Transcriptional Control of Stem and Progenitor Potential

Hematopoiesis is characterized by a lifelong balance between hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation into mature blood populations. Proper instruction of cell fate decisions requires tight homeostatic regulation of transcriptional programs through a combination of epigenetic modifications, management of cis-regulatory elements, and transcription factor activity. Recent work has focused on integrating biochemical, genetic, and evolutionary data sets to gain further insight into these regulatory components. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), post-translational modifications of transcription factors, and circadian rhythm add additional layers of complexity. These analyses have provided a wealth of information, much of which has been made available through public databases. Elucidating the regulatory processes that govern hematopoietic transcriptional programs is expected to provide useful insights into hematopoiesis that may be applied broadly across tissue types while enabling the discovery and implementation of therapeutics to treat human disease.