Myosin-II Is a Major Modulator of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Abstract 2343

Non-muscle myosin-II (NMM-II) promotes cell division, membrane rigidity and adhesion to a rigid matrix, and so NMM-II activity might be predicted to be low in dormant hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and to increase with differentiation. Deletion of NMM-II is known to be embryonic lethal, but its role in adult HSC differentiation is not known. Recently, we showed that sustained pharmacological inhibition of NMM-II together with soft 2D matrices like the perivascular niches in marrow, rather than rigid like bone, maximizes both MK maturation and platelet generation (Shin et al., PNAS, 2011; 108:11458-63). HSCs exhibit some similarities to mature MKs in that long-term HSCs remain undivided in vivo while various progenitors and maturing cells rapidly expand in number. Here, reversible inhibition of NMM-II sustained over several cell cycles enriches long-term HSCs up to 20 fold by selective elimination of proliferating progenitors. CFSE dilution analysis indicates that inhibition of NMM-II eliminates the accumulation phase of hematopoietic progenitors and accelerates natural cell death rate by apoptosis. Interestingly, supplementation of G-CSF significantly enhances HSC survival under NMM-II inhibition and further accelerates progenitor elimination. Molecular profiling and functional analyses indicate that NMM-II isoforms play distinct roles during HSC differentiation. NMM-IIA is a marker for differentiation with significantly lower expression in HSCs than committed progenitors, which is consistent with greater membrane flexibility of HSCs measured by micropipette aspiration. In contrast, NMM-IIB is 5 fold higher in HSCs and progenitors than differentiated CD34⁻ cells. HSC and progenitor numbers are also sensitive to matrix elasticity in a NMM-II dependent manner, with maximal expansion on soft and high-density fibronectin matrices (not collagen). However, upon NMM-II inhibition, the extent of HSC enrichment relative to multipotent progenitors is more sensitive to matrix ligand density than matrix elasticity.

To identify physiological mechanisms of regulating NMM-II activity during early HSC differentiation, we investigated post-translational modifications of NMM-IIA, specifically the de-activating and isoform-specific phosphorylation at myosin Ser1943 (pS1943) in HSC and progenitors. In a phospho-specific flow cytometry approach, pS1943 level proves highest in HSCs and decreases during differentiation with Tpo and G-CSF but not SCF alone. TGF-beta inhibits the reduction of pS1943 level, consistent with TGF-beta's known role in HSC hibernation. Therefore, pS1943 level dictates HSC enrichment and parallels the dose-response to pharmacological NMM-II inhibitors. Furthermore, phospho-mimetic mutation of NMM-IIA at Ser1943 decreases cytoskeletal integrity, increases membrane flexibility, and limits matrix elasticity sensing, indicating that biophysical properties of HSCs can also be regulated by HSC-specific signaling via NMM-IIA heavy chain phosphorylation. Myosin-inhibited CD34⁺-derived bone marrow cells show reduced colony-forming unit progenitors in vitro, but maintain functional long-term HSCs in vivo in the marrows of xenografted mice with an added benefit to increase platelet circulation simultaneously. Therefore, myosin-II inhibition and soft, high ligand fibronectin constitutes an important ‘microenvironment mimetic’ approach to enrichment of long-term HSCs. Myosin-II is clearly a central, matrix-regulated node for HSC proliferation and differentiation.