The cytoplasmic domain of stem cell antigen CD34 is essential for cytoadhesion signaling but not sufficient for proliferation signaling.

CD34 is widely used as a marker in the identification and purification of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells; however, its function within hematopoiesis is largely unknown. We have investigated the contribution of cytoplasmic domain of CD34 in cytoadhesion signaling and proliferation signaling in hematopoietic cells. Engagement of particular determinants of CD34 by monoclonal antibodies leads to homotypic adhesiveness of the full-length CD34-transfected BaF3 cells. However, this homotypic adhesiveness is abrogated in BaF3 cells transfected with the truncated CD34 lacking the cytoplasmic domain. Cytoadhesion signaling through the cytoplasmic domain of CD34 cannot be restored through that of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR), suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain of CD34 is required for its signal transduction of cellular adhesion. In constrast, we show that replacing the cytoplasmic domain of EPOR or G-CSFR with that of CD34 abolished growth signal transduction in response to EPO or G-CSF in the chimeric receptor-transfected BaF3, 32D, and FDCP1 cells, whereas the wild-type EPOR- or G-CSFR-transfected cells responded to EPO or G-CSF growth signaling well. These results suggest that the cytoplasmic portion of CD34 may not contain the elements necessary to transduce a proliferative signal in hematopoietic cells. Thus, the function of CD34 in hematopoiesis is primarily on hematopoietic cell adhesion.