The genetic program of hematopoietic stem cells

Blood cell production originates from a rare population of multipotent, sel f-renewing stem cells. A genome-wide gene expression analysis was performed in order to define regulatory pathways in stem cells as well as their glob al genetic program. Subtracted complementary DNA Libraries from highly puri fied murine fetal liver stem cells were analyzed with bioinformatic and arr ay hybridization strategies. A large percentage of the several thousand gen e products that have been characterized correspond to previously undescribe d molecules with properties suggestive of regulatory functions. The complet e data, available in a biological process-oriented database, represent the molecular phenotype of the hematopoietic stem cell.