N6-methyl-2'-deoxyadenosine promotes self-renewal of BFU-E progenitor in erythropoiesis

Toxic Effects of Cobalt on Erythroid Progenitor Cells

Cobalt is a crucial trace element that widely exists in natural environments and is necessary for normal physiological function. However, excessive cobalt exposure leads to various adverse health effects, especially hematological and endocrine dysfunctions. Here, we investigated the toxicity of cobalt on early erythropoiesis by using ex vivo cultured erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs). We exposed EPCs to cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and observed that their proliferation was significantly reduced after treatment with 50 μM CoCl2 for 3 days and 10 μM CoCl2 for 4 days. Furthermore, CoCl2 exposure reduced the proportion of S phase cells and induced apoptosis of EPCs in a dose-dependent manner (20-100 μM). Notably, further studies revealed that CoCl2 exposure inhibited the expression and phosphorylation of the erythroid proliferation master gene c-Kit. During EPC differentiation, treatment with CoCl2 hindered the enucleation of erythrocytes. Consistent with these findings, the RNA-seq results revealed that CoCl2 treatment inhibited the expression of several genes related to both proliferation and differentiation. The gene responsible for nucleoprotein export during enucleation, Xpo7, was also downregulated. Gene ontology analysis revealed that CoCl2 treatment inhibited a variety of biological processes, including DNA replication and ribosome synthesis. In summary, we demonstrated that sustained excessive CoCl2 exposure impaired the function of the EPCs.

Protocol for sorting and culturing of mouse early erythroid progenitor BFU-E cells

Techniques allowing the long-term culture of the burst-forming unit of erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells are essential for understanding erythropoiesis. Here, we present a protocol for sorting mouse BFU-E cells and culturing them in a medium that promotes BFU-E cell expansion. We describe steps for isolating BFU-E cells from mouse fetal livers by combining magnetic microbeads with flow cytometry and culturing BFU-E cells with a specific expansion media. This approach can enhance the production of BFU-E cells. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al..1.