GFI1
Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zinc finger protein Gfi-1 is a transcriptional repressor that in humans is encoded by the GFI1 gene.[5] It is important normal hematopoiesis.[6]
Function
Gfi1 (growth factor independence 1) is a transcriptional repressor that plays a critical role in hematopoiesis and in protecting hematopoietic cells against stress-induced apoptosis. Gfi1 upregulates the expression of the nuclear protein Hemgn, which contributes to its anti-apoptotic activity. This upregulation is mediated through a specific 16-bp promoter region and is dependent on Gfi1’s interaction with the histone demethylase LSD1.[7] Gfi1 represses PU.1 transcription factor, and this repression precedes and correlates with the upregulation of Hemgn. The upregulation of Hemgn, in turn, contributes to the anti-apoptotic function of Gfi1, acting in a p53-independent manner.[7][8]
Gfi1 promotes cell survival by upregulating Hemgn through the repression of PU.1 thereby inhibiting apoptosis.[7] Gfi1 inhibits apoptosis induced by DNA damage, growth factor withdrawal, inhibitory cytokine TGF-β and MYC activation [8]
