Microarray and serial analysis of gene expression analyses identify known and novel transcripts overexpressed in hematopoietic stem cells

The human CD34⁺/CD38^-/Lin^- cell subset, comprising ∼1-10% of the CD34⁺ cell population, contains few of the less primitive hematopoietic (lineage-committed) progenitor cells (HPCs) but most of the primitive in vivo engrafting (lympho-)hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We analyzed gene expression in CD34⁺/CD38^-/ Lin^- cell populations isolated from normal human adult donor bone marrow, neonatal placental/umbilical cord blood, and mobilized adult donor peripheral blood stem-progenitor cells. As measured by Affymetrix microarrays, 4746 genes were expressed in CD34⁺/CD38^-/Lin^- cells from all three tissues. We also determined the transcriptomes of the stem cell-depleted, HPC-enriched CD34⁺/[CD38/ Lin]⁺⁺ cell population from each tissue. Comparison of CD34⁺/CD38^-/ Lin^- (HSC-enriched) versus CD34⁺/[CD38/Lin]⁺⁺ (HPC-enriched, HSC-depleted) cells from each tissue yielded 81 genes overrepresented and 90 genes underrepresented, common to all three of the CD34⁺/CD38^-/Lin^- cell populations. These transcripts, which are selectively expressed in HSCs from all three tissues, include a number of known genes (e.g., transcription factors, receptors, and signaling molecules) that might play roles in key functions (e.g., survival, self-renewal, differentiation, and/or migration/adhesion) of human HSCs. Many genes/transcripts of unknown function were also detected by microarray analysis. Serial analysis of gene expression of the bone marrow HSC and HPC populations confirmed expression of most of the overrepresented transcripts for which reliable serial analysis of gene expression tags were detected and additionally suggested that current microarrays do not detect as many as 30% of the transcripts expressed in HSCs, including a number of previously unknown transcripts. This work is a step toward full definition of the transcriptome of normal human HSCs and may identify new genes involved in leukemogenesis and cancer stem cells.