During the production of new blood cells, stem cells first develop into progenitor cells. These progenitor cells undergo further rounds of differentiation to produce different types of blood cells. Each type of blood cell has a different function. For example, red blood cells transport oxygen around the blood, whereas various types of white blood cells play different roles in fighting infection. However, overactive white blood cells also play a role in auto-immune conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. As such, scientists are trying to better understand how blood cells develop, to find new ways of treating these conditions. Read More
Blood cell production is complex and controlled by the expression of various genes. Transcription is the first step in this process of gene expression, and involves proteins called transcription factors.
The types of transcription factors that are active in a particular cell influence which genes are expressed or ‘turned on’, guiding the fate of the cell. As cells become more specialised, genes either remain expressed or their expression might even increase, while other genes become ‘turned off’.
CTCF is a transcription factor that is involved in many important processes shared among different types of cells. However, until now, scientists have been unable to elucidate whether CTCF has specific functions in blood cells.
Dr Yong Cheng and his colleagues at the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis hypothesised that CTCF might play a unique role in the production of blood cells. By analysing blood cells obtained from a single donor, the researchers hoped to elucidate the roles of CTCF in gene expression during blood cell development.
The researchers searched for CTCF in a variety of different blood cells to identify places where it binds within cells. They hoped to find binding sites that are specific to each type of blood cell. By comparing these binding sites with genome data, they identified potential roles for CTCF in gene expression during blood cell production.
Excitingly, Dr Cheng and his team discovered that CTFC binding sites within blood cells did indeed vary according to cell type. Their results showed that CTCF acts in specific ways in different blood cell types.
From their observations, the team suggests a new model of how CTCF functions as an anchor to mediate certain interactions that are essential for blood cell production. Dr Cheng and his colleagues’ work provide new insights into gene expression during blood cell production.
Understanding the process of blood cell production and what drives the differentiation of progenitor cells into different blood cell types has important implications for understanding the mechanisms behind blood disorders and finding new treatments.
