A mechanosensitive vascular niche for <i>Drosophila</i> hematopoiesis
Yushun Tian, Ismaël Morin-Poulard, Xiaohui Liu, Nathalie Vanzo, Michèle Crozatier
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells maintain blood cell homeostasis by integrating various cues provided by specialized microenvironments or niches. Biomechanical forces are emerging as key regulators of hematopoiesis. Here, we report that mechanical stimuli provided by blood flow in the vascular niche control Drosophila hematopoiesis. In vascular niche cells, the mechanosensitive channel Piezo transduces mechanical forces through intracellular calcium upregulation, leading to Notch activation and repression of FGF ligand transcription, known to regulate hematopoietic progenitor maintenance. Our results provide insight into how the vascular niche integrates mechanical stimuli to regulate hematopoiesis.