Characterization and functional analysis of laminin isoforms in human bone marrow

Based on gene expression, laminin-411/421 and laminin-511/521 are the most abundant laminin isoforms synthesized by human bone marrow stromal cells. Laminin-511/521 preparations showed strong adhesive interactions with human CD34⁺ cell lines. Antibodies against the B1 integrin subunit inhibited these interactions. In addition to its adhesion-mediating properties, laminin-511/521 preparations also showed a mitogenic activity for human hematopoietic progenitor cells. Other laminin isoforms tested, especially laminin-111 and laminin-211 and 221, showed only weak or no adhesive interactions with the hematopoietic cell lines tested and are suggested to play a minor role in the hematopoietic microenvironment. In the bone marrow, LN‐511 and 521 are the major laminins and show strongly adhesive and mitogenic activities toward early developing HSCs.