isolated from E14.5 embryos. FL cells were cultured for more than 60 days in the presence of HSC cytokines with serial passages every 3 or 4 days. Cell number was determined by trypan blue staining, and the number of population doubling (PDL) is indicated. (B) Frequency of LSK and CD150+CD48− LSK cells in FL cells after culturing with HSC cytokines for 1 week (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). (C) In vitro colony-formation capacity of USP10-WT and KO IVC-LSK cells (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). (D) USP10-WT and KO IVC-LSK cells were cultured in cytokine-low medium (1/50 concentration of HSC-cytokine medium) for 48 hr, and the cell viability was determined by trypan blue staining (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). At least 200 cells were counted for each sample. ∗p < 0.05. (E) USP10-WT and KO IVC-LSK cells were incubated in cytokine-free medium for 12 hr. After staining with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI), cells were analyzed by FACS (mean ± SD; n = 3 and n = 4 for WT and KO, respectively). ∗∗p < 0.01 by Student's t test. (F) USP10-KO IVC-LSK cells (n = 4) were transduced with lentiviruses encoding either GFP or USP10, and the cell viability after cytokine starvation for 44 hr was examined by trypan blue staining (mean ± SD). Total cell lysates from the transduced cells were analyzed by western blotting using anti-USP10 or anti-TUBULIN antibodies. Lysates from USP10-WT IVC-LSK were used as a control. At least 200 cells were counted for each sample. Data are representative of three independent experiments. ∗p < 0.05. (G) USP10-KO IVC-LSK cells were transduced with lentiviruses encoding GFP, USP10, USP10/77–792, USP10/95–792, or USP10/C418A, and the cell viability after cytokine starvation for 44 hr and 62 hr was examined by trypan blue staining. At least 250 cells were counted for each sample. Total cell lysates from the transduced cells were analyzed by western blotting using anti-USP10 or anti-TUBULIN antibody. Data are pooled from five independent experiments and presented as mean ± SD. ∗p < 0.05 by Tukey's multiple comparison test. (H) USP10-WT and KO IVC-LSK cells were cultured in 0, 10, or 50 ng/mL SCF or TPO for 24 hr and the cell viability was determined by PI staining and FACS analysis (mean ± SD; n = 4 for each genotype). At least 10,000 cells were counted for each sample. ∗p < 0.05. (I) Cell-surface c-KIT expression in USP10-WT and KO IVC-LSK cells in cytokine-rich medium or after starvation for 6 hr. “n” represents number of embryos from which IVC-LSK cells were prepared. ns, not significant.
Figure 7
Figure 7
USP10-KO HSCs Demonstrate Both Normal Cell-Cycle Profile and ROS Production (A) Representative cell-cycle profile of CD48− LSK and CD48+ LSK cells prepared from E14.5 USP10-WT and KO FL. The percentages of G0 and G0-G1 population in each cell fraction are shown in the right panels (mean ± SD; n = 7 and n = 5 for WT and KO, respectively). (B) ROS production in USP10-WT and KO FL HSCs. CD48− LSK cells from E14.5 USP10-WT and KO FL were stained with CellROX Green reagent and analyzed by FACS. CD48− LSK cells from 18-week-old WT BM were used as a control. A representative histogram and relative mean fluorescence intensities are shown (mean ± SD; n = 10 and n = 4 for WT and KO, respectively). (C) A schematic model for two distinct anti-apoptotic functions of USP10. While USP10 inhibits ROS-dependent apoptosis in a deubiquitinase-independent manner, it inhibits cytokine deprivation-induced apoptosis in HSPCs in a deubiquitinase-dependent manner. “n” represents number of embryos from which FL cells were prepared. ns, not significant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Amrani Y.M., Gill J., Matevossian A., Alonzo E.S., Yang C., Shieh J.H., Moore M.A., Park C.Y., Sant'Angelo D.B., Denzin L.K. The Paf oncogene is essential for hematopoietic stem cell function and development. J. Exp. Med. 2011;208:1757–1765. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anthony B.A., Link D.C. Regulation of hematopoietic stem cells by bone marrow stromal cells. Trends Immunol. 2014;35:32–37. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen C., Liu Y., Liu R., Ikenoue T., Guan K.L., Liu Y., Zheng P. TSC-mTOR maintains quiescence and function of hematopoietic stem cells by repressing mitochondrial biogenesis and reactive oxygen species. J. Exp. Med. 2008;205:2397–2408. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ding L., Saunders T.L., Enikolopov G., Morrison S.J. Endothelial and perivascular cells maintain haematopoietic stem cells. Nature. 2012;481:457–462. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gu Y., Jones A.E., Yang W., Liu S., Dai Q., Liu Y., Swindle C.S., Zhou D., Zhang Z., Ryan T.M. The histone H2A deubiquitinase Usp16 regulates hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell function. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2016;113:E51–E60. - PMC - PubMed