Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Fibronectin and VLA-4 in haematopoietic stem cell–microenvironment interactions

Abstract

THE self-renewal and differentiation of haematopoietic stem cells occurs in vivo and in vitro in direct contact with cells making up the haematopoietic microenvironment1–4. In this study we used adhesive ligands and blocking antibodies to identify stromal cell-derived extracellular matrix proteins involved in promoting attachment of murine haematopoietic stem cells. Here we report that day-12 colony-forming-unit spleen (CFU-S12)5 cells and reconstituting haematopoietic stem cells attach to the C-terminal, heparin-binding fragment of fibronectin by recognizing the CS-1 peptide of the alternatively spliced non-type III connecting segment (IIICS) of human plasma fibronectin. Furthermore, CFU-S12 stem cells express the α4 subunit of the VLA-4 integrin receptor, which is known to be a receptor for the CS-1 sequence, and monoclonal antibodies against the integrin α4 subunit of VLA-4 block adhesion of CFU-S12 stem cells to plates coated with the C-terminal fibronectin fragment. Finally, polyclonal antibodies against the integrin β1 subunit of VLA-4 inhibit the formation of CFU-S12-derived spleen colonies and medullary haematopoiesis in vivo following intravenous infusion of antibody-treated bone marrow cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dexter, T. M., Allen, T. D. & Lajtha, L. G. J. cell. Physiol. 91, 335–344 (1977).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Trentin, J. J., Curry, J. C., Wilf, N. & Cheng, V. in The Proliferation and Spread of Neoplastic Cells M.D. Anderson Hospital 21st Annual Symposium on Fundamental Cancer Research 713 (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Spooncer, E., Heyworth, C. M., Dunn, A. & Dexter, D. M. Differentiation 31, 111–117 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Zipori, D. in Hematopoiesis: Long-term Effects on Chemotherapy and Radiation (eds Testa, N. F. & Gale, R. P.) 27–62 (Dekker, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Till, J. E. & McCulloch, E. A. Radial Res. 14, 213–222 (1961).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gordon, M. Y., Riley, G. P., Watt, S. M. & Greaves, M. F. Nature 326, 403–405 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts, R. et al. Nature 332, 376–378 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gordon, M. Y. & Greaves, M. F. Bone Marrow Transplant. 4, 335–338 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Williams, D. A., Rosenblatt, M. F., Beier, D. R. & Cone, R. D. Molec. cell. Biol. 8, 3864–3871 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Rios, M. & Williams, D. A. J. cell. Physiol. 145, 434–443 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Zuckerman, K. S. & Wicha, M. S. Blood 61, 540–547 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Humphries, M. J., Akiyama, S. K., Kormoriya, A., Olden, K. & Yamada, K. M. J. Cell Biol. 103, 2637–2647 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. McCarthy, J. B., Hagen, S. T. & Furcht, L. T. J. Cell Biol. 102, 179–188 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bernardi, P., Patel, V. P. & Lodish, H. F. J. Cell Biol. 105, 489–498 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Jordan, C. T. & Lemischka, I. R. Genes Dev. 4, 220–232 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. McCarthy, J. B. et al. J. Cell Biol. 110, 777–787 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Humphries, M. J., Komoriya, A., Akiyama, S. K., Olden, K. & Yamada, K. M. J. biol. Chem. 262, 6886–6892 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Wayner, E. A., Garcia-Pardo, A., Humphries, M. J., McDonald, J. A. & Carter, W. G. J. Cell Biol. 109, 1321–1330 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Guan, J.-L. & Hynes, R. O. Cell 60, 53–61 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Schwarzbauer, J. E., Lemischka, I. R. & Hynes, R. O. Cell 35, 421–431 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hemler, M. E. A. Rev. Immun. 8, 365–400 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Holzmann, B. & Weissman, I. L. EMBO. 8, 1735–1741 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ho, M.-K. & Springer, T. A. J. Immun. 128, 2281–2286 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kennett, R. et al. Monoclonal Antibodies (Plenum, New York, 1980).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  25. Lord, B. I., Testa, A. G. & Hendry, J. H. Blood 46, 65–72 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lambertsen, R. H. & Weiss, L. A. Blood 63, 287–297 (1984).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Eaves, A. C., Cashman, J. D., Gaboury, L. A., Kalousk, D. K. & Eaves, C. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 5306–5310 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Aizawa, S. & Tavassoli, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 85, 3180–3183 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Anderson, D. M. et al. Cell 63, 235–243 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Martin, F. H. et al. Cell 63, 203–211 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Zsebo, K. M. et al. Cell 63, 213–224 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Rogelj, S. et al. J. Cell Biol. 109, 823–831 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Patel, V. P. & Losich, H. F. J. Cell Biol. 102, 449–456 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Lamar, E. E. & Palmer, E. Cell 37, 171–177 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williams, D., Rios, M., Stephens, C. et al. Fibronectin and VLA-4 in haematopoietic stem cell–microenvironment interactions. Nature 352, 438–441 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/352438a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/352438a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing