Ott1-deleted HSCs have a gene expression profile similar to aged HSCs with associated physiologic changes. (A-C) GSEA comparing genes up-regulated in sorted LSK cells from Ott1 KO mice compared with WT controls with published gene sets up-regulated in aged HSCs. (A) GSEA using Chambers et al17 1667 genes up-regulated with age in HSCs. (B) GSEA using a 79-gene subset of (A) restricted to genes expressed in HSCs versus whole BM.17 (C) GSEA comparing Ott1 KO LSK with Rossi et al aged HSC profile.35 (D) Localization of p65 NF-κB subunit. Cytospins of sorted control and Ott1 KO LSK cells were stained with rabbit anti-p65 and anti–rabbit-AF488 secondary antibody with DAPI nuclear stain. Cells were imaged by confocal microscopy. A minimum of 30 cells were assessed from each group, and the experiment was performed in duplicate. (E) MFI of DCF-DA–labeled cells from Ott1 KO and control BM. LT-HSCs (Lin−Sca-1+c-Kit+CD34−), ST-HSCs (Lin−Sca-1+c-Kit+CD34+), and progenitors (Lin−Sca-1−c-Kit+). Representative histograms of flow above. (F) Measurement of phospho–γ-H2AX levels in Ott1 and control LT-HSC, ST-HSC, and progenitor populations. Cells stained for intracellular phospho–γ-H2AX using phospho-specific antibody. Representative flow histograms above. Graph bars represent mean of MFI, and error bars represent SD. Control, n = 4; Ott1 KO, n = 3. (G) Phospho-p38Mapk staining of Ott1 KO and control LSK cells. KO or control BM as in panel A was either untreated (baseline) or grown 48 hours in IL-3, IL-6, and SCF (cytokine). Cytospins of sorted LSK cells were stained with anti–phospho-p38Mapk and AF488 secondary antibody and then imaged by confocal microscopy with DAPI nuclear counterstain. Minimum of 40 cells scored. White bar represents 10 μm.