Clinical studies have shown that transplanted mobilized peripheral blood (mPB) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) home faster to the bone marrow (BM) than harvested BM or cord blood cells. We previously showed that fibrinogen has a priming effect on HSPC homing by enhancing the chemotactic responses of CD34+ cells towards a low SDF-1 gradient by incorporating CXCR4 into membrane lipid rafts (

Blood 2005; 105:40
). In this study we further investigated the mechanism of priming by determining the effect of fibrinogen on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expressed by CD34+ cells, particularly MT1-MMP which is localized on the leading edge of migrating cells and not only activates latent MMPs but by itself degrades several extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagens, laminin, fibrin and fibronectin.

We found that fibrinogen

  • highly upregulated MT1-MMP protein expression (Western blot) in CD34+ cells as well as proMMP-2 and proMMP-9 secretion (zymography);

  • primed trans-Matrigel chemoinvasion of CD34+ cells towards a low SDF-1 gradient (20 ng/mL), which was inhibited by epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a potent inhibitor of MT1-MMP; and

  • stimulated MMP-2 activation in co-cultures of stromal cells (BM fibroblasts and HUVEC) with CD34+ cells.

Moreover, we demonstrate by confocal microscopy, for the first time, that in CD34+ cells MT1-MMP is localized in the GM1-fraction of lipid rafts where it co-localizes with CXCR4; this co-localization is enhanced when CD34+ cells are stimulated with fibrinogen. Furthermore, disruption of lipid raft formation by the cholesterol-depleting agent methyl-b-cyclodextrin inhibited MT1-MMP incorporation into membrane lipid rafts and also trans-Matrigel chemoinvasion of CD34+ cells towards an SDF-1 gradient. Thus we conclude that fibrinogen enhances homing-related responses of CD34+ cells towards SDF-1 by increased incorporation and co-localization of CXCR4 and MT1-MMP in membrane lipid rafts. Further, we postulate that while the presence of CXCR4 in lipid rafts allows the cells to better sense the SDF-1 chemokine gradient, the upregulated MT1-MMP in the lipid rafts facilitates their migration through the ECM and possibly towards the BM niches.

Disclosure: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Author notes

*

Corresponding author

Sign in via your Institution