RUNX transcription factors belong to a highly conserved class of transcriptional regulators which play various roles in the development of the majority of metazoans. In this review we focus on the founding member of the family, RUNX1, and its role in the transcriptional control of blood cell development in mammals. We summarize data showing that RUNX1 functions both as activator and repressor within a chromatin environment, a feature that requires its interaction with multiple other transcription factors and co-factors. Furthermore, we outline how RUNX1 works together with other factors to reshape the epigenetic landscape and the three-dimensional structure of gene loci within the nucleus. Finally, we review how aberrant forms of RUNX1 deregulate blood cell development and cause hematopoietic malignancies.
Keywords: Blood cell development; Chromatin structure; Isoforms; Leukaemia; RUNX1; Regulation of RUNX1 activity; Transcriptional networks.