Development of gene signatures of human unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor and other hematopoietic stem and progenitor populations

We newly identified prospectively-isolatable unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor population (MegP) as the major source of megakaryocytes, which emerges directly from early stage of hematopoiesis bypassing megakaryocyte-erythroid lineage bifurcation and contributes to physiological and pathological human megakaryopoiesis. To explore gene expression signature of hematopoietic stem/progenitor populrations miroarry-based whole transcriptome analysis was performed. As a result, gene expression signature of MegP clearly reflected its differentiation potential. Gene expression profile of megakaryocyte progenitor and other hematopoietic stem and progenitor populations (Manz et al., PNAS, 2002), which were derived from bone marrow aspirates, were analyzed.