ETV2 expression marks blood and endothelium precursors, including hemogenic endothelium, at the onset of blood development.

Abstract

ETV2 has been identified as an important player in embryonic hematopoiesis. However, the cell populations in which this transcription factor is expressed and operates during blood specification remain to be fully characterized. Here we address these issues using ES cells and a transgenic mouse line expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of ETV2 regulatory elements, allowing us to observe the tight association between ETV2 expression and the initiation of hematopoiesis.