Rac and Cdc42 GTPases control hematopoietic stem cell shape, adhesion, migration, and mobilization

FC Yang, SJ Atkinson, Y Gu… - Proceedings of the …, 2001 - National Acad Sciences
FC Yang, SJ Atkinson, Y Gu, JB Borneo, AW Roberts, Y Zheng, J Pennington, DA Williams
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2001National Acad Sciences
Critical to homeostasis of blood cell production by hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSC/P)
cells is the regulation of HSC/P retention within the bone marrow microenvironment and
migration between the bone marrow and the blood. Key extracellular regulatory elements for
this process have been defined (cell–cell adhesion, growth factors, chemokines), but the
mechanism by which HSC/P cells reconcile multiple external signals has not been
elucidated. Rac and related small GTPases are candidates for this role and were studied in …
Critical to homeostasis of blood cell production by hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSC/P) cells is the regulation of HSC/P retention within the bone marrow microenvironment and migration between the bone marrow and the blood. Key extracellular regulatory elements for this process have been defined (cell–cell adhesion, growth factors, chemokines), but the mechanism by which HSC/P cells reconcile multiple external signals has not been elucidated. Rac and related small GTPases are candidates for this role and were studied in HSC/P deficient in Rac2, a hematopoietic cell-specific family member. Rac2 appears to be critical for HSC/P adhesion both in vitro and in vivo, whereas a compensatory increase in Cdc42 activation regulates HSC/P migration. This genetic analysis provides physiological evidence of cross-talk between GTPase proteins and suggests that a balance of these two GTPases controls HSC/P adhesion and mobilization in vivo.
National Acad Sciences