1
|
Jiang JH, Ren RT, Cheng YJ, Li XX, Zhang GR. Immune cells and RBCs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells: method, progress, prospective challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1327466. [PMID: 38250324 PMCID: PMC10796611 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1327466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Blood has an important role in the healthcare system, particularly in blood transfusions and immunotherapy. However, the occurrence of outbreaks of infectious diseases worldwide and seasonal fluctuations, blood shortages are becoming a major challenge. Moreover, the narrow specificity of immune cells hinders the widespread application of immune cell therapy. To address this issue, researchers are actively developing strategies for differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into blood cells in vitro. The establishment of iPSCs from terminally differentiated cells such as fibroblasts and blood cells is a straightforward process. However, there is need for further refinement of the protocols for differentiating iPSCs into immune cells and red blood cells to ensure their clinical applicability. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the strategies and challenges facing the generation of iPSC-derived immune cells and red blood cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-he Jiang
- Shandong Yinfeng Academy of Life Science, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ru-tong Ren
- Shandong Yinfeng Academy of Life Science, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yan-jie Cheng
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, School of Life and Health Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, Anhui, China
| | - Xin-xin Li
- Shandong Yinfeng Academy of Life Science, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Gui-rong Zhang
- Shandong Yinfeng Academy of Life Science, Jinan, Shandong, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Iftikhar F, Khan MBN, Tehreem S, Kanwal N, Musharraf SG. BCL11A-targeted γ-globin gene induction by triterpenoid glycosides of Fagonia indica: A preclinical scientific validation of indigenous herb for the treatment of β-hemoglobinopathies. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106768. [PMID: 37586133 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological induction of fetal hemoglobin has proven to be a promising therapeutic intervention in β-hemoglobinopathies by reducing the globin chain imbalance and inhibiting sickle cell polymerization. Fagonia indica has shown therapeutic relevance to β-thalassemia. Therefore, we study the ethnopharmacological potential of Fagonia indica and its biomarker compounds for their HbF induction ability for the treatment of β-thalassemia. Here, we identify, compound 8 (triterpenoid glycosides) of F. indica. as a prominent HbF inducer in-vitro and in-vivo. Compound 8 showed potent erythroid differentiation, enhanced cellular proliferation, ample accumulation of total hemoglobin, and a strong notion of γ-globin gene expression in K562 cultures. Compound 8 treatment also revealed strong induction of erythroid differentiation and fetal hemoglobin mRNA and protein in adult erythroid precursor cells. This induction was associated with simultaneous downregulation of BCL11A and SOX6, and overexpression of the GATA-1 gene, suggesting a compound 8-mediated partial mechanism involved in the reactivation of fetal-like globin genes. The in vivo study with compound 8 (10 mg/kg) in β-YAC mice resulted in significant HbF synthesis demonstrated by the enhanced level of F-cells (84.14 %) and an 8.85-fold increase in the γ-globin gene. Overall, the study identifies compound 8 as a new HbF-inducing entity and provides an early "proof-of-concept" to enable the initiation of preclinical and clinical studies in the development of this HbF-inducing agent for β-thalassemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fizza Iftikhar
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Behroz Naeem Khan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Syeda Tehreem
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Nayab Kanwal
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Syed Ghulam Musharraf
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan; H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
CRISPR Gene Therapy: A Promising One-Time Therapeutic Approach for Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia—CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing for β-Thalassemia. THALASSEMIA REPORTS 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/thalassrep13010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
β-Thalassemia is an inherited hematological disorder that results from genetic changes in the β-globin gene, leading to the reduced or absent synthesis of β-globin. For several decades, the only curative treatment option for β-thalassemia has been allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Nonetheless, rapid progress in genome modification technologies holds great potential for treating this disease and will soon change the current standard of care for β-thalassemia. For instance, the emergence of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing platform has opened the door for precision gene editing and can serve as an effective molecular treatment for a multitude of genetic diseases. Investigational studies were carried out to treat β-thalassemia patients utilizing CRISPR-based CTX001 therapy targeting the fetal hemoglobin silencer BCL11A to restore γ-globin expression in place of deficient β-globin. The results of recently carried out clinical trials provide hope of CTX001 being a promising one-time therapeutic option to treat β-hemoglobinopathies. This review provides an insight into the key scientific steps that led to the development and application of novel CRISPR/Cas9–based gene therapies as a promising therapeutic platform for transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT). Despite the resulting ethical, moral, and social challenges, CRISPR provides an excellent treatment option against hemoglobin-associated genetic diseases.
Collapse
|
4
|
An Q, Fan C, Xu S. Recent perspectives of pediatric β-thalassemia. Minerva Pediatr (Torino) 2022; 74:365-372. [DOI: 10.23736/s2724-5276.18.04872-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
5
|
Qin K, Huang P, Feng R, Keller CA, Peslak SA, Khandros E, Saari MS, Lan X, Mayuranathan T, Doerfler PA, Abdulmalik O, Giardine B, Chou ST, Shi J, Hardison RC, Weiss MJ, Blobel GA. Dual function NFI factors control fetal hemoglobin silencing in adult erythroid cells. Nat Genet 2022; 54:874-884. [PMID: 35618846 PMCID: PMC9203980 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01076-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which the fetal-type β-globin-like genes HBG1 and HBG2 are silenced in adult erythroid precursor cells remain a fundamental question in human biology and have therapeutic relevance to sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia. Here, we identify via a CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screen two members of the NFI transcription factor family – NFIA and NFIX – as HBG1/2 repressors. NFIA and NFIX are expressed at elevated levels in adult erythroid cells compared to fetal cells, and function cooperatively to repress HBG1/2 in cultured cells and in human-to-mouse xenotransplants. Genomic profiling, genome editing, and DNA binding assays demonstrate that the potent concerted activity of NFIA and NFIX is explained in part by their ability to stimulate the expression of BCL11A, a known silencer of the HBG1/2 genes, and in part by directly repressing the HBG1/2 genes. Thus, NFI factors emerge as versatile regulators of the fetal-to-adult switch in β-globin production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kunhua Qin
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Huang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruopeng Feng
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Cheryl A Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Scott A Peslak
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eugene Khandros
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan S Saari
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xianjiang Lan
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Systems Biology for Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Phillip A Doerfler
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Osheiza Abdulmalik
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Belinda Giardine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Stella T Chou
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Junwei Shi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ross C Hardison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mitchell J Weiss
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang H, Sun R, Fei J, Chen H, Lu D. Correction of Beta-Thalassemia IVS-II-654 Mutation in a Mouse Model Using Prime Editing. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115948. [PMID: 35682629 PMCID: PMC9180235 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prime editing was used to insert and correct various pathogenic mutations except for beta-thalassemia variants, which disrupt functional beta-globin and prevent hemoglobin assembly in erythrocytes. This study investigated the effect of gene correction using prime editor version 3 (PE3) in a mouse model with the human beta-thalassemia IVS-II-654 mutation (C > T). The T conversion generates a 5′ donor site at intron 2 of the beta-globin gene resulting in aberrant splicing of pre-mRNA, which affects beta-globin expression. We microinjected PE3 components (pegRNA, nick sgRNA, and PE2 mRNA) into the zygotes from IVS-II-654 mice to generate mutation-edited mice. Genome sequencing of the IVS-II-654 site showed that PE3 installed the correction (T > C), with an editing efficiency of 14.29%. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that the PE3-induced conversion restored normal splicing of beta-globin mRNA. Subsequent comprehensive phenotypic analysis of thalassemia symptoms, including anemic hematological parameters, anisocytosis, splenomegaly, cardiac hypertrophy, extramedullary hematopoiesis, and iron overload, showed that the corrected IVS-II-654 mice had a normal phenotype identical to the wild type mice. Off-target analysis of pegRNA and nick sgRNA additionally showed the genomic safety of PE3. These results suggest that correction of beta-thalassemia mutation by PE3 may be a straightforward therapeutic strategy for this disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haokun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;
| | - Ruilin Sun
- Shanghai Model Organisms Center, No.3577 Jinke Rd., Shanghai 201203, China; (R.S.); (J.F.)
| | - Jian Fei
- Shanghai Model Organisms Center, No.3577 Jinke Rd., Shanghai 201203, China; (R.S.); (J.F.)
| | - Hongyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (D.L.)
| | - Daru Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning, Science and Technology Research Institute, Chongqing 404100, China
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (D.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Significance of genetic modifiers of hemoglobinopathies leading towards precision medicine. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20906. [PMID: 34686692 PMCID: PMC8536722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00169-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemoglobinopathies though a monogenic disorder, show phenotypic variability. Hence, understanding the genetics underlying the heritable sub-phenotypes of hemoglobinopathies, specific to each population, would be prognostically useful and could inform personalized therapeutics. This study aimed to evaluate the role of genetic modifiers leading to higher HbF production with cumulative impact of the modifiers on disease severity. 200 patients (100 β-thalassemia homozygotes, 100 Sickle Cell Anemia), and 50 healthy controls were recruited. Primary screening followed with molecular analysis for confirming the β-hemoglobinopathy was performed. Co-existing α-thalassemia and the polymorphisms located in 3 genetic loci linked to HbF regulation were screened. The most remarkable result was the association of SNPs with clinically relevant phenotypic groups. The γ-globin gene promoter polymorphisms [− 158 C → T, + 25 G → A],BCL11A rs1427407 G → T, − 3 bp HBS1L-MYB rs66650371 and rs9399137 T → C polymorphisms were correlated with higher HbF, in group that has lower disease severity score (P < 0.00001), milder clinical presentation, and a significant delay in the age of the first transfusion. Our study emphasizes the complex genetic interactions underlying the disease phenotype that may be a prognostic marker for predicting the clinical severity and assist in disease management.
Collapse
|
8
|
Li X, Chen M, Liu B, Lu P, Lv X, Zhao X, Cui S, Xu P, Nakamura Y, Kurita R, Chen B, Huang DCS, Liu DP, Liu M, Zhao Q. Transcriptional silencing of fetal hemoglobin expression by NonO. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9711-9723. [PMID: 34379783 PMCID: PMC8464040 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human fetal globin (γ-globin) genes are developmentally silenced after birth, and reactivation of γ-globin expression in adulthood ameliorates symptoms of hemoglobin disorders, such as sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia. However, the mechanisms by which γ-globin expression is precisely regulated are still incompletely understood. Here, we found that NonO (non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein) interacted directly with SOX6, and repressed the expression of γ-globin gene in human erythroid cells. We showed that NonO bound to the octamer binding motif, ATGCAAAT, of the γ-globin proximal promoter, resulting in inhibition of γ-globin transcription. Depletion of NonO resulted in significant activation of γ-globin expression in K562, HUDEP-2, and primary human erythroid progenitor cells. To confirm the role of NonO in vivo, we further generated a conditional knockout of NonO by using IFN-inducible Mx1-Cre transgenic mice. We found that induced NonO deletion reactivated murine embryonic globin and human γ-globin gene expression in adult β-YAC mice, suggesting a conserved role for NonO during mammalian evolution. Thus, our data indicate that NonO acts as a novel transcriptional repressor of γ-globin gene expression through direct promoter binding, and is essential for γ-globin gene silencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengxia Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Biru Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peifen Lu
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuaiying Cui
- Section of Hematology-Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peipei Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Department of Research and Development, Central Blood Institute, Japanese Red Cross Society, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bing Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - David C S Huang
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - De-Pei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Quan Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Hematology and Urology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China-Australia Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
El-Ghamrawy M, Yassa ME, Tousson AMS, El-Hady MA, Mikhaeil E, Mohamed NB, Khorshied MM. Association between BCL11A, HSB1L-MYB, and XmnI γG-158 (C/T) gene polymorphism and hemoglobin F level in Egyptian sickle cell disease patients. Ann Hematol 2020; 99:2279-2288. [PMID: 32772141 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-020-04187-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a monogenic disease characterized by multisystem morbidity and highly variable clinical course. Inter-individual variability in hemoglobin F (HbF) levels is one of the main modifiers that account for the clinical heterogeneity in SCD. HbF levels are affected by, among other factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the BCL11A gene and the HBS1L-MYB intergenic region and Xmn1 gene. Our aim was to investigate HbF-enhancer haplotypes at these loci to obtain a first overview of the genetic situation of SCD patients in Egypt and its impact on the severity of the disease. The study included 100 SCD patients and 100 matched controls. Genotyping of BCL11A (rs1886868 C/T), HBS1L-MYB (rs9389268 A/G) and Xmn1 γG158 (rs7842144 C/T) SNPs showed no statistically significant difference between SCD patients and controls except for the hetero-mutant genotypes of BCL11A which was significantly higher in SCD patients compared with controls. Baseline HbF levels were significantly higher in those with co-inheritance of polymorphic genotypes of BCL11A + HSB1L-MYB and BCL11A + Xmn1. Steady-state HbF levels, used as an indicator of disease severity, were significantly higher in SCD-Sβ patients having the polymorphic genotypes of HSB1L-MYB. Fold change of HbF in both patient groups did not differ between those harboring the wild and the polymorphic genotypes of the studied SNPs. In conclusion, BCL11A, HSB1L, and Xmn1 genetic polymorphisms had no positive impact on baseline HbF levels solely but had if coexisted. Discovery of the molecular mechanisms controlling HbF production could provide a more effective strategy for HbF induction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona El-Ghamrawy
- Pediatric Department, Pediatric Hematology & BMT Unit, Kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al-Ainy St, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Marianne E Yassa
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, KasrAl-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Angie M S Tousson
- Pediatric Department, KasrAl-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al-Ainy St, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Marwa Abd El-Hady
- Pediatric Department, KasrAl-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al-Ainy St, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Erini Mikhaeil
- Pediatric and Neonatology, Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nada B Mohamed
- Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Mervat Mamdooh Khorshied
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, KasrAl-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gholampour MA, Asadi M, Naderi M, Azarkeivan A, Soleimani M, Atashi A. miR-30a regulates γ-globin expression in erythoid precursors of intermedia thalassemia through targeting BCL11A. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:3909-3918. [PMID: 32406020 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05483-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Patients with β-thalassemia suffer from a lack or absence of the beta-globin chain of normal hemoglobin (Hb). Therefore, an increase in fetal Hb (HbF) levels could improve the clinical status of these patients. Downregulation of BCL11A, a key regulatory transcription factor, could ameliorate the clinical status of thalassemic patients by increasing HbF levels. miR-30a expression and its relationship with the BCL11A gene in erythroid precursors was explored in patients with β-thalassemia. The relevance of miR-30a to clinical parameters was also investigated. We evaluated the expressions of miR-30a, BCL11A, and γ-globin genes by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) on isolated erythroid precursors from peripheral blood samples of β-thalassemia intermedia (TI) patients and in bone marrow samples from healthy individuals as controls. The correlation between miR-30a expression and clinical indices that included HbF levels, ferritin, and the frequency of blood transfusions were assessed. We observed increased expression of miR-30a in conjunction with decreased BCL11A expression and elevated γ-globin and HbF levels. Patients with elevated miR-30a expression had a higher percentage of HbF and a lower level of ferritin. In addition, we observed that overexpression of miR-30a in erythroid precursor cells led to reduced BCL11A expression and was associated with elevated γ-globin expression. Our findings showed the importance of miR-30a in BCL11A and HbF regulation, and in the clinical status of patients with β-thalassemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Gholampour
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjan Asadi
- Hematology Department, School of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Naderi
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azita Azarkeivan
- Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Iranian Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Thalassemia Clinic, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Atashi
- Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lentiviral and genome-editing strategies for the treatment of β-hemoglobinopathies. Blood 2020; 134:1203-1213. [PMID: 31467062 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019000949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
β-Thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) are the most prevalent monogenic diseases. These disorders are caused by quantitative or qualitative defects in the production of adult hemoglobin. Gene therapy is a potential treatment option for patients lacking an allogenic compatible hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) donor. New-generation lentiviral vectors (LVs) carrying a β-globin-like gene have revolutionized this field by allowing effective HSC transduction, with no evidence of genotoxicity to date. Several clinical trials with different types of vector are underway worldwide; the initial results are encouraging with regard to the sustained production of therapeutic hemoglobin, improved biological parameters, a lower transfusion requirement, and better quality of life. Long-term follow-up studies will confirm the safety of LV-based gene therapy. The optimization of patient conditioning, HSC harvesting, and HSC transduction has further improved the therapeutic potential of this approach. Novel LV-based strategies for reactivating endogenous fetal hemoglobin (HbF) are also promising, because elevated HbF levels can reduce the severity of both β-thalassemia and SCD. Lastly, genome-editing approaches designed to correct the disease-causing mutation or reactivate HbF are currently under investigation. Here, we discuss the clinical outcomes of current LV-based gene addition trials and the promising advantages of novel alternative therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
|
12
|
Debrand E, Chakalova L, Miles J, Dai YF, Goyenechea B, Dye S, Osborne CS, Horton A, Harju-Baker S, Pink RC, Caley D, Carter DRF, Peterson KR, Fraser P. An intergenic non-coding RNA promoter required for histone modifications in the human β-globin chromatin domain. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217532. [PMID: 31412036 PMCID: PMC6693763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome analyses show a surprisingly large proportion of the mammalian genome is transcribed; much more than can be accounted for by genes and introns alone. Most of this transcription is non-coding in nature and arises from intergenic regions, often overlapping known protein-coding genes in sense or antisense orientation. The functional relevance of this widespread transcription is unknown. Here we characterize a promoter responsible for initiation of an intergenic transcript located approximately 3.3 kb and 10.7 kb upstream of the adult-specific human β-globin genes. Mutational analyses in β-YAC transgenic mice show that alteration of intergenic promoter activity results in ablation of H3K4 di- and tri-methylation and H3 hyperacetylation extending over a 30 kb region immediately downstream of the initiation site, containing the adult δ- and β-globin genes. This results in dramatically decreased expression of the adult genes through position effect variegation in which the vast majority of definitive erythroid cells harbor inactive adult globin genes. In contrast, expression of the neighboring ε- and γ-globin genes is completely normal in embryonic erythroid cells, indicating a developmentally specific variegation of the adult domain. Our results demonstrate a role for intergenic non-coding RNA transcription in the propagation of histone modifications over chromatin domains and epigenetic control of β-like globin gene transcription during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Debrand
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lyubomira Chakalova
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Miles
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yan-Feng Dai
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Beatriz Goyenechea
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Dye
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cameron S. Osborne
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Horton
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Susanna Harju-Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Ryan C. Pink
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Caley
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David R. F. Carter
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth R. Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Peter Fraser
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
|
14
|
Listì F, Sclafani S, Agrigento V, Barone R, Maggio A, D'Alcamo E. Study on the Role of Polymorphisms of the SOX-6 and MYB Genes and Fetal Hemoglobin Levels in Sicilian Patients with β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease. Hemoglobin 2018; 42:103-107. [PMID: 30200835 DOI: 10.1080/03630269.2018.1482832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The hemoglobinopathies, as β-thalassemia (β-thal) and sickle cell disease, are the most common hereditary hemolytic anemias. The increase of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) levels can ameliorate the symptoms of hemoglobinopathies. There are several transcription factors such as MYB and SOX-6, which are involved in the regulation of Hb F. There are not enough studies investigating the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the SOX-6 and MYB genes and the variation of Hb F levels in patients affected by sickle cell disease and β-thal. We therefore decided to analyze the role of four missense variants of MYB and SOX-6 genes in the regulation of Hb F levels. In order to do so, we examinated 30 Sicilian patients affected by sickle cell disease and β-thal, to understand if these variants could also have an influence in our populations. Comparing two groups of patients with low and high levels of Hb F, we found no significant differences in the genetic distribution and allelic frequency of MYB and SOX-6 gene polymorphisms. We also created and compared a 'high producer' and 'low producer' genotype with different genes achieving the same result of no significant difference. Our results may be due either to the fact that the association between these genes and the regulation of Hb F levels are influenced by environmental history and population genetics, or to the small number of samples being analyzed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florinda Listì
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| | - Serena Sclafani
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| | - Veronica Agrigento
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| | - Rita Barone
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| | - Aurelio Maggio
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| | - Elena D'Alcamo
- a Ospedale V. Cervello, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Ematologia per le Malattie Rare del Sangue e degli Organi Ematopoietici , Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello , Palermo , Italia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wienert B, Martyn GE, Funnell APW, Quinlan KGR, Crossley M. Wake-up Sleepy Gene: Reactivating Fetal Globin for β-Hemoglobinopathies. Trends Genet 2018; 34:927-940. [PMID: 30287096 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Disorders in hemoglobin (hemoglobinopathies) were the first monogenic diseases to be characterized and remain among the most common and best understood genetic conditions. Moreover, the study of the β-globin locus provides a textbook example of developmental gene regulation. The fetal γ-globin genes (HBG1/HBG2) are ordinarily silenced around birth, whereupon their expression is replaced by the adult β-globin genes (HBB primarily and HBD). Over 50 years ago it was recognized that mutations that cause lifelong persistence of fetal γ-globin expression ameliorate the debilitating effects of mutations in β-globin. Since then, research has focused on therapeutically reactivating the fetal γ-globin genes. Here, we summarize recent discoveries, focusing on the influence of genome editing technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9, and emerging gene therapy approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beeke Wienert
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Present address: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gabriella E Martyn
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alister P W Funnell
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Present address: Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kate G R Quinlan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lidonnici MR, Paleari Y, Tiboni F, Mandelli G, Rossi C, Vezzoli M, Aprile A, Lederer CW, Ambrosi A, Chanut F, Sanvito F, Calabria A, Poletti V, Mavilio F, Montini E, Naldini L, Cristofori P, Ferrari G. Multiple Integrated Non-clinical Studies Predict the Safety of Lentivirus-Mediated Gene Therapy for β-Thalassemia. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2018; 11:9-28. [PMID: 30320151 PMCID: PMC6178212 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy clinical trials require rigorous non-clinical studies in the most relevant models to assess the benefit-to-risk ratio. To support the clinical development of gene therapy for β-thalassemia, we performed in vitro and in vivo studies for prediction of safety. First we developed newly GLOBE-derived vectors that were tested for their transcriptional activity and potential interference with the expression of surrounding genes. Because these vectors did not show significant advantages, GLOBE lentiviral vector (LV) was elected for further safety characterization. To support the use of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) transduced by GLOBE LV for the treatment of β-thalassemia, we conducted toxicology, tumorigenicity, and biodistribution studies in compliance with the OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice. We demonstrated a lack of toxicity and tumorigenic potential associated with GLOBE LV-transduced cells. Vector integration site (IS) studies demonstrated that both murine and human transduced HSCs retain self-renewal capacity and generate new blood cell progeny in the absence of clonal dominance. Moreover, IS analysis showed an absence of enrichment in cancer-related genes, and the genes targeted by GLOBE LV in human HSCs are well known sites of integration, as seen in other lentiviral gene therapy trials, and have not been associated with clonal expansion. Taken together, these integrated studies provide safety data supporting the clinical application of GLOBE-mediated gene therapy for β-thalassemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosa Lidonnici
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Ylenia Paleari
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Tiboni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Mandelli
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Rossi
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Vezzoli
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Aprile
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Carsten Werner Lederer
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassaemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Francesca Sanvito
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Calabria
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Fulvio Mavilio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modeno, Italy
| | - Eugenio Montini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Naldini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Vita Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cristofori
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,GlaxoSmithKline Ware, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Giuliana Ferrari
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Vita Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Martyn GE, Wienert B, Yang L, Shah M, Norton LJ, Burdach J, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Pearson RCM, Funnell APW, Quinlan KGR, Crossley M. Natural regulatory mutations elevate the fetal globin gene via disruption of BCL11A or ZBTB7A binding. Nat Genet 2018; 50:498-503. [PMID: 29610478 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0085-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
β-hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia result from mutations in the adult HBB (β-globin) gene. Reactivating the developmentally silenced fetal HBG1 and HBG2 (γ-globin) genes is a therapeutic goal for treating SCD and β-thalassemia 1 . Some forms of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), a rare benign condition in which individuals express the γ-globin gene throughout adulthood, are caused by point mutations in the γ-globin gene promoter at regions residing ~115 and 200 bp upstream of the transcription start site. We found that the major fetal globin gene repressors BCL11A and ZBTB7A (also known as LRF) directly bound to the sites at -115 and -200 bp, respectively. Furthermore, introduction of naturally occurring HPFH-associated mutations into erythroid cells by CRISPR-Cas9 disrupted repressor binding and raised γ-globin gene expression. These findings clarify how these HPFH-associated mutations operate and demonstrate that BCL11A and ZBTB7A are major direct repressors of the fetal globin gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella E Martyn
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Beeke Wienert
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lu Yang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Manan Shah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura J Norton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jon Burdach
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Research and Development Department, Central Blood Institute, Blood Service Headquarters, Japanese Red Cross Society, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Richard C M Pearson
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alister P W Funnell
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate G R Quinlan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Liu N, Hargreaves VV, Zhu Q, Kurland JV, Hong J, Kim W, Sher F, Macias-Trevino C, Rogers JM, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Yuan GC, Bauer DE, Xu J, Bulyk ML, Orkin SH. Direct Promoter Repression by BCL11A Controls the Fetal to Adult Hemoglobin Switch. Cell 2018; 173:430-442.e17. [PMID: 29606353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2) level is genetically controlled and modifies severity of adult hemoglobin (HbA, α2β2) disorders, sickle cell disease, and β-thalassemia. Common genetic variation affects expression of BCL11A, a regulator of HbF silencing. To uncover how BCL11A supports the developmental switch from γ- to β- globin, we use a functional assay and protein binding microarray to establish a requirement for a zinc-finger cluster in BCL11A in repression and identify a preferred DNA recognition sequence. This motif appears in embryonic and fetal-expressed globin promoters and is duplicated in γ-globin promoters. The more distal of the duplicated motifs is mutated in individuals with hereditary persistence of HbF. Using the CUT&RUN approach to map protein binding sites in erythroid cells, we demonstrate BCL11A occupancy preferentially at the distal motif, which can be disrupted by editing the promoter. Our findings reveal that direct γ-globin gene promoter repression by BCL11A underlies hemoglobin switching.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Liu
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victoria V Hargreaves
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qian Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse V Kurland
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiyoung Hong
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Woojin Kim
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Falak Sher
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudio Macias-Trevino
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia M Rogers
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Committee on Higher Degrees in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN Bioresource Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN Bioresource Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Guo-Cheng Yuan
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel E Bauer
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Martha L Bulyk
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Committee on Higher Degrees in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stuart H Orkin
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Naturally occurring, large deletions in the β-globin locus result in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin, a condition that mitigates the clinical severity of sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia. We designed a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas9) strategy to disrupt a 13.6-kb genomic region encompassing the δ- and β-globin genes and a putative γ-δ intergenic fetal hemoglobin (HbF) silencer. Disruption of just the putative HbF silencer results in a mild increase in γ-globin expression, whereas deletion or inversion of a 13.6-kb region causes a robust reactivation of HbF synthesis in adult erythroblasts that is associated with epigenetic modifications and changes in chromatin contacts within the β-globin locus. In primary SCD patient-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, targeting the 13.6-kb region results in a high proportion of γ-globin expression in erythroblasts, increased HbF synthesis, and amelioration of the sickling cell phenotype. Overall, this study provides clues for a potential CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing approach to the therapy of β-hemoglobinopathies.
Collapse
|
20
|
Chapin J, Giardina PJ. Thalassemia Syndromes. Hematology 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-35762-3.00040-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
|
21
|
Zhu X, Hu T, Ho MH, Wang Y, Yu M, Patel N, Pi W, Choi JH, Xu H, Ganapathy V, Kutlar F, Kutlar A, Tuan D. Hydroxyurea differentially modulates activator and repressors of γ-globin gene in erythroblasts of responsive and non-responsive patients with sickle cell disease in correlation with Index of Hydroxyurea Responsiveness. Haematologica 2017; 102:1995-2004. [PMID: 28971909 PMCID: PMC5709098 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2017.175646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydroxyurea (HU), the first of two drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), produces anti-sickling effect by re-activating fetal γ-globin gene to enhance production of fetal hemoglobin. However, approximately 30% of the patients do not respond to HU therapy. The molecular basis of non-responsiveness to HU is not clearly understood. To address this question, we examined HU-induced changes in the RNA and protein levels of transcription factors NF-Y, GATA-1, -2, BCL11A, TR4, MYB and NF-E4 that assemble the γ-globin promoter complex and regulate transcription of γ-globin gene. In erythroblasts cultured from peripheral blood CD34+ cells of patients with SCD, we found that HU-induced changes in the protein but not the RNA levels of activator GATA-2 and repressors GATA-1, BCL11A and TR4 correlated with HU-induced changes in fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in the peripheral blood of HU high and low responders. However, HU did not significantly induce changes in the protein or RNA levels of activators NF-Y and NF-E4. Based on HU-induced changes in the protein levels of GATA-2, -1 and BCL11A, we calculated an Index of Hydroxyurea Responsiveness (IndexHU-3). Compared to the HU-induced fold changes in the individual transcription factor protein levels, the numerical values of IndexHU-3 statistically correlated best with the HU-induced peripheral blood HbF levels of the patients. Thus, IndexHU-3 can serve as an appropriate indicator for inherent HU responsiveness of patients with SCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingguo Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Tianxiang Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Meng Hsuan Ho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA.,School of Dentistry, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yongchao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Miao Yu
- Georgia Cancer Research Center, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Niren Patel
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Wenhu Pi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Choi
- Georgia Cancer Research Center, Augusta University, GA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Hongyan Xu
- Department of Biostatistics, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Vadivel Ganapathy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Ferdane Kutlar
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Abdullah Kutlar
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| | - Dorothy Tuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Huang P, Keller CA, Giardine B, Grevet JD, Davies JOJ, Hughes JR, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Hardison RC, Blobel GA. Comparative analysis of three-dimensional chromosomal architecture identifies a novel fetal hemoglobin regulatory element. Genes Dev 2017; 31:1704-1713. [PMID: 28916711 PMCID: PMC5647940 DOI: 10.1101/gad.303461.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study, Huang et al. compared the chromosomal architectures of fetal and adult human erythroblasts and found that, globally, chromatin structures and compartments A/B are highly similar at both developmental stages. Their results uncover a new critical regulatory region as a potential target for therapeutic genome editing for hemoglobinopathies and highlight the power of chromosome conformation analysis in discovering new cis control elements. Chromatin structure is tightly intertwined with transcription regulation. Here we compared the chromosomal architectures of fetal and adult human erythroblasts and found that, globally, chromatin structures and compartments A/B are highly similar at both developmental stages. At a finer scale, we detected distinct folding patterns at the developmentally controlled β-globin locus. Specifically, new fetal stage-specific contacts were uncovered between a region separating the fetal (γ) and adult (δ and β) globin genes (encompassing the HBBP1 and BGLT3 noncoding genes) and two distal chromosomal sites (HS5 and 3′HS1) that flank the locus. In contrast, in adult cells, the HBBP1–BGLT3 region contacts the embryonic ε-globin gene, physically separating the fetal globin genes from the enhancer (locus control region [LCR]). Deletion of the HBBP1 region in adult cells alters contact landscapes in ways more closely resembling those of fetal cells, including increased LCR–γ-globin contacts. These changes are accompanied by strong increases in γ-globin transcription. Notably, the effects of HBBP1 removal on chromatin architecture and gene expression closely mimic those of deleting the fetal globin repressor BCL11A, implicating BCL11A in the function of the HBBP1 region. Our results uncover a new critical regulatory region as a potential target for therapeutic genome editing for hemoglobinopathies and highlight the power of chromosome conformation analysis in discovering new cis control elements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Huang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Cheryl A Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Belinda Giardine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Jeremy D Grevet
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - James O J Davies
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Molecular Hematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Jim R Hughes
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Molecular Hematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Research and Development Department, Central Blood Institute, Blood Service Headquarters, Japanese Red Cross Society, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8521, Japan
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Ross C Hardison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Maroofi N, Azarkeivan A, Banihashemi S, Mohammadparast S, Aghajanirefah A, Banan M. An enhancer haplotype may influence BCL11A expression levels and the response to hydroxyurea in β-thalassemia patients. Pharmacogenomics 2017. [PMID: 28639471 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2017-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To identify the BCL11A intron-2 enhancer linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, harboring two previously identified SNPs, associating with the hydroxyurea response in β-thalassemia patients and the functional significance of this region. MATERIALS & METHODS Several neighboring SNPs were genotyped in our cohort. The associating LD block was identified, and its function studied in K562 erythroid cells via CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. RESULTS A haplotype harboring three tag SNPs correlated significantly with the HU-response and BCL11A transcript levels in the patients' reticulocytes. Two deletions encompassing this LD block significantly reduced BCL11A transcript levels in K562 cells. CONCLUSION Our data suggest an essential role for this LD block in BCL11A expression levels and the response to hydroxyurea in β-thalassemia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nahal Maroofi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azita Azarkeivan
- Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research & Education in Transfusion Medicine, Thalassemia Clinic, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soosan Banihashemi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Mohammadparast
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Aghajanirefah
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Laboratory Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Mehdi Banan
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Molecular basis of β thalassemia and potential therapeutic targets. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2017; 70:54-65. [PMID: 28651846 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable phenotypic diversity of β thalassemia that range from severe anemia and transfusion-dependency, to a clinically asymptomatic state exemplifies how a spectrum of disease severity can be generated in single gene disorders. While the genetic basis for β thalassemia, and how severity of the anemia could be modified at different levels of its pathophysiology have been well documented, therapy remains largely supportive with bone marrow transplant being the only cure. Identification of the genetic variants modifying fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production in combination with α globin genotype provide some prediction of disease severity for β thalassemia but generation of a personalized genetic risk score to inform prognosis and guide management requires a larger panel of genetic modifiers yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, genetic studies have been successful in characterizing the key variants and pathways involved in HbF regulation, providing new therapeutic targets for HbF reactivation. BCL11A has been established as a quantitative repressor, and progress has been made in manipulating its expression using genomic and gene-editing approaches for therapeutic benefits. Recent discoveries and understanding in the mechanisms associated with ineffective and abnormal erythropoiesis have also provided additional therapeutic targets, a couple of which are currently being tested in clinical trials.
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The discovery of several genetic variants associated with erythroid traits and subsequent elucidation of their functional mechanisms are exemplars of the power of the new genetic and genomic technology. The present review highlights findings from recent genetic studies related to the control of erythropoiesis and dyserythropoiesis, and fetal hemoglobin, an erythroid-related trait. RECENT FINDINGS Identification of the genetic modulators of erythropoiesis involved two approaches: genome-wide association studies (GWASs) using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays that revealed the common genetic variants associated with erythroid phenotypes (hemoglobin, red cell count, MCV, MCH) and fetal hemoglobin; and massive parallel sequencing such as whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) that led to the discovery of the rarer variants (GFI1B, SBDS, RPS19, PKLR, EPO, EPOR, KLF1, GATA1). Functional and genomic studies aided by computational approaches and gene editing technology refined the regions encompassing the putative causative SNPs and confirmed their regulatory role at different stages of erythropoiesis. SUMMARY Five meta-analysis of GWASs identified 17 genetic loci associated with erythroid phenotypes, which are potential regulators of erythropoiesis. Some of these loci showed pleiotropy associated with multiple erythroid traits, suggesting undiscovered molecular mechanisms and challenges underlying erythroid biology. Other sequencing strategies (WGS and WES) further elucidated the role of rare variants in dyserythropoiesis. Integration of common and rare variant studies with functional assays involving latest genome-editing technologies will significantly improve our understanding of the genetics underlying erythropoiesis and erythroid disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laxminath Tumburu
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/NIH, Sickle Cell Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Changes in lncRNAs and related genes in β-thalassemia minor and β-thalassemia major. Front Med 2017; 11:74-86. [DOI: 10.1007/s11684-017-0503-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
27
|
Thein SL. Genetic Basis and Genetic Modifiers of β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1013:27-57. [PMID: 29127676 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7299-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) are prototypical Mendelian single gene disorders, both caused by mutations affecting the adult β-globin gene. Despite the apparent genetic simplicity, both disorders display a remarkable spectrum of phenotypic severity and share two major genetic modifiers-α-globin genotype and innate ability to produce fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2).This article provides an overview of the genetic basis for SCD and β-thalassemia, and genetic modifiers identified through phenotype correlation studies. Identification of the genetic variants modifying HbF production in combination with α-globin genotype provide some prediction of disease severity for β-thalassemia and SCD but generation of a personalized genetic risk score to inform prognosis and guide management requires a larger panel of genetic modifiers yet to be discovered.Nonetheless, genetic studies have been successful in characterizing some of the key variants and pathways involved in HbF regulation, providing new therapeutic targets for HbF reactivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Swee Lay Thein
- Sickle Cell Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 6S241 MSC 1589, 10 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD, 20892-1589, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chaouch L, Moumni I, Ouragini H, Darragi I, Kalai M, Chaouachi D, Boudrigua I, Hafsia R, Abbes S. rs11886868 and rs4671393 of BCL11A associated with HbF level variation and modulate clinical events among sickle cell anemia patients. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 21:425-9. [PMID: 27077760 DOI: 10.1080/10245332.2015.1107275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) modulates the phenotype of sickle cell anemia (SCA) by inhibiting deoxy sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization. HbF genes are genetically regulated, and the level of HbF and its distribution among sickle erythrocytes is highly variable. Herein, we aimed to determine whether two functional polymorphisms of BCL11A are implicated in the variation of HbF and clinical events in SCA Tunisian patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The studied population consisted of 148 SCA patients with SS phenotype. The group of patients was divided into two subgroups according to the threshold point of %HbF which is 15%. Genotyping of rs11886868 and rs4671393 was performed using PCR/Sequencing. To test for trait association with the candidate SNPs, genotype and allele frequencies between 'group who had %HbF < 15' and 'group who had %HbF >15' (controls) were compared using Pearson's chi-square test (compare 2, version 1.02). The association of each genotype and the combined genotype with complications was performed by logistic regression test. RESULTS Our findings showed that the majority of patients carried genotype CT of rs11886868 and genotypes AG and GG of rs4671393 present HbF level < 15%. RR = 0.08, RR = 0.176, and RR = 0.189, respectively. The results showed a significant association between the alleles T of rs11886868 and G of rs4671393 and %HbF < 15% with P = 0.016; RR = 0.39 and P = 8.9 × 10(-3): RR = 0.567, respectively. Interestingly, the C allele of the rs11886868 and the A allele of the rs46713939 were associated with an ameliorated phenotype in patient's SCA. The combination of the genotypes GG and CT explains more phenotypic variance than the sum of the two BCL11A SNPs taken individually.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Chaouch
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Imen Moumni
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Houyem Ouragini
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Imen Darragi
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Miniar Kalai
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Dorra Chaouachi
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Imen Boudrigua
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| | - Raouf Hafsia
- b Université de Tunis El Manar, Hopital Aziza Othmena, d'Hématologie Clinique , Tunisia
| | - Salem Abbes
- a Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire , Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Reactivating Fetal Hemoglobin Expression in Human Adult Erythroblasts Through BCL11A Knockdown Using Targeted Endonucleases. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2016; 5:e351. [PMID: 28131278 PMCID: PMC5023398 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2016.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We examined the efficiency, specificity, and mutational signatures of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 systems designed to target the gene encoding the transcriptional repressor BCL11A, in human K562 cells and human CD34+ progenitor cells. ZFNs and TALENs were delivered as in vitro transcribed mRNA through electroporation; CRISPR/Cas9 was codelivered by Cas9 mRNA with plasmid-encoded guideRNA (gRNA) (pU6.g1) or in vitro transcribed gRNA (gR.1). Analyses of efficacy revealed that for these specific reagents and the delivery methods used, the ZFNs gave rise to more allelic disruption in the targeted locus compared to the TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9, which was associated with increased levels of fetal hemoglobin in erythroid cells produced in vitro from nuclease-treated CD34+ cells. Genome-wide analysis to evaluate the specificity of the nucleases revealed high specificity of this specific ZFN to the target site, while specific TALENs and CRISPRs evaluated showed off-target cleavage activity. ZFN gene-edited CD34+ cells had the capacity to engraft in NOD-PrkdcSCID-IL2Rγnull mice, while retaining multi-lineage potential, in contrast to TALEN gene-edited CD34+ cells. CRISPR engraftment levels mirrored the increased relative plasmid-mediated toxicity of pU6.g1/Cas9 in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), highlighting the value for the further improvements of CRISPR/Cas9 delivery in primary human HSPCs.
Collapse
|
30
|
Saliba AN, Alameddine RS, Harb AR, Taher AT. Globin gene regulation for treating β-thalassemias: progress, obstacles and future. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2015. [DOI: 10.1517/21678707.2015.1074071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
31
|
The Specification of Cortical Subcerebral Projection Neurons Depends on the Direct Repression of TBR1 by CTIP1/BCL11a. J Neurosci 2015; 35:7552-64. [PMID: 25972180 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0169-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of distinct neuronal fates is fundamental for the function of the cerebral cortex. We find that the development of subcerebral projections from layer 5 neurons in the mouse neocortex depends on the high levels of expression of the transcription factor CTIP1; CTIP1 is coexpressed with CTIP2 in neurons that project to subcerebral targets and with SATB2 in those that project to the contralateral cortex. CTIP1 directly represses Tbr1 in layer 5, which appears as a critical step for the acquisition of the subcerebral fate. In contrast, lower levels of CTIP1 in layer 6 are required for TBR1 expression, which directs the corticothalamic fate. CTIP1 does not appear to play a critical role in the acquisition of the callosal projection fate in layer 5. These findings unravel a key step in the acquisition of cell fate for closely related corticofugal neurons and indicate that differential dosages of transcriptions factors are critical to specify different neuronal identities.
Collapse
|
32
|
Blobel GA, Bodine D, Brand M, Crispino J, de Bruijn MFTR, Nathan D, Papayannopoulou T, Porcher C, Strouboulis J, Zon L, Higgs DR, Stamatoyannopoulos G, Engel JD. An international effort to cure a global health problem: A report on the 19th Hemoglobin Switching Conference. Exp Hematol 2015; 43:821-37. [PMID: 26143582 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Every 2 years since 1978, an international group of scientists, physicians, and other researchers meet to discuss the latest developments in the underlying etiology, mechanisms of action, and developmental acquisition of cellular and systemic defects exhibited and elicited by the most common inherited human disorders, the hemoglobinopathies. The 19th Hemoglobin Switching Conference, held in September 2014 at St. John's College in Oxford, once again exceeded all expectations by describing cutting edge research in cellular, molecular, developmental, and genomic advances focused on these diseases. The conference comprised about 60 short talks over 3 days by leading investigators in the field. This meeting report describes the highlights of the conference.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David Bodine
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marjorie Brand
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Crispino
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marella F T R de Bruijn
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; BRC Blood Theme, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Centre, Oxford University Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - David Nathan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Catherine Porcher
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; BRC Blood Theme, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Centre, Oxford University Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - John Strouboulis
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Len Zon
- Boston Children's Hospital/HHMI, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; BRC Blood Theme, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Centre, Oxford University Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | | | - James Douglas Engel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Bhanushali AA, Patra PK, Nair D, Verma H, Das BR. Genetic variant in the BCL11A (rs1427407), but not HBS1-MYB (rs6934903) loci associate with fetal hemoglobin levels in Indian sickle cell disease patients. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2014; 54:4-8. [PMID: 25457385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
India along with Nigeria and DRC contribute to 57% of the world sickle cell anemia population. The annual number of newborns in India with SCA was estimated at 44,000 in 2010. Even with this high prevalence there is minimal information about genetic factors that influence the disease course in Indian patients. The current study was conducted on 240 patients with SCD and 60 with sickle cell trait, to determine the association of genetic variants at the BCL11A (rs1427407) and HBS1-MYB (rs6934903) loci with fetal hemoglobin levels (HbF). Both these loci have been implicated with influencing HbF levels, a powerful modulator of the clinical and hematologic features of SCD. Our results indicate the BCL11A rs1427407 G>T variant to be significantly associated with HbF levels {19.12±6.61 (GG), 20.27±6.92 (GT) and 24.83±2.92 (TT) respectively} contributing to ~23% of the trait variance. Interestingly no association of the HBS1L-MYB rs6934903 with the HbF levels was seen. The present study indicates the BCL11A (rs1427407) but not HMIP (rs6934903) to be associated with elevated HbF levels in Indian patient. Further interrogation of additional variants at both the loci; as also a GWAS which may help uncover new loci controlling HbF levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aparna A Bhanushali
- Research and Development, SRL Ltd, Prime Square Building, Plot No 1, S. V. Road, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 062, India.
| | - P K Patra
- Department of Biochemistry, Pt. J.N.M. Medical College, Raipur (C. G.), India.
| | - D Nair
- Research and Development, SRL Ltd, Prime Square Building, Plot No 1, S. V. Road, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 062, India.
| | - H Verma
- Department of Biochemistry, Pt. J.N.M. Medical College, Raipur (C. G.), India.
| | - B R Das
- Research and Development, SRL Ltd, Prime Square Building, Plot No 1, S. V. Road, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 062, India.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Trakarnsanga K, Wilson MC, Lau W, Singleton BK, Parsons SF, Sakuntanaga P, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Anstee DJ, Frayne J. Induction of adult levels of β-globin in human erythroid cells that intrinsically express embryonic or fetal globin by transduction with KLF1 and BCL11A-XL. Haematologica 2014; 99:1677-85. [PMID: 25107887 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2014.110155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A major barrier to the clinical use of erythrocytes generated in vitro from pluripotent stem cells or cord blood progenitors is failure of these erythrocytes to express adult hemoglobin. The key regulators of globin switching KLF1 and BCL11A are absent or at a lower level than in adult cells in K562 and erythroid cells differentiated in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells and cord blood progenitors. Transfection or transduction of K562 and cord blood erythroid cells with either KLF1 or BCL11A-XL had little effect on β-globin expression. In contrast, transduction with both transcription factors stimulated β-globin expression. Similarly, increasing the level of BCL11A-XL in the induced pluripotent stem cell-derived erythroid cell line HiDEP-1, which has levels of endogenous KLF1 similar to adult cells but lacks BCL11A, resulted in levels of β-globin equivalent to that of adult erythroid cells. Interestingly, this increase in β-globin was coincident with a decrease in ε- and ζ-, but not γ-globin, implicating BCL11A in repression of embryonic globin expression. The data show that KLF1 and BCL11A-XL together are required, but sufficient to induce adult levels of β-globin in induced pluripotent stem cell and cord blood-derived erythroid cells that intrinsically express embryonic or fetal globin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kongtana Trakarnsanga
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Winnie Lau
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Belinda K Singleton
- Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Filton, Bristol, UK
| | - Steve F Parsons
- Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Filton, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Ryo Kurita
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - David J Anstee
- Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Filton, Bristol, UK
| | - Jan Frayne
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Fetal globin gene repressors as drug targets for molecular therapies to treat the β-globinopathies. Mol Cell Biol 2014; 34:3560-9. [PMID: 25022757 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00714-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The human β-globin locus is comprised of embryonic, fetal, and adult globin genes that are expressed in a developmental stage-specific manner. Mutations in the globin locus give rise to the β-globinopathies, β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, which begin to manifest symptoms around the time of birth. Although the fetal globin genes are autonomously silenced in adult-stage erythroid cells, mutations lying both within and outside the locus lead to natural variations in the level of fetal globin gene expression, and some of these significantly ameliorate the clinical symptoms of the β-globinopathies. Multiple reports have now identified several transcription factors that are involved in fetal globin gene repression in definitive (adult)-stage erythroid cells (the TR2/TR4 heterodimer, MYB, KLFs, BCL11A, and SOX6). To carry out their repression functions, chromatin-modifying enzymes (such as DNA methyltransferase, histone deacetylases, and lysine-specific histone demethylase 1) are additionally involved as a consequence of forming large macromolecular complexes with the DNA-binding subunits of these cellular machines. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying fetal globin gene silencing and possible near-future molecularly targeted therapies for treating the β-globinopathies.
Collapse
|
36
|
Fanis P, Kousiappa I, Phylactides M, Kleanthous M. Genotyping of BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB SNPs associated with fetal haemoglobin levels: a SNaPshot minisequencing approach. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:108. [PMID: 24502199 PMCID: PMC3922441 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND B-thalassaemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) are two of the most common monogenic diseases that are found in many populations worldwide. In both disorders the clinical severity is highly variable, with the persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) being one of the major ameliorating factors. HbF levels are affected by, amongst other factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the BCL11A gene and the HBS1L-MYB intergenic region, which are located outside the β-globin locus. For this reason, we developed two multiplex assays that allow the genotyping of SNPs at these two genomic regions which have been shown to be associated with variable HbF levels in different populations. RESULTS Two multiplex assays based on the SNaPshot minisequencing approach were developed. The two assays can be used to simultaneous genotype twelve SNPs at the BCL11A gene and sixteen SNPs at HBS1L-MYB intergenic region which were shown to modify HbF levels. The different genotypes can be determined based on the position and the fluorescent colour of the peaks in a single electropherogram. DNA sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assays were used to verify genotyping results obtained by SNaPshot minisequencing. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we propose two multiplex assays based on the SNaPshot minisequencing approach for the simultaneous identification of SNPs located at the BCL11A gene and HBS1L-MYB intergenic region which have an effect on HbF levels. The assays can be easily applied for accurate, time and cost efficient genotyping of the selected SNPs in various populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marina Kleanthous
- Molecular Genetics Thalassaemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, Agios Dometios, Nicosia 1683, Cyprus.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Three fingers on the switch: Krüppel-like factor 1 regulation of γ-globin to β-globin gene switching. Curr Opin Hematol 2013; 20:193-200. [PMID: 23474875 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0b013e32835f59ba] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Krüppel-like factor 1 (KLF1) regulates most aspects of erythropoiesis. Many years ago, transgenic mouse studies implicated KLF1 in the control of the human γ-globin to β-globin switch. In this review, we will integrate these initial studies with recent developments in human genetics to discuss our present understanding of how KLF1 and its target genes direct the switch. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies have shown that human mutations in KLF1 are common and mostly asymptomatic, but lead to significant increases in levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) (α2γ2) and adult HbA2 (α2δ2). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have demonstrated that three primary loci are associated with increased HbF levels in the population: the β-globin locus itself, the BCL11A locus, and a site between MYB and HBS1L. We discuss evidence that KLF1 directly regulates BCL11A, MYB and other genes, which are involved directly or indirectly in γ-globin silencing, thus providing a link between GWAS and KLF1 in hemoglobin switching. SUMMARY KLF1 regulates the γ-globin to β-globin genetic switch by many mechanisms. Firstly, it facilitates formation of an active chromatin hub (ACH) at the β-globin gene cluster. Specifically, KLF1 conscripts the adult-stage β-globin gene to replace the γ-globin gene within the ACH in a stage-specific manner. Secondly, KLF1 acts as a direct activator of genes that encode repressors of γ-globin gene expression. Finally, KLF1 is a regulator of many components of the cell cycle machinery. We suggest that dysregulation of these genes leads to cell cycle perturbation and 'erythropoietic stress' leading to indirect upregulation of HbF.
Collapse
|
38
|
Corepressor-dependent silencing of fetal hemoglobin expression by BCL11A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:6518-23. [PMID: 23576758 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1303976110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in adults ameliorates the severity of the common β-globin disorders. The transcription factor BCL11A is a critical modulator of hemoglobin switching and HbF silencing, yet the molecular mechanism through which BCL11A coordinates the developmental switch is incompletely understood. Particularly, the identities of BCL11A cooperating protein complexes and their roles in HbF expression and erythroid development remain largely unknown. Here we determine the interacting partner proteins of BCL11A in erythroid cells by a proteomic screen. BCL11A is found within multiprotein complexes consisting of erythroid transcription factors, transcriptional corepressors, and chromatin-modifying enzymes. We show that the lysine-specific demethylase 1 and repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor corepressor 1 (LSD1/CoREST) histone demethylase complex interacts with BCL11A and is required for full developmental silencing of mouse embryonic β-like globin genes and human γ-globin genes in adult erythroid cells in vivo. In addition, LSD1 is essential for normal erythroid development. Furthermore, the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is identified as a BCL11A-associated protein in the proteomic screen. DNMT1 is required to maintain HbF silencing in primary human adult erythroid cells. DNMT1 haploinsufficiency combined with BCL11A deficiency further enhances γ-globin expression in adult animals. Our findings provide important insights into the mechanistic roles of BCL11A in HbF silencing and clues for therapeutic targeting of BCL11A in β-hemoglobinopathies.
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhu X, Wang Y, Pi W, Liu H, Wickrema A, Tuan D. NF-Y recruits both transcription activator and repressor to modulate tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression of human γ-globin gene. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47175. [PMID: 23071749 PMCID: PMC3468502 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human embryonic, fetal and adult β-like globin genes provide a paradigm for tissue- and developmental stage-specific gene regulation. The fetal γ-globin gene is expressed in fetal erythroid cells but is repressed in adult erythroid cells. The molecular mechanism underlying this transcriptional switch during erythroid development is not completely understood. Here, we used a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays to dissect the molecular assemblies of the active and the repressed proximal γ-globin promoter complexes in K562 human erythroleukemia cell line and primary human fetal and adult erythroid cells. We found that the proximal γ-globin promoter complex is assembled by a developmentally regulated, general transcription activator NF-Y bound strongly at the tandem CCAAT motifs near the TATA box. NF-Y recruits to neighboring DNA motifs the developmentally regulated, erythroid transcription activator GATA-2 and general repressor BCL11A, which in turn recruit erythroid repressor GATA-1 and general repressor COUP-TFII to form respectively the NF-Y/GATA-2 transcription activator hub and the BCL11A/COUP-TFII/GATA-1 transcription repressor hub. Both the activator and the repressor hubs are present in both the active and the repressed γ-globin promoter complexes in fetal and adult erythroid cells. Through changes in their levels and respective interactions with the co-activators and co-repressors during erythroid development, the activator and the repressor hubs modulate erythroid- and developmental stage-specific transcription of γ-globin gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingguo Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia and College of Graduate Studies, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yongchao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia and College of Graduate Studies, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Wenhu Pi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia and College of Graduate Studies, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Amittha Wickrema
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Dorothy Tuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia and College of Graduate Studies, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Mejri A, Siala H, Ouali F, Bibi A, Messaoud T. Identification of candidate genes involved in clinical variability among Tunisian patients with β-thalassemia. Gene 2012; 506:166-72. [PMID: 22771911 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.06.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The short tandem repeats (STR) are undoubtedly the most used molecular markers in genetic diversity studies. β-thalassemia is a hereditary hemolytic anemia which is a common health problem all over the world. The disease has two main clinical forms: the severe form or β-thalassemia major (TM) and the moderate form or β-thalassemia intermedia (TI). To help understand this inconsistency, five STR have been studied in a group of 27 β-thalassemic patients divided into 15 (TM) and 12 (TI). For each STR, the distribution of alleles, has been compared among patients with β-thalassemia major (TM) and those with β-thalassemia intermedia (TI).The comparison has shown, for the STR D14S72, one specific allele to (TM) and for the STR D14S990 and D14S68, two specific alleles to TI patients. The combination of these alleles with severe beta-thalassemia genotypes leads to the phenotype of beta-thalassemia intermedia even though there are no any attenuating factors such as XmnI Gg polymorphism at position -158 of the HBG2 promotor or the alpha-globin defects. This suggests that these alleles are associated with factors reducing β-thalassemia clinical effects. One of this STR is located in the 5'UTR of the CEBPε gene which incodes a transcription factor expressed in the myeloid lineage. Thus, the involvement of the transcription factor CEBPε in the myeloid cells suggests that CEBPε is a candidate gene involved in the modulation of the β-thalassemia expression through immune system reactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Awatef Mejri
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Hospital for Children of Tunis, Tunisia.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
John A, Brylka H, Wiegreffe C, Simon R, Liu P, Jüttner R, Crenshaw EB, Luyten FP, Jenkins NA, Copeland NG, Birchmeier C, Britsch S. Bcl11a is required for neuronal morphogenesis and sensory circuit formation in dorsal spinal cord development. Development 2012; 139:1831-41. [PMID: 22491945 DOI: 10.1242/dev.072850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dorsal spinal cord neurons receive and integrate somatosensory information provided by neurons located in dorsal root ganglia. Here we demonstrate that dorsal spinal neurons require the Krüppel-C(2)H(2) zinc-finger transcription factor Bcl11a for terminal differentiation and morphogenesis. The disrupted differentiation of dorsal spinal neurons observed in Bcl11a mutant mice interferes with their correct innervation by cutaneous sensory neurons. To understand the mechanism underlying the innervation deficit, we characterized changes in gene expression in the dorsal horn of Bcl11a mutants and identified dysregulated expression of the gene encoding secreted frizzled-related protein 3 (sFRP3, or Frzb). Frzb mutant mice show a deficit in the innervation of the spinal cord, suggesting that the dysregulated expression of Frzb can account in part for the phenotype of Bcl11a mutants. Thus, our genetic analysis of Bcl11a reveals essential functions of this transcription factor in neuronal morphogenesis and sensory wiring of the dorsal spinal cord and identifies Frzb, a component of the Wnt pathway, as a downstream acting molecule involved in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anita John
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Akinsheye I, Solovieff N, Ngo D, Malek A, Sebastiani P, Steinberg MH, Chui DHK. Fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia: molecular characterization of the unusually high fetal hemoglobin phenotype in African Americans. Am J Hematol 2012; 87:217-9. [PMID: 22139998 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.22221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 10/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is a major modifier of disease severity in sickle cell anemia (SCA). Three major HbF quantitative trait loci (QTL) are known: the Xmn I site upstream of (G)γ- globin gene (HBG2) on chromosome 11p15, BCL11A on chromosome 2p16, and HBS1L-MYB intergenic polymorphism (HMIP) on chromosome 6q23. However, the roles of these QTLs in patients with SCA with uncharacteristically high HbF are not known. We studied 20 African American patients with SCA with markedly elevated HbF (mean 17.2%). They had significantly higher minor allele frequencies (MAF) in two HbF QTLs, BCL11A, and HMIP, compared with those with low HbF. A 3-bp (TAC) deletion in complete linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the minor allele of rs9399137 in HMIP was also present significantly more often in these patients. To further explore other genetic loci that might be responsible for this high HbF, we sequenced a 14.1 kb DNA fragment between the (A)γ-(HBG1) and δ-globin genes (HBD). Thirty-eight SNPs were found. Four SNPs had significantly higher major allele frequencies in the unusually high HbF group. In silico analyses of these four polymorphisms predicted alteration in transcription factor binding sites in 3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Idowu Akinsheye
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Miccio A, Poletti V, Tiboni F, Rossi C, Antonelli A, Mavilio F, Ferrari G. The GATA1-HS2 enhancer allows persistent and position-independent expression of a β-globin transgene. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27955. [PMID: 22164220 PMCID: PMC3229501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy of genetic diseases requires persistent and position-independent expression of a therapeutic transgene. Transcriptional enhancers binding chromatin-remodeling and modifying complexes may play a role in shielding transgenes from repressive chromatin effects. We tested the activity of the HS2 enhancer of the GATA1 gene in protecting the expression of a β-globin minigene delivered by a lentiviral vector in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Gene expression from proviruses carrying GATA1-HS2 in both LTRs was persistent and resistant to silencing at most integration sites in the in vivo progeny of human hematopoietic progenitors and murine long-term repopulating stem cells. The GATA1-HS2-modified vector allowed correction of murine β-thalassemia at low copy number without inducing clonal selection of erythroblastic progenitors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies showed that GATA1 and the CBP acetyltransferase bind to GATA1-HS2, significantly increasing CBP-specific histone acetylations at the LTRs and β-globin promoter. Recruitment of CBP by the LTRs thus establishes an open chromatin domain encompassing the entire provirus, and increases the therapeutic efficacy of β-globin gene transfer by reducing expression variegation and epigenetic silencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annarita Miccio
- H. San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Valentina Poletti
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Tiboni
- H. San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Rossi
- H. San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Antonelli
- H. San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Fulvio Mavilio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ferrari
- H. San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) plays a dominant role in ameliorating morbidity and mortality of hemoglobinopathies. The authors performed a replicated study following the genome-wide association study (GWAS) guidelines to identify the genetic mechanics that influence HbF. The authors recruited and phenotyped 312 unrelated β-thalassemia subjects. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was performed by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/restriction enzymes. Four independent regions of interest were identified: HBS1L-MYB intergenic region, BCL11A locus, β-globin gene cluster, and the CSNK2A1 gene. There were 10 SNPs associated with HbF levels. In addition, haplotypes of HBS1L-MYB and BCL11A were identified and showed association with HbF production. Three independent regions, including HBS1L-MYB intergenic region, BCL11A locus, and β-globin gene cluster, were associated with HbF levels. This study can significantly improve the GWAS findings in Chinese cohorts and is useful for further research in the field of common predictors of the erythropoiesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunyan He
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Distinct Ldb1/NLI complexes orchestrate γ-globin repression and reactivation through ETO2 in human adult erythroid cells. Blood 2011; 118:6200-8. [PMID: 22010104 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-06-363101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ldb1/GATA-1/TAL1/LMO2 complex mediates long-range interaction between the β-globin locus control region (LCR) and gene in adult mouse erythroid cells, but whether this complex mediates chromatin interactions at other developmental stages or in human cells is unknown. We investigated NLI (Ldb1 homolog) complex occupancy and chromatin conformation of the β-globin locus in human erythroid cells. In addition to the LCR, we found robust NLI complex occupancy at a site downstream of the (A)γ-globin gene within sequences of BGL3, an intergenic RNA transcript. In cells primarily transcribing β-globin, BGL3 is not transcribed and BGL3 sequences are occupied by NLI core complex members, together with corepressor ETO2 and by γ-globin repressor BCL11A. The LCR and β-globin gene establish proximity in these cells. In contrast, when γ-globin transcription is reactivated in these cells, ETO2 participation in the NLI complex at BGL3 is diminished, as is BCL11A occupancy, and both BGL3 and γ-globin are transcribed. In these cells, proximity between the BGL3/γ-globin region and the LCR is established. We conclude that alternative NLI complexes mediate γ-globin transcription or silencing through long-range LCR interactions involving an intergenic site of noncoding RNA transcription and that ETO2 is critical to this process.
Collapse
|
46
|
Cao A, Moi P, Galanello R. Recent advances in β-thalassemias. Pediatr Rep 2011; 3:e17. [PMID: 21772954 PMCID: PMC3133499 DOI: 10.4081/pr.2011.e17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2011] [Revised: 04/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
β-thalassemias are heterogeneous hereditary anemias characterized by a reduced output of β-globin chains. The disease is most frequent in the temperate regions of the world, where it represents an important health problem. In the last decades, several programs, aimed at controlling the birth rate of thalassemia newborns by screening and prenatal diagnosis of populations with high risk of β-thalassemia, have been successful accomplished. Bone marrow transplantation has offered a definitive cure for the fraction of patients with available donors. In the same time, steady improvements were made in the traditional clinical management of β-thalassemia patients. The introduction of the oral iron chelators deferiprone that preferentially chelates hearth iron and the development of novel NMR diagnostic methods has led to reduced morbility, increased survival and improved quality of life. More recently, major advances have being made in the discovery of critical modifier genes, such as Myb and especially BCL11A (B cell lymphoma 11A), a master regulator of HbF (fetal hemoglobin) and hemoglobin switching. Polimorphysms of BCL11A, Myb and γ-globin genes account for most of the variability in the clinical phenotypes in β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia patients. Finally, the year 2010 has brought in the first successful experiment of gene therapy in a β-thalassemia patient, opening up the perspective of a generalized cure for all β- thalassemia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Cao
- Biomedical and Biotechnology Department, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The developmental switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin has long fascinated biologists and attracted hematologists given its importance for patients with hemoglobin disorders. New discoveries have reinvigorated the field of globin gene regulation. These results hold promise for improved treatment of the major hemoglobinopathies. RECENT FINDINGS Both genome-wide association studies and traditional linkage studies have identified several genetic loci involved in silencing fetal hemoglobin. BCL11A is a potent silencer of fetal hemoglobin in both mouse and humans. It controls the beta-globin gene cluster in concert with other factors. KLF1, a vital erythroid transcription factor, activates BCL11A and assists in coordinating the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin. A regulatory network of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors maintains the epigenetic homeostasis of the beta-globin cluster and accounts for the precise lineage-specific and developmental stage-specific regulation of the globin genes. SUMMARY With an improved understanding of pathways involved in the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin, new targets have emerged for the treatment of the common hemoglobin disorders, sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Bauer
- Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|