Moyer, Daniel Alexander

Abstract Description Hematopoiesis declines with age due to intrinsic and extrinsic dysregulation resulting in diminished lymphopoiesis. Hoxa9 is a pleiotropic hematopoietic regulator necessary for stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) maintenance and lymphoid differentiation. Interestingly, bone marrow (BM) HSPC and B lineage compartments of young hoxa9-/- mice mimic that which accompanies aging. Hoxa9 is a negative regulator of p16ink4a, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor upregulated in hoxa9-/- HSPCs and a gatekeeper of the G1 to S cell cycle checkpoint. We hypothesized that increased expression of p16ink4a contributes to the HSPC and/or B progenitor alterations due to hoxa9-deficiency. Interestingly, BM B lymphopoiesis was normalized in hoxa9-/-p16ink4a-/- (DKO) mice, but alterations were less obvious in HSPCs. Flow analysis of the HSPC compartment proliferation showed contraction of unbiased but not myeloid-biased progenitors prior to lineage fate commitment. hoxa9-/- CFU-PreB were blunted then rescued by p16ink4a co-ablation. Primary BM transplant demonstrates DKO like hoxa9-/- has reduced reconstitution efficiency but differs with superior B lineage reconstitution similar to controls. Bioinformatic analysis of recent open access CUT&RUN data in HSPCs confirms Hoxa9 binds promoters in genes relevant to G1 to S cell cycle checkpoint, these findings currently being validated. Our work emphasizes HSPC regulatory factors as crucial targets in combating age-associated maladies of the immune system. Funding Sources Supported by NIH R01AG076163 Topic Categories Hematopoiesis and Immune System Development (HEM)