A novel C-T transition within the distal CCAAT motif of the G gamma-globin gene in the Japanese HPFH: implication of factor binding in elevated fetal globin expression.

Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is a condition characterized by the continued expression of the fetal globin gene in adulthood. Both deletional and nondeletional forms have been described. We studied one Japanese family with two different nondeletional forms of HPFH. Analysis of polymorphic restriction sites in the beta-globin gene cluster suggested that one affecting both G gamma and A gamma globin expression in two members of the family could be associated with unknown conditions not linked to the beta-globin gene loci. Characterization by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of another form producing a G gamma-HPFH phenotype in two other members demonstrated a novel C-T transition at the nucleotide -114 within the distal CCAAT motif of the G gamma-globin gene. Using gel retardation assays on various nuclear extracts, we also demonstrated that this novel mutation abolishes the binding of the ubiquitous CCAAT binding factor, CP1 to the distal CCAAT motif of the gamma-globin gene but does not affect the binding of any erythroid specific factor, thereby suggesting a possible role for CP1 in the developmental regulation of fetal globin expression.     

Developmental regulation of the human zeta globin gene in transgenic mice.

We have characterized the expression of the human zeta (zeta) gene, which encodes an embryonic alpha-like globin, in transgenic mice. We find that a 777 base pair fragment spanning erythroid specific hypersensitive site II (HSII) from the distal 5. region of the human beta globin gene cluster potentiates expression of the zeta globin gene. In the absence of the HSII fragment, no zeta expression is observed. Expression of the human zeta gene in mice parallels expression of a murine embryonic alpha-like globin gene (x). Thus, expression of the human zeta gene in mice requires linkage to an erythroid-specific enhancer sequence, but the presence of the enhancer does not affect the developmental regulation of the transgene. Our results indicate that the factors involved in switching from embryonic to adult alpha globin gene expression during development are evolutionarily conserved, and suggest that the transgenic mouse is an in vivo system in which the requirements for the developmental switch in alpha globin gene expression can be analyzed in detail.     

Structure and function of the enhancer 3'' to the human A gamma globin gene.

An enhancer is located immediately 3' to the A gamma globin gene. We have used DNase I footprinting to map the sites of interaction of nuclear proteins with the DNA sequences of this enhancer. Eight footprints were discovered, distributed over 600 base pairs of DNA. Three of these contain a consensus binding site for the erythroid specific factor GATA-I. Each of these GATA-1 sites had an enhancer activity when inserted into a reporter plasmid and tested in human erythroleukemia cells. Other footprints within the enhancer contained consensus binding sequences for the ubiquitous, positive regulatory proteins AP2 and CBP-1. An Sp1-like recognition sequence was also identified. Synthetic oligonucleotides encompassing two of the footprints generated a slowly migrating complex in gel mobility shift assays. The same complex forms on a fragment of the human gamma globin gene promoter extending from -260 to -200. The DNaseI footprint of this protein complex with the enhancer overlapped a sequence, AGGAGGA, found within the binding site for a protein that interacts with the chicken beta globin promoter and enhancer, termed the stage selector element. We propose that this complex of proteins may be involved in the human gamma globin promoter-enhancer interaction.     

Regulation of embryonic/fetal globin genes by nuclear hormone receptors: a novel perspective on hemoglobin switching.

The CCAAT box is one of the conserved motifs found in globin promoters. It binds the CP1 protein. We noticed that the CCAAT-box region of embryonic/fetal, but not adult, globin promoters also contains one or two direct repeats of a short motif analogous to DR-1 binding sites for non-steroid nuclear hormone receptors. We show that a complex previously named NF-E3 binds to these repeats. In transgenic mice, destruction of the CCAAT motif within the human epsilon-globin promoter leads to substantial reduction in epsilon expression in embryonic erythroid cells, indicating that CP1 activates epsilon expression; in contrast, destruction of the DR-1 elements yields striking epsilon expression in definitive erythropoiesis, indicating that the NF-E3 complex acts as a developmental repressor of the epsilon gene. We also show that NF-E3 is immunologically related to COUP-TF orphan nuclear receptors. One of these, COUP-TF II, is expressed in embryonic/fetal erythroid cell lines, murine yolk sac, intra-embryonic splanchnopleura and fetal liver. In addition, the structure and abundance of NF-E3/COUP-TF complexes vary during fetal liver development. These results elucidate the structure as well as the role of NF-E3 in globin gene expression and provide evidence that nuclear hormone receptors are involved in the control of globin gene switching.     

The effects of HPFH mutations in the human gamma-globin promoter on binding of ubiquitous and erythroid specific nuclear factors.

Genetic evidence indicates that single point mutations in the gamma-globin promoter may be the cause of high expression of the mutated gene in the adult period (Hereditary Persistence of Fetal Hemoglobin, HPFH). Here we show that one of these mutations characterized by a T----C substitution at position -175 in a conserved octamer (ATGCAAAT) sequence, abolishes the ability of a ubiquitous octamer binding nuclear protein to bind a gamma-globin promoter fragment containing the mutated sequence; however, the ability of two erythroid specific proteins to bind the same fragment is increased three to five fold. DMS interference and binding experiments with mutated fragments indicate that the ubiquitous protein recognizes the octamer sequence, while the erythroid specific proteins B2, B3 recognize flanking nucleotides. Competition experiments indicate that protein B2 corresponds to an erythroid-specific protein known to bind to a consensus GATAG sequence present at several locations in alpha, beta and gamma-globin genes. Although the distal CCAAT box region of the gamma-globin gene shows a related sequence, an oligonucleotide including this sequence does not show any ability to bind the above mentioned erythroid protein; instead, it binds a different erythroid specific protein, in addition to a ubiquitous protein. The -117 G----A mutation also known to cause HPFH, and mapping two nucleotides upstream from the CCAAT box, greatly decreases the binding of the erythroid-specific, but not that of the ubiquitous protein, to the CCAAT box region fragment.     

Erythroid overexpression of C/EBPgamma in transgenic mice affects gamma-globin expression and fetal liver erythropoiesis

The CCAAT boxes of the beta-like globin genes interact with three proteins: NF-Y, GATA-1 and NFE-6. We demonstrate that NFE-6 contains C/EBPgamma, and address its role in globin gene regulation by erythroid overexpression of C/EBPgamma, and a dominant-negative form C/EBPgammaDeltaB, in mice. Elevated levels of C/EBPgamma, but not C/EBPgammaDeltaB, increase expression of the (fetal) gamma-globin relative to the (adult) beta-globin gene. Interestingly, fetal liver erythropoiesis is ablated when the C/EBPgamma and C/EBPgammaDeltaB levels are further increased in homozygous transgenics. We suggest that targeted expression of dominant-negative leucine zipper proteins is a generally applicable approach to ablate specific tissues in mice.     

Distal CCAAT box deletion in the A gamma globin gene of two black adolescents with elevated fetal A gamma globin.

Point mutations in G gamma and A gamma globin gene promoters are associated with increased production of G gamma and A gamma globin, respectively. To determine whether an upstream promoter mutation could account for elevated A gamma in a Black adolescent with A gamma-beta+-HPFH and sickle cell trait, we cloned the 13 kb BglII fragment containing both gamma genes into phage lambda vector EMBL3. For one clone, the A gamma upstream promoter showed no hybridization to a 19 bp oligonucleotide whose sequence centered at -117. A gamma promoter sequence data for this mutant clone revealed a 13 bp deletion which eliminated the A gamma distal CCAAT box. Amplified A gamma genomic DNA of this and a similar case showed hybridization to both deletion-mutant and normal oligonucleotide probes. We propose that this 13 bp deletion removes part of the binding site for a repressor protein which is abundant in adult erythroid cells.     

KLFs对珠蛋白基因表达和红系分化的调控作用

Krüppel样因子(Krüppel-like factors, KLFs)是一组与真核基因转录调控密切相关的锌指蛋白.KLFs高度保守的羧基末端含3个串联的Cys2His2型锌指结构,用于结合GC盒和CACCC盒等DNA序列. 红细胞中特异表达的珠蛋白基因和许多红系调控因子中都含有CACCC盒.已有研究发现,多个KLFs通过结合CACCC盒参与调控珠蛋白基因表达和红系分化,例如,KLF1通过结合β-珠蛋白启动子和位点控制区(locus control region, LCR),促进β-珠蛋白的表达、γ-向β-珠蛋白基因的转换和红系分化;KLF2、KLF11和KLF13分别促进ε-和γ-珠蛋白基因的表达;KLF4促进α-和γ-珠蛋白基因的表达;KLF3和KLF8则抑制ε-和γ-珠蛋白基因的表达. 本文综述了KLFs调控珠蛋白基因表达和红系分化的研究进展.