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The E11.5 aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region is a site of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development prior to colonisation of the embryonic liver. The generation of HSCs in the embryo starting from E11 is very rapid. Here, we have assessed hematopoietic development in the AGM region during E11 at precise somitic ages. Although the numbers of committed hematopoietic precursors fluctuate throughout the day, the repopulation activity in the AGM region noticeably increases from mid (44 s.p.) to end (48 s.p.) day 11 of gestation. While prior to mid day 11 two thirds of AGM regions contain no definitive HSCs, shortly prior to liver colonisation, all older day 11 embryos contain definitive HSC. Nevertheless, all E11 AGM regions even at early somitic stages have the capacity to expand numbers of definitive HSCs ex vivo. Quantitative anatomical analysis confirmed preferential localization of intra-aortic clusters (IACs) to the ventral domain of the dorsal aorta during entire day 11 of development. No clear correlation was established between IAC numbers and the presence of definitive HSCs.

Erythropoiesis in adult mammals is characterized by the progressive maturation of hematopoietic stem cells to lineage-specific progenitors, to morphologically identifiable precursors which enucleate to form mature erythrocytes. In contrast, primitive erythropoiesis is characterized by the appearance within the yolk sac of a transient, lineage-restricted progenitor population which generates a wave of erythroid precursors. These precursors undergo progressive maturation in the bloodstream, characterized by nuclear condensation and embryonic hemoglobin accumulation. This process is dependent on erythropoietin signaling through its cognate receptor, as well as the function of several erythroid-specific transcription factors, including GATA1 and EKLF. Targeted disruption of genes in the mouse that result in failure of the emergence or maturation of the primitive erythroid lineage leads to early fetal death, indicating that the primitive erythroid lineage is necessary for survival of the mammalian embryo. While it was thought for over a century that primitive erythroid cells were uniquely nucleated mammalian red cells, it is now recognized that they, like their definitive erythroid counterparts, enucleate to form reticulocytes and pyrenocytes. This surprising finding indicates that the primitive erythroid lineage is indeed mammalian, rather than non-mammalian, in character.

The main function of the Notch signaling pathway is to generate cell diversity during both embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. The extended use of this pathway, together with its conservation during evolution, is indicative of its importance. During embryonic development, the vascular and hematopoietic systems are intimately associated and Notch signals are responsible for the correct specification of both systems. More explicitly, Notch is required for the induction of the arterial program; however, it is simultaneously or consecutively also involved in the generation of hematopoietic stem cells. Although both genetic programs are different, they are both implemented in endothelial cells of the dorsal aorta in the midgestation embryo. This close association during the development of arteries and blood has hindered our understanding of Notch function in the generation of hematopoietic stem cells. Here, we will review the work from recent years showing how Notch participates in the embryonic development of hematopoiesis in the mouse, but also in other organisms such as chick, zebrafish and flies.

In a previous study, we underlined the functional role of the TPO receptor, Mpl, in the establishment of definitive mouse hematopoiesis, by demonstrating that the lack of Mpl led to a delayed production of definitive hematopoietic cells in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region, and resulted in the production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with an impaired activity at E11.5. In order to more accurately estimate the role of Mpl during generation of HSCs in the aorta, we performed an analysis of these AGMs at the time of the first HSC emergence (E10.5). Our results indicated that while Mpl-/- AGMs were found to contain more hematopoietic cells (HC) than C57Bl6 AGMs at E10.5, a defect in the expansion process of the HC/HSCs was detected in explant cultures of these AGMs, likely due to an increased apoptosis of these cells. To determine the molecular mechanisms by which invalidation of Mpl receptor affects the temporal distribution and expansion of HC/HSCs in the AGM, a study of the transcription level of of Mpl target genes was conducted. Expression of Runx1, a master transcription factor for the formation of hematopoietic progenitor (HP) cells and HSCs from the vasculature, as well as expression of Meis1 and HoxB4, known to play a role in self-renewal and expansion of HSCs, were found to be down regulated in E10.5 Mpl-/- AGMs. Our data indicate that Mpl is an active player during the first steps of definitive hematopoiesis establishment through direct regulation of the expression of transcription factors or genes important for the self-renewal, proliferation and apoptosis of HSCs.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are functionally defined as cells that upon transplantation into irradiated or otherwise immunocompromised adult organisms provide long-term reconstitution of the entire hematopoietic system. They emerge in the vertebrate conceptus around midgestation. Genetic studies have identified a number of transcription factors and signaling molecules that act at the onset of hematopoiesis, and have begun to delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of HSCs. One molecule that has been a particularly useful marker of this developmental event in multiple species is Runx1 (also known as AML1, Pebp2alpha). Runx1 is a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, that along with its homologues Runx2 and Runx3 and their shared non-DNA binding subunit CBFbeta, constitute a small family of transcription factors called core-binding factors (CBFs). Runx1 is famous for its role in HSC emergence, and notorious for its involvement in leukemia, as chromosomal rearrangements and inactivating mutations in the human RUNX1 gene are some of the most common events in de novo and therapy-related acute myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute lymphocytic leukemia. Here we will review the role of Runx1 in HSC emergence in the mouse conceptus and describe some of the genetic pathways that operate upstream and downstream of this gene. Where relevant, we will include data obtained from other species and embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation cultures.

During mouse ontogeny, the first adult-type hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are autonomously generated at mid-gestation in the AGM (Aorta-Gonad-Mesonephros) region. Successively present in different anatomical sites where they will expand, HSCs will finally colonize the bone marrow (BM) where they will reside during the entire adult life. In the bone marrow, both HSC self-renewal and differentiation are controlled at cellular and molecular levels by interactions with the stromal microenvironment. So far, very little is known about the extracellular factors involved in the regulation of embryonic HSC emergence, survival and expansion. In the present review, we outline the BMP and IL-3 signaling pathways that are critical for the growth and potential of embryonic HSCs. We will also discuss how these pathways might be integrated with the ones of Notch and Mpl/thrombopoietin, also identified as important key regulators of AGM HSC activity.