Abstract
In this issue of Blood, Wei et al describe how the nuclear corepressor ncor2 helps keep hemogenic gene expression at just the right level necessary for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) emergence. Forming an HSPC requires a Goldilocks touch in that too much or too little signal can inhibit their formation from specialized hemogenic endothelial cells. These results shed light on a critical factor in establishing proper balance during HSPC formation.