Epigenetic Regulators as the Gatekeepers of Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis is the process by which both fetal and adult organisms derive the full repertoire of blood cells from a single multipotent progenitor cell type, the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Correct enactment of this process relies on a synergistic interplay between genetically encoded differentiation programs and a host of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors. These include the influence of the HSC niche microenvironment, action of specific transcription factors, and alterations in intracellular metabolic state. The consolidation of these inputs with the genetically encoded program into a coherent differentiation program for each lineage is thought to rely on epigenetic modifiers. Recent work has delineated the precise contributions of different classes of epigenetic modifiers to HSC self-renewal as well as lineage specification and differentiation into various cell types. Here, we bring together what is currently known about chromatin status and the development of cells in the hematopoietic system under normal and abnormal conditions.