SUMMARY Erythroid cells mature in vivo in the presence of a supportive macrophage; this cell-cell compartment is known as the erythroblastic island, an entity first described over 50 years ago. Red cell interactions with the macrophage are critical for optimal nutrient access, survival, proliferation, and differentiation of the erythron. Our proposed experiments address the exciting idea that Erythroid Krüppel-like Factor (EKLF; KLF1) not only plays an intrinsic role in establishing the proper gene expression patterns in the red cell within the erythroblastic island, but that it additionally affects this process by an extrinsic mechanism based on its surprising expression within the island macrophage and early in development within the erythro-myeloid progenitor (EMP). Our studies build on observations made in primary or minimally manipulated cells, aided by in vivo assays and EKLF rescue systems. We have found that EKLF is expressed in the EMP in the yolk sac by E8.5. The experiments of Aim 1 will investigate the role of EKLF in directing the functional potential of these cells at later stages in the embryo and in the adult. We have found that macrophage-restricted ablation of EKLF extrinsically affects the red cell. The experiments of Aim 2 will examine an iron-related hypothesis for the red cell effect that may be important for stress recovery. We have found that fetal liver island macrophage display a unique gene expression signature that is extensively regulated by EKLF. The experiments of Aim 3 will assess EKLF's role in island macrophage identity, studies that will be extended to analysis of human cells. Understanding these basic mechanisms will ultimately aid in understanding the problems that arise in anemias that present with high levels of nucleated red blood cells in circulation, such as congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) type IV, and in the design of culture systems that enable efficient expansion and enucleation of human cell sources for clinical use.

NARRATIVE EKLF/KLF1, a zinc finger erythroid transcription factor, is critical for the coordinate regulation of late events during terminal maturation of the red blood cell. Surprisingly, EKLF is also expressed in the central macrophage of the erythroblastic blood island and in the erythroid-myeloid progenitor (EMP). We will address how this non-erythroid expression extrinsically contributes to red cell production, trace the ultimate destiny of the progenitor into the adult, relate the mouse studies to that of human blood cells, and discover how the identity of the island macrophage is regulated by EKLF.