IRF8 inhibits C/EBPα activity to restrain mononuclear phagocyte progenitors from differentiating into neutrophils.

Myeloid progenitors lose their potential to generate neutrophils when they adopt the mononuclear phagocyte lineage. The mechanism underlying this lineage restriction remains unknown. We here report that the protein expression of IRF8, an essential transcription factor for the development of dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes, sharply increases at the monocyte-DC progenitor (MDP) stage and remains high in common monocyte progenitors (cMoPs).