Raw Data for the article "MYB bi-allelic targeting abrogates primitive clonogenic progenitors while the emergence of primitive blood cells is not affected"

To delineate definitive versus primitive hematopoiesis during the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, we have introduced reporters into the MYB locus and inactivated the gene by bi-allelic targeting. The mutant and wild type human embryonic stem cell lines were differentiated in defined culture conditions without the addition of hematopoietic cytokines to recapitulate the early developmental events more adequately.

The differentiation of the reporter cell lines demonstrated that MYB is specifically expressed throughout emerging hematopoietic cell populations. Here we show that the disruption of the MYB gene leads to severe defects in the development and proliferation of primitive hematopoietic progenitors while the emergence of primitive blood cells is not affected. We also provide evidence that MYB is essential for neutrophil and T cell development and the upregulation of innate immunity genes during hematopoietic differentiation.