Project description:Primary murine fetal liver cells were freshly isolated from day e14.5 livers and then sorted for successive differentiation stages by Ter119 and CD71 surface expression (ranging from double-negative CFU-Es to Ter-119 positive enucleated erythrocytes) [Zhang, et al. Blood. 2003 Dec 1; 102(12):3938-46]. RNA isolated from each freshly isolated, stage-sorted population was reverse-transcribed, labelled, and then hybridized onto 3' oligo Affymetrix arrays. Important erythroid specific genes as well as the proteins that regulate them were elucidated through this profiling based on coexpression and differential expression patterns as well as by extracting specific GO categories of genes (such as DNA-binding proteins). Abstract (submitted paper): rationale for expression profiling Gene-targeting experiments report that the homeodomain-interacting protein kinases 1 and 2, Hipk1 and Hipk2, are essential but redundant in hematopoietic developmentâbecause Hipk1/Hipk2 double-deficient animals exhibit severe defects in hematopoiesis and vasculogenesis while the single knockouts do not. These serine-threonine kinases phosphorylate, and consequently modify the functions of, several important hematopoietic transcription factors and cofactors. Here we show that Hipk2 knockdown alone plays a significant role in terminal fetal liver erythroid differentiation. Hipk1 and Hipk2 are highly induced during primary mouse fetal liver erythropoiesis. Specific knockdown of Hipk2 inhibits terminal erythroid cell proliferationâexplained in part by impaired cell cycle progression as well as increased apoptosisâand terminal enucleation as well as the accumulation of hemoglobin. Hipk2 knockdown also reduces the transcription of many genes involved in proliferation and apoptosis as well as important, erythroid-specific genes involved in hemoglobin biosynthesisâsuch as alpha-globin and mitoferrin 1âdemonstrating that Hipk2 plays an important role in some but not all aspects of normal terminal erythroid differentiation.
Project description:Using RNA-seq technology, we quantitatively determined the expression profile of microRNAs during mouse terminal erythroid differentiation. CFU-E erythroid progenitors were isolated from E14.5 fetal liver as the Ter119, B220, Mac-1, CD3 and Gr-1 negative, C-Kit positive and 20% high CD71 population. Mature Ter119+ erythroblasts were isolated from E14.5 fetal liver as C-Kit negative and Ter119 positive population. Consistent with nuclear condensation and global gene expression shut down during terminal erythroid differentiation, we found that the majority of microRNAs are downregulated in more mature Ter119+ erythroblasts compared with CFU-E erythroid progenitors. Examination of microRNA expression profiles in 2 cell types
Project description:Using RNA-seq technology, we quantitatively determined the expression profile of microRNAs during mouse terminal erythroid differentiation. CFU-E erythroid progenitors were isolated from E14.5 fetal liver as the Ter119, B220, Mac-1, CD3 and Gr-1 negative, C-Kit positive and 20% high CD71 population. Mature Ter119+ erythroblasts were isolated from E14.5 fetal liver as C-Kit negative and Ter119 positive population. Consistent with nuclear condensation and global gene expression shut down during terminal erythroid differentiation, we found that the majority of microRNAs are downregulated in more mature Ter119+ erythroblasts compared with CFU-E erythroid progenitors.
Project description:Erythropoiesis is essential to mammals and is regulated at multiple steps by both extracellular and intracellular factors. Many transcriptional regulatory networks in erythroid differentiation have been well characterized. However, our understanding of post-transcriptional regulatory circuitries in this developmental process is still limited. Using genomic approaches, we identified a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein, Cpeb4, which is dramatically induced in terminal erythroid differentiation (TED) by two erythroid important transcription factors, Gata1/Tal1. Cpeb4 belongs to the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) protein family that regulates translation of target mRNAs in early embryonic development, neuronal synapse, and cancer. Using primary mouse fetal liver erythroblasts, we found that Cpeb4 is required for terminal erythropoiesis by repressing the translation of a set of mRNAs highly expressed in progenitor cells. This translational repression occurs by the interaction with a general translational initiation factor, eIF3. Interestingly, Cpeb4 also binds its own mRNA and represses its translation, thus forming a negative regulatory circuitry to limit Cpeb4 protein level. This mechanism ensures that the translation repressor, Cpeb4, does not interfere with the translation of other mRNAs in differentiating erythroblasts. Our study characterized a translational regulatorycircuitry that controls TED and revealed that Cpeb4 is required for somatic cell differentiation. We used microarray to identify mRNAs associated with Cpeb4 in mouse fetal liver erythroblasts. Cpeb4 associated mRNAs were isolated from mouse fetal liver erythroblasts using anti-Cpeb4 antibody for immunoprecipitation followed by RNA extraction. Then Affymetrix microarrays were used to identify and quantify the mRNAs associated with Cpeb4.
Project description:Coordination of cellular processes through the establishment of tissue-specific gene expression programmes is essential for lineage maturation. The basic helix-loop-helix haemopoietic transcriptional regulator SCL/Tal1 is required for terminal differentiation of red blood cells. To gain insight into SCL function and mechanisms of action in erythropoiesis, we performed ChIP-sequencing and gene expression analyses from primary fetal liver erythroid cells. We show that SCL coordinates expression of genes in most known red cell-specific processes. The majority of SCLâs genomic targets require direct DNA-binding activity. However, one fifth of SCLâs target sequences, mainly amongst those showing high affinity for SCL, can recruit the factor independently of its DNA binding activity. An unbiased DNA motif search of sequences bound by SCL identified CAGNTG as SCL-preferred E-box motif in erythroid cells. Novel motifs were also characterised that may help distinguish activated from repressed genes and suggest a new mechanism by which SCL may be recruited to DNA. Finally, analysis of recruitment of GATA1, a protein partner of SCL, to sequences occupied by SCL suggests that SCLâs binding is necessary prior or simultaneous to that of GATA1. This work provides the framework to study regulatory networks leading to erythroid terminal maturation and to model mechanisms of action of tissue-specific transcription factors. Total RNA extracted from wild-type (WT) day E12.5 fetal liver Ter119- erythroid progenitor cells was compared to total RNA extracted from E12.5 fetal liver Ter119- cells expressing a DNA-binding mutant form of SCL (SclRER/RER).
Project description:Erythropoiesis is essential to mammals and is regulated at multiple steps by both extracellular and intracellular factors. Many transcriptional regulatory networks in erythroid differentiation have been well characterized. However, our understanding of post-transcriptional regulatory circuitries in this developmental process is still limited. Using genomic approaches, we identified a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein, Cpeb4, which is dramatically induced in terminal erythroid differentiation (TED) by two erythroid important transcription factors, Gata1/Tal1. Cpeb4 belongs to the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) protein family that regulates translation of target mRNAs in early embryonic development, neuronal synapse, and cancer. Using primary mouse fetal liver erythroblasts, we found that Cpeb4 is required for terminal erythropoiesis by repressing the translation of a set of mRNAs highly expressed in progenitor cells. This translational repression occurs by the interaction with a general translational initiation factor, eIF3. Interestingly, Cpeb4 also binds its own mRNA and represses its translation, thus forming a negative regulatory circuitry to limit Cpeb4 protein level. This mechanism ensures that the translation repressor, Cpeb4, does not interfere with the translation of other mRNAs in differentiating erythroblasts. Our study characterized a translational regulatorycircuitry that controls TED and revealed that Cpeb4 is required for somatic cell differentiation. We used microarray to identify mRNAs associated with Cpeb4 in mouse fetal liver erythroblasts.
Project description:KLF1 (EKLF) regulates a diverse suite of genes to direct erythroid cell differentiation from bi-potent progenitors. To determine the local cis-regulatory contexts and transcription factor networks in which KLF1 operates, we performed KLF1 ChIP-seq in the mouse. We found at least 945 sites in the genome of E14.5 fetal liver erythroid cells which are occupied by endogenous KLF1. Many of these recovered sites reside in erythroid gene promoters such as β-globin, but the majority are distant to any known gene. Our data suggests KLF1 directly regulates most aspects of terminal erythroid differentiation including production of α and β-globin protein chains, heme biosynthesis, co-ordination of proliferation and anti-apoptotic pathways, and construction of the red cell membrane and cytoskeleton by functioning primarily as a transcriptional activator. Additionally, we suggest new mechanisms for KLF1 co-operation with other transcription factors, in particular the erythroid transcription factor GATA1, to maintain homeostasis in the erythroid compartment. Examination of KLF1 occupancy in primary erythroid cells. KLF1-ChIP and input samples were run on AB SOLiD Systems 2.0 and 3.0. The genomic alignment files (*sorted.txt) and peak file (*bed) contain the combined System 2.0 and 3.0 data.
Project description:Klf1 (formerly known as Eklf) regulates the development of erythroid cells from bi-potent progenitor cells via the transcriptional activation of a diverse set of genes. Mice lacking Klf1 die in utero prior to E15 from severe anemia due to the inadequate expression of genes controlling hemoglobin production, cell membrane and cytoskeletal integrity, and the cell cycle and proliferation. We have recently described the full repertoire of Klf1 binding sites in vivo by performing Klf1 ChIP-seq in primary erythroid tissue (E14.5 fetal liver). Here we describe the Klf1-dependent erythroid transcriptome by comparing mRNA-seq from Klf1+/+ and Klf1-/- erythroid tissue. This has revealed novel target genes not previously obtainable by traditional microarray technology and provided novel insights into the function of Klf1 as a transcriptional activator such as interactions with Gata1, Scl/Tal1 and p300. We also describe a set of erythroid specific promoters not previously identified that drive high level expression of otherwise ubiquitously expressed genes in erythroid cells. Additionally, our study has identified for the first time two novel lnc-RNAs that are dynamically expressed during erythroid differentiation as well as a role for Klf1 in directing apoptotic gene expression to drive the terminal stages of erythroid maturation. Examination of mRNA expression in 3 Klf1-/- and 3 Klf1+/+ fetal livers This submission represents mRNA-Seq component of study.
Project description:It is unclear how epigenetic changes regulate the induction of erythroid-specific genes during terminal erythropoiesis. Here we use global mRNA sequencing (mRNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to high-throughput sequencing (CHIP-seq) to investigate the changes that occur in mRNA levels, RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) occupancy and multiple post-translational histone modifications when erythroid progenitors differentiate into late erythroblasts. Among genes induced during this developmental transition, there was an increase in the occupancy of Pol II, the activation marks H3K4me2, H3K4me3, H3K9Ac and H4K16Ac, and the elongation methylation mark H3K79me2. In contrast, genes that were repressed during differentiation showed relative decreases in H3K79me2 levels yet had levels of Pol II binding and active histone marks similar to those in erythroid progenitors. We also found that relative changes in histone modification levels-in particular, H3K79me2 and H4K16ac-were most predictive of gene expression patterns. Our results suggest that in terminal erythropoiesis both promoter and elongation-associated marks contribute to the induction of erythroid genes, while gene repression is marked by changes in histone modifications mediating Pol II elongation. Our data maps the epigenetic landscape of terminal erythropoiesis and suggests that control of transcription elongation regulates gene expression during terminal erythroid differentiation. Mouse fetal liver cells are double-labeled for erythroid-specific TER119 and non erythroid-specific transferrin receptor (CD71) and then sorted by flow-cytometry. E14.5 fetal livers contain at least five distinct populations of cells (R1 through R5); as they progressively differentiate they gain TER119 and then gain and subsequently lose CD71. CFU-E cells and proerythroblasts make up the R1 population; R2 consists of proerythroblasts and early basophilic erythroblasts; R3 includes early and late basophilic erythroblasts; R4 is mostly polychromatophilic and orthochromatophilic erythroblasts; and R5 is comprised of late orthochromatophilic erythroblasts and reticulocytes. We have sorted for R2-R5 cells for RNA-seq experiment.