GFI1 maintains a chromatin state that is essential in human endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition [ATAC-seq]

During early embryonic hematopoiesis, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are considered to develop from hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) though endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT). However, little is known about how EHT is regulated in human. Here, we report that GFI1 plays an essential role in ensuring EHT during hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). GFI1 deletion in hESCs showed a complete EHT defect due to a closed chromatin state of hematopoietic genes in HECs. Further analysis revealed that GFI1 directly binds and maintains the open chromatin state of genes important for EHT, such as PI3K signaling. Together, our findings reveal an essential role of GFI1 mediated epigenetic mechanism underlying human EHT during hematopoiesis. Overall design: We compared GATA2/eGFP+ endothelial cells of WT and GFI1-KO by ATAC-Seq