title: Extrinsic and intrinsic control by EKLF (KLF1) within a specialized erythroid niche.
abstract: The erythroblastic island provides an important nutritional and survival support niche for efficient erythropoietic differentiation. Island integrity is reliant on adhesive interactions between erythroid and macrophage cells. We show that erythroblastic islands can be formed from single progenitor cells present in differentiating embryoid bodies, and that these correspond to erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) that first appear in the yolk sac of the early developing embryo. Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF; KLF1), a crucial zinc finger transcription factor, is expressed in the EMPs, and plays an extrinsic role in erythroid maturation by being expressed in the supportive macrophage of the erythroblastic island and regulating relevant genes important for island integrity within these cells. Together with its well-established intrinsic contributions to erythropoiesis, EKLF thus plays a coordinating role between two different cell types whose interaction provides the optimal environment to generate a mature red blood cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Mariann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galdass
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Merlin Nithya
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gnanapragasam
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manwani
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA james.bieker@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bieker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000166:cytology; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000166:cytology; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C080774:erythroid Kruppel-like factor
keywords: EKLF/KLF1; Erythroblastic island; Erythroid-myeloid progenitor; Mouse