Identification of a vitamin D-responsive protein on the surface of human osteosarcoma cells

Bone marrow accessory cells regulate human bone precursor cell development

OBJECTIVE

Much remains to be learned about the intimate relationship between bone marrow and its surrounding tissue: the bone. We hypothesized that bone marrow accessory cell populations might regulate the development of human bone precursor cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used immunologic phenotyping, and isolation methods to fractionate subpopulations of nonadherent, low-density (NALD) human bone marrow cells. These cells were examined for their ability to support the serum-free survival, proliferation, and expression of bone proteins by highly purified populations of human bone precursor cells. Quantitative assessment of the accessory cell populations as well as human bone precursor cells phenotype was performed using multiparameter flow cytometry. Bone protein expression was evaluated by immunocytochemistry, Western analysis, and enzymatic analysis (for alkaline phosphatase activity).

RESULTS

Human bone marrow contains a cell population that stimulates the development of purified bone precursor cells. Feeder-layer studies demonstrate that these osteopoietic accessory cells (OACs) do not require cell-cell interaction to promote bone precursor cell development but, rather, produce soluble molecules responsible for their effects. Flow cytometric analyses reveal that bone marrow derived B cells, T cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, and endothelial cells do not produce this stimulatory factor. The (growth) factor cannot be replaced by addition of exogenous cytokines. The isolation of human transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (TGF-betaRII)-positive cells increases OAC-specific activity in bone cell ex vivo expansion cultures. Moreover, isolation of OAC bone marrow cells characterized by high TGF-betaRII expression, relatively low cellular complexity, and small size yields a population that is highly enriched for OACs.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that human bone marrow contains a population of OACs that are an obligate requirement for the early phases of bone cell development ex vivo.

Regulation of human bone marrow-derived osteoprogenitor cells by osteogenic growth factors

Human bone marrow contains a distinct cell population that expresses bone proteins and responds to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta), but not to hematopoietic growth factors (Long, M. W., J. L. Williams, and K. G. Mann. 1990. J. Clin. Invest. 86:1387-1395). We now report the isolation, characterization, and growth factor responsiveness of these precursors to human osteoblasts and the identification of a human osteoprogenitor cell. Immunological separation of human bone marrow nonadherent low-density (NALD) cells results in a marked enrichment of cells that express osteocalcin, osteonectin, and bone alkaline phosphatase. Flow cytometric analyses show that distinct cell subpopulations exist among these isolated cells. The majority of the bone antigen-positive cells are approximately the size of a lymphocyte, whereas other, less frequent antibody-separated subpopulations consist of osteoblast-like cells and osteoprogenitor cells. In serum-free cultures, TGF-beta stimulates the small, antigen-positive cells to become osteoblast-like, as these cells both increase in size, and express increased levels of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase. Antibody-separated cells also contain a separate population of clonal progenitor cells that form colonies of osteoblast-like cells when cultured in serum-free, semi-solid media. Two types of human osteoprogenitor cells are observed: a colony-forming cell (CFC) that generates several hundred bone antigen-positive cells, and a more mature cluster-forming cell that has a lesser proliferative potential and thus generates clusters of 20-50 antigen-positive cells. Osteopoietic colony-forming cells and cluster-forming cells have an obligate but differential requirement for osteogenic growth factors. The CFCs respond to TGF-beta, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2), and 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-OH D3). In contrast to the colony-forming cells, cluster-forming cells are regulated predominantly by 1,25-OH D3 and TGF-beta, but fail to respond to bFGF. We conclude that human bone marrow contains a nonhematogenous, heterogeneous population of bone precursor cells among which exists a population of proliferating osteoprogenitor cells. Further characterization of these bone precursor cell populations should yield important information on their role in osteogenesis in both health and disease.

Expression of human bone-related proteins in the hematopoietic microenvironment

Given the intimate relationship between bone and bone marrow, we hypothesized that the human bone marrow may function as a source (or reservoir) of bone-forming progenitor cells. We observed a population of cells within the bone marrow which produce bone-specific or bone-related proteins. The production of these proteins was developmentally regulated in human long-term bone marrow cell cultures; the bone protein-producing cells (BPPC) are observed under serum-free, short-term culture conditions, respond to bone-related and not hematopoietic growth factors, and are derived from a population of low-density, nonadherent, My10-negative (or low My10 density), marrow cells (My10 is an antigen found on most hematopoietic progenitor cells). Cultivation of marrow-derived BPPC in secondary, serum-containing cultures results in their differentiation into osteoblastlike cells. At this stage of development, BPPC produce an extracellular matrix which incorporates both bone-related proteins and radiolabeled calcium. Human bone marrow BPPC thus represent a newly described cell phenotype important to both bone and hematopoietic cell biology.