Hemangioblasts and hemopoietic stem cells during ontogeny

This review focuses on the emergence of hemopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the embryonic aorta, which was analysed in the avian model. Intraaortic clusters, a characteristic vertebrate anatomical feature, were shown to derive from the splanchnopleural (ventral) mesoderm, which has the potential to give rise to both angioblasts and hemopoietic cells. In contrast, the somitic mesoderm was shown to give rise to angioblasts only. The derivation of hemopoietic progenitors from endothelial cells in the floor of the aorta was followed by means of in vivo labelling experiments. Finally, the expression of gene-encoding transcription factors involved in the emergence of HSC was restricted to the floor of the aorta immediately prior to and during the appearance of intraaortic clusters.