Regulatory factors specific for adult and embryonic globin genes may govern
their expression in erythroleukemia cells
NP Anagnou, TY Yuan, E Lim, J Helder, S Wieder, D Glaister, B Marks, A Wang, D Colbert and A Deisseroth
In order to test if trans-acting regulatory factors specific for globin
genes of the adult and embryonic stages of development exist in erythroid
cells, transcriptionally active embryonic and adult globin genes on the
same chromosome were transferred by cell fusion from the human leukemia
cell K562 into phenotypically adult mouse erythroleukemia cells.
Restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms of the K562 zeta (embryonic)
globin genes were used to establish that all three copies of human
chromosome 16 present in the K562 cell showed the same pattern of human
globin gene expression after transfer to the mouse erythroleukemia cell.
Adult (alpha) but not embryonic (zeta) human globin mRNA was detected in
all nine of the independently derived mouse erythroleukemia hybrid cells,
each of which contained human chromosome 16. Restriction endonuclease
studies of the K562 alpha- and zeta-globin genes after transfer into the
mouse erythroleukemia cell showed no evidence of rearrangements or
deletions that could explain this loss of zeta-globin gene expression.
These data suggest that regulation of globin gene expression in these
erythroleukemia cells involves trans-acting regulatory factors specific for
the adult and embryonic stages of development.
Volume 65,
Issue 3,
pp. 705-712,
03/01/1985
Copyright © 1985 by The American Society of Hematology
