Zinc Finger Protein 521 regulates early hematopoiesis through cell extrinsic mechanisms in the bone marrow microenvironment. Zinc Finger Protein 521 regulates early hematopoiesis through cell extrinsic mechanisms in the bone marrow microenvironment

Zinc finger protein 521 (ZFP521), a DNA-binding protein containing 30 Krüppel-like zinc fingers, has been implicated in the differentiation of multiple cell types, including hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) and B lymphocytes. Here, we report a novel role for ZFP521 in regulating the earliest stages of hematopoiesis and lymphoid cell development through soluble microenvironmental proteins. Mice with inactivated Zfp521 genes (Zfp521-/-) possess reduced frequencies and numbers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, common lymphoid progenitors, and B and T cell precursors. Notably, ZFP521 deficiency changes BM microenvironment cytokine levels and gene expression within resident HSPC, consistent with a skewing of hematopoiesis away from lymphopoiesis and towards granulopoiesis. These results advance our understanding of ZFP521’s role in normal hematopoiesis, justifying further research to assess its potential as a target for cancer therapies. Overall design: RNA-seq transcriptome analysis of two independent RNA samples each from wild type or Zfp521 knockout HSC pools from mice.