Small RNA analysis of human erythropoiesis

Small RNAs including microRNAs play a critical role at different stages of haematopoiesis. The study was designed to profile miRNA expression during human erythropoiesis. Overall design: The CD34+ haematopoietic progenitors obtained from a normal donor were expanded for 5 days in the phase I medium and then differentiated using erythroid culture medium to obtain erythroid progenitors at different stages of erythropoiesis. RNA was extracted from the cells from day 3 of phase I of the culture and from the cells from day 9, day 11 and day 14 of phase II of the culture. Small RNAs were analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing.