Normal myeloid development requires both the glutamine-rich transactivation domain and the PEST region of transcription factor PU.1 but not the potent acidic transactivation domain.

Gene targeting of transcription factor PU.1 results in an early block to fetal hematopoiesis, with no detectable lymphoid or myeloid cells produced in mouse embryos. Furthermore, PU.1(-/-) embryonic stem (ES) cells fail to differentiate into Mac-1(+) and F4/80(+) macrophages in vitro. We have previously shown that a PU.1 transgene under the control of its own promoter restores the ability of PU. 1(-/-) ES cells to differentiate into macrophages. In this study, we take advantage of our PU.1(-/-) ES cell rescue system to genetically test which previously identified PU.1 functional domains are necessary for the development of mature macrophages. PU.1 functional domains include multiple N-terminal acidic and glutamine-rich transactivation domains, a PEST domain, several serine phosphorylation sites, and a C-terminal Ets DNA binding domain, all delineated and characterized by using standard biochemical and transactivational assays. By using the production of mature macrophages as a functional readout in our assay system, we have established that the glutamine-rich transactivation domain, a portion of the PEST domain, and the DNA binding domain are required for myelopoiesis. Deletion of three acidic domains, which exhibit potent transactivation potential in vitro, had no effect on the ability of PU.1 to promote macrophage development. Furthermore, mutagenesis of four independent sites of serine phosphorylation also had no effect on myelopoiesis. Collectively, our results indicate that PU.1 interacts with important regulatory proteins during macrophage development via the glutamine-rich and PEST domains. The PU.1(-/-) ES cell rescue system represents a powerful, in vitro strategy to functionally map domains of PU.1 essential for normal hematopoiesis and the generation of mature macrophages.