Jagged-1 Signaling in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment Promotes Endothelial Progenitor Cell Expansion and Commitment of CD133(+) Human Cord Blood Cells for Postnatal Vasculogenesis

Notch signaling is involved in cell fate decisions during murine vascular development and hematopoiesis in the microenvironment of bone marrow. To investigate the close relationship between hematopoietic stem cells and human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the bone marrow niche, we examined the effects of Notch signals [Jagged-1 and Delta-like ligand (Dll)-1] on the proliferation and differentiation of human CD133(+) cell-derived EPCs. We established stromal systems using HESS-5 murine bone marrow cells transfected with human Jagged-1 (hJagged-1) or human Dll-1 (hDll-1). CD133(+) cord blood cells were co-cultured with the stromal cells for 7 days, and then their proliferation, differentiation, and EPC colony formation was evaluated. We found that hJagged-1 induced the proliferation and differentiation of CD133(+) cord blood EPCs. In contrast, hDll-1 had little effect. CD133(+) cells stimulated by hJagged-1 differentiated into CD31(+)/KDR(+) cells, expressed vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and showed enhanced EPC colony formation compared with CD133(+) cells stimulated by hDll-1. To evaluate the angiogenic properties of hJagged-1- and hDll-1-stimulated EPCs in vivo, we transplanted these cells into the ischemic hindlimbs of nude mice. Transplantation of EPCs stimulated by hJagged-1, but not hDll-1, increased regional blood flow and capillary density in ischemic hindlimb muscles. This is the first study to show that human Notch signaling influences EPC proliferation and differentiation in the bone marrow microenvironment. Human Jagged-1 induced the proliferation and differentiation of CD133(+) cord blood progenitors compared with hDll-1. Thus, hJagged-1 signaling in the bone marrow niche may be used to expand EPCs for therapeutic angiogenesis.