Transcripts of repetitive DNA elements signal to block phagocytosis of hematopoietic stem cells

Science. 2024 Sep 13;385(6714):eadn1629. doi: 10.1126/science.adn1629. Epub 2024 Sep 13.

Abstract

Macrophages maintain hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) quality by assessing cell surface Calreticulin (Calr), an "eat-me" signal induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using zebrafish genetics, we identified Beta-2-microglobulin (B2m) as a crucial "don't eat-me" signal on blood stem cells. A chemical screen revealed inducers of surface Calr that promoted HSC proliferation without triggering ROS or macrophage clearance. Whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screening showed that Toll-like receptor 3 (Tlr3) signaling regulated b2m expression. Targeting b2m or tlr3 reduced the HSC clonality. Elevated B2m levels correlated with high expression of repetitive element (RE) transcripts. Overall, our data suggest that RE-associated double-stranded RNA could interact with TLR3 to stimulate surface expression of B2m on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. These findings suggest that the balance of Calr and B2m regulates macrophage-HSC interactions and defines hematopoietic clonality.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • Calreticulin* / genetics
  • Calreticulin* / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells* / cytology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells* / metabolism
  • Macrophages* / metabolism
  • Phagocytosis*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
  • Signal Transduction
  • Toll-Like Receptor 3* / genetics
  • Toll-Like Receptor 3* / metabolism
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins / genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism
  • beta 2-Microglobulin* / genetics
  • beta 2-Microglobulin* / metabolism

Substances

  • beta 2-Microglobulin
  • Calreticulin
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Toll-Like Receptor 3
  • Zebrafish Proteins