Transcriptomic insights into temporal expression pattern of autophagy genes during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation

Autophagy. 2018;14(3):558-559. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2018.1425060. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Abstract

Macroautophagy/autophagy plays an essential role in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation. However, the role of autophagy during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation remains poorly understood. Hence, we first represented global transcriptomic analysis for temporal expression of autophagy genes during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation by combining RNA-Seq data with monocytic and granulocytic induction in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. According to a self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm, our results show temporal expression patterns of autophagy genes during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation. More importantly, 22 autophagy genes present significantly divergent roles during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation, indicating these autophagy genes could be important factors involved in the differentiation of myeloid progenitors into monocytes and granulocytes.

Keywords: autophagy; hematopoietic stem cell; monocytic and granulocytic differentiation; temporal expression pattern; transcriptomic analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / physiology
  • Autophagy / genetics*
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Granulocytes / metabolism*
  • Hematopoiesis / genetics
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / immunology
  • Humans
  • Monocytes / metabolism*
  • Transcriptome / genetics*

Grants and funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (81770104 to D.W.; 31371322 and 81530007 to J.Y.; 31471227 to F.W.), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFA0100601 to J.Y.), Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (C2015027 to D.W.), Weihan Yu Youth Science Fund Project of Harbin Medical University, and CAMS Initiative for Innovative Medicine (2016-12M-3-002 to F.W.; 2017-12M-3-009 to J.Y.).