title: Unsuspected role of the brain morphogenetic gene Otx1 in hematopoiesis.
abstract: Otx1 belongs to the paired class of homeobox genes and plays a pivotal role in brain development. Here, we show that Otx1 is expressed in hematopoietic pluripotent and erythroid progenitor cells. Moreover, bone marrow cells from mice lacking Otx1 exhibit a cell-autonomous impairment of the erythroid compartment. In agreement with these results, molecular analysis revealed decreased levels of erythroid genes that include the SCL and GATA-1 transcription factors. Accordingly, a gain of function of SCL rescues the erythroid deficiency in Otx1-/- mice. Taken together, our findings indicate a function for Otx1 in the regulation of blood cell production.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levantini
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cerisoli
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Traggiai
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acampora
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Aplan
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simeone
authors.forename: Norman N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Iscove
authors.forename: Trang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Magli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D005260:Female; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000073942:T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Protein 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D000073942:T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Protein 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497656:Otx1 protein, mouse; C489366:Tal1 protein, mouse