Pak2 regulates hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation.

p21-activated kinase 2 (Pak2), a serine/threonine kinase, has been previously shown to be essential for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engraftment. However, Pak2 modulation of long-term hematopoiesis and lineage commitment remain unreported. Utilizing a conditional Pak2 knock out (KO) mouse model, we found that disruption of Pak2 in HSCs induced profound leukopenia and a mild macrocytic anemia. Although loss of Pak2 in HSCs leads to less efficient short- and long-term competitive hematopoiesis than wild type (WT) cells, it does not affect HSC self-renewal per se. Pak2 disruption decreased the survival and proliferation of multi-cytokine stimulated immature progenitors. Loss of Pak2 skewed lineage differentiation toward granulocytopoiesis and monocytopoiesis in mice as evidenced by 1) a three to six-fold increase in the percentage of peripheral blood granulocytes and a significant increase in the percentage of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMPs) in mice transplanted with Pak2-disrupted BM; 2) Pak2-disrupted BM and c-kit+ cells yielded higher numbers of more mature subsets of granulocyte-monocyte colonies and polymophonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), respectively, when cultured in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Pak2 disruption resulted respectively in decreased and increased gene expression of transcription factors JunB and c-Myc, which may suggest underlying mechanisms by which Pak2 regulates granulocyte-monocyte lineage commitment. Furthermore, Pak2 disruption led to 1) higher percentage of CD4+CD8+ double positive T cells and lower percentages of CD4+CD8− or CD4−CD8+ single positive T cells in thymus and 2) decreased numbers of mature B cells and increased numbers of Pre-Pro B cells in BM, suggesting defects in lymphopoiesis.