Zinc finger protein Gfi-1 is a transcriptional repressor that in humans is encoded by the GFI1 gene. It is important normal hematopoiesis.

Gfi1 (growth factor independence 1) is a transcriptional repressor that plays a critical role in hematopoiesis and in protecting hematopoietic cells against stress-induced apoptosis. Gfi1 upregulates the expression of the nuclear protein Hemgn, which contributes to its anti-apoptotic activity. This upregulation is mediated through a specific 16-bp promoter region and is dependent on Gfi1’s interaction with the histone demethylase LSD1. Gfi1 represses PU.1 transcription factor, and this repression precedes and correlates with the upregulation of Hemgn. The upregulation of Hemgn, in turn, contributes to the anti-apoptotic function of Gfi1, acting in a p53-independent manner.

Gfi1 promotes cell survival by upregulating Hemgn through the repression of PU.1 thereby inhibiting apoptosis. Gfi1 inhibits apoptosis induced by DNA damage, growth factor withdrawal, inhibitory cytokine TGF-β and MYC activation

Gfi1 is also expressed in the inner ear, and in the epithelium lining the stomach, intestines, and lung airways, where it is important for cellular differentiation.

GFI1 has been shown to interact with PIAS3 and RUNX1T1.

This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.