Myeloid leukemia factor 1 （MLF1） is a member of the MLF family， and is a widely expressed negative regulator of cell cycle progression functioning upstream of the tumor suppressor p53. MLF1 hinders the erythropoietin-induced erythroid terminal differentiation by averting cells from exiting the cell cycle through suppression of CDKN1B/p27Kip1 levels. MLF1 generally functions in multi-potent progenitor cells， and its dysregulation may be to some extent responsible for leukemogenesis. Translocations between the MLF1 gene and nucleophosmin are linked to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia.
