Myeloerythroid-restricted progenitors are sufficient to confer radioprotection and provide the majority of day 8 CFU-S

Whole-body irradiation at the minimal lethal dose causes bone marrow failure and death within 12-18 days. To identify the principal components of the hematopoietic system that are radioprotective, we transplanted lethally irradiated mice with purified progenitors: common myeloid progenitors (CMPs), megakaryocyte/erythrocyte-restricted progenitors (MEPs), or granulocyte/monocyte-restricted progenitors (GMPs). Transplanted CMPs gave rise to cells both of the granulocyte/monocyte (GM) series and the megakaryocyte/erythrocyte series, whereas GMPs or MEPs showed reconstitution of only GM or ME cells, respectively. CMPs and MEPs but not GMPs protected mice in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that erythrocytes, platelets, or both are the critical effectors of radioprotection. Accordingly, CMPs and MEPs formed robust colonies in recipient bone marrow and spleen, whereas GMPs formed small colonies that rapidly disappeared. Direct comparisons of spleen CFU (CFU-S) potentials among each progenitor subset showed that MEPs contain the vast majority of day 8 CFU-S activity, suggesting that day 8 CFU-S are the precursors of radioprotective cell subsets. All animals radioprotected for 30 days subsequently survived for at least 6 months post-transplant, and showed only host-derived hematopoiesis after 30 days. These findings suggest that rare hematopoietic stem cells survive myeloablation that can eventually repopulate irradiated hosts if myeloerythroid-restricted progenitors transiently rescue ablated animals through the critical window of bone marrow failure.     

Flt3 ligand regulates dendritic cell development from Flt3+ lymphoid and myeloid-committed progenitors to Flt3+ dendritic cells in vivo

Stimulation of Flt3 receptor tyrosine kinase through its cognate ligand expands early hematopoietic progenitor and dendritic cells (DCs) in humans and mice. The exact developmental stages at which hematopoietic progenitors express Flt3, are responsive to its ligand, and subsequently develop to DCs, are not known. Here we show that common lymphoid and common myeloid progenitors, as well as steady state DCs in thymus, spleen, and epidermis, express Flt3. The receptor is down-regulated once definitive B cell, T cell, and megakaryocyte/erythrocyte commitment occurs, and Flt3 is not detectable on other steady state hematopoietic cell populations. Upon in vivo Flt3 ligand (Flt3L) administration, Flt3+ progenitor cells and their progeny DCs are expanded, whereas Flt3- downstream progenitors are not, or are only slightly increased. Transplantation of common lymphoid and common myeloid progenitors and subsequent Flt3L injection increases progeny DCs of both precursor populations. These findings provide a definitive map of Flt3 expression in the hematopoietic hierarchy and directly demonstrate that Flt3L can drive DC development along both the lymphoid and myeloid developmental pathways from Flt3+ progenitors to Flt3+ DCs.     

The early progenitors of mouse dendritic cells and plasmacytoid predendritic cells are within the bone marrow hemopoietic precursors expressing Flt3

Flt3 ligand (Flt3L) is a growth factor for hemopoietic progenitors and can promote the expansion of both conventional dendritic cells (DCs) and plasmacytoid predendritic cells (p-preDCs). The cells responding to Flt3L treatment and the precursors for the DCs and p-preDCs had not been fully characterized. We examined different mouse bone marrow (BM) hemopoietic precursor populations for the surface expression of Flt3 and tested them for early DC and p-preDC precursor activity. Most DC precursor activity, other than that given by multipotent hemopoietic stem cells, was within the downstream precursors expressing Flt3. The majority of mouse BM common lymphoid precursors expressed high levels of Flt3 and these were the most efficient precursors of both DCs and p-preDCs. In contrast, only a small proportion of the common myeloid precursors (CMPs) expressed Flt3, but the precursor activity for both DCs and p-preDCs was within this minor Flt3+ CMP fraction. The granulocyte and macrophage precursors and pro-B cells did not express Flt3 and had no DC or p-preDC precursor activity. These findings demonstrate that the early precursors for all DC subtypes are within the BM Flt3+ precursor populations, regardless of their lymphoid or myeloid lineage orientation.     

Flt3/Flk-2-ligand in synergy with thrombopoietin delays megakaryocyte development and increases the numbers of megakaryocyte progenitor cells in serum-free cultures initiated with CD34+ cells

Megakaryocytopoiesis involves proliferation and maturation of committed precursors that increase their size by polyploidy, a process that is believed to be critical for the efficient production and release of platelets. Thrombopoietin has been shown to act on proliferation, maturation, and survival pathways in megakaryocytopoiesis. Less is known about the role of Flt3/Flk-2-ligand in this development. Apoptosis has an important role in hematopoiesis in general. It has been shown to have an effect on senescent megakaryocytes but not megakaryocyte progenitor cells. In this study, a serum-free culture model was developed, differentiating bone marrow CD34(+) hematopoietic stem cells into megakaryocytes, using thrombopoietin and Flt3/Flk-2-ligand. The model was used to study the effect of these growth factors on expansion of megakaryocyte progenitor cells, differentiation of megakaryocytes, and ploidy. Our results demonstrate that bone marrow CD34(+) cells cultured with thrombopoietin and Flt3/Flk-2-ligand show a lower developmental rate into MK cells compared to cells cultured with thrombopoietin alone. Cells cultured with thrombopoietin and Flt3/Flk-2-ligand expressed less CD41, the ploidy level was lower, and they appeared less mature. On the other hand, the cells showed up to 10-fold increase in cell numbers compared to five-fold increase when cultured with thrombopoietin alone. These results suggest that Flt3/Flk-2-ligand in synergy with thrombopoietin may slow down megakaryocyte development by causing increased proliferation of megakaryocyte progenitor cells.     

采用多功能流式细胞术分析分选造血干细胞和髓系定向分化祖细胞

目的 探讨富集纯化造血干细胞(HSC)和髓系定向分化祖细胞的新实验方案.方法 根据造血干细胞和定向分化祖细胞在发育过程中表达某些特异性分化抗原的特性,通过免疫磁珠分选技术结合四色和六色流式细胞术分析14只健康小鼠的骨髓造血干细胞、造血祖细胞及定向分化祖细胞系列的表达,并对其进行分选,以进一步通过集落细胞培养和传代试验对分选后细胞的活性进行检测.结果 经上述实验方案分析,14只健康小鼠骨髓造血祖细胞(HPC)的表达率约为HSC的10倍;但其牛成活性远不如造血干细胞,共同髓系祖细胞(CMP)的传代能力仅为HSC的1/2,且次级分化的粒系单核系祖细胞(GMP)和红系巨核系祖细胞(MEP)的生成活性更弱,其传代次数为零.结论 通过多色流式细胞术实验方案可以分析纯化HSC和髓系定向分化祖细胞的表达,并精确计数HSC和祖细胞.     

巨核系祖细胞的体外扩增及应用研究

如何缩短造血干细胞(hematopoieticstemcells,HSC)移植术后血小板减少的时间,促进血小板恢复,减少出血,是目前造血干细胞移植面临的难题。在巨核细胞系的发育过程中,有多种细胞因子,如血小板生成素(TPO)、巨核细胞生长发育因子(megokaryocytegrowthanddevelopmentfactor,MGDF)、白介素(interleukin,IL)-1、IL-3、IL-6、IL-11、血小板源性生长因子(PDGF)、5-羟色胺(serotonin,5-HT)等发挥了重要作用。近年来巨核祖细胞(MKPC)的体外培养、扩增等研究取得了较大进展,发现通过体外有效扩增巨核祖细胞并移植给患者,可以加快血小板恢复,因此其在HSC移植中有十分重要的意义及良好的应用前景。本文将重点就各种细胞因子对巨核系造血作用和MKPC体外扩增及临床应用进行综述。单独以TPO培养扩增,结果产生的CD41+CD61+细胞比例增高,但细胞总数较低。当加入IL-1β,IL-3,IL-6,Flt-3L时,结果显示CFU-MK扩增400倍,CD34+细胞扩增5-22倍。在包括TPO、IL-1β、IL-3、IL-6和Flt-3L的各种细胞因子组合条件下,加入PDGF的扩增效果最好,且PDGF促进各种细胞包括CD34+、CD41+CD61+、CFU-MK的扩增。PDGF对脐血巨核祖细胞数量的扩增起一定作用,且对脐血MK的成熟没有影响。反映PDGF作用于MKPC的增殖。PDGF可能是促进MKPC体外扩增的合适细胞因子。动物实验显示体外扩增产物在NOD/SCID小鼠中植活并分化。在临床可行性研究中,进行自体PBPC移植的10名癌症患者(8名乳癌和2名非霍奇金氏淋巴瘤患者),接受未处理过的PBPC的同时输注了体外扩增的MK-PC(1-21×105/kgCD61+细胞)。8名患者接受同一供者的异基因血小板输注,4名输注最高数量培养后MKPC的患者中有2名不需要输注血小板,而回顾性对照组14名患者均需输注血小板。总之,巨核祖细胞能在体外扩增并安全输注予自体移植受者。     

Geminin deletion from hematopoietic cells causes anemia and thrombocytosis in mice

HSCs maintain the circulating blood cell population. Defects in the orderly pattern of hematopoietic cell division and differentiation can lead to leukemia, myeloproliferative disorders, or marrow failure; however, the factors that control this pattern are incompletely understood. Geminin is an unstable regulatory protein that regulates the extent of DNA replication and is thought to coordinate cell division with cell differentiation. Here, we set out to determine the function of Geminin in hematopoiesis by deleting the Geminin gene (Gmnn) from mouse bone marrow cells. This severely perturbed the pattern of blood cell production in all 3 hematopoietic lineages (erythrocyte, megakaryocyte, and leukocyte). Red cell production was virtually abolished, while megakaryocyte production was greatly enhanced. Leukocyte production transiently decreased and then recovered. Stem and progenitor cell numbers were preserved, and Gmnn(–/–) HSCs successfully reconstituted hematopoiesis in irradiated mice. CD34(+) Gmnn(–/–) leukocyte precursors displayed DNA overreplication and formed extremely small granulocyte and monocyte colonies in methylcellulose. While cultured Gmnn(–/–) mega-karyocyte-erythrocyte precursors did not form erythroid colonies, they did form greater than normal numbers of megakaryocyte colonies. Gmnn(–/–) megakaryocytes and erythroblasts had normal DNA content. These data led us to postulate that Geminin regulates the relative production of erythrocytes and megakaryocytes from megakaryocyte-erythrocyte precursors by a replication-independent mechanism.     

A type I IFN–Flt3 ligand axis augments plasmacytoid dendritic cell development from common lymphoid progenitors

During infections and inflammation, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the most potent type I interferon (IFN-I)–producing cells. However, the developmental origin of pDCs and the signals dictating pDC generation remain incompletely understood. Here, we report a synergistic role for IFN-I and Flt3 ligand (FL) in pDC development from common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). Both conventional DCs (cDCs) and pDCs were generated from CLPs in response to FL, whereas pDC generation required higher concentrations of FL and concurrent IFN-I signaling. An absence of IFN-I receptor, impairment of IFN-I signaling, or neutralization of IFN-I significantly impeded pDC development from CLPs. Furthermore, FL induced IFN-I expression in CLPs, which in turn induced Flt3 up-regulation that facilitated survival and proliferation of CLPs, as well as their differentiation into pDCs. Collectively, these results define a critical role for the FL/IFN-I/Flt3 axis in pDC differentiation from CLPs.Plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) are a subset of DCs that are capable of producing large quantities of type I IFN (IFN-I) upon stimulation (Liu, 2005). pDCs are short-lived and require constant replenishment from their precursors in the BM. DCs, including pDCs, are generated from Flt3-expressing progenitors of myeloid lineages, including common myeloid progenitor (CMP), macrophage/DC progenitor, and common dendritic progenitor (CDP), and of lymphoid lineages such as common lymphoid progenitor (CLP; D’Amico and Wu, 2003; Karsunky et al., 2003; Shigematsu et al., 2004; Naik et al., 2007; Onai et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2009). Targeted deletion of Flt3 or FL in mice leads to reduced numbers of DC progenitors and impaired DC development (McKenna et al., 2000; Waskow et al., 2008). Ectopic expression of Flt3 on Flt3^- megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitors permits them to generate DCs (Onai et al., 2006). These results suggest that the Flt3 ligand (FL) is one of the most physiological relevant cytokines for maintaining homeostasis of steady-state DCs.IFN-I, a pluripotent cytokine, regulates different aspects of DC biology. Mouse pDCs depend on IFN-I for migration and clustering in the marginal zone of the spleen (Asselin-Paturel et al., 2005). pDCs developed in the presence of IFN-I fail to produce IFN-I in response to CpG (Li et al., 2011). IFN-I induced during systemic viral infections and inflammation trigger apoptosis of pDCs and cDCs, resulting in decline of the populations in the spleen (Swiecki et al., 2011). Therefore, IFN-I appears to govern migration, function, apoptosis, and homeostasis of DCs. Whereas cDCs and pDCs can be generated from myeloid or lymphoid lineages, the developmental origin and signals controlling pDC development remain elusive. Here, we showed that FL controlled the developmental program of cDCs and pDCs from CLPs in a dose-dependent manner. FL also induced IFN-I in CLPs, resulting in up-regulation of Flt3 that facilitated survival, proliferation, and differentiation of CLPs. These results establish a critical role for IFN-I in FL-dependent pDC development from CLPs.     

Proliferation and differentiation of highly enriched mouse hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells in response to defined growth factors

Three distinct hematopoietic populations derived from normal bone marrow were analyzed for their response to defined growth factors. The Thy-1loT- B- G- M-population, composing 0.2% of bone marrow, is 370-fold enriched for pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. The two other populations, the Thy-1- T- B- G- M- and the predominantly mature Thy-1+ T+ B+ G+ M+ cells, lack stem cells. Thy-1loT- B- G- M- cells respond with a frequency of one in seven cells to IL-3 in an in vitro CFU-C assay, and give rise to many mixed colonies as expected from an early multipotent or pluripotent progenitor. The Thy-1- T- B- G- M- population also contains progenitor cells which responded to IL-3. However, colonies derived from Thy-1- T- B- G- M- cells are almost exclusively restricted to the macrophage/granulocyte lineages. This indicates that IL-3 can stimulate at least two distinct clonogenic early progenitor cells in normal bone marrow: multipotent Thy-1loT- B- G- M- cells and restricted Thy-1- T- B- G- M- cells. Thy-1loT- B- G- M-cells could not be stimulated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte CSF (G-CSF) or IL-5 (Eosinophil-CSF). The hematopoietic precursors that react to these factors are enriched in the Thy-1- T- G- B- M- population. Thus, multipotent and restricted progenitors can be separated on the basis of the expression of the cell surface antigen Thy-1.     

The human syndrome of dendritic cell, monocyte, B and NK lymphoid deficiency

Congenital or acquired cellular deficiencies in humans have the potential to reveal much about normal hematopoiesis and immune function. We show that a recently described syndrome of monocytopenia, B and NK lymphoid deficiency additionally includes the near absence of dendritic cells. Four subjects showed severe depletion of the peripheral blood HLA-DR(+) lineage(-) compartment, with virtually no CD123(+) or CD11c(+) dendritic cells (DCs) and very few CD14(+) or CD16(+) monocytes. The only remaining HLA-DR(+) lineage(-) cells were circulating CD34(+) progenitor cells. Dermal CD14(+) and CD1a(+) DC were also absent, consistent with their dependence on blood-derived precursors. In contrast, epidermal Langerhans cells and tissue macrophages were largely preserved. Combined loss of peripheral DCs, monocytes, and B and NK lymphocytes was mirrored in the bone marrow by complete absence of multilymphoid progenitors and depletion of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors. Depletion of the HLA-DR(+) peripheral blood compartment was associated with elevated serum fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand and reduced circulating CD4(+)CD25(hi)FoxP3(+) T cells, supporting a role for DC in T reg cell homeostasis.     

Retroviral transduction of hematopoietic cells differentiated from human embryonic stem cell-derived CD45(neg)PFV hemogenic precursors.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a unique opportunity to study molecular mechanisms that regulate specification of the hematopoietic lineage in the human. Exploitation of this model using transgenic strategies depends on the ability to target cells of the hematopoietic lineage effectively and establish stable transgene expression. Here, a recently defined subpopulation of endothelial-like precursors derived from hESCs that is exclusively responsible for hematopoietic cell fate (CD45(neg)PFV) is shown to express GALVR-1 receptor and be efficiently transduced with GALV-pseudotyped retrovirus. Retroviral transduction, measured by enhanced green fluorescent protein, of hESC-derived CD45(+) cells differentiated from isolated CD45(neg)PFV precursors was 26.5 +/- 13% with 5.6 +/- 4% of these cells coexpressing CD34. An average of 17.5% of clonogenic hematopoietic progenitors derived from CD45(neg)PFV precursors expressed the retroviral transgene. Addition of serum to cultures after retroviral exposure supported transgene expression in resulting hematopoietic cells derived from hemogenic CD45(neg)PFV precursors. Our study represents the first report to demonstrate that retroviral transduction systems, similar to those used currently in clinical gene therapy protocols, are capable of efficient transduction of hematopoietic progenitors derived from hESCs.     

Adenoviral vector design for high-level transgene expression in primitive human hematopoietic progenitors

Adenoviral vector-mediated transient gene expression can provide new possibilities for ex vivo manipulation of quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). In order to define a suitable expression cassette for high levels of transgene expression in HSCs, we have studied the level of transgene expression in human CD34+CD38- cells using adenoviral vectors with various gene expression cassettes encoding the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene. CD34+ hematopoietic cells were cultured in serum-free medium with megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) alone for supporting the survival of primitive progenitors or with MGDF, c-kit ligand (KL) and flt3 ligand (FL) for inducing proliferation of primitive progenitors. With all the vectors tested, higher percentages of EGFP expressing cells were found in CD34+CD38- cells than those in CD34+CD38high cells from all donors tested. The phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK)-1 promoter was found to allow higher levels of EGFP expression than the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) promoter in CD34+CD38- cells. Replacing the SV40 polyadenylation signal with the human beta-globin gene IVS2 and polyadenylation signal in the expression cassette (Ad5xPGK-EGFP-beta-globin) enhanced the level of EGFP expression markedly further. These results provide a guideline for the development of adenoviral vectors for gene expression in human primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. Gene Therapy (2000) 7, 2132-2138.     

Density of the Notch ligand Delta1 determines generation of B and T cell precursors from hematopoietic stem cells

Notch signaling regulates multiple cell fate decisions by hematopoietic precursors. To address whether different amounts of Notch ligand influence lineage choices, we cultured murine bone marrow lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-kit+ cells with increasing densities of immobilized Delta1(ext-IgG) consisting of the extracellular domain of Delta1 fused to the Fc domain of human IgG1. We found that relatively lower densities of Delta1(ext-IgG) enhanced the generation of Sca-1(+)c-kit+ cells, Thy1(+)CD25+ early T cell precursors, and B220(+)CD43(-/lo) cells that, when cocultured with OP9 stroma cells, differentiated into CD19+ early B cell precursors. Higher densities of Delta1(ext-IgG) also enhanced the generation of Sca-1(+)c-kit+ precursor cells and promoted the development of Thy1(+)CD25+ cells, but inhibited the development of B220(+)CD43(-/lo) cells. Analyses of further isolated precursor populations suggested that the enhanced generation of T and B cell precursors resulted from the effects on multipotent rather than lymphoid-committed precursors. The results demonstrate the density-dependent effects of Delta1 on fate decisions of hematopoietic precursors at multiple maturational stages and substantiate the previously unrecognized ability of Delta1 to enhance the development of both early B and T precursor cells.     

SDF-1alpha/CXCL12 enhances retroviral-mediated gene transfer into immature subsets of human and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells

Genetic modification of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells has the potential to treat diseases affecting blood cells. Oncoretroviral vectors have been used for gene therapy; however, clinical success has been limited in part by low gene transfer efficiencies. We found that the presence of stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1alpha)/CXCL12 during retroviral transduction significantly enhanced, in a dose-dependent fashion, gene transfer into immature subsets of high proliferative human and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. Murine mononuclear bone marrow cells and purified c-Kit(+)Lin(-) bone marrow cells were prestimulated and transduced with the bicistronic retroviral vector MIEG3 on Retronectin-coated surfaces in the presence and absence of SDF-1. SDF-1 enhanced gene transduction of murine bone marrow and c-Kit(+)Lin(-) cells by 35 and 29%, respectively. Moreover, SDF-1 enhanced transduction of progenitors in these populations by 121 and 107%, respectively. SDF-1 also enhanced transduction of human immature subsets of high proliferative progenitors present in either nonadherent mononuclear or CD34(+) umbilical cord blood cells. Transduction of hematopoietic progenitors was further increased by preloading Retronectin-coated plates with retrovirus using low-speed centrifugation followed by increasing cell-virus interactions through brief centrifugation during the transduction procedure. These results may be of clinical relevance.     

脐血CD34^＋细胞体外扩增脐血巨核祖细胞的研究

本研究探讨人脐血CD34^＋细胞体外扩增的巨核祖细胞的生物学特性及其免疫原性变化，为体外扩增脐血巨核祖细胞的临床应用提供实验依据。采用Ficoll-Hapaque分离法分离人脐血单个核细胞，应用免疫磁珠法（MACS）再分离富集CD34^＋细胞，在含血小板生成素（TPO，50ng／ml）、白介素-1]（IL—11，50ng／ml）和肝素（25U／ml）的无血清液体培养体系中培养14天。用流式细胞术检测扩增产物免疫表型（CD34^＋、CD41a^＋、CD61^＋、CD34^＋CD41a^＋及CD34^＋CD61^＋）、巨核细胞凋亡率及其表面HLA Ⅰ、Ⅱ类分子的表达，并进行巨核细胞集落形成单位（CFU—Mk）的检测。结果显示：脐血CD34^＋细胞能够有效地向巨核细胞分化，CD41a^＋和CD61^＋细胞比例在培养第14天达到峰值，CD34^＋CD41^＋和CD34^＋CD61^＋细胞比例在扩增第7天达到最高峰[分别为（3．41±2．80）％和（1．89±1．43）％]；CFU—Mk大集落在扩增第7天达到高峰（（20．66±32．79）倍]，小集落在扩增第10天达到高峰[（435．62±482．65）倍]；在培养7、10和14天时巨核细胞的凋亡率分别为（19．48±9．64）％、（26．87±9．03）％和（52．46±11．74）％，其中培养7天和10天的凋亡率无显著性差异（P〉0．05），培养14天的凋亡率显著高于7天和10天（P均〈0．05）；巨核细胞表面HLA Ⅰ、Ⅱ类分子的表达随着扩增天数的延长逐渐降低，其中培养0到10天阶段下降明显．结论：采用TPO＋IL 11＋肝素组合．可以有效地扩增脐血巨核祖细胞；培养7天，CFU—Mk大集落扩增倍数、CD34^＋CD41^＋和CD34^＋CD61^＋细胞比例均达高峰，这是巨核祖细胞体外扩增的较佳培养时间。     

Enforced granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor signals do not support lymphopoiesis,but instruct lymphoid to myelomonocytic lineage conversion

We evaluated the effects of ectopic granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) signals on hematopoietic commitment and differentiation. Lineage-restricted progenitors purified from mice with the ubiquitous transgenic human GM-CSF receptor (hGM-CSFR) were used for the analysis. In cultures with hGM-CSF alone, hGM-CSFR-expressing (hGM-CSFR+) granulocyte/monocyte progenitors (GMPs) and megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) exclusively gave rise to granulocyte/monocyte (GM) and megakaryocyte/erythroid (MegE) colonies, respectively, providing formal proof that GM-CSF signals support the GM and MegE lineage differentiation without affecting the physiological myeloid fate. hGM-CSFR transgenic mice were crossed with mice deficient in interleukin (IL)-7, an essential cytokine for T and B cell development. Administration of hGM-CSF in these mice could not restore T or B lymphopoiesis, indicating that enforced GM-CSF signals cannot substitute for IL-7 to promote lymphopoiesis. Strikingly, >50% hGM-CSFR+ common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) and >20% hGM-CSFR+ pro-T cells gave rise to granulocyte, monocyte, and/or myeloid dendritic cells, but not MegE lineage cells in the presence of hGM-CSF. Injection of hGM-CSF into mice transplanted with hGM-CSFR+ CLPs blocked their lymphoid differentiation, but induced development of GM cells in vivo. Thus, hGM-CSF transduces permissive signals for myeloerythroid differentiation, whereas it transmits potent instructive signals for the GM differentiation to CLPs and early T cell progenitors. These data suggest that a majority of CLPs and a fraction of pro-T cells possess plasticity for myelomonocytic differentiation that can be activated by ectopic GM-CSF signals, supporting the hypothesis that the down-regulation of GM-CSFR is a critical event in producing cells with a lymphoid-restricted lineage potential.