Reassessing endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in mouse bone marrow: insights from lineage tracing models

Abstract

Endothelial cells (ECs) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) play crucial roles in supporting hematopoiesis and hematopoietic regeneration. However, whether ECs are a source of BMSCs remains unclear. Here, we evaluate the contribution of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition to BMSC generation in postnatal mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies ECs expressing BMSC markers Prrx1 and Lepr; however, this could not be validated using Prrx1-Cre and Lepr-Cre transgenic mice. Additionally, only a minority of BMSCs are marked by EC lineage tracing models using Cdh5-rtTA-tetO-Cre or Tek-CreERT2. Moreover, Cdh5⁺ BMSCs and Tek⁺ BMSCs show distinct spatial distributions and characteristic mesenchymal markers, suggestive of their origination from different progenitors rather than CDH5⁺ TEK⁺ ECs. Furthermore, myeloablation induced by 5-fluorouracil treatment does not increase Cdh5⁺ BMSCs. Our findings indicate that ECs hardly convert to BMSCs during homeostasis and myeloablation-induced hematopoietic regeneration, highlighting the importance of using appropriate genetic models and conducting careful data interpretation in studies concerning endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.