Conserved mechanisms of NuRD function in hematopoetic gene expression

The Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylating Complex (NuRD) is ubiquitously expressed in all metazoans. It combines nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylating activities to generate inaccessible chromatin structures and to repress gene transcription. NuRD is involved in the generation and maintenance of a wide variety of lineage-specific gene expression programs during differentiation and in differentiated cells. A close cooperation with a large number of lineage-specific transcription factors is key to allow NuRD to function in many distinct differentiation contexts. The molecular nature of this interplay between transcription factors and NuRD is complex and not well understood. This review uses hematopoiesis as a paradigm to highlight recent advances in our understanding of how transcription factors and NuRD cooperate at the molecular level during differentiation. A comparison of vertebrate and invertebrate systems serves to identify the conserved and fundamental concepts guiding functional interactions between transcription factors and NuRD. We also discuss how the transcription factor—NuRD axis constitutes a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hemoglobinopathies.