Runx Family Genes in Tissue Stem Cell Dynamics

The document from 2017 reviews the roles of Runx family genes in stem cell dynamics, with a focus on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). It reveals that Runx1 is crucial for the early development of HSCs and their proper function post-development, and its absence can lead to embryonic lethality and loss of HFSCs in adult epithelium. The study also discusses the paradoxical increase of Runx1 in aged HSCs, which exhibit a myeloid-biased differentiation phenotype, and the potential role of Runx genes in leukemia. In HFSCs, Runx1 is essential for normal hair cycle regulation and HFSC proliferation, with the Runx1-Hmga2 axis being important for HFSC self-renewal. Runx2's role in hair follicle development and Runx3's potential effects on HFSCs are also explored. The document concludes that the complex regulation of stem cells by Runx genes involves multiple mechanisms and that further research is needed to understand their roles in stem cell regulation, aging, and disease. Various experiments with different numbers of mice are included to investigate these roles, such as comparing Runx1;Mxl-Cre+ (n = 27) to Runx1;Vavl-iCre+ (n = 22) mice, and Runx3;Mx1-Cre+ (n = 11) to Runx3;Vavl-iCre+ (n = 12) mice.