Differential regulation of the human and murine CD34 genes in hematopoietic stem cells

Human CD34 (hCD34)-positive cells are used currently as a source for hematopoietic transplantation in humans. However, in steady-state murine hematopoiesis, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with long-term reconstitution activity are found almost exclusively in the murine CD34 (mCD34)-negative to low fraction. To evaluate the possible differences in hCD34 and mCD34 gene expression in hematopoiesis, we made transgenic mouse strains with human genomic P1 artificial chromosome clones spanning the entire hCD34 genomic locus. In all transgenic mouse strains, a vast majority of phenotypic and functional HSC populations including mCD34(−/lo) express the hCD34 transgene. These data strongly support the notion that hCD34(+) human bone marrow cells contain long-term HSCs that can maintain hematopoiesis throughout life.