Trans acting regulation of beta globin gene expression in erythroleukemia (K562) cells.

K562 cells are induced by hemin to produce gamma and epsilon globin but not beta globin, although the beta globin gene is intact, and when isolated is expressed in a transient expression assay (1, 2). We have previously shown that an epsilon globin gene transferred into K562 cells is expressed and inducible (3). In this paper, we report the stable transfer of a sickle or betaS globin gene into K562 cells. Thirty-six different transformed lines were tested; 24 of 36 lines contained an intact betaS globin gene. However, using S1 nuclease, Dot blot, and Northern blotting analyses, none of these lines showed beta globin mRNA expression. These results indicate that trans acting factors are responsible for the lack of expression of the beta globin gene in K562 cells.     

Dependence of elevated human leukocyte antigen class I molecule expression on increased heavy chain, light chain (beta 2-microglobulin), transporter associated with antigen processing, tapasin, and peptide

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule expression was investigated by DNA-mediated gene transfer. Cell surface expression was increased up to 75% by transfection of HLA-A2 or HLA-B8 heavy chain genes but not genes encoding light chains (beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m)), transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP), or tapasin. Interferon (IFN) treatment further increased expression of transfected heavy chains, suggesting that IFN inducible molecules support heavy chain expression. IFN induces beta(2)m, TAP, and tapasin mRNAs. Transfected heavy chain expression increased upon cotransfection with genes encoding TAP1 and TAP2 but not individual TAP subunits, beta(2)m, or tapasin. Tetracycline inducible heavy chain gene expression was also increased by IFN treatment or TAP cotransfection, suggesting that IFN-induced TAP supports heavy chain maturation. Expression of a mutant that does not interact strongly with TAP, HLA-A2-T134K, was also increased by IFN. Inhibition of TAP-dependent peptide transport by ICP47 reduced heavy chain expression. Expression of HLA-A2, but not HLA-B8, was restored in ICP47 cells by HLA-A2-binding (IP-30) signal peptides. However, these peptides did not further increase transfected HLA-A2 expression, suggesting that peptide availability does not limit heavy chain expression in the absence of ICP47. These results suggest that cytokine-induced TAP supports maturation of HLA class I molecules through combined chaperone and peptide supply functions.     

Interferon-gamma, interferon-alpha/beta, and tumor necrosis factor differentially affect major histocompatibility complex class I expression in murine leukemia virus-induced tumor cell lines

Tumor cell lines induced by Gross murine leukemia virus were examined for cell-surface major histocompatibility complex class I expression. Three of five cell lines constitutively express H-2K and H-2D class I protein. Culturing these cells with interferon (IFN)-gamma, IFN-alpha/beta, or tumor necrosis factor increases both K and D expression in these cell lines. Two of five tumor cell lines express no class I proteins by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, specific immunoprecipitation, and specific hybridization in Northern analysis. Treatment with IFN-gamma induces D, but not K protein expression in one of these cell lines. IFN-alpha/beta and tumor necrosis factor induce neither D nor K expression in this cell line. Thus, these two cytokines appear to have different mechanisms of action than IFN-gamma for altering class I expression. The other class I-negative tumor cell line does not express either K or D proteins under any conditions tested. All five cell lines express beta 2-microglobulin; this expression is increased by IFN-gamma treatment even in cell lines which do not express class I heavy chain. The results of this study demonstrate that 1) different tumor cell lines demonstrate variations in class I gene regulation, and 2) differences in regulation between class I genes may occur within a single cell line.     

Stat3 beta inhibits gamma-globin gene expression in erythroid cells

We demonstrated previously gamma-globin gene inhibition in K562 cells and primary erythroid progenitors treated with interleukin-6. Although several cis-acting elements have been identified in the globin promoters, the precise mechanism for cytokine-mediated globin gene regulation remains to be elucidated. In this report we demonstrate inhibitors of Stat3 phosphorylation abrogate interleukin-6-mediated gamma gene silencing in erythroid cells. DNA-protein binding studies established Stat3 interaction in the 5'-untranslated gamma-globin promoter region. Furthermore, co-transfection experiments with Stat3 beta demonstrate gamma promoter inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner, which was significantly reversed when the cognate Stat3-binding site in the 5'-untranslated region was mutated. These studies establish a novel mechanism for gamma gene silencing through the STAT signal transduction pathway.     

Increase in the expression of human leukocyte antigen class I in human fibroblasts by soluble factors secreted from human cytomegalovirus-infected cells.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is known to downregulate the expression of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I for escape from immune surveillance. In order to understand the HCMV immune evasion mechanism, expression of HLA class I on the surface of HCMV-infected cells was investigated. A decrease in the HLA class I expression was observed at higher MOI; whereas at a lower MOI a slight increase in the HLA class I expression was observed. When HCMV-infected and uninfected cells were separately prepared on coverslips and co-cultured, the increased HLA class I expression was observed in uninfected cells. Treatment of the uninfected cells with the culture supernatant from HCMV-infected cells resulted in an increase in the HLA class I expression. A biochemical analysis of the HCMV-infected cell culture supernatant revealed the presence of interferon (IFN) beta interleukin (IL)-1beta, and IL-6. The HLA class I-enhancing activity of the culture supernatant was mimicked by IFN beta, but not by IL1-beta or IL-6, and was partially reversed by pretreatment with an antibody to IFN beta. Therefore, it appears that the HCMV infection of human foreskin fibroblast cells induces interferon beta and other soluble factor(s) that are responsible for the up-regulation of the HLA class I expression.     

The role of human globin gene promoters in the expression of hybrid genes in erythroid and non-erythroid cells

Hybrid genes containing human gamma or beta globin gene promoters linked to a neomycin resistance (neoR) gene were transfected into erythroid (K562) and nonerythroid (HeLa) cells. The number of clones resistant to G418, a neomycin analogue, was used to assay promoter strength. The results indicate that in K562 cells both promoters are active, and the gamma gene promoter is much stronger than the beta. By contrast, neither gene promoter is active in HeLa cells. These experiments indicate that these globin gene promoters are tissue-specific and sufficient for activity.     

Mechanisms involved in NK resistance induced by interferon-gamma.

Human tumor cell lines were treated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and then used as target cells in NK assays to measure their ability to form conjugates and stimulate the production of NK cytotoxic factors (NKCF) and to determine their susceptibility to NKCF lysis. K562 and cell lines RS1, RS3, RS7, CAC, and CAP2, obtained from solid brain tumors, were used as targets, and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from normal donors were used as effector cells. IFN-gamma-treated cell lines had a decreased susceptibility to NKCF lysis and a decreased ability to induce the release of these factors without affecting target-effector cell binding. These results were not due to changes in HLA class I antigen expression, given that the level of HLA class I antigens on the tumor cell lines was not affected, the only exception being K562. In an attempt to further clarify the possible influence of HLA class I expression on K562, IFN-gamma-pretreated K562 cells were separated into HLA class I positive and HLA class I negative subsets for the NK assays. The results showed that both populations behaved similarly upon target-effector conjugate formation, whereas the HLA class I positive population showed a reduced susceptibility to lysis by NK cells and NKCF. Thus, these results establish that NK resistance induced by IFN-gamma is mediated by blocking the target cell's ability to activate NK cell triggering and release of NKCF and by blocking its susceptibility to lysis by these factors. This analysis helps to clarify not only the NK process but also the controversial regulatory effect of IFN in NK lysis.     

Integrins alpha2beta1 and alpha4beta1 can mediate SA11 rotavirus attachment and entry into cells

Most mammalian rotaviruses contain tripeptide amino acid sequences in outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 which have been shown to act as ligands for integrins alpha2beta1 and alpha4beta1. Peptides containing these sequences and monoclonal antibodies directed to these integrins block rotavirus infection of cells. Here we report that SA11 rotavirus binding to and infection of K562 cells expressing alpha2beta1 or alpha4beta1 integrins via transfection is increased over virus binding to and infection of cells transfected with alpha3 integrin or parent cells. The increased binding and growth were specifically blocked by a monoclonal antibody to the transfected integrin subunit but not by irrelevant antibodies. In our experiments, integrin activation with phorbol ester did not affect virus binding to cells. However, phorbol ester treatment of K562 parent and transfected cells induced endogenous gene expression of alpha2beta1 integrin, which was detectable by flow cytometry 16 h after treatment and quantitatively correlated with the increased level of SA11 virus growth observed after this time. Virus binding to K562 cells treated with phorbol ester 24 h previously and expressing alpha2beta1 was elevated over binding to control cells and was specifically blocked by the anti-alpha2 monoclonal antibody AK7. Virus growth in alpha4-transfected K562 cells which had also been induced to express alpha2beta1 integrin with phorbol ester occurred at a level approaching that in the permissive MA104 cell line. We therefore have demonstrated that two integrins, alpha2beta1 and alpha4beta1, are capable of acting as cellular receptors for SA11 rotavirus.     

Human globin gene expression after gene transfer

Human globin genes can be transferred into mouse and human erythroid cells in culture, and can be appropriately expressed at the mRNA level in these cells. A plasmid containing a human beta globin gene is expressed in mouse erythroleukemia cells (MELC), and another containing a human epsilon or gamma gene is expressed in human erythroleukemia (K562) cells. A neomycin resistance (neoR) gene on the plasmids has been used to select for those cells containing the transferred globin genes; this selection may favor the expression of the globin genes by providing chromosomal positions requiring neoR expression. Analyzing clones resistant to G418, a neomycin analogue, demonstrated globin mRNA expression and induction. Retroviral vectors have also been used to transfer and appropriately express human beta genes in MELC. In addition, a plasmid containing a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene as well as neoR and beta globin genes has been used to amplify and express beta globin mRNA in MELC. These experiments suggest that high level appropriate expression of human beta globin genes is feasible and provides potentially useful approaches to the long-range goal of gene therapy for sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia.     

DNase I hypersensitivity in the gamma globin gene locus of K562 cells.

We have probed the chromatin conformation of the G gamma-A gamma-delta-beta globin gene locus of K562 cells, a human hematopoietic cell line, with the enzyme pancreatic DNAse I. This enzyme preferentially digests genes in an active configuration. We have found that in K562 cells, which produce embryonic and fetal but not adult hemoglobins, both the active gamma and inactive beta genes are DNAse I sensitive. However, only the active gamma genes have DNAse I hypersensitive regions. The hypersensitive regions have been mapped to an area approximately 100 base pairs 5' to the G gamma and A gamma genes.     

cDNA cloning and function analysis of two novel erythroid differentiation related genes

Our previous studies showed that some nuclear proteins that wereexpressed especially during terminal differentiation of erythroid cells might interact directly or indirectly with HS2 sequence to form the HS2-protein complexes and thus play an important role in the globin gene regulation and erythroid differentiation. Monoclonal antibodies against the nuclear proteins of terminal differentiated erythroid cells, including intermediate and late erythroblasts of human fetal liver and hemin induced K562 cells, were prepared by hybridoma technique. The monoclonal antibodies were used to screen l-gtll human cDNA expression library of fetal liver in order to obtain the rele-vant cDNA clones. By the analysis of their cDNA clones and the identification of the proteins' func-tions, the regulation mechanism of the HS2 binding proteins might be better understood. Two cDNA clones (GenBank accession number AF040247 and AF040248 respectively) were obtained and one of them owns a full length and the other encodes a protein characterized by a leucine-zipper domain. Both of them were expressed differentially in K562 cells and hemin-induced K562 cells. The evidence suggested that both of them were involved in erythroid differentiation. We investigat-ed the expression pattern of EDRF1 and EDRF2 by RT-PCR technique. The results of RT-PCR suggested that EDRF1 and EDRF2 might play a critical role in early stage of organ development and histological differentiation. EDRF1 and EDRF2 might start the program of erythroid develop-ment, and also regulate the development of erythroid tissue and the expression of globin gene at different stage of the development.