Aging is associated with a progressive decline in T cell-mediated immune responses. However, it has been unknown whether regulatory/suppressive CD4 T cells are involved in this decline. Our in vitro analyses revealed that CD4+CD25+ T cells, the well-characterized naturally occurring regulatory/suppressive CD4 T cells, in aged mice are functionally comparable to those in young mice (i.e., anergic and suppressive), although slightly increased in number. In contrast, functional changes to whole CD4+CD25− T cells were pronounced in aged mice, i.e., the majority of aged CD4+CD25− T cells exhibited a significant hyporesponsiveness, and the remaining cells maintained a normal responsiveness. Furthermore, we identified Foxp3 (a transcription factor critical in conferring the regulatory/suppressive function to CD4 T cells)-positive suppressive CD4 T cells among aged hyporesponsive CD4+CD25− T cells. These results suggest that the age-related decline in T cell-mediated immune responses is ascribable to changes in the CD4+CD25− T cell population and not to a functional augmentation of suppressive CD4+CD25+ T cells.

Summary How hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) produce particular lineages is insufficiently understood. We searched for key factors that direct HSC to lymphopoiesis. Comparing gene expression profiles for HSCs and early lymphoid progenitors revealed that Satb1, a global chromatin regulator, was markedly induced with lymphoid lineage specification. HSCs from Satb1-deficient mice were defective in lymphopoietic activity in culture and failed to reconstitute T lymphopoiesis in wild-type recipients. Furthermore, Satb1 transduction of HSCs as well as embryonic stem cells robustly promoted their differentiation toward lymphocytes. Whereas genes that encode Ikaros, E2A, and Notch1 were unaffected, many genes involved in lineage decisions were regulated by Satb1. Satb1 expression was reduced in aged HSCs with compromised lymphopoietic potential, but forced Satb1 expression partly restored that potential. Thus, Satb1 governs the initiating process central to the replenishing of lymphoid lineages. Such activity in lymphoid cell generation may be of clinical importance and useful to overcome immunosenescence.

DNA arrays are capable of profiling the expression patterns of many genes in a single experiment. After finding a gene of interest in a DNA array, however, labor-intensive gene-targeting experiments sometimes must be performed for the in vivo analysis of the gene function. With random gene trapping, on the other hand, it is relatively easy to disrupt and retrieve hundreds of genes͞gene candidates in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, but one could overlook potentially important gene-disruption events if only the nucleotide sequences and not the expression patterns of the trapped DNA segments are analyzed. To combine the benefits of the above two experimental systems, we first created Ϸ900 genetrapped mouse ES cell clones and then constructed arrays of cDNAs derived from the disrupted genes. By using these arrays, we identified a novel gene predominantly expressed in the mouse brain, and the corresponding ES cell clone was used to produced mice homozygous for the disrupted allele of the gene. Detailed analysis of the knockout mice revealed that the gene trap vector completely abolished gene expression downstream of its integration site. Therefore, identification of a gene or novel gene candidate with an interesting expression pattern by using this type of DNA array immediately allows the production of knockout mice from an ES cell clone with a disrupted allele of the sequence of interest.

The major event initiating atherosclerosis is hypercholesterolemia-induced disruption of vascular endothelium integrity. In settings of endothelial damage, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are mobilized from bone marrow into circulation and home to sites of vascular injury where they aid endothelial regeneration. Given the beneficial effects of EPCs in vascular repair, we hypothesized that these cells play a pivotal role in atherosclerosis regression. We tested our hypothesis in the atherosclerosis-prone mouse model in which hypercholesterolemia, one of the main factors affecting EPC homeostasis, is reversible (Reversa mice). In these mice normalization of plasma lipids decreased atherosclerotic burden; however, plaque regression was incomplete. To explore whether endothelial progenitors contribute to atherosclerosis regression, bone marrow EPCs from a transgenic strain expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of endothelial cell-specific Tie2 promoter (Tie2-GFP+) were isolated. These cells were then adoptively transferred into atheroregressing Reversa recipients where they augmented plaque regression induced by reversal of hypercholesterolemia. Advanced plaque regression correlated with engraftment of Tie2-GFP+ EPCs into endothelium and resulted in an increase in atheroprotective nitric oxide and improved vascular relaxation. Similarly augmented plaque regression was also detected in regressing Reversa mice treated with the stem cell mobilizer AMD3100 which also mobilizes EPCs to peripheral blood. We conclude that correction of hypercholesterolemia in Reversa mice leads to partial plaque regression that can be augmented by AMD3100 treatment or by adoptive transfer of EPCs. This suggests that direct cell therapy or indirect progenitor cell mobilization therapy may be used in combination with statins to treat atherosclerosis.