Finally, plek2 knockout mice with age develop mild anemia due to ineffective erythropoiesis and increased sensitivity of circulating RBCs to oxidative damage25, suggesting that plek2 may have a protective effect on RBC integrity in an oxidative environment without significantly contributing to steady-state hematopoiesis in vivo, at least in normal erythropoiesis. This evidence concerns the gene PLEK2 and anemia.