Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias: III's a charm

Mcph1, mutated in primary microcephaly, is also crucial for erythropoiesis

Microcephaly is a common feature in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, prompting investigations into shared pathways between neurogenesis and hematopoiesis. To understand this association, we studied the role of the microcephaly gene Mcph1 in hematological development. Our research revealed that Mcph1-knockout mice exhibited congenital macrocytic anemia due to impaired terminal erythroid differentiation during fetal development. Anemia's cause is a failure to complete cell division, evident from tetraploid erythroid progenitors with DNA content exceeding 4n. Gene expression profiling demonstrated activation of the p53 pathway in Mcph1-deficient erythroid precursors, leading to overexpression of Cdkn1a/p21, a major mediator of p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. Surprisingly, fetal brain analysis revealed hypertrophied binucleated neuroprogenitors overexpressing p21 in Mcph1-knockout mice, indicating a shared pathophysiological mechanism underlying both erythroid and neurological defects. However, inactivating p53 in Mcph1-/- mice failed to reverse anemia and microcephaly, suggesting that p53 activation in Mcph1-deficient cells resulted from their proliferation defect rather than causing it. These findings shed new light on Mcph1's function in fetal hematopoietic development, emphasizing the impact of disrupted cell division on neurogenesis and erythropoiesis - a common limiting pathway.

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited anemias that affect the normal differentiation-proliferation pathways of the erythroid lineage. They belong to the wide group of ineffective erythropoiesis conditions that mainly result in monolinear cytopenia. CDAs are classified into the 3 major types (I, II, III), plus the transcription factor-related CDAs, and the CDA variants, on the basis of the distinctive morphological, clinical, and genetic features. Next-generation sequencing has revolutionized the field of diagnosis of and research into CDAs, with reduced time to diagnosis, and ameliorated differential diagnosis in terms of identification of new causative/modifier genes and polygenic conditions. The main improvements regarding CDAs have been in the study of iron metabolism in CDAII. The erythroblast-derived hormone erythroferrone specifically inhibits hepcidin production, and its role in the mediation of hepatic iron overload has been dissected out. We discuss here the most recent advances in this field regarding the molecular genetics and pathogenic mechanisms of CDAs, through an analysis of the clinical and molecular classifications, and the complications and clinical management of patients. We summarize also the main cellular and animal models developed to date and the possible future therapies.

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia types Ib, II, and III: novel variants in the CDIN1 gene and functional study of a novel variant in the KIF23 gene

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDA) are disorders characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis and morphological anomalies in erythrocytes and erythroblasts. The purpose of this study is to identify the gene variants in patients diagnosed with CDA. We analyzed five unrelated patients and two siblings with a targeted panel of genes to CDA: CDAN1, CDIN1, SEC23B, KIF23, KLF1, and GATA1 genes. We found three novel variants in the CDIN1 gene (p.Leu136Val, p.Tyr247Cys, and p.Ile273Thr), four known variants in the SEC23B gene (p.Arg14Trp, p.Arg554Ter, p.Asp239Gly, and p.Ser436Leu), and one novel variant in the KIF23 gene (p.Leu945Trpfs*31). The in silico analysis of novel variants predict that they are pathogenic and, the in vitro study confirms the functional impact of the KIF23 variant on the protein location.

Rare Hereditary Hemolytic Anemias: Diagnostic Approach and Considerations in Management

Hereditary hemolytic anemias (HHAs) comprise a heterogeneous group of anemias caused by mutations in genes coding the globins, red blood cell (RBC) membrane proteins, and RBC enzymes. Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs) are rare disorders of erythropoiesis characterized by binucleated and multinucleated erythroblasts in bone marrow. CDAs typically present with a hemolytic phenotype, as the produced RBCs have structural defects and decreased survival and should be considered in the differential of HHAs. This article discusses the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and management considerations for rare HHAs arising from unstable hemoglobins, RBC hydration defects, the less common RBC enzymopathies, and CDAs.

Genome-wide association study follow-up identifies cyclin A2 as a regulator of the transition through cytokinesis during terminal erythropoiesis

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) hold tremendous promise to improve our understanding of human biology. Recent GWAS have revealed over 75 loci associated with erythroid traits, including the 4q27 locus that is associated with red blood cell size (mean corpuscular volume). The close linkage disequilibrium block at this locus harbors the CCNA2 gene that encodes cyclin A2. CCNA2 mRNA is highly expressed in human and murine erythroid progenitor cells and regulated by the essential erythroid transcription factor GATA1. To understand the role of cyclin A2 in erythropoiesis, we have reduced expression of this gene using short hairpin RNAs in a primary murine erythroid culture system. We demonstrate that cyclin A2 levels affect erythroid cell size by regulating the passage through cytokinesis during the final cell division of terminal erythropoiesis. Our study provides new insight into cell cycle regulation during terminal erythropoiesis and more generally illustrates the value of functional GWAS follow-up to gain mechanistic insight into hematopoiesis.