CX43-mediated Mitochondria Transfer from Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Promotes the Stemness of Leukemia Stem Cells

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by abundant immature myeloid cells, relapse and refractory AML are associated with leukemic stem cells (LSCs). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem/ stromal cells (BMSCs) support LSCs survival. Connexin 43 as the most intercellular gap junction, was improved expressed in patients who received chemotherapy. The functionality of CX43 is yet to be determined between BMSCs and LSCs. CX43 improved BMSCs transport mitochondria to LSCs, LSCs utilized more mitochondria to increase oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and support the cells' proliferation. Therefore, CX43 played an important role in AML relapse patients and could be a novel therapeutic target. Overall design: To investigate the effects of CX43-regulated mitochondrial transfer in BMSCs and LSCs on the dryness of LSCs, we established a BMSCs cell line overexpressing CX43 (CX43-BMscs) and a control BMSCs cell line overexpressing CX43-BMscs (EV-BMSCs). Then, after co-culture of LSCs with CX43-BMSCs/EV-BMSCs for 48 hours, gene expression profiling of rna-1 sequence data of LSCs was performed. Comparative gene expression profiling of RNA-seq data from LSCs monoculturated or co-cultured with BMSCs.