erythroidcommitted

Erythroid-committed describes hematopoietic progenitor cells that have restricted their developmental potential to the erythroid lineage and are therefore destined to produce red blood cells and related erythroid precursors. In adult hematopoiesis, erythroid commitment typically follows the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP) stage within the common myeloid pathway. Erythroid-committed progenitors give rise to erythroid colonies in vitro, including burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E). BFU-E marks an earlier stage of commitment and forms large colonies; CFU-E represents a later, more restricted progenitor that produces smaller colonies and is highly dependent on erythropoietin signaling for maturation.

In vivo, erythroid commitment is driven by erythropoietin binding to its receptor (EPOR) on progenitors, promoting survival, proliferation, and maturation toward proerythroblasts and beyond. Transcription factors such as GATA1 and KLF1 play central roles in activating erythroid gene programs and suppressing alternative lineages.

Phenotypically, erythroid-committed cells progressively express erythroid-associated surface markers as they mature, including increased expression of the transferrin receptor CD71 and glycophorin A (CD235a). These markers, together with colony assays and EPOR dependence, are used to characterize erythroid-restricted progenitors in research and clinical contexts.

Clinical relevance includes anemia and bone marrow failure conditions where erythroid commitment or erythropoiesis is impaired. See also erythropoiesis, CMP, MEP, BFU-E, CFU-E, EPOR, GATA1.