GATA-2 regulates granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell function

The zinc finger transcription factor GATA-2 has been implicated in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells. Herein, we explored the role of GATA-2 as a candidate regulator of the hematopoietic progenitor cell compartment. We showed that bone marrow from GATA-2 heterozygote (GATA-2+/−) mice displayed attenuated granulocyte-macrophage progenitor function in colony-forming cell (CFC) and serial replating CFC assays. This defect was mapped to the Lin−CD117+Sca-1−CD34+CD16/32high granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (GMP) compartment of GATA-2+/− marrow, which was reduced in size and functionally impaired in CFC assays and competitive transplantation. Similar functional impairments were obtained using a RNA interference approach to stably knockdown GATA-2 in wild-type GMP. Although apoptosis and cell-cycle distribution remained unperturbed in GATA-2+/− GMP, quiescent cells from GATA-2+/− GMP exhibited altered functionality. Gene expression analysis showed attenuated expression of HES-1 mRNA in GATA-2–deficient GMP. Binding of GATA-2 to the HES-1 locus was detected in the myeloid progenitor cell line 32Dcl3, and enforced expression of HES-1 expression in GATA-2+/− GMP rectified the functional defect, suggesting that GATA-2 regulates myeloid progenitor function through HES-1. These data collectively point to GATA-2 as a novel, pivotal determinant of GMP cell fate