Unsuspected role of the brain morphogenetic gene Otx1 in hematopoiesis.
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.
Levantini
Elena
E
Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Giorgetti
Alessandra
A
Cerisoli
Francesco
F
Traggiai
Elisabetta
E
Guidi
Alessandra
A
Martin
Richard
R
Acampora
Dario
D
Aplan
Peter D
PD
Keller
Gordon
G
Simeone
Antonio
A
Iscove
Norman N
NN
Hoang
Trang
T
Magli
Maria Cristina
MC
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*
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