In the mammal, definitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are first derived from mesodermal cells within a region of the embryonic para-aortic splanchnopleura known as the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM). Within this region, HSCs are thought to arise from hemangioblast precursors located in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta. However, the factors that regulate HSC development in vivo are still ...

In the mammal, definitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are first derived from mesodermal cells within a region of the embryonic para-aortic splanchnopleura known as the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM). Within this region, HSCs are thought to arise from hemangioblast precursors located in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta. However, the factors that regulate HSC development in vivo are still ...

ndothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are immature cells that have the capacity to proliferate, migrate, and differentiate into endothelial lineage cells. Embryological research has clarified that embryonic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and EPCs are derived from a common precursor (ie, hemangioblast) and share many surface marker antigens such as Flk-1 (VEGFR2), Tie-2, c-Kit, Sca-1, AC133 (CD133...

Vascular development involves not only vascular growth, but also regression of transient or unnecessary vessels. Hyaloid vasculature is the temporary circulatory system in fetal eyes, which spontaneously degenerates when the retinal blood vessels start to grow. Failure of the hyaloid vessels to regress leads to disease in humans, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, which causes severe int...

During the course of a differential screen to identify transcripts specific for chick heart/hemangioblast precursor cells, we have identified Ccbe1 (Collagen and calcium-binding EGF-like domain 1). While the importance of Ccbe1 for the development of the lymphatic system is now well demonstrated, its role in cardiac formation remained unknown. Here we show by whole-mount in situ hybridization a...

During early embryogenesis, blood vessels and hematopoietic cells arise from a common precursor cell, the hemangioblast. Recent studies have identified endothelial progenitor cells in the peripheral blood, and there is accumulating evidence that a subset of these cells is derived from precursors in the bone marrow. Here we show that adult bone marrow-derived, phenotypically defined hematopoieti...

The helix-loop-helix transcription factor, scl, plays an essential role in hematopoietic development. Embryos in which the gene has been disrupted fail to develop yolk sac erythropoiesis, and scl-null embryonic stem cells do not contribute to hematopoiesis in chimeric mice. To analyze the molecular consequences of scl deficiency, we compared the gene expression profiles of control (wild-type an...

The developmental relationship between the blood and endothelial cell (EC) lineages remains unclear. In the extra-embryonic blood islands of birds and mammals, ECs and blood cells are closely intermixed, and blood island precursor cells in the primitive streak express many of the same molecular markers, leading to the suggestion that both lineages arise from a common precursor, called the heman...

The cells of hematopoietic and vascular endothelial cell lineages are believed to share a common precursor, termed hemangioblast. However, the existence of a growth factor acting relatively specifically on hemangioblasts remains unclear. Here we report the identification of hemangiopoietin (HAPO), a novel growth factor acting on both hematopoietic and endothelial cell lineages. In vitro in the ...

In this report, we describe the identification and characterization of an early embryoid body-derived colony, termed the transitional colony, which contains cell populations undergoing the commitment of mesoderm to the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Analysis of individual transitional colonies indicated that they express Brachyury as well as flk-1, SCL/tal-1, GATA-1, (beta)H1 and (beta...