International audienceThe classical model of hematopoiesis established in the mouse postulates that lymphoid cells originate from a founder population of common lymphoid progenitors. Here, using a modeling approach in humanized mice, we showed that human lymphoid development stemmed from distinct populations of CD127(-) and CD127(+) early lymphoid progenitors (ELPs). Combining molecular analyses with in vitro and in vivo functional assays, we demonstrated that CD127(-) and CD127(+) ELPs emerged independently from lympho-mono-dendritic progenitors, responded differently to Notch1 signals, underwent divergent modes of lineage restriction, and displayed both common and specific differentiation potentials. Whereas CD127(-) ELPs comprised precursors of T cells, marginal zone B cells, and natural killer (NK) and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), CD127(+) ELPs supported production of all NK cell, ILC, and B cell populations but lacked T potential. On the basis of these results, we propose a "two-family" model of human lymphoid development that differs from the prevailing model of hematopoiesis

Multiple myeloma is an incurable plasma cell neoplasia characterized by the production of large amounts of monoclonal immunoglobulins. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341, Velcade) induces apoptosis in various malignant cells and has been approved for treatment of refractory multiple myeloma. Inhibition of the antiapoptotic transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) apparently contributes to the antitumor effects of bortezomib; however, this mechanism cannot fully explain the exceptional sensitivity of myeloma cells. Extensive protein synthesis as in myeloma cells is inherently accompanied by unfolded proteins, including defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), which need to be degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Therefore, we hypothesized that the proapoptotic effect of bortezomib in multiple myeloma is mainly due to the accumulation of unfolded proteins in cells with high protein biosynthesis. Using the IgG-secreting human myeloma cell line JK-6L and murine μH-chain–transfected Ag8.H myeloma cells, apoptosis induction upon proteasome inhibition was clearly correlated with the amount of immunoglobulin production. Preferentially in immunoglobulin-high myeloma cells, bortezomib triggered activation of caspases and induction of proapoptotic CHOP, a component of the terminal unfolded protein response induced by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In immunoglobulin-high cells, bortezomib increased the levels of proapoptotic Bax while reducing antiapoptotic Bcl-2. Finally, IgG-DRiPs were detected in proteasome inhibitor–treated cells. Hence, proteasome inhibitors induce apoptosis preferentially in cells with high synthesis rate of immunoglobulin associated with accumulation of unfolded proteins/DRiPs inducing ER stress. These findings further elucidate the antitumor activities of proteasome inhibitors and have important implications for optimizing clinical applications. [Cancer Res 2007;67(4):1783–92]

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved eukaryotic surveillance pathway that selectively degrades aberrant mRNAs with premature termination codons (PTCs). Although a small number of cases exist in mammals, where NMD controls levels of physiologic PTC transcripts, it is still unclear whether the engagement of NMD in posttranscriptional control of gene expression is a more prevalent phenomenon. To identify physiologic NMD substrates and to study how NMD silencing affects the overall dynamics of a cell, we stably down-regulated hUPF2, the human homolog of the yeast NMD factor UPF2, by RNA interference. As expected, hUPF2-silenced HeLa cells were impaired in their ability to recognize ectopically expressed aberrant PTC transcripts. Surprisingly, hUPF2 silencing did not affect cell growth and viability but clearly diminished phosphorylation of hUPF1, suggesting a role of hUPF2 in modulating NMD activity through phosphorylation of hUPF1. Genome-wide DNA microarray expression profiling identified 37 novel up-regulated and 57 down-regulated transcripts in hUPF2-silenced cells. About 60% of the up-regulated mRNAs carry typical NMD motifs. Hence, NMD is important not only for maintaining the transcriptome integrity by removing nonfunctional and aberrant PTC-bearing transcripts but also for posttranscriptional control of selected physiologic transcripts with NMD features.

We provide a robust four‐color fluorescence‐based flow cytometry protocol that distinguishes viable dividing plasmablasts from nondividing plasma cells and, based on CD19 surface abundance, identifies two mature plasma cell populations in the spleen and the bone marrow of mice.