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Role of the polycomb group proteins in hematopoietic stem cells
Author(s) -
Konuma Takaaki,
Oguro Hideyuki,
Iwama Atsushi
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2010.01191.x
Subject(s) - polycomb group proteins , epigenetics , biology , bmi1 , stem cell , haematopoiesis , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , psychological repression , histone , chromatin , regulator , gene , genetics , repressor , transcription factor , gene expression
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins play a role in the transcriptional repression of genes through histone modifications. Recent studies have clearly demonstrated that PcG proteins are required for the maintenance of embryonic as well as a broad range of adult stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). PcG proteins maintain the self‐renewal capacity of HSCs by repressing tumor suppressor genes and keep differentiation programs poised for activation in HSCs by repressing a cohort of hematopoietic developmental regulator genes via bivalent chromatin domains. Enforced expression of one of the PcG genes, Bmi1, augments the self‐renewal capacity of HSCs. PcG proteins also maintain redox homeostasis to prevent premature loss of HSCs. These findings established PcG proteins as essential regulators of HSCs and underscored epigenetics as a new field of HSC research. In this review, we focus on the role of PcG proteins in the epigenetic regulation of the self‐renewal capacity and multipotency of HSCs.