β-catenin-TCF/LEF signaling promotes steady-state and emergency granulopoiesis via G-CSF receptor upregulation
Abstract
The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is mediated by interaction of b-catenin with the TCF/LEF transcription factors and subsequent transcription activation of Wnt-target genes. In the hematopoietic system, the function of the pathway has been mainly investigated by rather unspecific genetic manipulations of b-catenin that yielded contradictory results.
Here, we employed a mouse expressing a truncated dominant negative form of the human TCF4 transcription factor (dnTCF4) which specifically abrogates b-catenin-TCF/LEF interaction. Disruption of the b-catenin-TCF/LEF interaction resulted in the accumulation of immature cells and reduced granulocytic differentiation.
Mechanistically, dnTCF4 progenitors exhibited downregulation of the Csf3r gene, reduced G-CSF receptor levels, attenuation of downstream Stat3 phosphorylation after G-CSF treatment, and impaired G-CSF-mediated differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed direct binding of TCF/LEF factors to the promoter and putative enhancer regions of CSF3R.
Inhibition of b-catenin signaling compromised activation of the emergency granulopoiesis program, which requires maintenance and expansion of myeloid progenitors. Consequently, dnTCF4 mice were more susceptible to Candidaalbicans infection and more sensitive to 5-fluorouracil-induced granulocytic regeneration.
Importantly, genetic and chemical inhibition of b-catenin-TCF/LEF signaling in human CD34+ cells reduced granulocytic differentiation, whereas its activation enhanced myelopoiesis. Altogether, our data indicate that the b-catenin-TCF/LEF complex directly regulates G-CSF receptor levels, and consequently controls proper differentiation of myeloid progenitors into granulocytes in steady-state and emergency granulopoiesis.
Our results uncover a role for the b-catenin signaling pathway in fine tuning the granulocytic production, opening venues for clinical intervention that require enhanced or reduced production of neutrophils.