Deregulation of embryonic globin genes in <i>Gfi1b</i> deficient TER119⁺ cells.

<p>A: Scatter plot comparison of gene expression levels (log2 of normalized signal intensities) in TER119⁺ pIpC induced <i>Mx</i>-Cre, <i>Gfi1b</i>^fl/fl bone marrow cells compared to pIpC induced cells from control mice. Dots represent probesets and are jittered for better visualization. Probesets were classified as indicated and probesets for hemoglobin genes and important regulators of hemoglobin gene expression and globin switch were labeled (red dots). Two RNA samples for each genotype were pooled and analyzed on single arrays. B: Scatter plot comparing the changes in gene expression induced by inactivation of <i>Gfi1b</i> in erythroid cells of adult mice (y-axis) as in (A) with genes regulated in fetal liver cells during development of the mouse embryo from 11 dpc (E11) compared to 16 dpc (E16). Raw data for fetal liver development was taken from GEO data series GSE13149 and reanalyzed. Embryonic globin genes (red), megakaryocyte/platelet specific genes (blue) and integrins known to be targets of <i>Gfi1b</i> in hematopoietic stem cells (yellow) are indicated. Genes that are downregulated in fetal liver cells during mouse development but upregulated in <i>Gfi1b</i>-KO cells are likely to be direct targets of the transcriptional repressor <i>Gfi1b</i> and were subjected to GSEA analysis (green frame and table to the right) and show a high enrichment in megakaryocytic/coagulation related genes and globin genes.