Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P10721 (c-kit)
 6,575 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Thrombopoietin (Tpo), the ligand for c-mpl, has been shown to be the principal regulator of megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production. The ability of Tpo to potently stimulate the growth of committed megakaryocyte (Mk) progenitor cells has been studied in detail. Murine fetal liver cells, highly enriched in primitive progenitors, have been shown to express c-mpl, but little is known about the ability of Tpo to stimulate the growth and differentiation of primitive multipotent bone marrow (BM) progenitor cells. Here, we show that Tpo alone and in combination with early acting cytokines can stimulate the growth and multilineage differentiation of Lin- Sca-1+ BM progenitor cells. In particular, Tpo potently synergized with the ligands for c-kit (stem cell factor [SCF]) and flt3 (FL) to stimulate an increase in the number and size of clones formed from Lin- Sca-1+ progenitors. When cells were plated at 1 cell per well, the synergistic effect of Tpo was observed both in fetal calf serum-supplemented and serum-depleted medium and was decreased if the addition of Tpo to cultures was delayed for as little as 24 hours, suggesting that Tpo is acting directly on the primitive progenitors. Tpo added to SCF + erythropoietin (Epo)-supplemented methylcellulose cultures potently enhanced the formation of multilineage colonies containing granulocytes, macrophages, erythrocytes, and Mks. SCF potently enhanced Tpo-stimulated production of high-ploidy Mks from Lin- Sca-1+ progenitors, whereas the increased growth response obtained when combining Tpo with FL did not translate into increased Mk production. The ability of Tpo and SCF to synergistically enhance the growth of Lin- Sca-1+ progenitors was predominantly observed in the more primitive rhodamine 123(lo) fraction. Tpo also enhanced growth of Lin- Sca-1+ progenitors when combined with interleukin-3 (IL-3) and IL-11 but not with IL-12, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or Epo. Epo, which has high homology to Tpo, was unable to stimulate the growth of Lin- Sca-1+ progenitors alone or in combination with SCF or FL, suggesting that c-mpl is expressed on more primitive stages of progenitors than the Epo receptor. Thus, the present studies show the potent ability of Tpo to enhance the growth of primitive multipotent murine BM progenitors in combination with multiple early acting cytokines and documents its unique ability to synergize with SCF to enhance Mk production from such progenitors.
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PMID:Thrombopoietin, but not erythropoietin, directly stimulates multilineage growth of primitive murine bone marrow progenitor cells in synergy with early acting cytokines: distinct interactions with the ligands for c-kit and FLT3. 897 40

Studies of hematopoietic progenitor cell development in vivo, ex vivo, and in factor-dependent cell lines have shown that c-kit promotes proliferation through synergistic effects with at least certain type 1 cytokine receptors, including the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor. Presently, c-kit is shown to efficiently support both mitogenesis and survival in the FDCP1 cell subline, FDC2. In this system, mitogenic synergy with c-kit was observed for ectopically expressed wild-type Epo receptors (wt-ER), an epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor/Epo receptor chimera, and a highly truncated Epo receptor construct ER-Bx1. Thus, the Epo receptor cytoplasmic box 1 subdomain appears, at least in part, to mediate mitogenic synergy with c-kit. In studies of potential effectors of this response, Jak2 tyrosine phosphorylation was shown to be induced by Epo, but not by stem cell factor (SCF). In addition and in contrast to signaling in Mo7e and BM6 cell lines, in FDC2-ER cells SCF and Epo each were shown to rapidly activate Pim 1 gene expression. Recently, roles also have been suggested for the nuclear trans-factor GATA-1 in regulating progenitor cell proliferation. In FDC2-ER cells, the ectopic expression of GATA-1 had no detectable effect on Epo inhibition of apoptosis. However, GATA-1 expression did result in a selective and marked inhibition in mitogenic responsiveness to SCF and to a decrease in c-kit transcript expression. These studies of SCF and Epo signaling in FDC2-wt-ER cells serve to functionally map the ERB1 region as a c-kit-interactive domain, suggest that Pim1 might contribute to SCF and Epo mitogenic synergy and support the notion that SCF and Epo may act in opposing ways during red cell differentiation.
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PMID:Mechanisms of stem cell factor and erythropoietin proliferative co-signaling in FDC2-ER cells. 934 37

We recently showed that a retrovirally transduced prolactin receptor (PrlR) efficiently supports the differentiation of wild-type burst-forming unit erythroid (BFU-e) and colony-forming unit erythroid (CFU-e) progenitors in response to prolactin and in the absence of erythropoietin (Epo). To examine directly whether the Epo receptor (EpoR) expressed by wild-type erythroid progenitors was essential for their terminal differentiation, we infected EpoR-/- progenitors with retroviral constructs encoding either the PrlR or a chimeric receptor containing the extracellular domain of the PrlR and intracellular domain of EpoR. In response to prolactin, both receptors were equally efficient in supporting full differentiation of the EpoR-/- progenitors into erythroid colonies in vitro. Therefore, there is no requirement for an EpoR-unique signal in erythroid differentiation; EpoR signaling has no instructive role in red blood cell differentiation. A synergistic interaction between EpoR and c-kit is essential for the production of normal numbers of red blood cells, as demonstrated by the severe anemia of mice mutant for either c-kit or its ligand, stem cell factor. We show that the addition of stem cell factor potentiates the ability of the PrlR to support differentiation of both EpoR-/- and wild-type CFU-e progenitors. This synergism is quantitatively equivalent to that observed between c-kit and EpoR. Therefore, there is no requirement for an EpoR-unique signal in the synergistic interaction between c-kit and EpoR.
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PMID:The prolactin receptor rescues EpoR-/- erythroid progenitors and replaces EpoR in a synergistic interaction with c-kit. 971 74

Red blood cells are of vital importance for oxygen transport in vertebrates. Thus, their formation during development and homeostasis requires tight control of both progenitor proliferation and terminal red cell differentiation. Self renewal (i.e. long-term proliferation without differentiation) of committed erythroid progenitors has recently been shown to contribute to this regulation. Avian erythroid progenitors expressing the EGF receptor/c-ErbB (SCF/TGFalpha progenitors) can be induced to long-term proliferation by the c-ErbB ligand transforming growth factor alpha and the steroids estradiol and dexamethasone. These progenitors have not yet been described in mammals and their factor requirements are untypical for adult erythroid progenitors. Here we describe a second, distinct type of erythroid progenitor (EpoR progenitors) which can be established from freshly isolated bone marrow and is induced to self renew by ligands relevant for erythropoiesis, i.e. erythropoietin, stem cell factor, the ligand for c-Kit and the glucocorticoid receptor ligand dexamethasone. Limiting dilution cloning indicates that these EpoR progenitors are derived from normal BFU-E/CFU-E. For a detailed study, mEpoR progenitors were generated by retroviral expression of the murine Epo receptor in bone marrow erythroblasts. These progenitors carry out the normal erythroid differentiation program in recombinant differentiation factors only. We show that mEpoR progenitors are more mature than SCF/TGFalpha progenitors and also do no longer respond to transforming growth factor alpha and estradiol. In contrast they are now highly sensitive to low levels of thyroid hormone, facilitating their terminal maturation into erythrocytes.
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PMID:A novel way to induce erythroid progenitor self renewal: cooperation of c-Kit with the erythropoietin receptor. 1019 26

Signals provided by the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor are essential for the development of red blood cells, and at least 15 distinct signaling factors are now known to assemble within activated Epo receptor complexes. Despite this intriguing complexity, recent investigations in cell lines and retrovirally transduced murine fetal liver cells suggest that most of these factors and signals may be functionally nonessential. To test this hypothesis in erythroid progenitor cells derived from adult tissues, a truncated Epo receptor chimera (EE372) was expressed in transgenic mice using a GATA-1 gene-derived vector, and its capacity to support colony-forming unit-erythroid proliferation and development was analyzed. Expression at physiological levels was confirmed in erythroid progenitor cells expanded ex vivo, and this EE372 chimera was observed to support mitogenesis and red blood cell development at wild-type efficiencies both independently and in synergy with c-Kit. In addition, the activity of this minimal chimera in supporting megakaryocyte development was tested and, remarkably, was observed to approximate that of the endogenous receptor for thrombopoietin. Thus, the box 1 and 2 cytoplasmic subdomains of the Epo receptor, together with a tyrosine 343 site (each retained within EE372), appear to provide all of the signals necessary for the development of committed progenitor cells within both the erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages.
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PMID:A minimal cytoplasmic subdomain of the erythropoietin receptor mediates erythroid and megakaryocytic cell development. 1055 47

The hematopoietic cell S/T kinase Pim-1 was originally discovered as a target of murine leukemia provirus integration, and when expressed at increased levels is predisposing to lymphomagenesis. Recently, Pim-1 has been shown to enhance the activities of p100, c-Myb and cdc25a, and in part this might explain reported effects on mitogenesis. In the context of cytokine withdrawal, Pim-1 also can attenuate programmed cell death (PCD). Cytokine withdrawal, however, alters signaling pathways and can complicate the dissection of mitogenic vs apoptotic responses. To better study possible effects of Pim-1 on PCD, a hematopoietic cell model was developed in which proliferation was supported efficiently by SCF plus EPO in the absence of endogenous Pim-1 gene expression. This was provided by factor-dependent FDCW2 cells that express endogenous and functional c-Kit, and were transfected stably with truncated Epo receptor form mutated at a Y343 STAT5 binding site. In proliferating cells, exogenously expressed Pim-1 was observed to efficiently inhibit PCD as induced by either Co60 or adriamycin, and the dose-dependent nature of this effect was established in several independent clones. By comparison, effects of exogenous Pim-1 on mitogenesis were nominal. In addition, in cell fractionation studies an estimated 25% of Mr 34000 Pim-1 (but not Mr 44000 Pim-1) was present in nuclear extracts. Thus, Pim-1 efficiently buffers hematopoietic progenitor cells against death as induced by several clinically important apoptotic agents, and may directly target nuclear effectors.
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PMID:Pim-1 kinase protects hematopoietic FDC cells from genotoxin-induced death. 1095 75

Erythroid homeostasis depends critically upon erythropoietin (Epo) and stem cell factor cosignaling in late progenitor cells. Epo bioresponses are relayed efficiently by minimal receptor forms that retain a single Tyr-343 site for STAT5 binding, while forms that lack all cytoplasmic Tyr(P) sites activate JAK2 and the transcription of c-Myc plus presumed additional target genes. In FDCER cell lines, which express endogenous c-Kit, the signaling capacities of such minimal Epo receptor forms (ER-HY343 and ER-HY343F) have been dissected to reveal: 1) that Epo-dependent mitogenesis, survival, and bcl-x gene expression via ER-HY343 depend upon the intactness of the Tyr-343 STAT5 binding site; 2) that ER-HY343-dependent bcl-x(L) gene transcription is enhanced markedly via c-Kit; 3) that socs-3, plfap, dpp-1, and cacy-bp gene transcription is induced via ER-HY343, whereas dpp-1 and cacy-bp gene expression is also supported by ER-HY343F; 4) that ectopically expressed SOCS-3 suppresses proliferative signaling by not only ER-HY343 but also c-Kit; and 5) that in FDCER and primary erythroid cells, c-Kit appears to provide the primary route to MAPK activation. Thus, integration circuits exist in only select downstream pathways within Epo and stem call factor receptor signaling.
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PMID:Integrative signaling by minimal erythropoietin receptor forms and c-Kit. 1112 55

Homozygous natural white-spotted (W) mutations in the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit are associated with hypoplastic bone marrow, severe macrocytic anemia, and lethality during early postnatal life. c-Kit(W/W) mice can be rescued by wild-type hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but it is not known whether the lethality of c-Kit(W/W) mice is the result of HSC failure or defects specific for erythropoiesis. Here we show that transgenic expression of erythropoietin (EPO) can overcome the lethality caused by the c-Kit(W/W) mutation. In W mutant mice rescued by EPO, termed WEPO, erythrocyte colony-forming units (CFU-Es) are rescued to normal frequencies. Hence, Epo receptor signals can partially bypass the strict requirement for c-Kit signaling in erythropoiesis in the absence of c-Kit in vivo. Using a series of W and rescue mouse strains, we define here the erythropoietic threshold permitting survival in vivo. The lethality of c-Kit(W/W) mice has precluded analysis of this crucial receptor-ligand pair in adult stem/progenitor cells. Our strategy to generate viable c-Kit(W/W) mice will be useful to analyze the role of this important receptor tyrosine kinase in adult life in vivo.
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PMID:Rescue of lethal c-KitW/W mice by erythropoietin. 1517 84

Erythropoiesis is regulated by a number of growth factors, among which stem cell factor (SCF) and erythropoietin (Epo) play a non-redundant function. Viable mice with mutations in the SCF gene (encoded by the Steel (Sl) locus), or its receptor gene c-Kit (encoded by the White spotting (W) locus) develop a hypoplastic macrocytic anemia. Mutants of W or Sl that are completely devoid of c-Kit or SCF expression die in utero of anemia between days 14 and 16 of gestation and contain reduced numbers of erythroid progenitors in the fetal liver. Likewise, Epo and Epo receptor (Epo-R)-deficient mice die in utero due to a marked reduction in the number of committed fetal liver derived erythroid progenitors. Thus, committed erythroid progenitors require both c-Kit and Epo-R signal transduction pathways for their survival, proliferation and differentiation. In vitro, Epo alone is capable of generating mature erythroid progenitors; however, a combined treatment of Epo and SCF results in synergistic proliferation and expansion of developing erythroid progenitors. This review summarizes recent advances made towards understanding the signaling mechanisms by which Epo-R and c-Kit regulate growth, survival, and differentiation of erythroid progenitors alone and cooperatively.
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PMID:Role of c-Kit and erythropoietin receptor in erythropoiesis. 1578 Sep 8

There is increasing evidence suggesting a wider biological role of erythropoietin (Epo) and Epo receptor (EpoR) not related to erythropoiesis, such as the detection of EpoR in other cells, i.e. polymorphonuclear leukocytes, megakaryocytes, endothelial, myocardial and neural cells. In this study, by using a mouse model (designated tg6) that constitutively overexpresses human Epo in an oxygen-independent manner, we have investigated mast cell and macrophage number and distribution in duodenal mucosa using immunohistochemical, morphometric and image analysis methods. The results showed that tryptase-positive mast cells and BM8-positive macrophages were more numerous in duodenal mucosa specimens of tg6 mice compared with wild-type mice. Moreover, whereas in wild-type specimens both mast cells and macrophages were generally scattered throughout the villus, in tg6 specimens they were aligned along the axis of the villus. Morphometric analysis confirms this observation, and the quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of the cells in duodenal villi indicated that in both wild-type and tg6 groups the macrophage and mast cell distribution was characterized by significant deviations from randomness. In addition, an increased number of c-kit-positive cells have been identified in the villus axis of tg6 mice, indicating an expanded compartment of mast cell precursors in the intestinal mucosa of these animals. Finally, we have also demonstrated that in tg6 specimens the number of duodenal epithelial cells positive for Epo were significantly higher as compared to wild type. Overall, these data confirm that Epo, acting as a general stimulator of the hemopoietic compartment, is able to induce an expansion of two effectors of the immune response, mast cells and macrophages, in a specific peripheral site, the duodenal mucosa, in the tg6 mouse experimental model.
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PMID:Mast cells and macrophages in duodenal mucosa of mice overexpressing erythropoietin. 1969 58


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