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Gupta P, Arvinden VR, Thakur P, Bhoyar RC, Saravanakumar V, Gottumukkala NV, Goswami SG, Nafiz M, Iyer AR, Vignesh H, Soni R, Bhargava N, Gunda P, Jain S, Gupta V, Sivasubbu S, Scaria V, Ramalingam S. Scalable noninvasive amplicon-based precision sequencing (SNAPseq) for genetic diagnosis and screening of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease using a next-generation sequencing platform. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1244244. [PMID: 38152111 PMCID: PMC10751313 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1244244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
β-hemoglobinopathies such as β-thalassemia (BT) and Sickle cell disease (SCD) are inherited monogenic blood disorders with significant global burden. Hence, early and affordable diagnosis can alleviate morbidity and reduce mortality given the lack of effective cure. Currently, Sanger sequencing is considered to be the gold standard genetic test for BT and SCD, but it has a very low throughput requiring multiple amplicons and more sequencing reactions to cover the entire HBB gene. To address this, we have demonstrated an extraction-free single amplicon-based approach for screening the entire β-globin gene with clinical samples using Scalable noninvasive amplicon-based precision sequencing (SNAPseq) assay catalyzing with next-generation sequencing (NGS). We optimized the assay using noninvasive buccal swab samples and simple finger prick blood for direct amplification with crude lysates. SNAPseq demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity, having a 100% agreement with Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, to facilitate seamless reporting, we have created a much simpler automated pipeline with comprehensive resources for pathogenic mutations in BT and SCD through data integration after systematic classification of variants according to ACMG and AMP guidelines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the NGS-based high throughput SNAPseq approach for the detection of both BT and SCD in a single assay with high sensitivity in an automated pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Gupta
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - V. R. Arvinden
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Priya Thakur
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rahul C. Bhoyar
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Sangam Giri Goswami
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Mehwish Nafiz
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Aditya Ramdas Iyer
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Harie Vignesh
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajat Soni
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Nupur Bhargava
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Padma Gunda
- Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, Hyderabad, India
| | - Suman Jain
- Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, Hyderabad, India
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida, India
| | - Sridhar Sivasubbu
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Vinod Scaria
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sivaprakash Ramalingam
- CSIR- Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Simbula M, Manchinu MF, Mingoia M, Pala M, Asunis I, Caria CA, Perseu L, Shah M, Crossley M, Moi P, Ristaldi MS. miR-365-3p mediates BCL11A and SOX6 erythroid-specific coregulation: A new player in HbF activation. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2023; 34:102025. [PMID: 37744176 PMCID: PMC10514143 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Hemoglobin switching is a complex biological process not yet fully elucidated. The mechanism regulating the suppression of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression is of particular interest because of the positive impact of HbF on the course of diseases such as β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, hereditary hemoglobin disorders that affect the health of countless individuals worldwide. Several transcription factors have been implicated in the control of HbF, of which BCL11A has emerged as a major player in HbF silencing. SOX6 has also been implicated in silencing HbF and is critical to the silencing of the mouse embryonic hemoglobins. BCL11A and SOX6 are co-expressed and physically interact in the erythroid compartment during differentiation. In this study, we observe that BCL11A knockout leads to post-transcriptional downregulation of SOX6 through activation of microRNA (miR)-365-3p. Downregulating SOX6 by transient ectopic expression of miR-365-3p or gene editing activates embryonic and fetal β-like globin gene expression in erythroid cells. The synchronized expression of BCL11A and SOX6 is crucial for hemoglobin switching. In this study, we identified a BCL11A/miR-365-3p/SOX6 evolutionarily conserved pathway, providing insights into the regulation of the embryonic and fetal globin genes suggesting new targets for treating β-hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Simbula
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Maria Francesca Manchinu
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Maura Mingoia
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mauro Pala
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Isadora Asunis
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Cristian Antonio Caria
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Lucia Perseu
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Manan Shah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Paolo Moi
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Serafina Ristaldi
- Istituto Di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica del Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IRGB-CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Italy
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Han W, Qiu HY, Sun S, Fu ZC, Wang GQ, Qian X, Wang L, Zhai X, Wei J, Wang Y, Guo YL, Cao GH, Ji RJ, Zhang YZ, Ma H, Wang H, Zhao M, Wu J, Bi L, Chen QB, Li Z, Yu L, Mou X, Yin H, Yang L, Chen J, Yang B, Zhang Y. Base editing of the HBG promoter induces potent fetal hemoglobin expression with no detectable off-target mutations in human HSCs. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:1624-1639.e8. [PMID: 37989316 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Reactivating silenced γ-globin expression through the disruption of repressive regulatory domains offers a therapeutic strategy for treating β-hemoglobinopathies. Here, we used transformer base editor (tBE), a recently developed cytosine base editor with no detectable off-target mutations, to disrupt transcription-factor-binding motifs in hematopoietic stem cells. By performing functional screening of six motifs with tBE, we found that directly disrupting the BCL11A-binding motif in HBG1/2 promoters triggered the highest γ-globin expression. Via a side-by-side comparison with other clinical and preclinical strategies using Cas9 nuclease or conventional BEs (ABE8e and hA3A-BE3), we found that tBE-mediated disruption of the BCL11A-binding motif at the HBG1/2 promoters triggered the highest fetal hemoglobin in healthy and β-thalassemia patient hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells while exhibiting no detectable DNA or RNA off-target mutations. Durable therapeutic editing by tBE persisted in repopulating hematopoietic stem cells, demonstrating that tBE-mediated editing in HBG1/2 promoters is a safe and effective strategy for treating β-hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Han
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hou-Yuan Qiu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shangwu Sun
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhi-Can Fu
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guo-Quan Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiaowen Qian
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Lijie Wang
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaowen Zhai
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jia Wei
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yichuan Wang
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yi-Lin Guo
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guo-Hua Cao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Rui-Jin Ji
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yi-Zhou Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hongxia Ma
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Mingli Zhao
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lili Bi
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qiu-Bing Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Zifeng Li
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Ling Yu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiaodun Mou
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hao Yin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Pathology and Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; TaiKang Centre for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Yang
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Jia Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Biomacromolecules and Precision Medicine, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Bei Yang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Biomacromolecules and Precision Medicine, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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Soontornpanawet C, Singha K, Srivorakun H, Tepakhan W, Fucharoen G, Fucharoen S. Molecular basis of a high Hb A 2/Hb F β-thalassemia trait: a retrospective analysis, genotype-phenotype interaction, diagnostic implication, and identification of a novel interaction with α-globin gene triplication. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15308. [PMID: 37159832 PMCID: PMC10163868 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background β 0-thalassemia deletion removing 5´β-globin promoter usually presents phenotype with high hemoglobin (Hb) A2 and Hb F levels. We report the molecular characteristics and phenotype-genotype correlation in a large cohort of the β 0-thalassemia with 3.4 kb deletion. Methods A total of 148 subjects, including 127 heterozygotes, 20 Hb E-β-thalassemia patients, and a double heterozygote with α-globin gene triplication, were recruited. Hb and DNA analysis were performed to identify thalassemia mutations and four high Hb F single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including four base pair deletion (-AGCA) at A γ-globin promoter, rs5006884 on OR51B6 gene, -158 G γ-XmnI, BCL11A binding motifs (TGGTCA) between 3´A γ-globin gene and 5´δ-globin gene. Results It was found that heterozygous β 0-thalassemia and Hb E-β 0-thalassemia with 3.4 kb deletion had significantly higher Hb, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and Hb F values as compared with those with other mutations. Co-inheritance of heterozygous β 0-thalassemia with 3.4 kb deletion and α-thalassemia was associated with even higher MCV and MCH values. The Hb E-β 0-thalassemia patients carried a non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia phenotype with an average Hb of around 10 g/dL without blood transfusion. A hitherto undescribed double heterozygous β 0-thalassemia with 3.4 kb deletion and α-globin gene triplication presented as a plain β-thalassemia trait. Most of the subjects had wild-type sequences for the four high Hb F SNPs examined. No significant difference in Hb F was observed between those of subjects with and without these SNPs. Removal of the 5´β-globin promoter may likely be responsible for this unusual phenotype. Conclusions The results indicate that β 0-thalassemia with 3.4 kb deletion is a mild β-thalassemia allele. This information should be provided at genetic counseling and prenatal thalassemia diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayada Soontornpanawet
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Kritsada Singha
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, Muang, Mahasarakham, Thailand
| | - Hataichanok Srivorakun
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Wanicha Tepakhan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Goonnapa Fucharoen
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Supan Fucharoen
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Crossley M, Christakopoulos GE, Weiss MJ. Effective therapies for sickle cell disease: are we there yet? Trends Genet 2022; 38:1284-1298. [PMID: 35934593 PMCID: PMC9837857 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic blood disorder associated with acute and chronic pain, progressive multiorgan damage, and early mortality. Recent advances in technologies to manipulate the human genome, a century of research and the development of techniques enabling the isolation, efficient genetic modification, and reimplantation of autologous patient hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mean that curing most patients with SCD could soon be a reality in wealthy countries. In parallel, ongoing research is pursuing more facile treatments, such as in-vivo-delivered genetic therapies and new drugs that can eventually be administered in low- and middle-income countries where most SCD patients reside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia 2052.
| | | | - Mitchell J Weiss
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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Ricketts MD, Emptage RP, Blobel GA, Marmorstein R. The Heme-Regulated Inhibitor Kinase Requires Dimerization for Heme- Sensing Activity. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102451. [PMID: 36063997 PMCID: PMC9520036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI) is a heme-sensing kinase that regulates mRNA translation in erythroid cells. In heme deficiency, HRI is activated to phosphorylate eukaryotic initiation factor 2α and halt production of globins, thus avoiding accumulation of heme-free globin chains. HRI is inhibited by heme via binding to one or two heme-binding domains within the HRI N-terminal and kinase domains. HRI has recently been found to inhibit fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production in adult erythroid cells. Depletion of HRI increases HbF production, presenting a therapeutically exploitable target for the treatment of patients with sickle cell disease or thalassemia, which benefit from elevated HbF levels. HRI is known to be an oligomeric enzyme that is activated through autophosphorylation, although the exact nature of the HRI oligomer, its relation to autophosphorylation, and its mode of heme regulation remain unclear. Here, we employ biochemical and biophysical studies to demonstrate that HRI forms a dimeric species that is not dependent on autophosphorylation, the C-terminal coiled-coil domain in HRI is essential for dimer formation, and dimer formation facilitates efficient autophosphorylation and activation of HRI. We also employ kinetic studies to demonstrate that the primary avenue by which heme inhibits HRI is through the heme-binding site within the kinase domain, and that this inhibition is relatively independent of binding of ATP and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α substrates. Together, these studies highlight the mode of heme inhibition and the importance of dimerization in human HRI heme-sensing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Daniel Ricketts
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Ryan P Emptage
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Ronen Marmorstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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7
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Liu B, Brendel C, Vinjamur DS, Zhou Y, Harris C, McGuinness M, Manis JP, Bauer DE, Xu H, Williams DA. Development of a double shmiR lentivirus effectively targeting both BCL11A and ZNF410 for enhanced induction of fetal hemoglobin to treat β-hemoglobinopathies. Mol Ther 2022; 30:2693-2708. [PMID: 35526095 PMCID: PMC9372373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A promising treatment for β-hemoglobinopathies is the de-repression of γ-globin expression leading to increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) by targeting BCL11A. Here, we aim to improve a lentivirus vector (LV) containing a single BCL11A shmiR (SS) to further increase γ-globin induction. We engineered a novel LV to express two shmiRs simultaneously targeting BCL11A and the γ-globin repressor, ZNF410. Erythroid cells derived from human HSCs transduced with the double shmiR (DS) showed up to 70% reduction of both BCL11A and ZNF410 proteins. There was a consistent and significant additional 10% increase in HbF compared to targeting BCL11A alone in erythroid cells. Erythrocytes differentiated from SCD HSCs transduced with the DS demonstrated significantly reduced in vitro sickling phenotype compared to the SS. Erythrocytes differentiated from transduced HSCs from β-thalassemia major patients demonstrated improved globin chain balance by increased γ-globin with reduced microcytosis. Reconstitution of DS-transduced cells from Berkeley SCD mice was associated with a statistically larger reduction in peripheral blood hemolysis markers compared with the SS vector. Overall, these results indicate that the DS LV targeting BCL11A and ZNF410 can enhance HbF induction for treating β-hemoglobinopathies and could be used as a model to simultaneously and efficiently target multiple gene products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boya Liu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christian Brendel
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Divya S Vinjamur
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yu Zhou
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chad Harris
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Meaghan McGuinness
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John P Manis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel E Bauer
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Haiming Xu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Williams
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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8
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Barbarani G, Łabedz A, Ronchi AE. β-Hemoglobinopathies: The Test Bench for Genome Editing-Based Therapeutic Strategies. Front Genome Ed 2021; 2:571239. [PMID: 34713219 PMCID: PMC8525389 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2020.571239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemoglobin is a tetrameric protein composed of two α and two β chains, each containing a heme group that reversibly binds oxygen. The composition of hemoglobin changes during development in order to fulfill the need of the growing organism, stably maintaining a balanced production of α-like and β-like chains in a 1:1 ratio. Adult hemoglobin (HbA) is composed of two α and two β subunits (α2β2 tetramer), whereas fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is composed of two γ and two α subunits (α2γ2 tetramer). Qualitative or quantitative defects in β-globin production cause two of the most common monogenic-inherited disorders: β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. The high frequency of these diseases and the relative accessibility of hematopoietic stem cells make them an ideal candidate for therapeutic interventions based on genome editing. These strategies move in two directions: the correction of the disease-causing mutation and the reactivation of the expression of HbF in adult cells, in the attempt to recreate the effect of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) natural mutations, which mitigate the severity of β-hemoglobinopathies. Both lines of research rely on the knowledge gained so far on the regulatory mechanisms controlling the differential expression of globin genes during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Barbarani
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Agata Łabedz
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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9
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Patrinos GP, Chui DHK, Hardison RC, Steinberg MH. Strategies to improve pharmacogenomic-guided treatment options for patients with β-hemoglobinopathies. Expert Rev Hematol 2021; 14:883-885. [PMID: 34490838 PMCID: PMC9306350 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2021.1977117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Drug efficacy and toxicity are closely related to the unique genetic profile of individuals, or pharmacogenomics. Despite the fact that cardiology, psychiatry and oncology are among the clinical specialties in which pharmacogenomics has become a clinical reality, the utility of pharmacogenomics has yet to be demonstrated for several other medical specialties. Over the last 15 years, genomic variants in a number of loci have been shown to be significantly associated with the fetal hemoglobin (HbF) response to hydroxyurea, the only approved drug for HbF induction for sickle cell disease. Here, we provide an update and discuss future challenges to the application of pharmacogenomics to improve therapies for β-hemoglobinopathies in relation to the current pharmacological treatment modalities for those disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- George P. Patrinos
- University of Patras, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Patras, Greece
- United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, Al-Ain, UAE
- United Arab Emirates University, Zayed Center of Health Sciences, Al-Ain, UAE
| | - David H. K. Chui
- Boston University School of Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ross C. Hardison
- The Pennsylvania State University, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University Park, PA, USA
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Martin H. Steinberg
- Boston University School of Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Ali H, Khan F, Ghulam Musharraf S. Acyclovir induces fetal hemoglobin via downregulation of γ-globin repressors, BCL11A and SOX6 trans-acting factors. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114612. [PMID: 34010599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological reactivation of developmentally silenced fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is an attractive approach to ameliorate the clinical manifestations of β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Hydroxyurea, the only HbF inducer, has obtained regulatory approval. However, hydroxyurea non-responders and associated myelosuppression making its widespread use undesirable. A high level of HbF with safe and effective agents remains an elusive therapeutic goal for this global health burden. This study demonstrated the effect of acyclovir on γ-globin expression and erythropoiesis, associated with increased HbF production. In vitro, human erythroleukemia cells and human CD34+ erythroid progenitors, and in vivo β-YAC transgenic mice were used as experimental models. We found that acyclovir significantly induces expression of the γ-globin gene and HbF synthesis in CD34+ erythroid progenitors, without affecting terminal erythroid differentiation and erythroid cell proliferation. In contrast to other HbF inducers, no associated cytotoxicity with acyclovir was observed. Further, we reported the effect of acyclovir on γ-globin gene transcriptional regulators including BCL11A, FOP1, KLF1 SOX6, and GATA-1. Significant downregulation of the γ-globin repressors BCL11A and SOX6 was observed at both mRNA and protein levels. Whereas, GATA-1, a master erythroid transcription factor, was upregulated in acyclovir treated human CD34+ erythroid culture. Similarly, the HbF inducing effect of acyclovir in β-YAC transgenic mice revealed a good in vitro correlation, with a substantial increase in fetal globin mRNA, and F cells population. These findings collectively suggest acyclovir as an effective HbF inducer and pave the way to evaluate its clinical efficacy in treating β-globin disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamad Ali
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Faisal Khan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, 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.
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11
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Wang Y, Li X, Ge J, Liu M, Pang X, Liu J, Luo C, Xu Y, Zhao Q. The methyltransferase PRMT1 regulates γ-globin translation. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100417. [PMID: 33587951 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Induction of fetal hemoglobin to overcome adult β-globin gene deficiency is an effective therapeutic strategy to ameliorate human β-hemoglobinopathies. Previous work has revealed that fetal γ-globin can be translationally induced via integrated stress signaling, but other studies have indicated that activating stress may eventually suppress γ-globin expression transcriptionally. The mechanism by which γ-globin expression is regulated at the translational level remains largely unknown, limiting our ability to determine whether activating stress is a realistic therapeutic option for these disorders. In this study, we performed a functional CRISPR screen targeting protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) to look for changes in γ-globin expression in K562 cells. We not only discovered that several specific PRMTs may block γ-globin transcription, but also revealed PRMT1 as a unique family member that is able to suppress γ-globin synthesis specifically at the translational level. We further identified that a non-AUG uORF within the 5' untranslated region of γ-globin serves as a barrier for translation, which is bypassed upon PRMT1 deficiency. Finally, we found that this novel mechanism of γ-globin suppression could be pharmacologically targeted by the PRMT1 inhibitor, furamidine dihydrochloride. These data raise new questions regarding methyltransferase function and may offer a new therapeutic direction for β-hemoglobinopathies.
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Abstract
β-hemoglobinopathies are the most common genetic disorders worldwide and are caused by mutations affecting the production or the structure of adult hemoglobin. Patients affected by these diseases suffer from anemia, impaired oxygen delivery to tissues, and multi-organ damage. In the absence of a compatible donor for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, the lifelong therapeutic options are symptomatic care, red blood cell transfusions and pharmacological treatments. The last decades of research established lentiviral-mediated gene therapy as an efficacious therapeutic strategy. However, this approach is highly expensive and associated with a variable outcome depending on the effectiveness of the viral vector and the quality of the cell product. In the last years, genome editing emerged as a valuable tool for the development of curative strategies for β-hemoglobinopathies. Moreover, due to the wide range of its applications, genome editing has been extensively used to study regulatory mechanisms underlying globin gene regulation allowing the identification of novel genetic and pharmacological targets. In this work, we review the current advances and challenges of genome editing approaches to β-hemoglobinopathies. Special focus has been directed towards strategies aimed at correcting the defective β-globin gene or at inducing fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which are in an advanced state of clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Frati
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation during Development, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Annarita Miccio
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation during Development, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015 Paris, France
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Chalumeau A, Frati G, Magrin E, Miccio A. Reverse Phase-high-performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) Analysis of Globin Chains from Human Erythroid Cells. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e3899. [PMID: 33732786 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
β-hemoglobinopathies are severe genetic disorders characterized either by the abnormal synthesis of the adult β-globin chains of the hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer (βS-globin chains) in sickle cell disease (SCD) or by the reduced β-globin production in β-thalassemia. The identification and quantification of globin chains are crucial for the diagnosis of these diseases and for testing new therapeutic approaches aimed at correcting the β-hemoglobinopathy phenotype. Conventional techniques to detect the different Hb molecules include cellulose-acetate electrophoresis (CEA), capillary electrophoresis (CE), isoelectric focusing (IEF), and cation-exchange-HPLC (CE-HPLC). However, these methods cannot distinguish the different globin chains and precisely determine their relative expression. We have set up a high-resolution and reproducible reverse phase-HPLC (RP-HPLC) to detect and identify the globin chains composing the hemoglobin tetramers based on their different hydrophobic properties. RP-HPLC mobile phases are composed of acetonitrile (ACN) that creates a hydrophobic environment and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which breaks the heme group within the Hb tetramers releasing individual globin chains. Hb-containing lysates are loaded onto the AerisTM 3.6-µm WIDEPORE C4 200 Å LC Column and a gradient of increasing hydrophobicity of the mobile phase over time allows globin chain separation. The relative amount of globin chains is measured at a wavelength (λ) of 220 nm. This protocol is designed for evaluating globin chains in (i) red blood cells (RBCs) obtained from human peripheral blood, (ii) RBCs in vitro differentiated from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), and (iii) burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), i.e., erythroid progenitors obtained in vitro from human peripheral blood or in vitro cultured HSPCs. This technique allows to precisely identify the different globin chains and obtain a relative quantification. RP-HPLC can be used to confirm the diagnosis of β-hemoglobinopathies, to evaluate the disease severity and validate novel approaches for the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Chalumeau
- Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Laboratory of chromatin and gene regulation during development, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Giacomo Frati
- Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Laboratory of chromatin and gene regulation during development, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Elisa Magrin
- Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Laboratory of chromatin and gene regulation during development, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Annarita Miccio
- Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Laboratory of chromatin and gene regulation during development, INSERM UMR 1163, F-75015, Paris, France
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Jia S, Jia W, Yu S, Hu Y, He Y. Using microarray analysis to identify genes and pathways that regulate fetal hemoglobin levels. Ann Hum Genet 2019; 84:29-36. [PMID: 31396950 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Increased levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF: α2γ2) can ameliorate the clinical severity of the β-hemoglobinopathies. Microarray analysis represents a powerful approach to identify novel genetic factors regulating the γ-globin gene. Gene expression profiling was previously performed on 14 individuals with high or normal HbF levels to identify the genetic factors that control γ-globin gene expression. To obtain more accurate and reliable results, our results were combined with public microarray dataset GSE22109 deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Annotation of case versus control samples was taken directly from the microarray documentation. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained and were deeply analyzed by bioinformatics methods. Combined with our own chip expression data, potential genes HBE1, TFRC, and CSF2 were selected out for subsequent qRT-PCR validation. A total of 184 DEGs were identified from GSE22109 and the protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that the hematopoietic cell lineage pathway overlaps in the two datasets. HBE1, CSF2, and TFRC were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Our results suggest novel candidate genes and pathways associated with the γ-globin gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Jia
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 Peoples' Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Wenguang Jia
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Thalassemia Research, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Shanjuan Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Thalassemia Research, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Yanling Hu
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yunyan He
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Thalassemia Research, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China
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Lattanzi A, Meneghini V, Pavani G, Amor F, Ramadier S, Felix T, Antoniani C, Masson C, Alibeu O, Lee C, Porteus MH, Bao G, Amendola M, Mavilio F, Miccio A. Optimization of CRISPR/Cas9 Delivery to Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells for Therapeutic Genomic Rearrangements. Mol Ther 2019; 27:137-150. [PMID: 30424953 PMCID: PMC6318785 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Editing the β-globin locus in hematopoietic stem cells is an alternative therapeutic approach for gene therapy of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we genetically modified human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to mimic the large rearrangements in the β-globin locus associated with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), a condition that mitigates the clinical phenotype of patients with β-hemoglobinopathies. We optimized and compared the efficiency of plasmid-, lentiviral vector (LV)-, RNA-, and ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP)-based methods to deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 system into HSPCs. Plasmid delivery of Cas9 and gRNA pairs targeting two HPFH-like regions led to high frequency of genomic rearrangements and HbF reactivation in erythroblasts derived from sorted, Cas9+ HSPCs but was associated with significant cell toxicity. RNA-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 was similarly toxic but much less efficient in editing the β-globin locus. Transduction of HSPCs by LVs expressing Cas9 and gRNA pairs was robust and minimally toxic but resulted in poor genome-editing efficiency. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 exhibited a good balance between cytotoxicity and efficiency of genomic rearrangements as compared to the other delivery systems and resulted in HbF upregulation in erythroblasts derived from unselected edited HSPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasco Meneghini
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France; Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | | | | | - Sophie Ramadier
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France; Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Tristan Felix
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France; Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Chiara Antoniani
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France; Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Cecile Masson
- Paris-Descartes Bioinformatics Platform, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Olivier Alibeu
- Genomic Platform, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Ciaran Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77006, USA
| | - Matthew H Porteus
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Gang Bao
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77006, USA
| | | | - Fulvio Mavilio
- Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France; Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Annarita Miccio
- Genethon, INSERM UMR951, Evry 91000, France; Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France; Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France.
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Pace BS, Liu L, Li B, Makala LH. Cell signaling pathways involved in drug-mediated fetal hemoglobin induction: Strategies to treat sickle cell disease. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2015; 240:1050-64. [PMID: 26283707 DOI: 10.1177/1535370215596859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The developmental regulation of globin gene expression has shaped research efforts to establish therapeutic modalities for individuals affected with sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia. Fetal hemoglobin has been shown to block sickle hemoglobin S polymerization to improve symptoms of sickle cell disease; moreover, fetal hemoglobin functions to replace inadequate hemoglobin A synthesis in β-thalassemia thus serving as an effective therapeutic target. In the perinatal period, fetal hemoglobin is synthesized at high levels followed by a decline to adult levels by one year of age. It is known that naturally occurring mutations in the γ-globin gene promoters and distant cis-acting transcription factors produce persistent fetal hemoglobin synthesis after birth to ameliorate clinical symptoms. Major repressor proteins that silence γ-globin during development have been targeted for gene therapy in β-hemoglobinopathies patients. In parallel effort, several classes of pharmacological agents that induce fetal hemoglobin expression through molecular and cell signaling mechanisms have been identified. Herein, we reviewed the progress made in the discovery of signaling molecules targeted by pharmacologic agents that enhance γ-globin expression and have the potential for future drug development to treat the β-hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty S Pace
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083, USA
| | - Biaoru Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Levi H Makala
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Roosjen M, McColl B, Kao B, Gearing LJ, Blewitt ME, Vadolas J. Transcriptional regulators Myb and BCL11A interplay with DNA methyltransferase 1 in developmental silencing of embryonic and fetal β-like globin genes. FASEB J 2013; 28:1610-20. [PMID: 24371119 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-242669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The clinical symptoms of hemoglobin disorders such as β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia are significantly ameliorated by the persistent expression of γ-globin after birth. This knowledge has driven the discovery of important regulators that silence γ-globin postnatally. Improved understanding of the γ- to β-globin switching mechanism holds the key to devising targeted therapies for β-hemoglobinopathies. To further investigate this mechanism, we used the murine erythroleukemic (MEL) cell line containing an intact 183-kb human β-globin locus, in which the (G)γ- and β-globin genes are replaced by DsRed and eGFP fluorescent reporters, respectively. Following RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of two key transcriptional regulators, Myb and BCL11A, we observed a derepression of γ-globin, measured by DsRed fluorescence and qRT-PCR (P<0.001). Interestingly, double knockdown of Myb and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) resulted in a robust induction of ε-globin, (up to 20% of total β-like globin species) compared to single knockdowns (P<0.001). Conversely, double knockdowns of BCL11A and DNMT1 enhanced γ-globin expression (up to 90% of total β-like globin species) compared to single knockdowns (P<0.001). Moreover, following RNAi treatment, expression of human β-like globin genes mirrored the expression levels of their endogenous murine counterparts. These results demonstrate that Myb and BCL11A cooperate with DNMT1 to achieve developmental repression of embryonic and fetal β-like globin genes in the adult erythroid environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Roosjen
- 1Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Rd., Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
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