Expression analysis of Chd7 in mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells [microarray]

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) formation and lineage differentiation involve gene expression programs orchestrated by transcription factors and epigenetic regulators. Knockdown of the chromatin remodeler chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 7 (CHD7) expanded phenotypic HSPCs, erythroid, and myeloid lineages in zebrafish and mouse embryos. CHD7 acts to suppress hematopoietic differentiation in a cell autonomous manner in the embryo and adult. We performed gene expression analysis to determine the expression of chd7 in adult sorted HSPC populations. Loss of Chd7 in long term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) results in upregulation of genes that function in hematopoietic system development and function. Genes representative of each blood lineage including erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid were upregulated, suggesting that Chd7 deficiency results in LT-HSCs that are more primed for multilineage differentiation. Together with the physical and genetic interaction, the data support a model in which CHD7 interacts with and modulates Runx1 activity to provide proper timing and function of HSPCs as they emerge during hematopoietic development or mature in adults. This represents a distinct and evolutionarily conserved control mechanism to ensure accurate hematopoietic lineage differentiation. We used microarrays to detail the expression of Chd7 in adult sorted HSPC populations. To determine the expression of Chd7 in adult mouse HSPCs, long-term and short-term hematopoietic stem cells and multi-potent progenitor populations were sorted for microarray analysis.