bits of bio

Stepwise reprogramming of B cells into macrophages

Thomas Moreau, Head of Research at bit.bio, presenting the first of two seminal papers (both on reprogramming in blood cells): Stepwise reprogramming of B cells into macrophages (Huafeng Xie, Min Ye, Ru Feng, Thomas Graf)
Read full paper
Stepwise reprogramming of B cells into macrophages

Thomas Moreau

Director, Cell Biology Research

bit.bio

Thomas Moreau, Head of Research at bit.bio, presenting the first of two seminal papers (both on reprogramming in blood cells): Stepwise reprogramming of B cells into macrophages (Huafeng Xie, Min Ye, Ru Feng, Thomas Graf)
Stepwise reprogramming of B cells into macrophages

Thomas Moreau

Director, Cell Biology Research

bit.bio

Starting with multipotent progenitors, hematopoietic lineages are specified by lineage-restricted transcription factors. The transcription factors that determine the decision between lymphoid and myeloid cell fates, and the underlying mechanisms, remain largely unknown. Here, we report that enforced expression of C/EBPα and C/EBPβ in differentiated B cells leads to their rapid and efficient reprogramming into macrophages. C/EBPs induce these changes by inhibiting the B cell commitment transcription factor Pax5, leading to the downregulation of its target CD19, and synergizing with endogenous PU.1, an ETS family factor, leading to the upregulation of its target Mac-1 and other myeloid markers. The two processes can be uncoupled, since, in PU.1-deficient pre-B cells, C/EBPs induce CD19 downregulation but not Mac-1 activation. Our observations indicate that C/EBPα and β remodel the transcription network of B cells into that of macrophages through a series of parallel and sequential changes that require endogenous PU.1. Cell 2004 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(04)00419-2

Read full paper

Huafeng Xie, Min Ye, Ru Feng, Thomas Graf

Related pages

News Read our latest updates and press coverage
Our platform Discover the cell identity coding platform behind our cells
Join us Explore the latest roles at bit.bio