A HaemAtlas: characterizing gene expression in differentiated human blood cells.
Hematopoiesis is a carefully controlled process that is regulated by complex networks of transcription factors that are, in part, controlled by signals resulting from ligand binding to cell-surface receptors. To further understand hematopoiesis, we have compared gene expression profiles of human erythroblasts, megakaryocytes, B cells, cytotoxic and helper T cells, natural killer cells, granulocytes, and monocytes using whole genome microarrays. A bioinformatics analysis of these data was performed focusing on transcription factors, immunoglobulin superfamily members, and lineage-specific transcripts. We observed that the numbers of lineage-specific genes varies by 2 orders of magnitude, ranging from 5 for cytotoxic T cells to 878 for granulocytes. In addition, we have identified novel coexpression patterns for key transcription factors involved in hematopoiesis (eg, GATA3-GFI1 and GATA2-KLF1). This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of gene expression in hematopoietic cells to date and has identified genes that play key roles in lineage commitment and cell function. The data, which are freely accessible, will be invaluable for future studies on hematopoiesis and the role of specific genes and will also aid the understanding of the recent genome-wide association studies.
Watkins
Nicholas A
NA
Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, United Kingdom. naw23@cam.ac.uk
Gusnanto
Arief
A
de Bono
Bernard
B
De
Subhajyoti
S
Miranda-Saavedra
Diego
D
Hardie
Debbie L
DL
Angenent
Will G J
WG
Attwood
Antony P
AP
Ellis
Peter D
PD
Erber
Wendy
W
Foad
Nicola S
NS
Garner
Stephen F
SF
Isacke
Clare M
CM
Jolley
Jennifer
J
Koch
Kerstin
K
Macaulay
Iain C
IC
Morley
Sarah L
SL
Rendon
Augusto
A
Rice
Kate M
KM
Taylor
Niall
N
Thijssen-Timmer
Daphne C
DC
Tijssen
Marloes R
MR
van der Schoot
C Ellen
CE
Wernisch
Lorenz
L
Winzer
Thilo
T
Dudbridge
Frank
F
Buckley
Christopher D
CD
Langford
Cordelia F
CF
Teichmann
Sarah
S
Göttgens
Berthold
B
Ouwehand
Willem H
WH
D001271:Atlases as Topic; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D014157:Transcription Factors