GATA-1 and c-myb crosstalk during red blood cell differentiation through GATA-1 binding sites in the c-myb promoter

GATA-1 and c-Myb transcription factors represent key regulators of red blood cell development. GATA-1 is upregulated and c-myh proto-oncogene expression is downregulated when red cell progenitors differentiate into erythrocytes. Here we have employed a culture system, that faithfully recapitulates red blood cell differentiation in vitro, to follow the kinetics of GATA-1 and c-myb expression. We show that c-myb proto-oncogene expression is high in progenitors and effectively downregulated at the time when nuclear GATA-1 accumulates and cells differentiate into erythrocytes. Additionally, we identified two GATA-1 binding sites within the c-myb promoter and demonstrate that GATA-I protein binds to these sites in vitro. Furthermore, GATA-1 represses c-myb expression through one of the GATA-1 binding sites in transient transfection experiments and this requires FOG-1. Thus, our study provides evidence for a direct molecular link between GATA-1 activity and c-myb proto-oncogene expression during terminal red cell differentiation.