ThPOK is a critical and multifaceted regulator of myeloid lineage development [Fluidigm]

The transcription factor ThPOK (encoded by Zbtb7b) is well known for its role as a master regulator of CD4 lineage commitment in the thymus. Here, we report a novel role for ThPOK as a critical and multifaceted regulator of myeloid lineage commitment, differentiation and maturation. Using reporter and knockout mouse models combined with CITE-Seq, Smart-Seq2, progenitor transfer and clonogenic assays and we show that ThPOK controls monocyte-DC versus granulocyte lineage production during homeostatic differentiation, and serves as a brake for neutrophil maturation in granulocyte lineage-specified cells through transcriptional regulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and RNA via altered mRNA splicing to reprogram intron retention. Single cell RNA seq of ThPOK wild-type, ThPOK knockout cells.