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Combining Intravital Fluorescent Microscopy (IVFM) with Genetic Models to Study Engraftment Dynamics of Hematopoietic Cells to Bone Marrow Niches
Published on: March 21, 2017
Galectins and microenvironmental niches during hematopoiesis
Gabriel A Rabinovich1, Michel Vidal
1Instituto de Biología y Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Current Opinion in Hematology
|September 14, 2011
Summary
Galectins are key glycan-binding proteins regulating cell interactions in the bone marrow microenvironment. They are crucial for hematopoietic cell development and differentiation, influencing processes like erythropoiesis and T-cell maturation.
Area of Science:
- * Cellular and Molecular Biology
- * Immunology
- * Hematopoiesis
Background:
- * Galectins are evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding proteins involved in numerous cellular processes and diseases.
- * These proteins play roles in immunity, apoptosis, signaling, development, and angiogenesis.
- * Galectins are implicated in conditions such as chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, cancer, and infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review the contribution of galectins to the development of specialized microenvironmental niches during hematopoiesis.
- * To highlight the role of galectins in hematopoietic differentiation and cell-cell interactions within the bone marrow.
Main Methods:
- * Literature review of existing data on galectin function in hematopoiesis.
- * Analysis of studies investigating galectin expression and localization in hematopoietic cells and their microenvironment.
Main Results:
- * Galectins mediate interactions between hematopoietic and stromal cells, crucial for differentiation.
- * Specific galectins (e.g., galectin-5, -1, -3, -10) are involved in erythropoiesis, thymocyte development, and T-regulatory cell differentiation.
- * Galectins are regulated during myelopoiesis and influence glycoprotein and glycosphingolipid distribution.
Conclusions:
- * Galectins' abundance and multifunctional properties make them key mediators of hematopoietic-stromal interactions.
- * Secreted galectins modulate cell adhesion by cross-linking glycoconjugates, forming synapses and glycoprotein lattices.
- * The diverse specificities of galectins contribute to their multifaceted roles in cellular communication within the hematopoietic system.
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