The Human Epsilon Globin Gene — A Paradigm for Erythroid Differentiation

Author(s):  
J. Paul ◽  
M. Allan ◽  
J. Grindlay ◽  
D. Spandidos
Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 406-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoyuki Sawado ◽  
Jessica Halow ◽  
Hogune Im ◽  
Tobias Ragoczy ◽  
Emery H. Bresnick ◽  
...  

Abstract Genome-wide analyses of the relationship between H3 K79 dimethylation and transcription have revealed contradictory results. To clarify this relationship at a single locus, we analyzed expression and H3 K79 modification levels of wild-type (WT) and transcriptionally impaired β-globin mutant genes during erythroid differentiation. Analysis of fractionated erythroid cells derived from WT/Δ locus control region (LCR) heterozygous mice reveals no significant H3 K79 dimethylation of the β-globin gene on either allele prior to activation of transcription. Upon transcriptional activation, H3 K79 di-methylation is observed along both WT and ΔLCR alleles, and both alleles are located in proximity to H3 K79 dimethylation nuclear foci. However, H3 K79 di-methylation is significantly increased along the ΔLCR allele compared with the WT allele. In addition, analysis of a partial LCR deletion mutant reveals that H3 K79 dimethylation is inversely correlated with β-globin gene expression levels. Thus, while our results support a link between H3 K79 dimethylation and gene expression, high levels of this mark are not essential for high level β-globin gene transcription. We propose that H3 K79 dimethylation is destabilized on a highly transcribed template.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1209-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Wu ◽  
G J Grindlay ◽  
P Bushel ◽  
L Mendelsohn ◽  
M Allan

The human epsilon-globin gene has a number of alternative transcription initiation sites which correspond with regions of DNase I hypersensitivity upstream of the canonical cap site. Transcripts originating from the promoters located -4.3/-4.5 and -1.48 kilobase pairs (kbp) and -900 and -200 base pairs (bp) upstream of the major epsilon-globin cap site can, at certain stages of erythroid differentiation, extend through the gene and are polyadenylated. The 350-bp PolIII transcripts, originating within the Alu repetitive element -2.2 kbp upstream of the cap site, extend in the opposite direction from the gene, are nonpolyadenylated, nucleus confined, and are detectable only in mature K562 cells or mature embryonic red blood cells where the epsilon-globin major cap site is maximally transcribed. Fragments containing the promoters located between -4.5 and -4.3 kbp upstream of the gene down regulate transcription from the epsilon-globin gene 20- to 30-fold in a transient expression assay in which both erythroid and nonerythroid cell lines were used. This occurs only when the direction of transcription from the -4.3/-4.5-kbp promoters is towards the gene, and we hypothesize that down regulation is caused by transcriptional interference. Fragments containing the Alu repetitive element -2.2 kbp upstream of the gene can overcome down regulation of the epsilon-globin gene by the -4.5-kbp element when interposed in the direct orientation between this element and the epsilon-globin gene.


2019 ◽  
Vol 411 (29) ◽  
pp. 7669-7680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Breveglieri ◽  
Francesca Salvatori ◽  
Alessia Finotti ◽  
Lucia Carmela Cosenza ◽  
Cristina Zuccato ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 2702-2702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laure Moutouh de Parseval ◽  
Helen Brady ◽  
Dominique Verhelle ◽  
Laura G. Corral ◽  
Emilia Glezer ◽  
...  

Abstract Clinical trial results have demonstrated that lenalidomide (Revlimid®) reduces or even eliminates the need for red blood cell transfusions in some anemic myelodysplastic patients. We have examined whether lenalidomide and Actimid™, members of a new class of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs®), which are currently under evaluation for the treatment of hematological cancers could regulate erythropoiesis and hemoglobin synthesis. For this purpose, we used an in vitro culture model to differentiate human erythroid progenitors from bone marrow or peripheral blood CD34+ cells. We demonstrate that lenalidomide and AztimidTM modulate erythropoiesis and increase proliferation of immature erythroid cells. In addition to the regulation of erythroid differentiation, lenalidomide and ActimidTM are potent inducers of fetal hemoglobin. Unlike other inducers of fetal hemoglobin such as 5-aza-cytidine that are cytotoxic, IMiDs® promoted survival of erythroblast cultured with known cytotoxic drug. Gene expression profiling of erythroid differentiated cells showed that IMiDs® regulate specific erythroid transcription factors and genes that participate in hemoglobin synthesis, and genes invoved in cell cycle and cellular differentiation. Globin gene expression is controlled by IMiDs® during erythroid differentiation by inducing fetal hemoglobin synthesis. Our results support the hypothesis that IMiDs® restore effective erythropoiesis in myelodysplastic patients and protect erythroid cells from the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents. In conclusion, IMiDs® may represent an interesting new therapy for cancer-related anemia and β-hemoglobinopathies.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1581-1581
Author(s):  
Rodwell Mabaera ◽  
Christine Richardson ◽  
Sarah Conine ◽  
Christopher H. Lowrey

Abstract 5-Azacytidine (5-Aza) was demonstrated to be a potent inducer of human fetal globin gene expression more than 20 years ago. More recently, 5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine has been shown to have similar properties. Since the 1980’s there have been two predominant hypotheses to explain the action of these agents. The first is based on the observation that these, and several other active inducing agents, are cytotoxic to differentiating erythroid cells and that drug treatment alters the kinetics of erythroid differentiation. This has been proposed to result in prolonged expression of the γ-globin genes which are normally expressed only early in differentiation. The second is based on the observation that both agents are DNA methyltransferase inhibitors and are presumed to cause demethylation of cellular DNA including the γ-globin gene promoters leading to activation of the genes. These two models lead to specific predictions that we have evaluated using an in vitro erythroid differentiation system. In this system, human adult CD34+ cells are cultured in SCF, Flt3 ligand and IL-3 for 7 days and then switched to Epo for 14 days. This results in an exponential expansion of erythroid cells. As has been described for normal human differentiation, these cells express small amounts of γ-globin mRNA early in differentiation followed by a much larger amount of β-globin mRNA. HPLC at the end of the culture period shows 99% HbA and 1% HbF. Treatment of cultures on a daily basis with 5-Aza starting on day 10 results in dose dependent increases in γ-globin mRNA, Gγ- and Aγ-chain production and HbF. The cytotoxicity model predicts that γ-globin expression will be prolonged to later in differentiation - and this is seen. However, a daily 5-Aza dose of 300 nM, which produces ~80% of the maximal response in γ-globin mRNA and HbF, has no effect on cell growth or differentiation kinetics. This argues against the toxicity model. We next examined the effect of 5-Aza on γ-globin promoter methylation using the bisulfite method. We studied CpGs at −344, −252, −162, −53, −50, +6, +19 and +50 relative to the start site. For untreated controls, all of the sites are nearly 100% methylated at day 1. By day 3, the upstream sites become ~50% methylated except the −53 CpG which was <20%. This pattern persisted at day 10. By day 14 the promoters had become largely remethylated. For cells treated with 5-Aza starting on day 10, there was no change in the levels of methylation seen on days 1,3 and 10, but at day 14 the low levels of upstream methylation persisted - just as γ-globin expression does. However, in both treated and untreated cells, down-stream CpG sites were highly methylated at all time points. This suggests that γ promoter demethylation may be due to a local and not a generalized effect of 5-Aza on cellular DNA methylation. We also made two unexpected observations. At a 300nM dose of 5-Aza, γ-globin mRNA is ~doubled while β-globin mRNA levels are ~halved - indicating that 5-Aza not only induces γ-globin expression also suppresses β-globin. Also despite only a doubling in γ-globin mRNA, there was an ~50-fold increase in HbF, from ~1% to more than 50%, while total per cell Hb levels were unchanged. Neither of these results are easily explained by current models of γ-globin gene induction. Our results raise the possibility that mechanisms beyond cytotoxicity and generalized DNA demethylation may be responsible for pharmacologic induction of γ-globin mRNA and HbF.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 129-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virryan Banzon ◽  
Vinzon Ibanez ◽  
Kestis Vaitkus ◽  
Tatiana Kousnetzova ◽  
Joseph Desimone ◽  
...  

Abstract The development of new therapies to increase fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in patients with sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia depends on an increased understanding of the mechanism responsible for the developmental regulation of globin gene expression. A role for epigenetic modifications in the mechanism of of globin gene regulation is suggested by the presence of high levels of DNA methylation near the 5’ regions of developmentally silenced ε- and γ-globin genes and the ability of pharmacological inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase (DNMTase) to reactivate ε- and γ-globin expression in adults. Whether additional epigenetic modifications associated with gene silencing and DNA methylation, such as histone H3 (lys9) dimethylation, are also involved is unknown. To investigate the hypothesis that histone H3 (lys9) dimethylation may function in the mechanism of developmental globin gene silencing, chromatin immunopreciptation assays were performed to determine the distribution of histone H3 (lys9) dimethyl and histone H3 (lys9) acetyl throughout the β-globin gene complex in purified primary baboon bone marrow (BM) erythroid cells from phlebotomized baboons expressing low levels (5–10%) of HbF and purified erythroid cells from erythroid progenitor cell cultures expressing high levels of HbF (30–50%). In BM erythroid cells, the level of histone H3 (lys9) acetyl associated with the β-globin gene was 10–20 fold higher than with the ε- and γ-globin genes, while the level of histone H3 (lys9) dimethyl associated with the ε- and γ-globin genes was 2–4 fold higher than with the β-globin gene. In erythroid cells from day 12 erythroid progenitor cell cultures, the level of histone H3 (lys9) acetyl associated with the highly expressed γ- and β-globin genes was 10–20 fold higher than with the silent ε-globin gene, while the level of histone H3 (lys9) dimethyl associated with the ε-globin gene was 2–4 fold higher than with the γ- and β-globin genes. Therefore a reciprocal relationship was observed between levels of histone H3 (lys9) acetylation and dimethylation associated with active and inactive globin genes. Experiments were performed to further investigate the role of histone H3 (lys9) dimethyl in ε-globin gene silencing by determining the effect of the G9A histone methyltransferase inhibitor BIX-01294 on ε-globin expression. Erythroid progenitor cell cultures derived from CD34+ BM cells of three individual baboons were treated with the varying doses of the DNMTase inhibitor decitabine (0.125–1.0μM), and BIX-01294 (1.25–5μM), alone and in combination. Changes in ε- globin were assessed by real time PCR using the ΔΔCT method with α-globin as the standard. Decitabine (0.5μM) increased ε-globin 25.8±7.7 fold while BIX-01294 (2.5μM) increased ε-globin 3.09±1.16 fold. Decitabine (1μM) and BIX-01294 (2.5μM) in combination increased ε-globin 55.7±24.9 fold. BIX-01294 enhanced ε-globin expression approximately twofold at all decitabine doses ranging from 0.125–1.0μM (mean increase=103± 44.7%). BIX-01294 also blocked terminal erythroid differentiation and allowed expansion of more primitive cells as evidenced by the presence of a large population of basophilic erythroblasts at late stages of culture (day 14). These results demonstrate that BIX-01294 reactivates expression of the silenced ε-globin gene and that synergistic reactivation can be achieved using combinations of BIX-01294 and decitabine. While these results are consistent with the hypothesis that epigenetic modifications are important in the mechanism of developmental globin gene silencing, the observation that BIX-01294 blocks erythroid differentiation suggests the possible involvement of a reprogramming mechanism.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 4797-4797
Author(s):  
Diana Santos Branco ◽  
Ana Flavia Brugnerotto ◽  
Carolina Lanaro ◽  
Kleber Yotsumoto Fertrin ◽  
Anderson Ferreira Cunha ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4797 Background: Extensive studies have led to a considerable understanding of the cellular and molecular control of haemoglobin production during red blood cell differentiation, however, identification of the genes expressed as part of the erythroid differentiation programme remains an important goal because of the insights that these data will bring to erythrocyte biology and disease. Previous results using SAGE identified 93 differentially-expressed genes during erythroid development. One of these genes, EYA3, a homologue gene of Eyes Absent 3 in Drosophila, is a transcription cofactor with intrinsic phosphatase activity and its expression was observed to be high at the end of CD34+ cell differentiation and in human bone marrow. Aim: To evaluate globin gene, fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expressions and apoptosis levels in the erythroleukemic K562 cell line after EYA3 gene silencing and induction with hemin. Methods: Four different cultures from human K562 cells (1×105cells/mL in DMEM, 10% FBS, penicillin/streptomycin, 5% CO2, 37°C) were transfected with control or EYA3 knockdown lentiviruses (MOI=2.5). After proliferation and selection of successfully transfected cells with puromicin (2.0 ug/mL), cells were treated with 30μM hemin and collected after 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96h for gene expression and flow cytometry analyses. EYA3, LXN, α, and g-gene expression was measured by qRT-PCR and normalized using the Genorm program. HbF expression and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Results: Analysis of globin gene expression showed that α-globin gene was downregulated in EYA3 silenced K562 culture cells compared with the control culture in 72h after hemin addition (1.791±0.1735; 0.7404±0.1709, respectively, **P<0.001, n=4). g-globin gene expression was found to be downregulated in K562 EYA3 silenced culture after 24h (1.350±0.1296; 0.5285±0.1736, respectively, *P<0.05, n=4) and 72h (1.554±0.1042; 0.6889±0.1535, respectively, **P<0.001, n=4). HbF expression was found to be downregulated in the same culture compared to the control culture at 72h after hemin addition (3568±41.00; 1947±206.50, respectively, *P<0.05, n=4). Apoptosis levels were found increased in EYA3 silenced K562 culture cells compared with the control culture in 72h after hemin addition (4.7±0.10; 8.55±0.55, respectively, *P<0.001, n=4). Conclusions: Our results show that silencing EYA causes modifications in the expression pattern of α- and g-globin gene expression as well as in HbF expression pattern and apoptosis levels in a model of erythroid differentiation. Further studies should be performed in primary erythroid cell cultures using siRNA-based gene silencing and overexpression of these genes to determine how these genes are involved in the mechanisms of globin gene regulation. Support by FAPESP, CNPq and INCTS Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 160-160
Author(s):  
Brian M. Dulmovits ◽  
Abena O. Appiah-Kubi ◽  
Julien Papoin ◽  
John Hale ◽  
Mingzhu He ◽  
...  

Abstract Pomalidomide, a second-generation immunomodulatory drug, is a fetal hemoglobin (HbF) inducing agent with potential implications for the treatment of β-hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease (SCD). However, its mechanism of action remains unknown. Through an in-depth characterization of human erythropoiesis and globin gene regulatory networks, we now provide evidence that pomalidomide alters transcription networks involved in erythropoiesis and globin switching, thereby leading to a partial reprogramming of adult hematopoietic progenitors toward fetal-like erythropoiesis. Adult peripheral blood CD34+ cells from normal individuals were differentiated toward the red cell lineage using an adapted 3-phase culture system. At day 14 of culture, we observed a reciprocal globin gene switch at the mRNA and protein levels. These results were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography of hemolysates (HbF/(HbF+HbA): 31.7 ± 1.4% vs. 6.5 ± 0.7% pomalidomide and vehicle, respectively). Next, we studied erythroid differentiation using flow cytometric analyses of the cell surface markers interleukin-3R (IL-3R), glycophorin A (GPA), CD34 and CD36 for early erythroid precursors (BFU-E and CFU-E) as well as GPA, α4-integrin and band3 for terminal erythroid differentiation. While there were no changes in terminal erythroblast maturation, an accumulation of BFU-E in pomalidomide-treated cultures at days 2 and 4 of differentiation was seen, indicating a delay at the BFU-E to CFU-E transition, and also, that pomalidomide exerts its effect in the early-stages of erythropoiesis. Indeed, treatment with pomalidomide during the phase of the culture system that generates erythroid progenitors led to significantly more γ-globin expression than treatment during the phase which proerythroblasts undergo terminal erythroid differentiation. At the molecular level, pomalidomide was found to rapidly and robustly decrease Ikaros (IKZF1) expression exclusively by post-translational targeting to the proteasome. Moreover, pomalidomide selectively reduced the expression of components of key globin regulatory pathways including BCL11A, SOX6, KLF1, GATA1 and LSD1 while not affecting others (e.g. CoREST, GATA2, GFI1B, and HDAC1). Pomalidomide had a transient effect on GATA1 and KLF1 expression. While shRNA knockdown of Ikaros using two different lentiviral constructs delayed erythroid differentiation, it failed to appreciably stimulate HbF production or alter BCL11A expression. These results suggest that the loss of Ikaros alone is insufficient to recapitulate the phenotype observed in pomalidomide-treated conditions. We next compared the expression levels of proteins involved in globin gene regulation among untreated peripheral blood, pomalidomide-treated peripheral blood and untreated cord blood-derived erythroid cells. We found striking similarities between cord blood and pomalidomide-treated adult cells at day 4 of differentiation. Indeed, BCL11A, KLF1, SOX6, LSD1 and GATA1 showed decreased expression levels both in cord blood and pomalidomide-treated adult peripheral blood, while the levels of CoREST, HDAC1 and GATA2 remained unchanged indicating that pomalidomide partially reprograms adult erythroid cells to a fetal-like state. Taken together, our results show that the mechanism underlying reactivation of HbF by pomalidomide involves Ikaros-independent reprogramming of adult erythroid progenitors. Finally, we found that this mechanism is conserved in SCD-derived CD34+ cells. Our work has broad implications for globin switching, as we provide direct evidence that Ikaros does not play a major role in the repression of γ-globin during adult erythropoiesis, and further supports the previously held notion that globin chain production is determined prior to or at the level of CFU-E. Disclosures Allen: Celgene: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Equity Ownership; Onconova: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. 2895-2901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luı́sa Romão ◽  
Ângela Inácio ◽  
Susana Santos ◽  
Madalena Ávila ◽  
Paula Faustino ◽  
...  

Generally, nonsense codons 50 bp or more upstream of the 3′-most intron of the human β-globin gene reduce mRNA abundance. In contrast, dominantly inherited β-thalassemia is frequently associated with nonsense mutations in the last exon. In this work, murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells were stably transfected with human β-globin genes mutated within each of the 3 exons, namely at codons 15 (TGG→TGA), 39 (C→T), or 127 (C→T). Primer extension analysis after erythroid differentiation induction showed codon 127 (C→T) mRNA accumulated in the cytoplasm at approximately 20% of the normal mRNA level. Codon 39 (C→T) mutation did not result in significant mRNA accumulation. Unexpectedly, codon 15 (TGG→TGA) mRNA accumulated at approximately 90%. Concordant results were obtained when reticulocyte mRNA from 2 carriers for this mutation was studied. High mRNA accumulation of codon 15 nonsense-mutated gene was revealed to be independent of the type of nonsense mutation and the genomic background in which this mutation occurs. To investigate the effects of other nonsense mutations located in the first exon on the mRNA level, nonsense mutations at codons 5, 17, and 26 were also cloned and stably transfected into MEL cells. After erythroid differentiation induction, mRNAs with a mutation at codon 5 or 17 were detected at high levels, whereas the mutation at codon 26 led to low mRNA levels. These findings suggest that nonsense-mediated mRNA decay is not exclusively dependent on the localization of mutations relative to the 3′-most intron. Other factors may also contribute to determine the cytoplasmic nonsense-mutated mRNA level in erythroid cells.


1991 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104
Author(s):  
M.A. Plumb ◽  
S. Lowe ◽  
G. Partington ◽  
G. Goodwin

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