Targets of the transcriptional repressor oncoprotein Gfi-1

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 May 13;100(10):5932-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1031694100. Epub 2003 Apr 29.

Abstract

Gfi-1 is a zinc finger transcriptional repressor originally recognized for its role in T cell differentiation and lymphomas. Recent experiments reveal that gene-targeted Gfi-1-deficient mice are neutropenic and that Gfi-1 mutations cause human neutropenia. In both cases, myeloid progenitor cells lose the ability to distinctly differentiate granulocytes from monocytes. The molecular mechanism of the hematopoietic abnormalities caused by Gfi-1 deficiency remains undetermined because of a lack of known Gfi-1 target genes. To identify Gfi-1 targets in vivo, we performed large-scale chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis on a set of 34 candidate genes in myeloblast (KG-1 and HL-60), monoblast (U937), and T lymphocyte cell lines (Jurkat), in concert with RT-PCR-based expression profiling. We identified 32 Gfi-1 binding sites in a functionally variable set of 16 genes, including complements of cell-cycle regulators, transcription factors, and granulocyte-specific markers. Cluster analysis of expression patterns and chromatin immunoprecipitation data reveals that Gfi-1 targets a subset of genes differentiating hematopoietic lineages and therefore plays a relatively superior role in the hierarchy of factors governing stem cell differentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Consensus Sequence
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Mice
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Transcription Factors*
  • Transfection
  • U937 Cells
  • Zinc Fingers / genetics

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • GFI1 protein, human
  • Gfi1 protein, mouse
  • Gfi1 protein, rat
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Transcription Factors