Representational difference analysis using myeloid cells from C/EBP epsilon deletional mice

C/EBP epsilon is a recently cloned member of the C/EBP family of transcript ional factors. Previous studies demonstrated that the expression of this ge ne is tightly regulated in a tissue specific manner; it is expressed exclus ively in myeloid cells. C/EBP epsilon -deficient mice developed normally bu t failed to generate functional neutrophils and eosinophils, and these mice died of opportunistic infections suggesting that C/EBP epsilon may play a central role in myeloid differentiation. To identify myelomonocytic genes r egulated by the C/EBP epsilon gene, we performed representational differenc e analysis (RDA), a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based subtractive hybri dization using neutrophils and macrophages from wild-type and C/EBP epsilon knockout mice. We identified a set of differentially expressed genes, in-e luding chemokines specific to myelomonocytic cells. Several novel genes wer e identified that were differentially expressed in normal myelomonocytic ce lls. Taken together, we have found several genes whose expression might be enhanced by C/EBP epsilon. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology.