GFI1
Zinc finger protein Gfi-1 is a transcriptional repressor that in humans is encoded by the GFI1 gene. It is important normal hematopoiesis.
Function
Gfi1 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. 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.Gfi1 promotes cell survival by upregulating Hemgn through the repression of PU.1 thereby inhibiting apoptosis. Gfi1 inhibits apoptosis induced by DNA damage, growth factor withdrawal, inhibitory cytokine TGF-β and MYC activation