Details for: CL0000763

Cell ID: CL0000763

Cell Name: myeloid cell

Description: A cell of the monocyte, granulocyte, mast cell, megakaryocyte, or erythroid lineage.

Selected Context(s): Overall

Gene Significance Landscape

Display Options
Score:
Display
Genes

Contexts:

Cell Significance Index (CSI) is uniquely calculated to reveal cell-specific gene markers. More info here

Significant Genes List

Genes with the highest and lowest Percentile Rank Scores (PRS) for myeloid cell within the selected context(s).

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for myeloid cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
(Previously described as "Fold Change", but now represents Cliff's Delta × –log10(p).)

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for myeloid cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
Average CSI: csi sum / gene count
Cell network configuration

This network visualizes key genes for myeloid cell. It primarily includes:
1. Top genes highly significant for this cell (Num. Top Cell Genes - based on the 'Min. CSI' setting).
2. Any additional specific 'Context Genes' you add below.
The final network is a combined view. Choose an Interaction Source (pathways or protein interactions) and optionally compare CSI scores with a Baseline Cell Type.

Maximum number of selected genes.
Select a context for the baseline cell.
Select a context for the target cell.
Target Cell for CSI:  myeloid cell (CL0000763)

 Legend
Nodes (Genes):
 Query Gene
Node size also reflects Target Cell CSI magnitude.
Node Color (Target Cell CSI in specific network):
 Very High
 High
 Medium
 Low
 Very Low
 N/A or Not Sig.
Edges (Interactions):
 STRING (Protein-Protein)
 ONTOLOGY (Shared Pathway)
 Colors vary by pathway category; default arrow applies.

Loading network (please wait)...

## Summary The [myeloid cell](/details-cell/CL0000763) is a broad category of hematopoietic cells encompassing the monocyte, granulocyte, mast cell, megakaryocyte, and erythroid lineages. Based on gene significance analysis, the **Overall** defining characteristic of this lineage is a unique and specific expression signature related to immune signaling, metabolic regulation, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Top markers such as [SAT1](/details-gene/6303), involved in polyamine metabolism, and [TYROBP](/details-gene/7305), a key immune signaling adaptor, highlight the myeloid cell's fundamental roles in both metabolic homeostasis and active immune surveillance. ## Key Characteristics and Function Analysis of the most specific gene markers ([csi_z](/glossary/csi_z)) provides insight into the core functional programs that define the [myeloid cell](/details-cell/CL0000763) lineage. These markers can be grouped into several key biological themes. * **Immune Sensing and Signaling:** A prominent feature of myeloid cells is the specific expression of genes central to both innate and adaptive immunity. The high significance of [B2M](/details-gene/567), a component of MHC class I molecules, and [CD74](/details-gene/972), the invariant chain for MHC class II, underscores the lineage's critical role in antigen presentation. Furthermore, the expression of key signaling adaptors like [TYROBP](/details-gene/7305) (DAP12) and [FCER1G](/details-gene/2207) is consistent with their function in transducing signals from a wide array of activating receptors, including Fc receptors and C-type lectins, which are crucial for phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory mediator release ([Link](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9490415/), [Link](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2138619/)). * **Metabolic Regulation:** Myeloid cell identity appears to be tightly linked to specific metabolic pathways. The top marker, [SAT1](/details-gene/6303), and another highly significant gene, [OAZ1](/details-gene/4946), are both central regulators of polyamine metabolism ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9258(17)35245-6), [Link](https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4838(94)90199-6)). Polyamines are essential for cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, suggesting that the precise control of these metabolites is a foundational aspect of myeloid cell biology. The presence of [FTL](/details-gene/2512) also points to a role in iron homeostasis, which is vital for many enzymatic processes and the oxidative burst. * **Cytoskeletal Dynamics and Motility:** The specific expression of [ARPC3](/details-gene/10094), a core component of the Arp2/3 complex, highlights the importance of actin cytoskeleton remodeling for myeloid cell function ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.138.2.375)). This is consistent with hallmark myeloid activities such as migration, phagocytosis, and the formation of immune synapses. * **Post-transcriptional and Calcium-Mediated Regulation:** Genes involved in RNA processing, such as [PABPC1](/details-gene/26986), and calcium signaling, including [S100A11](/details-gene/6282) and [S100A6](/details-gene/6277), are also notable markers. This suggests that myeloid cells utilize sophisticated post-transcriptional control mechanisms and are highly responsive to changes in intracellular calcium, which acts as a key second messenger in many immune activation pathways. * **Negative Markers:** The lack of significant expression for genes like [MYH6](/details-gene/4624) (cardiac myosin) confirms the hematopoietic and non-muscle identity of this lineage. The negative Z-score for Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor ([MIF](/details-gene/4282)) is noteworthy; while known to be produced by macrophages, its low specificity score here may suggest its expression is less unique to the myeloid lineage compared to the top markers identified. ## Clinical Significance and Contextual Roles **Overall**, the gene signature of myeloid cells implicates them in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, including inflammation, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Several top markers have direct clinical relevance. [B2M](/details-gene/567) levels are used as a prognostic marker in several hematological malignancies. The S100 protein family, represented here by [S100A11](/details-gene/6282) and [S100A6](/details-gene/6277), is frequently dysregulated in inflammatory diseases and various cancers, where they can modulate proliferation, and cell migration. Intriguingly, the analysis reveals a strong link to neurological processes. [TYROBP](/details-gene/7305) is the signaling partner for TREM2, a receptor whose variants are major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The high specificity of [TYROBP](/details-gene/7305) in myeloid cells likely reflects the function of microglia (the resident myeloid cells of the brain) and peripheral macrophages in neuroinflammatory contexts. Even more striking is the identification of [PRKN](/details-gene/5071) (Parkin) as a top marker. Mutations in [PRKN](/details-gene/5071) are a primary cause of autosomal recessive juvenile Parkinson's disease ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1038/33416)). Its specific expression in the myeloid lineage suggests a potential role for these immune cells in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's, possibly through functions related to mitophagy and neuroinflammation. The high specificity of [NAV2](/details-gene/89797), a mammalian homolog of the neuronal guidance gene *unc-53*, further strengthens this connection between myeloid cell identity and the nervous system. ## Potential Mechanisms and Research Directions The unique gene expression landscape of myeloid cells points to several testable hypotheses regarding their fundamental biology and role in disease. 1. **Hypothesis:** The regulation of polyamine metabolism, governed by highly specific markers like [SAT1](/details-gene/6303) and [OAZ1](/details-gene/4946), is a central checkpoint controlling myeloid cell fate and function. We propose that the activity of this pathway determines the polarization of macrophages and the activation state of other myeloid subsets. * **Surprising Findings:** It is notable that core metabolic enzymes show higher expression specificity for the entire myeloid lineage than many canonical cell surface immune receptors. This suggests that metabolic programming is a more fundamental and unique identifier of this lineage than previously appreciated. * **Testable Questions:** How does targeted inhibition or genetic knockout of [SAT1](/details-gene/6303) influence the differentiation of human monocytes into pro-inflammatory M1 versus anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages, and how does this impact their phagocytic capacity and cytokine secretion profile? 2. **Hypothesis:** The specific expression of neuro-associated genes, particularly [PRKN](/details-gene/5071) and [TYROBP](/details-gene/7305), indicates that myeloid cells possess intrinsic programs for interacting with the nervous system and that dysfunction in these myeloid-specific pathways contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. * **Surprising Findings:** The identification of [PRKN](/details-gene/5071), a gene eponymously linked to a neurodegenerative disorder, as a top specificity marker in a general myeloid cell population is unexpected. This may indicate a systemic role for Parkin in immune cell quality control that, when lost, has profound consequences in the vulnerable microenvironment of the brain. * **Testable Questions:** Do myeloid-specific [PRKN](/details-gene/5071) knockout mice exhibit altered peripheral immune responses, and do they show an exacerbated neuroinflammatory phenotype and accelerated neurodegeneration in a model of Parkinson's disease?