Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Directed Differentiation of Hemogenic Endothelial Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: March 31, 2021
Early dynamic fate changes in haemogenic endothelium characterized at the single-cell level
Gemma Swiers1, Claudia Baumann1, John O'Rourke1
1MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
None:
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the founding cells of the adult haematopoietic system, born during ontogeny from a specialized subset of endothelium, the haemogenic endothelium (HE) via an endothelial-to-haematopoietic transition (EHT). Although recently imaged in real time, the underlying mechanism of EHT is still poorly understood. We have generated a Runx1 +23 enhancer-reporter transgenic mouse (23GFP) for the prospective isolation of HE throughout embryonic development. Here we perform functional analysis of over 1,800 and transcriptional analysis of 268 single 23GFP(+) HE cells to explore the onset of EHT at the single-cell level. We show that initiation of the haematopoietic programme occurs in cells still embedded in the endothelial layer, and is accompanied by a previously unrecognized early loss of endothelial potential before HSCs emerge. Our data therefore provide important insights on the timeline of early haematopoietic commitment.
Related Concept Videos
Hematopoiesis
Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Production of Formed Elements
Most HSCs commit to...
Lineage Commitment
Overview of Hematopoiesis
Developmental Phases of Hematopoiesis
Initially, HSCs are formed in the embryonic yolk sac, a critical site for early blood cell production. These stem cells subsequently migrate to other...
Development of Blood Vessels
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...

