Orphan designation: Autologous CD34+ cells transduced with lentiviral vector encoding the human beta globin gene, Treatment of beta thalassaemia intermedia and major

Abstract Abstract 2067 The molecular mechanisms underlying developmental globin gene regulation remain incompletely understood. Prior studies have identified key cis-regulatory elements within the beta globin locus that contain core regions of closely spaced functional binding sites for GATA, NF-E2p45/maf and GT/GC box binding transcription factors. We recently identified the GT/GC-box binding transcription factor ZBP-89 as a novel GATA-1 interacting partner, and showed that it is involved in erythroid development in mice (Woo et al. 2008. Mol. Cell Bio. 28:2675-2689). Brand et al. independently isolated ZBP-89 in NF-E2p45/mafk complexes from induced mouse erythroid leukemia (MEL) cells (Brand et al. 2004. Nat. Struct. Mol Biol. 11:73-80). In the current study, we show that ZBP-89 protein levels increase during in vitro erythroid differentiation of human bone marrow derived CD34+ cells. This correlates with the onset of alpha and beta globin gene transcription. ChIP-chip studies using ENCODE v2.0 arrays demonstrate that ZBP-89 occupies key cis-regulatory elements within both the beta globin (locus control regions HS3, HS2; delta and beta proximal promoters; and an intergenic region between gamma1 and delta globin) and alpha globin (HS-48, HS-40, HS-10 and alpha globin proximal promoters) loci in primary human erythroid precursors. Comparative analysis across the entire ENCODE array reveals a strong positive correlation between ZBP-89 occupancy, RNA polymerase II occupancy, and the activating histone marks acetylated histone 3 (AcH3) and trimethylated histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3); and a negative correlation with the repressive mark trimethylated histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Motif analysis under the ZBP-89 occupancy peaks indicates a preference for GGGG(G/A)NGGGG in vivo binding sites. Lentiviral shRNA mediated knock down of ZBP-89 in the in vitro differentiated CD34+ cells results in 30–50% reduction of alpha-, gamma-, and beta-globin gene expression, as well as modestly decreased expression of a number of additional erythroid-specific genes. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate physical association between ZBP-89 and the GCN5/Trapp histone acetyltransferase complex. Based on these findings, we propose that ZBP-89 participates with GATA-1 and NF-E2 in the final epigenetic changes required for high-level expression of globin and other erythroid genes in terminally differentiating human erythroid cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Meiotic recombination in the beta globin gene cluster causing an error in prenatal diagnosis of beta thalassaemia.

Journal of Medical Genetics ◽

10.1136/jmg.25.5.307 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 307-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C Camaschella ◽

A Serra ◽

G Saglio ◽

M T Bertero ◽

U Mazza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prenatal Diagnosis ◽

Gene Cluster ◽

Meiotic Recombination ◽

Globin Gene ◽

Beta Globin ◽

Beta Globin Gene ◽

Beta Thalassaemia ◽

Globin Gene Cluster

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Association of thalassaemia intermedia with a beta-globin gene haplotype

British Journal of Haematology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2141.1987.tb06870.x ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 367-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

S. L. Thein ◽

J. S. Wainscoat ◽

M. Sampietro ◽

J. M. Old ◽

D. Cappellini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Globin Gene ◽

Beta Globin ◽

Beta Globin Gene ◽

Gene Haplotype ◽

Thalassaemia Intermedia

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IGF2BP1 Reverses Hemoglobin Switching in Adult Erythroblasts

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.639.639 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 639-639

Author(s):

Laxminath Tumburu ◽

Colleen Byrnes ◽

Y. Terry Lee ◽

Jaira F. de Vasconcellos ◽

Antoinette Rabel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Adult Stage ◽

Globin Gene ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Beta Globin ◽

Globin Mrna ◽

Beta Globin Gene ◽

Empty Vector ◽

Cd34 Cells ◽

Gene And Protein Expression

Abstract During human ontogeny, high-level transcription within the beta-globin gene cluster switches sequentially from embryonic-to-fetal-to-adult genes. Beta-thalassemias and sickle-cell disease are manifested by reduced or mutated expression of the adult-stage, beta-globin gene. Research is aimed toward the eventual therapeutic goal of safely preventing or reversing the fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch among these patient populations. To identify genes that may be involved in regulation of the fetal-to-adult erythroid switch, purified CD34(+) cells from six umbilical cord (fetal) and six adult peripheral blood samples were cultured in serum-free medium, and gene expression libraries were prepared and sequenced from CD71(+), CD235a(+) erythroblast mRNA. In total, 546 million paired-end reads with a length of 101bp were generated for a comparison of cord and adult erythroblast transcriptomes. Reads were aligned to the human reference genome (hg19), and differential gene expression was identified [false discovery rate ≤ 0.05, fold change ≥ 1.5, and reads per kilobase per million mapped reads (RPKM) ≥ 0.5]. A total of 145 genes were differentially expressed according to these criteria, with four of the top five encoding targets of the let-7 family of microRNAs. The topmost gene was insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), which is normally involved in transcriptome regulation and developmental timing. IGF2BP1 expression was 770-fold increased in the fetal erythroblasts (RPKM > 3.0) compared with low background levels in adult erythroblasts (RPKM < 0.01). IGF2BP1 protein is present in fetal tissues including fetal liver; however, it is not detected in adult human bone marrow. A potential role for adult-stage IGF2BP1 over-expression (IGF2BP1-OE) in the regulation of globin genes and proteins was explored using lentiviral vectors designed for let-7 resistant, erythroid-specific expression of IGF2BP1 protein. IGF2BP1-OE transduced CD34(+) cells expressed the transgenic protein and maintained their ability to differentiate, accumulate hemoglobin, and enucleate ex vivo in the presence of erythropoietin. Globin mRNA and protein levels were investigated. While alpha-globin mRNA remained unchanged, gamma-globin mRNA became predominant [90% of (gamma + beta) mRNA] in IGF2BP1-OE samples [Control (empty vector) = 3.2E+06 ± 8.2E+05 copies/ng; IGF2BP1-OE = 2.0E+07 ± 5.9E+06 copies/ng; p < 0.05], and beta-globin mRNA decreased to minor levels [Control (empty vector) = 2.2E+07 ± 4.0E+06 copies/ng; IGF2BP1-OE = 2.2E+06 ± 6.2E+05 copies/ng; p < 0.05]. IGF2BP1-OE caused a pan-cellular HbF distribution by flow cytometry. Cellular fetal hemoglobin percentages [HbF/(HbF + HbA)] were measured as 5.3 ± 0.4% in donor matched control cells versus 80.3 ± 3.7% in IGF2BP1-OE cells (p < 0.05). HPLC tracings revealed that the minor HbA2 peak, composed of alpha and delta globin chains, was reduced or absent in IGF2BP1-OE. Also, IGF2BP1-OE suppressed the expression of related genes including the transcription factor BCL11A. These data demonstrate that erythroblast IGF2BP1 is silenced in humans during fetal-to-adult ontogeny, and that IGF2BP1 in adult erythroblasts reverses the developmentally related switch in beta-like globin gene and protein expression patterns. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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