4th Palermo Conference on INNOVATIVE THERAPIES FOR LYMPHOID MALIGNANCIES
Published online 22 October 2009
Haematologica, Vol 95, Issue 1, 144-147 doi:10.3324/haematol.2009.010017
Copyright © 2010 by Ferrata Storti Foundation
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Hematopoiesis

Megakaryocyte-erythroid lineage promiscuity in EKLF null mouse blood

Michael R. Tallack, Andrew C. Perkins

Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia

Correspondence: Andrew C. Perkins, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Qld, Australia. E-mail: a.perkins{at}imb.uq.edu.au

Commitment towards megakaryocyte versus erythroid blood cell lineages occurs in the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor, where mutually exclusive expression of either EKLF (Klf1) or Fli1 defines alternative outcomes. Here we show there is a marked increase in the number of circulating platelets in mice lacking the erythroid transcription factor EKLF. In addition, committed erythroid cells retain key signatures of megakaryocytes both on the cell surface and at the mRNA level. We also show that the effect of EKLF on megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor lineage decision and commitment is cell autonomous in bone marrow reconstitution assays where stem cells lacking EKLF favor the megakaryocyte differentiation pathway. We conclude the megakaryocyte program is aberrantly activated in EKLF null erythroid cells.

Key words: megakaryocyte, EKLF, megakaryocyte differentiation.