The fucosylated histo-blood group antigens H type 2 (blood group O, CD173) and Lewis Y (CD174) are expressed on CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors but absent on mature lymphocytes.

The expression of LeY, H2, H3, and H4 on a broad variety of human leukemia cell lines and native lymphocytes as well as on CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells was examined by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. CD34+ leukemia cell lines (KG1, KG1a, and TF1) and native CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells expressed H2 (CD173) and LeY (CD174). In contrast, CD34(-) cell lines (HL-60, U937, JOK-1, Raji, Molt-3, Jurkat, and CEM-C7) and mature lymphocytes from peripheral blood and tonsils lacked CD173 and CD174. All cell lines and native lymphocytes as well as CD34+ precursor cells were negative for H3 and H4. Immunoprecipitation and consecutive Western blotting revealed a 170-kDa glycoprotein as the carrier molecule for the CD173 and CD174 oligosaccharide sequences on CD34+ hematopoietic precursors. The key enzyme for generating CD173 is the beta-D-galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase (FUT1). As shown by RT-PCR, FUT1 was expressed in immature hematopoietic cells but absent in mature lymphocytes, which indicates that expression of CD173 within the hematopoietic system is regulated at the transcriptional level by FUT1. Due to their exclusive presence on CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells, CD173 and CD174 represent novel markers of early hematopoiesis. The expression of the fucosylated histo-blood group antigens CD173 and CD174 in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells and down-regulation of FUT1 in mature lymphocytes may be important factors influencing the homing process of hematopoietic stem cells to the bone marrow.