Anti-CD13 Abs in children with extensive chronic GVHD and their relation to soluble CD13 after allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation from a Children's Oncology Groups Study, ASCT0031.

Our group previously demonstrated a strong association between elevated plasma soluble CD13 enzyme activity and newly diagnosed extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) in children. As cytotoxic anti-CD13 Abs have been documented after blood and marrow transplant (BMT) in association with CMV infection and cGVHD, we hypothesized that soluble CD13 contributes to cGVHD pathogenesis by induction of CD13 reactive Abs and that anti-CD13 Abs could be additional biomarkers for newly diagnosed pediatric extensive cGVHD. Using prospectively collected plasma samples from pediatric allogeneic BMT (allo-BMT) subjects with cGVHD and controls without cGVHD enrolled in a large multi-institution Children's Oncology Group cGVHD therapeutic trial, we evaluated whether soluble CD13 correlates with induction of anti-CD13 Abs. We found that CD13 reactive Abs are present in a proportion of patients after allo-BMT, but did not seem to correlate with the presence of soluble CD13. Anti-CD13 Abs also did not meet our criteria as a diagnostic biomarker for cGVHD. These data do not confirm that induction of CD13 reactive Abs is a mechanism for cGVHD in children nor are part of the pathogenesis of cGVHD associated with elevated soluble CD13. The exact role of CD13 in cGVHD remains to be determined.

Molecular phylogeny of Banza (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), the endemic katydids of the Hawaiian Archipelago.

The extant endemic katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of the Hawaiian Archipelago include one to three species per high island and a single species on Nihoa, all currently placed in the genus Banza. These acoustic insects provide an excellent opportunity for investigating the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation, but such studies require an understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the group. We use maximum parsimony, likelihood-based Bayesian inference, and maximum likelihood to infer phylogenetic relationships among these taxa, based on approximately 2kb of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome b. Our results strongly support two distinct high island clades: one clade ("Clade I") composed of species from Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Lanai and another clade ("Clade II") composed of species from Maui and Hawaii (Banza unica, from Oahu, may be basal to both these clades, but its placement is not well resolved). Within these clades, some inferred relationships are strongly supported, such as the sister status of B. kauaiensis (Kauai) and B. parvula (Oahu) within Clade I, but other relationships remain more ambiguous, such as the relative position of B. brunnea (Maui) within Clade II. Although a detailed reconstruction of the historical biogeography of the Hawaiian katydids is difficult, we use our genetic data combined with the known geological history of the Hawaiian Islands to set limits on plausible historical scenarios for diversification of this group. Beyond these historical biogeographic inferences, our results indicate possible cryptic speciation on both Oahu and Hawaii, as well as what may be unusually high average rates of nucleotide substitution. The present work sets the stage for future genetic and experimental investigations of this group.

CD13/Aminopeptidase N overexpression by basic fibroblast growth factor mediates enhanced invasiveness of 1F6 human melanoma cells.

CD13/Aminopeptidase N (CD13) is known to play an important role in tumour cell invasion. We examined whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is involved in the regulation of CD13 expression in human melanoma cells. 1F6 human melanoma cells were stably transfected with constructs encoding either the 18 kDa (18 kD) or all (ALL) bFGF isoform proteins. We observed highly increased CD13 mRNA and protein expression in the 1F6 clones regardless of the overexpression of either the 18 kD or all isoform proteins. Neutral aminopeptidase activity was increased five-fold and could be inhibited by bestatin and the CD13-neutralising antibody WM15. The enhanced invasion through Matrigel, but not migration in a wound assay, was efficiently abrogated by both bestatin and WM15. Upregulation of CD13 expression was the result of increased epithelial and myeloid promoter activity up to 4.5-fold in 1F6-18 kD and 1F6-ALL clones. Interestingly, in a panel of human melanoma cell lines, a significant correlation (r(2)=0.883, P<0.05) between bFGF and CD13 mRNA and protein expression was detected. High bFGF and CD13 expression were clearly related with an aggressive phenotype. Taken together, our data indicate that high bFGF expression upregulates CD13 expression in human melanoma cells by activating both the myeloid and the epithelial CD13 promoter. In addition, we show that high bFGF and CD13 expression results in enhanced invasive capacity and metastatic behaviour of human melanoma cells.

Cells of human aminopeptidase N (CD13) transgenic mice are infected by human coronavirus-229E in vitro, but not in vivo.

Aminopeptidase N, or CD13, is a receptor for serologically related coronaviruses of humans, pigs, and cats. A mouse line transgenic for the receptor of human coronavirus-229E (HCoV-229E) was created using human APN (hAPN) cDNA driven by a hAPN promoter. hAPN-transgenic mice expressed hAPN mRNA in the kidney, small intestine, liver, and lung. hAPN protein was specifically expressed on epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted renal tubules, bronchi, alveolar sacs, and intestinal villi. The hAPN expression pattern within transgenic mouse tissues matched that of mouse APN and was similar in mice heterozygous or homozygous for the transgene. Primary embryonic cells and bone marrow dendritic cells derived from hAPN-transgenic mice also expressed hAPN protein. Although hAPN-transgenic mice were resistant to HCoV-229E in vivo, primary embryonic cells and bone marrow dendritic cells were infected in vitro. hAPN-transgenic mice are valuable as a source of primary mouse cells expressing hAPN. This hAPN-transgenic line will also be used for crossbreeding experiments with other knockout, immune deficient, or transgenic mice to identify factors, in addition to hAPN, that are required for HCoV-229E infection.

Mutant p53 cooperates with ETS and selectively up-regulates human MDR1 not MRP1.

The most frequently expressed drug resistance genes, MDR1 and MRP1, occur in human tumors with mutant p53. However, it was unknown if mutant p53 transcriptionally regulated both MDR1 and MRP1. We demonstrated that mutant p53 did not activate either the MRP1 promoter or the endogenous gene. In contrast, mutant p53 strongly up-regulated the MDR1 promoter and expression of the endogenous MDR1 gene. Notably, cells that expressed either a transcriptionally inactive mutant p53 or the empty vector showed no endogenous MDR1 up-regulation. Transcriptional activation of the MDR1 promoter by mutant p53 required an Ets binding site, and mutant p53 and Ets-1 synergistically activated MDR1 transcription. Biochemical analysis revealed that Ets-1 interacted exclusively with mutant p53s in vivo but not with wild-type p53. These findings are the first to demonstrate the induction of endogenous MDR1 by mutant p53 and provide insight into the mechanism.

CD13/APN is activated by angiogenic signals and is essential for capillary tube formation.

In the hematopoietic compartment, the CD13/APN metalloprotease is one of the earliest markers of cells committed to the myeloid lineage where it is expressed exclusively on the surface of myeloid progenitors and their differentiated progeny. CD13/APN is also found in nonhematopoietic tissues, and its novel expression on the endothelial cells of angiogenic, but not normal, vasculature was recently described. Treatment of animals with CD13/APN inhibitors significantly impaired retinal neovascularization, chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis, and xenograft tumor growth, indicating that CD13/APN plays an important functional role in vasculogenesis and identifying it as a critical regulator of angiogenesis. To investigate the mechanisms of CD13/APN induction in tumor vasculature, the regulation of CD13/APN by factors contributing to angiogenic progression was studied. In this report, it is shown that endogenous CD13/APN levels in primary cells and cell lines are up-regulated in response to hypoxia, angiogenic growth factors, and signals regulating capillary tube formation during angiogenesis. Transcription of reporter plasmids containing CD13/APN proximal promoter sequences is significantly increased in response to the same angiogenic signals that regulate the expression of the endogenous gene and in human tumor xenografts, indicating that this fragment contains elements essential for the angiogenic induction of CD13/APN expression. Finally, functional antagonists of CD13/APN interfere with tube formation but not proliferation of primary vascular endothelial cells, suggesting that CD13/APN functions in the control of endothelial cell morphogenesis. These studies clearly establish the CD13/APN metalloprotease as an important regulator of endothelial morphogenesis during angiogenesis.

Aminopeptidase N is a receptor for tumor-homing peptides and a target for inhibiting angiogenesis.

Phage that display a surface peptide with the NGR sequence motif home selectively to tumor vasculature in vivo. A drug coupled to an NGR peptide has more potent antitumor effects than the free drug [W. Arap et al., Science (Washington DC), 279: 377-380, 1998]. We show here that the receptor for the NGR peptides in tumor vasculature is aminopeptidase N (APN; also called CD13). NGR phage specifically bound to immunocaptured APN and to cells engineered to express APN on their surface. Antibodies against APN inhibited in vivo tumor homing by the NGR phage. Immunohistochemical staining showed that APN expression is up-regulated in endothelial cells within mouse and human tumors. In another tissue that undergoes angiogenesis, corpus luteum, blood vessels also expressed APN, but APN was not detected in blood vessels of various other normal tissues stained under the same conditions. APN antagonists specifically inhibited angiogenesis in chorioallantoic membranes and in the retina and suppressed tumor growth. Thus, APN is involved in angiogenesis and can serve as a target for delivering drugs into tumors and for inhibiting angiogenesis.

c-Maf induces monocytic differentiation and apoptosis in bipotent myeloid progenitors.

The transcriptional mechanisms that drive colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) myeloid progenitors to differentiate into cells of either the granulocytic or monocytic lineage are not fully understood. We have shown that the c-Maf and c-Myb transcription factors physically interact in myeloid cells to form inhibitory complexes that hinder transactivation of c-Myb target genes through direct binding to Myb consensus sites. These complexes arise in a developmentally regulated pattern, peaking at the promyelocyte stage, or in cell model systems, appearing soon after the induction of monocytic differentiation. We wished to determine if this developmentally related interaction is a consequence of myeloid differentiation or an intrinsic differentiating stimulus. Because the elevated Myb:Maf status seen in differentiating cells can be recapitulated by overexpression of c-Maf in myeloid cell lines, we inducibly expressed the c-Maf cDNA in 2 bipotent human myeloid progenitor cells. Elevated levels of c-Maf protein led to marked increases in Myb:Maf complexes and the accumulation of monocyte/macrophage cells, followed by eventual programmed cell death. Analysis of targets that could mediate these phenotypic changes indicated that c-Maf likely plays a key role in myeloid cell development through dual mechanisms; inhibition of a select set of c-Myb regulated targets, such as Bcl-2 and CD13/APN, coupled with the activation of as yet undefined differentiation-promoting genes.

Role of secondary structure in discrimination between constitutive and inducible activators.

We have examined structural differences between the proto-oncogene c-Myb and the cyclic AMP-responsive factor CREB that underlie their constitutive or signal-dependent activation properties. Both proteins stimulate gene expression via activating regions that articulate with a shallow hydrophobic groove in the KIX domain of the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP). Three hydrophobic residues in c-Myb that are conserved in CREB function importantly in cellular gene activation and in complex formation with KIX. These hydrophobic residues are assembled on one face of an amphipathic helix in both proteins, and mutations that disrupt c-Myb or CREB helicity in this region block interaction of either factor with KIX. Binding of the helical c-Myb domain to KIX is accompanied by a substantial increase in entropy that compensates for the comparatively low enthalpy of complex formation. By contrast, binding of CREB to KIX entails a large entropy cost due to a random coil-to-helix transition in CREB that accompanies complex formation. These results indicate that the constitutive and inducible activation properties of c-Myb and CREB reflect secondary structural characteristics of their corresponding activating regions that influence the thermodynamics of formation of a complex with CBP.

Regulation of the CD13/aminopeptidase N gene by DMP1, a transcription factor antagonized by D-type cyclins.

The binding of the Myb-like DMP1 transcription factor to DNA consensus sequences [CCCG(G/T)ATGT] in artificial promoters is antagonized by D-type cyclins with no requirement for their catalytic partners, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and CDK6. The subset of DMP1 binding sites containing the GGA core can bind Ets family transcription factors Ets-1 and Ets-2. Screening of a series of natural promoters revealed that the CD13/aminopeptidase N (APN; EC 3.4.11.2) promoter could bind and be activated by DMP1. Activation of CD13/APN required both the intact DNA binding and transactivation domains of DMP1 and was inhibited by D-type cyclins, but not by cyclins A, B, C, or H, in a CDK-independent manner. CD13/APN is transactivated by a cooperative interaction between c-Myb bound to its cognate site and Ets-1 tethered to one of three GGA core-containing sites located 30-50 base pairs downstream. DMP1 binds to one of the Ets binding sites (designated Ets C) and synergizes with c-Myb in activating CD13/APN expression. Analysis of nuclear lysates from KG1a early myeloid cells using an oligonucleotide probe containing only the DMP1/Ets C binding site indicated that endogenous DMP1 and a putative Ets family member bind this element in vivo. DMP1-DNA complexes were significantly more stable than those containing the Ets factor. These data indicate that two different Myb family proteins collaborate in regulating APN gene expression and point to a role for DMP1 in normal myeloid cell development.

bca: an activation-related B-cell gene.

We have identified a novel activation related B-cell gene (bca) through differential hybridization screening of a murine B cell cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence predicted a protein of 482 amino acids with strong sequence similarity to the SH2 and SH3 domains present within the non-catalytic regions of several protein tyrosine kinases. Northern analysis of RNA from several murine B-cell lines revealed a transcript of 1.8 kb, which was not detected in T-cell and non-lymphoid cell lines. bca was transcribed at low levels in resting spleen cells from a variety of normal mouse strains and was strongly expressed in kidney RNA. bca expression was markedly increased in RNA prepared from mitogen activated B cells, and in freshly isolated spleen and lymph node cells of MRL/lpr and NZB autoimmune strains. The unique sequence of bca, which bears no obvious similarity to any specific class of proteins containing SH2 and SH3 domains, suggests that this gene encodes a novel protein potentially involved in B-cell signal transduction.

c-Maf interacts with c-Myb to regulate transcription of an early myeloid gene during differentiation.

The MafB transcriptional activator plays a pivotal role in regulating lineage-specific gene expression during hematopoiesis by repressing Ets-1-mediated transcription of key erythroid-specific genes in myeloid cells. To determine the effects of Maf family proteins on the transactivation of myeloid-specific genes in myeloid cells, we tested the ability of c-Maf to influence Ets-1- and c-Myb-dependent CD13/APN transcription. Expression of c-Maf in human immature myeloblastic cells inhibited CD13/APN-driven reporter gene activity (85 to 95% reduction) and required the binding of both c-Myb and Ets, but not Maf, to the promoter fragment. c-Maf's inhibition of CD13/APN expression correlates with its ability to physically associate with c-Myb. While c-Maf mRNA and protein levels remain constant during myeloid differentiation, formation of inhibitory Myb-Maf complexes was developmentally regulated, with their levels being highest in immature myeloid cell lines and markedly decreased in cell lines representing later developmental stages. This pattern matched that of CD13/APN reporter gene expression, indicating that Maf modulation of c-Myb activity may be an important mechanism for the control of gene transcription during hematopoietic cell development.

A role for CREB binding protein and p300 transcriptional coactivators in Ets-1 transactivation functions.

The Ets-1 transcription factor plays a critical role in cell growth and development, but the means by which it activates transcription are still unclear (J. C. Bories, D. M. Willerford, D. Grevin, L. Davidson, A. Camus, P. Martin, D. Stehelin, F. W. Alt, and J. C. Borles, Nature 377:635-638, 1995; N. Muthusamy, K. Barton, and J. M. Leiden, Nature 377:639-642, 1995). Here we show that Ets-1 binds the transcriptional coactivators CREB binding protein (CBP) and the related p300 protein (together referred to as CBP/p300) and that this interaction is required for specific Ets-1 transactivation functions. The Ets-1- and c-Myb-dependent aminopeptidase N (CD13/APN) promoter and an Ets-1-dependent artificial promoter were repressed by adenovirus E1A, a CBP/p300-specific inhibitor. Furthermore, Ets-1 activity was potentiated by CBP and p300 overexpression. The transactivation function of Ets-1 correlated with its ability to bind an N-terminal cysteine- and histidine-rich region spanning CBP residues 313 to 452. Ets-1 also bound a second cysteine- and histidine-rich region of CBP, between residues 1449 and 1892. Both Ets-1 and CBP/p300 formed a stable immunoprecipitable nuclear complex, independent of DNA binding. This Ets-1-CBP/p300 immunocomplex possessed histone acetyltransferase activity, consistent with previous findings that CBP/p300 is associated with such enzyme activity. Our results indicate that CBP/p300 may mediate antagonistic and synergistic interactions between Ets-1 and other transcription factors that use CBP/p300 as a coactivator, including c-Myb and AP-1.

Redundant functions of B-Myb and c-Myb in differentiating myeloid cells.

We show in this report that the human myeloid leukemia cell line GFD8 is a useful model to compare the biological function of the structurally related c-Myb and B-Myb proto-oncogenes and to investigate the c-myb domains required for this function. GFD8 cells are dependent for growth on granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and differentiate in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). We have stably transfected this cell line with constructs constitutively expressing c-Myb or B-Myb. Deregulated expression of both c-Myb and B-Myb inhibited the differentiation observed in response to PMA and, in particular, the induction of the CD11b and CD11c antigens on the cell surface, and the induction of adherence. Furthermore, c-Myb and B-Myb enhanced expression of CD13 upon PMA treatment. Although deregulated Myb expression did not alter the growth factor dependence of the cells, it led to an increase in G2 relative to G1 arrest in cells induced to differentiate in response to PMA, whereas control vector-transfected cells were blocked mostly in G1. This decrease in G1 block took place despite normal induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor protein p21 (CIP1/WAF1). Thus, GFD8 cells stably expressing the human B-Myb protein behaved in a manner indistinguishable from those stably expressing C-Myb for both differentiation and cell cycle parameters. In agreement with these findings and differently from most previous reports, transactivation assays show that B-myb can indeed act as a strong activator of transcription. Finally, we demonstrated that although the DNA-binding domain of c-myb is required for both the differentiation block and the shift in cell cycle after PMA treatment, phosphorylation by casein kinase II and mitogen-activated protein kinase at positions 11 and 12 or 532 of c-myb, respectively, are not. We conclude that c-Myb and B-Myb may activate a common cellular program in the GFD8 cell line involved in both differentiation and cell cycle control.

Stromal cell-mediated transcriptional regulation of the CD13/aminopeptidase N gene in leukemic cells.

CD13/aminopeptidase N (APN) is a cell surface metallopeptidase expressed by normal and leukemic myeloid cells, and by lymphoblasts in 5-10% of acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) cases, previously classified as 'biphenotypic' or 'mixed-lineage' leukemias. In fresh cells from two early B-lineage, t(9;22)-positive, ALL cases that were CD13/APN-negative at diagnosis, high levels of CD13/APN expression were induced after 3 days of in vitro culture. Similarly, continuously growing cell lines established from these ALLs, KOPN-30bi and KOPN-57bi, expressed CD13/APN, but retained other phenotypic, cytochemical and molecular features of early B-lineage cells. After 7 days of culture on human bone marrow stromal layers or murine S17 stromal cells, levels of CD13/APN expression by the leukemic cell lines decreased by more than 4-fold. After 21 days of culture on stromal cells, CD13/APN became undetectable by flow cytometry; however, the original levels of expression were regained when the cell lines were cultured without stroma. A more moderate decrease in CD13/APN expression was also observed in the myeloid lines KG-1 and HL-60 during culture on stroma. Suppression of CD13/APN expression required contact with stroma, but did not depend on VLA-4-mediated adhesion. Surprisingly, the mechanism through which stromal cells down-regulated CD13/APN expression in leukemic cells involved suppression of transcription from the CD13/APN gene. Contact with stroma resulted in a 2-3-fold decrease in CD13/APN mRNA expression and near ablation of CD13/APN gene transcription in nuclear run-on assays. Thus, CD13/APN expression by leukemic cells is regulated by interactions with the bone marrow microenvironment. CD13/APN expression in some ALL at diagnosis could result from a block in the signal transduction pathways that cause its suppression by bone marrow stromal cells.

E2A-HLF-mediated cell transformation requires both the trans-activation domains of E2A and the leucine zipper dimerization domain of HLF.

The E2A-HLF fusion gene, formed by the t(17;19)(q22;p13) translocation in childhood acute pro-B-cell leukemia, encodes a hybrid protein that contains the paired trans-activation domains of E2A (E12/E47) linked to the basic region/leucine zipper DNA-binding and dimerization domain of hepatic leukemia factor (HLF). To assess the transforming potential of this novel gene, we introduced it into NIH 3T3 murine fibroblasts by using an expression vector that also contained the neomycin resistance gene. Cells selected for resistance to the neomycin analog G418 formed aberrant colonies in monolayer cultures, marked by increased cell density and altered morphology. Transfected cells also grew readily in soft agar, producing colonies whose sizes correlated with E2A-HLF expression levels. Subclones expanded from colonies with high levels of the protein reproducibly formed tumors in nude mice and grew to higher plateau-phase cell densities in reduced-serum conditions than did parental NIH 3T3 cells. By contrast, NIH 3T3 cells expressing mutant E2A-HLF proteins that lacked either of the bipartite E2A trans-activation domains or the HLF leucine zipper domain failed to show oncogenic properties, including anchorage-independent cell growth. Thus, both of the E2A trans-activation motifs and the HLF leucine zipper dimerization domain are essential for the transforming potential of the chimeric E2A-HLF protein, suggesting a model in which aberrant regulation of the expression pattern of downstream target genes contributes to leukemogenesis.

Myb and Ets proteins cooperate to transactivate an early myeloid gene.

The earliest progenitor cell committed to the granulocyte/monocyte developmental pathway can be identified by the appearance of a 150-kDa glycoprotein on the cell surface (CD13/aminopeptidase N (CD13/APN), EC 3.4.11.2). A 455-base pair genomic fragment from the CD13/APN gene containing a Myb consensus-binding site as well as three potential Ets-binding sites was found to regulate tissue-appropriate expression of reporter genes in hematopoietic cell lines. Transactivation experiments with plasmids expressing either a full-length or truncated Myb protein and the full-length Ets-1 or Ets-2 protein demonstrated that these proteins cooperate to positively regulate CD13/APN gene expression. This cooperation is synergistic, as levels of transcriptional activity produced by Myb and Ets in combination were higher than those expected from a purely additive effect. Mutation of the Myb consensus-binding site completely abolished CD13/APN promoter activity in myeloid cells. Introduction of a dominant interfering Myb allele disrupted the ability of endogenous c-Myb in myeloid cells to transactivate the CD13/APN construct. Other myeloid cell-expressed Ets family members (PU.1, Fli-1, and Elf-1) failed to produce a cooperative transactivating effect when combined with the Myb expression construct. These data contrast with previous studies indicating that full-length c-Myb is unable to positively cooperate with Ets proteins in the regulation of myeloid genes. Because intact c-Myb and Ets-2 proteins, both endogenously expressed in myeloid cells, act synergistically to transactivate the CD13/APN promoter, this gene may represent a physiological target for dissection of the roles of these transcription factors in normal and malignant myelopoiesis.

B-cell-specific demethylation of BTK, the defective gene in X-linked agammaglobulinemia.

BTK, the gene that is defective in X-linked agammaglobulinemia, encodes a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase that is critical for B-cell proliferation, or survival. To identify regulatory elements that control the expression of BTK we evaluated the methylation pattern of this gene in cell lines and in freshly isolated cells. An Hpa II site that was specifically demethylated in mature B cells but not in pre-B cells, T cells, neutrophils, or nonhematopoietic cells was identified in the tenth intron of BTK. In a 40 kilobase (kb) segment of DNA spanning the entire coding region of BTK plus 3 kb upstream of the first exon there were no other sites that demonstrated lineage-specific demethylation. The B-cell-specific demethylation site in intron 10, which falls within the SH2 domain, 26 kb distal to the first exon, occurs in a region rich in regulatory elements including two E2 boxes, two AP-2 sites, and a cAMP response element. It is likely that this site plays a role in maintaining BTK transcription in mature B cells.

Transcriptional regulation in myeloid cell differentiation.

Myeloid cell differentiation has been investigated on many levels, from the cytokine signals required by each cell lineage to the scheduled expression of distinctive myeloid cell-specific genes and the programmed appearance of characteristic cell surface markers. By analogy to progress in other developmental systems, such as muscle and liver cell differentiation, it should be possible to establish a hierarchy of differentiation signals and transcriptional processes for developing myeloid cells. Current research centers on the cooperation between tissue-specific and more widely expressed transcription factors in the stage-specific regulation of genes essential to myelopoiesis. An attractive emerging concept implicates the programmed regulation of key transcription factors at different stages of development, coordinated by receptor-mediated signals from myeloid colony-stimulating factors. In addition, molecular studies of genes adjacent to the breakpoints of chromosomal translocations in the myeloid leukemias have begun to clarify how aberrantly activated transcription factors can disrupt normal developmental programs and contribute to malignant transformation.