Stem/Early Progenitor Cell Commitment is Directed by Hydroxymethylation at Gene Regulatory Regions During Erythropoiesis
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are rare bone marrow cells that have self-renewal capability and are multipotent. Upon differentiation, HSCs become progressively lineage-committed and give rise to different mature blood cells. This process involves extrinsic and intrinsic signals that are strongly influenced by the stem cell microenvironment. Furthermore, differentiation involves silencing of self-renewal genes and induction of a specific transcriptional program. It is not known how epigenetic modifications influences stem cell differentiation and commitment and what specific role these modifications may [more…]