The megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP) compartment is expanded in trisomy 21 fetal hematopoiesis. (A) Representative flow cytometric analysis of control (C) and trisomy 21 (T21) fetal liver MNCs. CD34+38+ cells were fractionated according to IL-3Rα and CD45RA expression to delineate different progenitor compartments: common myeloid progenitor (CMP, IL-3Rαlo/CD45RA−, top left panel), granulocyte macrophage progenitor (GMP, IL-3Rαlo/CD45RA+, top right panel), and megakaryocyte erythroid progenitor (MEP, IL-3Rα−/CD45RA−, bottom left panel). The numbers indicate percentages of each population within the CD34+CD38+ fraction. (B) Distribution of multipotential progenitors in T21 (n = 4) and C (n = 5) fetal liver MNCs. Data are plotted as percent of the CD34+CD38+ population. Bars represent the mean plus or minus SD. *P = .01, **P = .0003. (C) Relative expression of selected chromosome 21–encoded hematopoietic transcription factors in purified T21 (n = 3) and C (n = 4) fetal liver CMPs. Results shown are the mean plus or minus SD. *P = .03.