Functional and molecular analysis of hematopoietic progenitors derived from the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region of the mouse embryo

Herein, we show that CD34, c-kit double-positive (CD(34+)c-kit(+)) cells fr om the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region of the developing mouse are mul tipotent in vitro and can undergo both B-lymphoid and multimyeloid differen tiation. Molecular analysis of individual CD34(+)c-kit(+) cells by single-c ell reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) shows coactiva tion of erythroid (beta-globin) and myeloid (myeloperoxidase [MPO]) but not lymphoid-affiliated (CD3, Thy-1, and lambda 5) genes. Additionally, most C ells coexpress the stem cell-associated transcriptional regulators AML-1, P U.1, GATA-2 and Lmo2 as well as the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor r eceptor (G-CSF-R). These results show that the CD34(+)c-kit(+) population f rom the AGM represents a highly enriched source of multipotent hematopoieti c cells, and suggest that limited coactivation of distinct lineage-affiliat ed genes is an early event in the generation of hematopoietic stem and prog enitor cells during ontogeny. (C) 1999 by The American Society of Hematolog y.