Determining the role of Rel/NF-kB Transcription Factors in Myeloid Differentiation

在一个涉及基因表达变化的过程中，不同类型的成熟血细胞来自干细胞，这决定了哪些类型的血细胞最终会发育。已发现一种名为核因子-kB转录因子的基因调节蛋白家族控制着一种名为粒细胞巨噬细胞前体(GMP)的特定血细胞前体的基因表达模式，该前体通常会产生两种类型的成熟血细胞，即巨噬细胞和中性粒细胞。在缺乏核因子-kB蛋白的情况下，GMP中基因表达模式的改变导致这两种血细胞产生的不平衡，这两种血细胞现在有利于中性粒细胞的产生。这项工作将为深入了解核因子-kB调控血细胞发育的分子机制提供依据。由于血细胞形成的平衡失调是白血病的一个标志，了解这一过程通常是如何控制的，可能对制定抗击各种类型白血病的治疗策略具有重要意义。

Different types of mature blood cells arise from stem cells in a process involving changes in gene expression that dictate which types of blood cells ultimately develop. A family of gene regulatory proteins called NF-kB transcription factors has been found to control the pattern of gene expression in a particular blood cell precursor called a granulocyte macrophage precursor (GMP) that normally generates two types of mature blood cells called macrophages and neutrophils. In the absence of NF-kB proteins, a change in the pattern of gene expression in GMPs leads to an imbalance in production of these two blood cell types that now favours the generation of neutrophils. This work will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of blood cell development regulated by NF-kB. With disturbances in the balance of blood cell formation representing a hallmark of leukemia, understanding how this process is normally controlled may have important implications for developing therapeutic strategies to combat various types of leukemias.