Identification of podocalyxin-like protein 1 as a novel cell surface marker for hemangioblasts in the murine aorta-gonad-mesonephros region

Recent studies with avian embryos and murine embryonic stem cells have suggested that hematopoietic cells are derived from hemangioblasts, the common precursors of hematopoietic and endothelial cells. We molecularly cloned podocalyxin-like protein 1 (PCLP1) as a novel surface marker for endothelial-like cells in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region of mouse embryos, where long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LTR-HSCs) are known to arise. PCLP1(+) CD45(-) cells in the AGM region incorporated acetylated low-density lipoprotein and produced both hematopoietic and endothelial cells when cocultured with OP9 stromal cells. Moreover, multiple lineages of hematopoietic cells were generated in vivo when PCLP1(+)CD45(-) cells were injected into neonatal liver of busulfan-treated mice. Thus, PCLP1 can be used to separate hemangioblasts that give rise to LTR-HSCs.