Yolk Sac Erythromyeloid Progenitors Expressing Gain Of Function PTPN 11 Have Functional Features Of JMML But Are Not Sufficient To Cause Disease In Mice Running title : PTPN 11 Mutations in Yolk Sac Erythromyeloid Progenitors

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests the origin of Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) is closely associated with fetal development. Nevertheless, the contribution of embryonic progenitors to JMML pathogenesis remains unexplored. We hypothesized that expression of JMML-initiating PTPN11 mutations in HSC-independent yolk sac erythromyeloid progenitors (YS EMPs) would result in a mouse model of pediatric myeloproliferative neoplasm