CUX1 regulates human hematopoietic stem cell chromatin accessibility via the BAF complex [ATAC-seq]

CUX1 is a HOX-family transcription factor that is essential for development and differentiation of multiple tissues. CUX1 is recurrently mutated or deleted in cancer, particularly in myeloid malignancies. However, the mechanism by which CUX1 regulates gene expression and differentiation remains poorly understood, creating a barrier to understanding the tumor suppressive functions of CUX1. Herein, we demonstrate that CUX1 directs the BAF chromatin remodeling complex to DNA to increase chromatin accessibility in hematopoietic cells. CUX1 preferentially regulates lineage-specific enhancers, and CUX1 target genes are predictive of cell fate in vivo. These data indicate that CUX1 functions as a pioneer factor to epigenetically regulate hematopoietic lineage commitment and homeostasis, and CUX1 deficiency disrupts these processes in stem and progenitor cells, facilitating transformation. ATAC-seq in K562 cell line and primary human CD34+ HSPCs transfected with CRISPR gRNAs including gHPRT (control) and gCUX1