Humans accumulate microsatellite instability with acquired loss of MLH1 protein in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as a function of age

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HPCs) are necessary for long-term survival. Genomic instability and persistent DNA damage may cause loss of adult stem cell function. The mismatch repair (MMR) pathway increases replication fidelity and defects have been implicated in malignant hematopoietic diseases. Little, however, is known about the role MMR pathway failure plays in the aging process of human HPCs. We hypothesized that loss of MMR occurs in HPCs as a process of human aging. We examined microsatellite instability and expression of the MMR genes MutL homologue 1 (MLH1) and MutS homologue 2 (MSH2) in HPCs and colony-forming cell-derived clones (CFCs) from human donors aged 0 to 86 years. CFCs from donors > 45 years had a greater frequency of microsatellite instability and CD34(+) progenitors lacking MLH1 expression and protein than individuals ≤ 45 years. Loss of MSH2 did not correlate with age. Thus, a potentially early event in the normal human aging process is microsatellite instability accumulation in normal human HPCs associated with the loss of MLH1 protein expression.