RNA-seq transcriptional profiling in human primary fetal and adult CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) erythroid progenitor cells (ProEs)

Advances in sequencing-based genomic profiling present a new challenge of explaining how changes in DNA/RNA are translated into proteins linking genotypes to phenotypes. The developing erythroid cells require highly coordinated gene expression and metabolism, and serve as a unique model in dissecting regulatory events in development and disease. Here we compare the proteomic and transcriptomic changes in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and lineage-committed erythroid progenitors, and uncover pathways related to mitochondrial biogenesis enhanced through post-transcriptional regulation. Two principal mitochondrial factors TFAM and PHB2 are tightly regulated at the protein level and indispensable for mitochondria and erythropoiesis. mTORC1 signaling is progressively enhanced to promote translation of mitochondrial proteins during erythroid specification. Genetic and pharmacological perturbation of mTORC1 or mitochondria impairs erythropoiesis. Our studies suggest a new mechanism for regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis through mTORC1-mediated protein translation, and may have direct relevance to the hematological defects associated with mitochondrial diseases and aging. Overall design: Transcriptional profiling in human primary fetal and adult CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) erythroid progenitor cells (ProEs) by RNA-seq analysis.

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Liu X, Zhang Y, Ni M, Cao H, Signer RAJ, Li D, Li M, Gu Z, Hu Z, Dickerson KE, Weinberg SE, Chandel NS, DeBerardinis RJ, Zhou F, Shao Z, Xu J