CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)α is a myeloid-specific transcription factor that couples lineage commitment to terminal differentiation and cell cycle arrest, and is found mutated in 9% of patients who have acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We previously showed that mutations which dissociate the ability of C/EBPα to block cell cycle progression through E2F inhibition from its function as a transcriptional activator impair the in vivo development of the neutrophil granulocyte and adipose lineages. We now show that such mutations increase the capacity of bone marrow (BM) myeloid progenitors to proliferate, and predispose mice to a granulocytic myeloproliferative disorder and transformation of the myeloid compartment of the BM. Both of these phenotypes were transplantable into lethally irradiated recipients. BM transformation was characterized by a block in granulocyte differentiation, accumulation of myeloblasts and promyelocytes, and expansion of myeloid progenitor populations—all characteristics of AML. Circulating myeloblasts and hepatic leukocyte infiltration were observed, but thrombocytopenia, anemia, and elevated leukocyte count—normally associated with AML—were absent. These results show that disrupting the cell cycle regulatory function of C/EBPα is sufficient to initiate AML-like transformation of the granulocytic lineage, but only partially the peripheral pathology of AML.

Transcription factors are key regulators of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and act through their ability to bind DNA and impact on gene transcription. Their functions are interpreted in the complex landscape of chromatin, but current knowledge on how this is achieved is very limited. C/EBPα is an important transcriptional regulator of hematopoiesis, but its potential functions in HSCs have remained elusive. Here we report that C/EBPα serves to protect adult HSCs from apoptosis and to maintain their quiescent state. Consequently, deletion of Cebpa is associated with loss of self-renewal and HSC exhaustion. By combining gene expression analysis with genome-wide assessment of C/EBPα binding and epigenetic configurations, we show that C/EBPα acts to modulate the epigenetic states of genes belonging to molecular pathways important for HSC function. Moreover, our data suggest that C/EBPα acts as a priming factor at the HSC level where it actively promotes myeloid differentiation and counteracts lymphoid lineage choice. Taken together, our results show that C/EBPα is a key regulator of HSC biology, which influences the epigenetic landscape of HSCs in order to balance different cell fate options.

Transcription factors PU.1 and CEBPA are required for the proper coordination of enhancer activity during granulocytic-monocytic (GM) lineage differentiation to form myeloid cells. However, precisely how these factors control the chronology of enhancer establishment during differentiation is not known. Through integrated analyses of enhancer dynamics, transcription factor binding, and proximal gene expression during successive stages of murine GM-lineage differentiation, we unravel the distinct kinetics by which PU.1 and CEBPA coordinate GM enhancer activity. We find no evidence of a pioneering function of PU.1 during late GM-lineage differentiation. Instead, we delineate a set of enhancers that gain accessibility in a CEBPA-dependent manner, suggesting a pioneering function of CEBPA. Analyses of Cebpa null bone marrow demonstrate that CEBPA controls PU.1 levels and, unexpectedly, that the loss of CEBPA results in an early differentiation block. Taken together, our data provide insights into how PU.1 and CEBPA functionally interact to drive GM-lineage differentiation.