1
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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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Alipour M, Nasiri N, Kazemi F, Zare F, Sharifzadeh S. Resveratrol plus low-dose hydroxyurea compared to high-dose hydroxyurea alone is more effective in γ-globin gene expression and ROS reduction in K562 cells. Nat Prod Res 2023; 37:985-989. [PMID: 35776113 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2095378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Hydroxyurea (HU) is an anti-cancer drug that is used for the treatment of hemoglobinopathies as a γ-globin inducer. However, its dose-dependent effects have hampered its clinical reliability. Resveratrol (RSV) is an antioxidant and γ-globin inducer. The present study aimed to assess their combined effects on the γ-globin gene expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level of K562 cells. The results indicated that the γ-globin gene expression was approximately two folds higher in the group treated with RSV 50 µM + HU 25 µM in comparison to HU 100 μM alone (***p < 0.001). However, there was an inverse relationship between the expression of γ-globin gene and HU concentration in the combined groups. Furthermore, the combinations of RSV and HU significantly reduced ROS levels compared to single drugs. Overall, the combination of these compounds was an appropriate strategy for increasing γ-globin expression, reducing oxidant levels, and alleviating the adverse effects of HU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maedeh Alipour
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nahid Nasiri
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Fariba Kazemi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farahnaz Zare
- Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Sharifzadeh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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3
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Zarghamian P, Klermund J, Cathomen T. Clinical genome editing to treat sickle cell disease-A brief update. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 9:1065377. [PMID: 36698803 PMCID: PMC9868311 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1065377] [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: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common hemoglobinopathies. Due to its high prevalence, with about 20 million affected individuals worldwide, the development of novel effective treatments is highly warranted. While transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is the standard curative treatment approach, a variety of gene transfer and genome editing strategies have demonstrated their potential to provide a prospective cure for SCD patients. Several stratagems employing CRISPR-Cas nucleases or base editors aim at reactivation of γ-globin expression to replace the faulty β-globin chain. The fetal hemoglobin (HbF), consisting of two α-globin and two γ-globin chains, can compensate for defective adult hemoglobin (HbA) and reverse the sickling of hemoglobin-S (HbS). Both disruption of cis-regulatory elements that are involved in inhibiting γ-globin expression, such as BCL11A or LRF binding sites in the γ-globin gene promoters (HBG1/2), or the lineage-specific disruption of BCL11A to reduce its expression in human erythroblasts, have been demonstrated to reestablish HbF expression. Alternatively, the point mutation in the HBB gene has been corrected using homology-directed repair (HDR)-based methodologies. In general, genome editing has shown promising results not only in preclinical animal models but also in clinical trials, both in terms of efficacy and safety. This review provides a brief update on the recent clinical advances in the genome editing space to offer cure for SCD patients, discusses open questions with regard to off-target effects induced by the employed genome editors, and gives an outlook of forthcoming developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parinaz Zarghamian
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center — University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany,Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany,Ph.D. Program, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia Klermund
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center — University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany,Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Toni Cathomen
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center — University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany,Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Toni Cathomen,
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Li H, Lin R, Li H, Ou R, Wang K, Lin J, Li C. MicroRNA-92a-3p-mediated inhibition of BCL11A upregulates γ-globin expression and inhibits oxidative stress and apoptosis in erythroid precursor cells. Hematology 2022; 27:1152-1162. [PMID: 36178486 DOI: 10.1080/16078454.2022.2128258] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study attempted to investigate miR-92a-3p expression in peripheral blood of patients with severe β-thalassemia, and the effect and action mechanism of miR-92a-3p on γ-globin expression and oxidative stress in erythroid precursor cells. METHODS CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) were isolated from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and patients with severe β-thalassemia. The levels of miR-92a-3p, BCL11A, and γ-globin were measured in erythroid precursor cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze hemoglobin F (HbF) content. HPCs were induced with erythroid differentiation and erythroid precursor cells were then obtained. The relevance between miR-92a-3p and BCL11A was studied using dual luciferase reporter gene assay, and the correlation between miR-92a-3p and HbF was assayed by Pearson correlation analysis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythroid precursor cells were tested to evaluate oxidative stress. Cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry. RESULTS Remarkably higher expression of miR-92a-3p was observed in erythroid precursor cells. Increased expression of miR-92a-3p resulted in elevated levels of γ-globin, GSH, and SOD, reduced expression of ROS and MDA, and decreased cell apoptosis. BCL11A was identified as a target of miR-92a-3p and to be downregulated by miR-92a-3p. Moreover, BCL11A knockdown alone increased the expression of γ-globin, SOD and GSH, and repressed the levels of ROS and MDA and cell apoptosis, and the following inhibition of miR-92a-3p changed these patterns. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicated that miR-92a-3p might increase γ-globin level and reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis in erythroid precursor cells by downregulating BCL11A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruoping Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Huizhou First Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Li
- Department of Laboratory, Nanfang-Chunfu Children's Institute of Hematology & Oncology, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
| | - Rilan Ou
- Department of Laboratory, Nanfang-Chunfu Children's Institute of Hematology & Oncology, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaiping Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Huizhou First Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Junrong Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Huizhou First Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunfu Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Bou-Fakhredin R, De Franceschi L, Motta I, Cappellini MD, Taher AT. Pharmacological Induction of Fetal Hemoglobin in β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease: An Updated Perspective. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060753. [PMID: 35745672 PMCID: PMC9227505 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant amount of attention has recently been devoted to the mechanisms involved in hemoglobin (Hb) switching, as it has previously been established that the induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production in significant amounts can reduce the severity of the clinical course in diseases such as β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD). While the induction of HbF using lentiviral and genome-editing strategies has been made possible, they present limitations. Meanwhile, progress in the use of pharmacologic agents for HbF induction and the identification of novel HbF-inducing strategies has been made possible as a result of a better understanding of γ-globin regulation. In this review, we will provide an update on all current pharmacological inducer agents of HbF in β-thalassemia and SCD in addition to the ongoing research into other novel, and potentially therapeutic, HbF-inducing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayan Bou-Fakhredin
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (R.B.-F.); (I.M.)
| | - Lucia De Franceschi
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Verona, 37128 Verona, Italy;
| | - Irene Motta
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (R.B.-F.); (I.M.)
- UOC General Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Domenica Cappellini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (R.B.-F.); (I.M.)
- UOC General Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.D.C.); (A.T.T.)
| | - Ali T. Taher
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
- Correspondence: (M.D.C.); (A.T.T.)
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6
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Ma SP, Gao XX, Zhou GQ, Zhang HK, Yang JM, Wang WJ, Song XM, Chen HY, Lu DR. Reactivation of γ-globin expression using a minicircle DNA system to treat β-thalassemia. Gene 2022; 820:146289. [PMID: 35143940 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin by editing the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) erythroid enhancer is an effective gene therapy for β-thalassemia. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, fetal γ-globin expression can be robustly reactivated to mitigate the clinical course of β-thalassemia. In our study, we found that the transfection efficiencies of CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) were significantly and negatively correlated with the length of plasmids and greatly affected by the linearization of plasmids. Furthermore, the transgene expression of minicircles (MC) without plasmid backbone sequences was better both in vitro and in vivo compared with conventional plasmids. Thus, MC DNA was used to deliver the cassette of Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SaCas9) into HSPCs, and a single-guide RNA targeting the erythroid enhancer region of BCL11A was selected. After electroporation with MC DNA, an evident efficiency of gene editing and reactivation of γ-globin expression in erythroblasts derived from unsorted HSPCs was acquired. No significant off-target effects were found by deep sequencing. Furthermore, fragments derived from lentiviral vectors, but not MC DNA, were highly enriched in promoter, exon, intron, distal-intergenic, and cancer-associated genes, indicating that MC DNA provided a relatively safe and efficient vector for delivering transgenes. The developed MC DNA vector provided a potential approach for the delivery of SaCas9 cassette and the reactivation of γ-globin expression for ameliorating syndromes of β-thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang-Ping Ma
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Xu-Xia Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao-Kun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing-Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Juan Wang
- Department of Hematology, the first affiliated hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xian-Min Song
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital (affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Shanghai, China.
| | - Hong-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Da-Ru Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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7
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Zuccato C, Cosenza LC, Zurlo M, Lampronti I, Borgatti M, Scapoli C, Gambari R, Finotti A. Treatment of Erythroid Precursor Cells from β-Thalassemia Patients with Cinchona Alkaloids: Induction of Fetal Hemoglobin Production. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13433. [PMID: 34948226 PMCID: PMC8706579 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
β-thalassemias are among the most common inherited hemoglobinopathies worldwide and are the result of autosomal mutations in the gene encoding β-globin, causing an absence or low-level production of adult hemoglobin (HbA). Induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is considered to be of key importance for the development of therapeutic protocols for β-thalassemia and novel HbF inducers need to be proposed for pre-clinical development. The main purpose on this study was to analyze Cinchona alkaloids (cinchonidine, quinidine and cinchonine) as natural HbF-inducing agents in human erythroid cells. The analytical methods employed were Reverse Transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) (for quantification of γ-globin mRNA) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) (for analysis of the hemoglobin pattern). After an initial analysis using the K562 cell line as an experimental model system, showing induction of hemoglobin and γ-globin mRNA, we verified whether the two more active compounds, cinchonidine and quinidine, were able to induce HbF in erythroid progenitor cells isolated from β-thalassemia patients. The data obtained demonstrate that cinchonidine and quinidine are potent inducers of γ-globin mRNA and HbF in erythroid progenitor cells isolated from nine β-thalassemia patients. In addition, both compounds were found to synergize with the HbF inducer sirolimus for maximal production of HbF. The data obtained strongly indicate that these compounds deserve consideration in the development of pre-clinical approaches for therapeutic protocols of β-thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Zuccato
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
| | - Lucia Carmela Cosenza
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
| | - Matteo Zurlo
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
| | - Ilaria Lampronti
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
- Research Laboratory “Elio Zago” on the Pharmacologic and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassemia (Thal-LAB), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
- Research Laboratory “Elio Zago” on the Pharmacologic and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassemia (Thal-LAB), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Scapoli
- Section of Biology and Evolution, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
- Research Laboratory “Elio Zago” on the Pharmacologic and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassemia (Thal-LAB), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Interuniversity Consortium for Biotechnology (C.I.B.), 34148 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (C.Z.); (L.C.C.); (M.Z.); (I.L.); (M.B.)
- Research Laboratory “Elio Zago” on the Pharmacologic and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassemia (Thal-LAB), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Interuniversity Consortium for Biotechnology (C.I.B.), 34148 Trieste, Italy
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8
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Higashi M, Ikehara T, Nakagawa T, Yoneda M, Hattori N, Ikeda M, Ito T. Long noncoding RNAs transcribed downstream of the human β-globin locus regulate β-globin gene expression. J Biochem 2021; 171:287-294. [PMID: 34878533 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The five β-like globin genes (ε, Gγ, Aγ, δ, and β) at the human β-globin gene locus are known to be expressed at specific developmental stages, although details of the underlying mechanism remain to be uncovered. Here we used an in vitro transcription assay to clarify the mechanisms that control this gene expression. We first tested nuclear RNA from HeLa cells using RT-qPCR and discovered a long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) within a 5.2-kb region beginning 4.4 kb downstream of the β-globin gene coding region. We investigated nuclear RNA from K562 cells using a primer-extension assay and determined the transcription start sites (TSSs) of these lncRNAs. To clarify their functional role, we performed knockdown (KD) of these lncRNAs in K562 cells. Hydroxyurea, which induces differentiation of K562 cells, increased hemoglobin peptide production, and the effect was enhanced by KD of these lncRNAs, which also enhanced upregulation of the γ-globin expression induced by hydroxyurea. To confirm these results, we performed an in vitro transcription assay. Noncoding single-stranded RNAs inhibited β-globin expression, which was upregulated by GATA1. Furthermore, lncRNAs interacted with GATA1 without sequence specificity and inhibited its binding to its target DNA response element in vitro. Our results suggest that lncRNAs downstream of the β-globin gene locus are key factors regulating globin gene ex pression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Higashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Ikehara
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Food Science and Technology, National Fisheries University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Takeya Nakagawa
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Yoneda
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Naoko Hattori
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masaaki Ikeda
- Department of Physiology, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
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9
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Yang Y, Ren R, Ly LC, Horton JR, Li F, Quinlan KGR, Crossley M, Shi Y, Cheng X. Structural basis for human ZBTB7A action at the fetal globin promoter. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109759. [PMID: 34592153 PMCID: PMC8553545 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated levels of fetal globin protect against β-hemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia. Two zinc-finger (ZF) repressors, BCL11A and ZBTB7A/LRF, bind directly to the fetal globin promoter elements positioned at −115 and −200, respectively. Here, we describe X-ray structures of the ZBTB7A DNA-binding domain, consisting of four adjacent ZFs, in complex with the −200 sequence element, which contains two copies of four consecutive C:G base pairs. ZF1 and ZF2 recognize the 5′ C:G quadruple, and ZF4 contacts the 3′ C:G quadruple. Natural non-coding DNA mutations associated with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) impair ZBTB7A DNA binding, with the most severe disruptions resulting from mutations in the base pairs recognized by ZF1 and ZF2. Our results firmly establish ZBTB7A/LRF as a key molecular regulator of fetal globin expression and inform genome-editing strategies that inhibit repressor binding and boost fetal globin expression to treat hemoglobinopathies. Yang et al. show that the transcription factor ZBTB7A has features that deviate from conventional one finger-three bases recognition. Among the four fingers, ZF1 and ZF2 each contact two DNA bases. ZF3 does not make base-specific contacts but serves as a spacer to position ZF4 into the right location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ren Ren
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lana C Ly
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - John R Horton
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fudong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Kate G R Quinlan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
| | - Yunyu Shi
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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10
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Ma SP, Xi HR, Gao XX, Yang JM, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Song XM, Chen HY, Lu DR. Long noncoding RNA HBBP1 enhances γ-globin expression through the ETS transcription factor ELK1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 552:157-163. [PMID: 33744764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
β-Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by defects in the production of adult hemoglobin (HbA, α2β2), which leads to an imbalance between α- and non-α-globin chains. Reactivation of γ-globin expression is an effective strategy to treat β-thalassemia patients. Previously, it was demonstrated that hemoglobin subunit beta pseudogene 1 (HBBP1) is associated with elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2) in β-thalassemia patients. However, the mechanism underlying HBBP1-mediated HbF production is unknown. In this study, using bioinformatics analysis, we found that HBBP1 is involved in γ-globin production, and then preliminarily confirmed this finding in K562 cells. When HBBP1 was overexpressed, γ-globin expression was increased at the transcript and protein levels in HUDEP-2 cells. Next, we found that ETS transcription factor ELK1 (ELK1) binds to the HBBP1 proximal promoter and significantly promotes its activity. Moreover, the synthesis of γ-globin was enhanced when ELK1 was overexpressed in HUDEP-2 cells. Surprisingly, ELK1 also directly bound to and activated the γ-globin proximal promoter. Furthermore, we found that HBBP1 and ELK1 can interact with each other in HUDEP-2 cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that HBBP1 can induce γ-globin by enhancing ELK1 expression, providing some clues for γ-globin reactivation in β-thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang-Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hai-Rui Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xu-Xia Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jing-Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Japanese Red Cross Society, Department of Research and Development, Central Blood Institute, Tokyo, 105-8521, Japan
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Xian-Min Song
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital (affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University), No. 100 Haining Road, 200080, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Da-Ru Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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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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12
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Cheng Y, Shang X, Chen D, Pang D, Zhao C, Xu X. MicroRNA-2355-5p regulates γ-globin expression in human erythroid cells by inhibiting KLF6. Br J Haematol 2020; 193:401-405. [PMID: 33368182 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.17134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a highly conserved family of transcription factors. We analysed expression profile data of KLFs and identified KLF6 as a new potential regulator of erythropoiesis. Knocking down the expression of KLF6 significantly raised γ-globin mRNA and protein levels in the erythroid cell line HUDEP-2 and haematopoietic progenitor (CD34+ ) cells. We found that overexpression of microRNA (miR)-2355-5p in HUDEP-2 and CD34+ cells correlated with increased γ-globin synthesis by suppressing expression of KLF6. Our discovery that the interaction between miR-2355-5p and KLF6 affects the expression of γ-globin may provide more information for the clinical management of β-thalassaemia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Cheng
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuan Shang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Genetics Testing Engineering Research Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Single Cell Technology and Application, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Diyu Chen
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dejian Pang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Cunyou Zhao
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Genetics Testing Engineering Research Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Single Cell Technology and Application, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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13
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Theodorou A, Phylactides M, Katsantoni E, Vougas K, Garbis SD, Fanis P, Sitarou M, Thein SL, Kleanthous M. Proteomic Studies for the Investigation of γ-Globin Induction by Decitabine in Human Primary Erythroid Progenitor Cultures. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9010134. [PMID: 31947809 PMCID: PMC7019605 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of γ-globin is considered a promising approach for the treatment of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Therapeutic induction of γ-globin expression, however, is fraught with lack of suitable therapeutic targets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects that treatment with decitabine has on the proteome of human primary erythroid cells from healthy and thalassemic volunteers, as a means of identifying new potential pharmacological targets. Decitabine is a known γ-globin inducer, which is not, however, safe enough for clinical use. A proteomic approach utilizing isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis, in combination with high-pH reverse phase peptide fractionation followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), was employed to investigate the effects of decitabine treatment. Bioinformatics analysis making use of the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was employed for functional annotation of the 192 differentially expressed proteins identified. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006889. The proteins fall into various biological pathways, such as the NF-κB signaling pathway, and into many functional categories including regulation of cell proliferation, transcription factor and DNA binding, protein stabilization, chromatin modification and organization, and oxidative stress proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andria Theodorou
- Molecular Genetics Thalassaemic Department, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Marios Phylactides
- Molecular Genetics Thalassaemic Department, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +357-22-392657
| | - Eleni Katsantoni
- Basic Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas Vougas
- Basic Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros D. Garbis
- Basic Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Division for Cancer Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Centre for Proteomics Research, Institute for Life Sciences, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Pavlos Fanis
- Molecular Genetics Thalassaemic Department, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
- Molecular Genetics Function and Therapy Department, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Maria Sitarou
- Thalassaemia Centre, Larnaca General Hospital, Larnaca 6043, Cyprus
| | - Swee Lay Thein
- Sickle cell branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Marina Kleanthous
- Molecular Genetics Thalassaemic Department, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
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14
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Khosravi MA, Abbasalipour M, Concordet JP, Berg JV, Zeinali S, Arashkia A, Buch T, Karimipoor M. Expression analysis data of BCL11A and γ-globin genes in KU812 and KG-1 cell lines after CRISPR/Cas9-mediated BCL11A enhancer deletion. Data Brief 2019; 28:104974. [PMID: 31890812 PMCID: PMC6933148 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled as “Targeted deletion of the BCL11A gene by CRISPR-Cas9 system for fetal hemoglobin reactivation: A promising approach for gene therapy of beta-thalassemia disease " [1]. BCL11A is a master regulator of γ-globin gene silencing, and suppresses fetal hemoglobin expression by association with other γ-globin suppressors, and also interacts with human beta-globin locus control region as well as intergenic region between the Aγ and δ-globin genes to reconfigure beta-globin cluster. Thus, HbF reactivation has been proposed to be an approach for the treatment of β-thalassemia through knockout of BCL11A. Accordingly, an erythroid enhancer sequence was identified that, when inactivated, led to repression of BCL11A and induction of γ-globin in the erythroid lineage [2–7]. This article describes data that obtained from BCL11A gene enhancer modification in KU812 and KG-1 cell lines using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system in order to reactivate γ-globin gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Khosravi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maryam Abbasalipour
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jean-Paul Concordet
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, INSERM U1154, CNRS UMR 7196, Sorbonne Universites, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris, F-75231, France
| | - Johannes vom Berg
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sirous Zeinali
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arash Arashkia
- Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Thorsten Buch
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
| | - Morteza Karimipoor
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Corresponding author.
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15
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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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16
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Abstract
Fetal hemoglobin (Hb F, α2γ2) is a potent genetic modifier of the severity of β-thalassemia (β-thal) and sickle cell anemia. Differences in the levels of HbF that persist into adulthood affect the severity of sickle cell disease and the β-thal syndromes. B-cell lymphoma 11 A (BCL11A) is a potent silencer of HbF. Here, we reactivated γ-globin expression by down-regulating BCL11A to alleviate anemia in the β-thal major (β-TM) patients. BCL11A were down-regulated by lentiviral RNAi (RNA interference) in the K562 cell line and an in vitro culture model of human erythropoiesis in which erythroblasts are derived from the normal donor mononuclear cells (MNC) or β-TM MNC. The expression of γ-globin were analyzed by qPCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and Western blot techniques. Our data showed that down-regulation of BCL11A induces γ-globin production in the K562 cell line and human erythrocytes from normal donors and β-TM donors, without altering erythroid maturation. This is the first report on γ-globin induction by down-regulation of BCL11A in human erythroblasts derived from β-TM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- a Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning , Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China
| | - Yongrong Lai
- a Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning , Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China
| | - Lingling Shi
- a Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning , Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China
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17
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Shariati L, Modarressi MH, Tabatabaiefar MA, Kouhpayeh S, Hejazi Z, Shahbazi M, Sabzehei F, Salehi M, Khanahmad H. Engineered zinc-finger nuclease to generate site-directed modification in the KLF1 gene for fetal hemoglobin induction. J Cell Biochem 2019; 120:8438-8446. [PMID: 30556211 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.28130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Elevation of hemoglobin F (HbF) ameliorates symptoms of β-thalassemia, as a common autosomal recessive disorder. In this study, the ability of an engineered zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) system was assesed to disrupt the KLF1 gene to inhibit the γ to β hemoglobin switching in K562 cells. This study was performed using a second generation integration-deficient lentiviral vector assigned to transient gene targeting. The sequences coding for zinc finger protein arrays were designed and subcloned in TDH plus as a transfer vector. Transduction of K562 cells was performed with the integrase minus lentivirus containing ZFN. The indel percentage of the transducted cells with lentivirus containing ZFN was about 29%. Differentiation of K562 cell line into erythroid cell lineage was induced with cisplatin concentration of 15 µg/mL. After differentiation, γ-globin and HbF expression were evaluated using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and hemoglobin electrophoresis methods. The levels of γ-globin messenger RNA were nine-fold higher in the ZFN treated cells compared with untreated cells 5 days after differentiation. Hemoglobin electrophoresis method showed the same results for HbF level measurement. Application of the ZFN tool to induce KLF1 gene mutation in adult erythroid progenitors might be a candidate to stimulate HbF expression in β-thalassemia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laleh Shariati
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shirin Kouhpayeh
- Department of Immunology, Erythron Genetics and Pathobiology Laboratory, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Hejazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoureh Shahbazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Faezeh Sabzehei
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoor Salehi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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18
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Khosravi MA, Abbasalipour M, Concordet JP, Berg JV, Zeinali S, Arashkia A, Azadmanesh K, Buch T, Karimipoor M. Targeted deletion of BCL11A gene by CRISPR-Cas9 system for fetal hemoglobin reactivation: A promising approach for gene therapy of beta thalassemia disease. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 854:398-405. [PMID: 31039344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hemoglobinopathies, such as β-thalassemia, and sickle cell disease (SCD) are caused by abnormal structure or reduced production of β-chains and affect millions of people worldwide. Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is a condition which is naturally occurring and characterized by a considerable elevation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in adult red blood cells. Individuals with compound heterozygous β-thalassemia or SCD and HPFH have milder clinical symptoms. So, HbF reactivation has long been sought as an approach to mitigate the clinical symptoms of β-thalassemia and SCD. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing strategy, we deleted a 200bp genomic region within the human erythroid-specific BCL11A (B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A) enhancer in KU-812, KG-1, and K562 cell lines. In our study, deletion of 200bp of BCL11A erythroid enhancer including GATAA motif leads to strong induction of γ-hemoglobin expression in K562 cells, but not in KU-812 and KG-1 cells. Altogether, our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of CRISPR-Cas9 as a precision genome editing tool for treating β-thalassemia. In addition, our data indicate that KU-812 and KG-1 cell lines are not good models for studying HbF reactivation through inactivation of BCL11A silencing pathway.
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19
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Kang J, Kang Y, Kim YW, You J, Kang J, Kim A. LRF acts as an activator and repressor of the human β-like globin gene transcription in a developmental stage dependent manner. Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 97:380-386. [PMID: 30427207 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2018-0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemia/lymphoma-related factor (LRF; a hematopoietic transcription factor) has been suggested to repress fetal γ-globin genes in the human adult stage β-globin locus. Here, to study the role of LRF in the fetal stage β-globin locus, we knocked out its expression in erythroid K562 cells, in which the γ-globin genes are mainly transcribed. The γ-globin transcription was reduced in LRF knock-out cells, and transcription factor binding to the β-globin locus control region hypersensitive sites (LCR HSs) and active histone organization in the LCR HSs were disrupted by the depletion of LRF. In contrast, LRF loss in the adult stage β-globin locus did not affect active chromatin structure in the LCR HSs and induced the fetal γ-globin transcription. These results indicate that LRF may act as an activator and repressor of the human β-like globin gene transcription in a manner dependent on developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Yea Woon Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaekyeong You
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihong Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - AeRi Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
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20
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Shariati L, Khanahmad H, Salehi M, Hejazi Z, Rahimmanesh I, Tabatabaiefar MA, Modarressi MH. Genetic disruption of the KLF1 gene to overexpress the γ-globin gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. J Gene Med 2018; 18:294-301. [PMID: 27668420 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.2928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND β-thalassemia comprises a major group of human genetic disorders involving a decrease in or an end to the normal synthesis of the β-globin chains of hemoglobin. KLF1 is a key regulatory molecule involved in the γ- to β-globin gene switching process directly inducing the expression of the β-globin gene and indirectly repressing γ-globin. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of an engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system with respect to disrupting the KLF1 gene to inhibit the γ- to β-hemoglobin switching process in K562 cells. METHODS We targeted three sites on the KLF1 gene, two of which are upstream of codon 288 in exon 2 and the other site being in exon 3. RESULTS The average indel percentage in the cells transfected with CRISPR a, b and c was approximately 24%. Relative quantification was performed for the assessment of γ-globin expression. The levels of γ-globin mRNA on day 5 of differentiation were 8.1-, 7.7- and 1.8-fold in the cells treated with CRISPR/Cas9 a, b and c, respectively,compared to untreated cells. The measurement of HbF expression levels confirmed the same results. CONCLUSIONS The findings obtained in the present study support the induction of an indel mutation in the KLF1 gene leading to a null allele. As a result, the effect of KLF1 on the expression of BCL11A is decreased and its inhibitory effect on γ-globin gene expression is removed. Application of CRISPR technology to induce an indel in the KLF1 gene in adult erythroid progenitors may provide a method for activating fetal hemoglobin expression in individuals with β-thalassemia or sickle cell disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laleh Shariati
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoor Salehi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Hejazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ilnaz Rahimmanesh
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Hojjati MT, Azarkeivan A, Pourfathollah AA, Amirizadeh N. Comparison of MicroRNAs Mediated in Reactivation of the γ-Globin in β-Thalassemia Patients, Responders and Non-Responders to Hydroxyurea. Hemoglobin 2017; 41:110-115. [PMID: 28696844 DOI: 10.1080/03630269.2017.1290651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Drug induction of Hb F seems to be an ideal therapy for patients with hemoglobin (Hb) disorders, and many efforts have been made to reveal the mechanism behind it. Thus, we examined in vivo expression of some microRNAs (miRNAs) that are thought to be involved in this process. Among β-thalassemia (β-thal) patients who were undergoing hydroxyurea (HU) therapy in the past 3 months and five healthy individuals, five responders and five non-responders, were also included in the study. Erythroid progenitors were isolated by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and miRNA expression analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We showed that γ-globin, miR-210 and miR-486-3p had higher levels in the responders than the non-responders group. Moreover, miR-150 and miR-320 had higher levels in the healthy group than both non-responders and responders groups, but the expression of miR-96 did not show any significant difference between the study groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study proposing that 'induction of cellular hypoxic condition by Hb F inducing agents' could be the milestone of possible mechanisms that explain why responders are able to reactivate γ-globin genes and subsequently, more production of Hb F, in response to these agents in comparison to non-responders. However, further investigations need to be performed to verify this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad T Hojjati
- a Blood Transfusion Research Centre, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine , Tehran , Iran
| | - Azita Azarkeivan
- b Blood Transfusion Research Centre, High Institute for Research and Education, and Thalassaemia Clinic , Tehran , Iran
| | - Ali A Pourfathollah
- a Blood Transfusion Research Centre, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine , Tehran , Iran
| | - Naser Amirizadeh
- a Blood Transfusion Research Centre, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine , Tehran , Iran
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22
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Modares Sadeghi M, Shariati L, Hejazi Z, Shahbazi M, Tabatabaiefar MA, Khanahmad H. Inducing indel mutation in the SOX6 gene by zinc finger nuclease for gamma reactivation: An approach towards gene therapy of beta thalassemia. J Cell Biochem 2017; 119:2512-2519. [PMID: 28941328 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.26412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
β-thalassemia is a common autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a deficiency in the synthesis of β-chains. Evidences show that increased HbF levels improve the symptoms in patients with β-thalassemia or sickle cell anemia. In this study, ZFN technology was applied to induce a mutation in the binding domain region of SOX6 to reactivate γ-globin expression. The sequences coding for ZFP arrays were designed and sub cloned in TDH plus as a transfer vector. The ZFN expression was confirmed using Western blot analysis. In the next step, using the site-directed mutagenesis strategy through the overlap PCR, a missense mutation (D64V) was induced in the catalytic domain of the integrase gene in the packaging plasmid and verified using DNA sequencing. Then, the integrase minus lentivirus containing ZFN cassette was packaged. Transduction of K562 cells with this virus was performed. Mutation detection assay was performed. The indel percentage of the cells transducted with lenti virus containing ZFN was 31%. After 5 days of erythroid differentiation with 15 μg/mL cisplatin, the levels of γ-globin mRNA were sixfold in the cells treated with ZFN compared to untreated cells. In the meantime, the measurement of HbF expression levels was carried out using hemoglobin electrophoresis and showed the same results. Integrase minus lentivirus can provide a useful tool for efficient transient gene expression and helps avoid disadvantages of gene targeting using the native virus. The ZFN strategy applied here to induce indel on SOX6 gene in adult erythroid progenitors may provide a method to activate fetal hemoglobin expression in individuals with β-thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Modares Sadeghi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Laleh Shariati
- Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Hejazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoureh Shahbazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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23
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Gasparello J, Fabbri E, Bianchi N, Breveglieri G, Zuccato C, Borgatti M, Gambari R, Finotti A. BCL11A mRNA Targeting by miR-210: A Possible Network Regulating γ-Globin Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18122530. [PMID: 29186860 PMCID: PMC5751133 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The involvement of microRNAs in the control of repressors of human γ-globin gene transcription has been firmly demonstrated, as described for the miR-486-3p mediated down-regulation of BCL11A. On the other hand, we have reported that miR-210 is involved in erythroid differentiation and, possibly, in γ-globin gene up-regulation. In the present study, we have identified the coding sequence of BCL11A as a possible target of miR-210. The following results sustain this hypothesis: (a) interactions between miR-210 and the miR-210 BCL11A site were demonstrated by SPR-based biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA); (b) the miR-210 site of BCL11A is conserved through molecular evolution; (c) forced expression of miR-210 leads to decrease of BCL11A-XL and increase of γ-globin mRNA content in erythroid cells, including erythroid precursors isolated from β-thalassemia patients. Our study suggests that the coding mRNA sequence of BCL11A can be targeted by miR-210. In addition to the theoretical point of view, these data are of interest from the applied point of view, supporting a novel strategy to inhibit BCL11A by mimicking miR-210 functions, accordingly with the concept supported by several papers and patent applications that inhibition of BCL11A is an efficient strategy for fetal hemoglobin induction in the treatment of β-thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Enrica Fabbri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
| | - Nicoletta Bianchi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
| | - Giulia Breveglieri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Zuccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Correspondence: (R.G.); (A.F.); Tel.: +39-0532-974443 (R.G.); +39-0532-974510 (A.F.); Fax: +39-0532-974500 (R.G. & A.F.)
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (E.F.); (N.B.); (G.B.); (C.Z.); (M.B.)
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Correspondence: (R.G.); (A.F.); Tel.: +39-0532-974443 (R.G.); +39-0532-974510 (A.F.); Fax: +39-0532-974500 (R.G. & A.F.)
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Zhao HF, Abraham A, Kim YS, Wang YD, Pestina T, Zhan J, Humphries K, Nienhuis AW, Persons DA. Lentiviral Transfer of γ-Globin with Fusion Gene NUP98-HOXA10HD Expands Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Ameliorates Murine β-Thalassemia. Mol Ther 2017; 25:593-605. [PMID: 28190779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, an engineered Homeobox-nucleoporin fusion gene, NUP98-HOXA10HD or NA10HD, was reported to expand and maintain murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We postulated that NA10HD would increase the number of human γ-globin-expressing cells to therapeutic levels. We developed a double gene lentiviral vector encoding both human γ-globin and NA10HD, which was used to transduce human peripheral blood CD34+ cells and increased engraftment 2- to 2.5-fold at 15 weeks post-transplantation in immunodeficient mice. In β-thalassemic mice transplanted with β-thalassemic HSCs transduced with the γ-globin/NA10HD vector, the number of fetal hemoglobin (HbF)-expressing cells was significantly increased after 3 months, leading to resolution of the anemia. Furthermore, the increases in HbF were maintained at 6 months and persisted after secondary transplantation. In addition, NA10HD enrichment of transduced HSCs led to HbF increases without affecting homeostasis of the white blood cell lineages. Our results suggest that NA10HD increases the number of γ-globin-transduced HSCs that engraft, leading to an elevated number of fetal hemoglobin-containing red cells. These effects of NA10HD provide an improved platform for testing of the therapeutic efficacy of novel globin vectors and provide further impetus to develop safe and effective methods for selective expansion of genetically modified cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Fen Zhao
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Allistair Abraham
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yoon-Sang Kim
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yong-Dong Wang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Tamara Pestina
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jun Zhan
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Keith Humphries
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Arthur W Nienhuis
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| | - Derek A Persons
- Division of Experimental Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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Heydari N, Shariati L, Khanahmad H, Hejazi Z, Shahbazi M, Salehi M. Gamma reactivation using the spongy effect of KLF1-binding site sequence: an approach in gene therapy for beta-thalassemia. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2016; 19:1063-1069. [PMID: 27872702 PMCID: PMC5110654] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES β-thalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders in the world. As one of the promising treatment strategies, fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) can be induced. The present study was an attempt to reactivate the γ-globin gene by introducing a gene construct containing KLF1 binding sites to the K562 cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS A plasmid containing a 192 bp sequence with two repeats of KLF1 binding sites on β-globin and BCL11A promoters was constructed and used to transfect the K562 cell line. Positive selection was performed under treatment with 150 μg/ml hygromycin B. The remaining cells were expanded and harvested on day 28, and genomic DNA was extracted. The PCR was carried out to verify insertion of DNA fragment to the genome of K562 cells. The cells were differentiated with 15 μg/ml cisplatin. Flowcytometry was performed to identify erythroid differentiation by detection of CD235a+ cells. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to evaluate γ-globin expression in the transfected cells. RESULTS A 1700 bp fragment was observed on agarose gel as expected and insertion of DNA fragment to the genome of K562 cells was verified. Totally, 84% of cells were differentiated. The transfected cells significantly increased γ-globin expression after differentiation compared to untransfected ones. CONCLUSION The findings demonstrate that the spongy effect of KLF1-binding site on BCL11A and β-globin promoters can induce γ-globin expression in K562 cells. This novel strategy can be promising for the treatment of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Heydari
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Laleh Shariati
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran,Corresponding author: Hossein Khanahmad. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Tel: +98-311-37922487; Fax: +98-311-3668859;
| | - Zahra Hejazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoureh Shahbazi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mansoor Salehi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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26
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Ahmadvand M, Noruzinia M, Fard AD, Zohour MM, Tabatabaiefar MA, Soleimani M, Kaviani S, Abroun S, Beiranvand S, Saki N. The role of epigenetics in the induction of fetal hemoglobin: a combination therapy approach. Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res 2014; 8:9-14. [PMID: 24505546 PMCID: PMC3913159] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND β-thalassemia considers worldwide public health disorders. Novel fetal hemoglobin inducer agents such as thalidomide and sodium butyrate have been attended for ameliorating clinical complications of such disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used thalidomide and sodium butyrate for increasing the level of fetal hemoglobin in erythroid progenitors. Briefly, after isolation of CD133+ stem cells from umbilical cord blood and differentiation into erythroid lineage, erythroid progenitors were treated with thalidomide and sodium butyraye as single and combination. H3K4 histone methylation was evaluated following fetal hemoglobin induction using chromatin immuno percipitation (ChIP) technique. RESULTS The results of this study showed that the effect of thalidomide on increasing of H3K4 methylation was highest compared to sodium butyrate and combination of both agents (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Consequently, our study of the epigenetic modification of the γ-globin suggests that histone H3K4 dimethylation are significant for the regulation of developmental stage-specific expression of the γ-globin genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ahmadvand
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Noruzinia
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Dehghani Fard
- Sarem Cell Research Center- SCRC, Sarem Women's Hospital, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Montazer Zohour
- Genetics of noncommunicable disease research center, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Kaviani
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Abroun
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Beiranvand
- Sarem Cell Research Center- SCRC, Sarem Women's Hospital, Tehran, Iran
| | - Najmaldin Saki
- Health research center, Research Center of Thalassemia & Hemoglobinopathy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Li H, Xie W, Gore ER, Montoute MN, Bee WT, Zappacosta F, Zeng X, Wu Z, Kallal L, Ames RS, Pope AJ, Benowitz A, Erickson-Miller CL. Development of phenotypic screening assays for γ-globin induction using primary human bone marrow day 7 erythroid progenitor cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 18:1212-22. [PMID: 24163393 DOI: 10.1177/1087057113499776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disorder of the β-globin gene. SCA results in chronic ischemia with pain and tissue injury. The extent of SCA symptoms can be ameliorated by treatment with drugs, which result in increasing the levels of γ-globin in patient red blood cells. Hydroxyurea (HU) is a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for SCA, but it has dose-limiting toxicity, and patients exhibit highly variable treatment responses. To identify compounds that may lead to the development of better and safer medicines, we have established a method using primary human bone marrow day 7 erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) to screen for compounds that induce γ-globin production. First, human marrow CD34(+) cells were cultured and expanded for 7 days and characterized for the expression of erythroid differentiation markers (CD71, CD36, and CD235a). Second, fresh or cryopreserved EPCs were treated with compounds for 3 days in 384-well plates followed by γ-globin quantification by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which was validated using HU and decitabine. From the 7408 compounds screened, we identified at least one new compound with confirmed γ-globin-inducing activity. Hits are undergoing analysis in secondary assays. In this article, we describe the method of generating fit-for-purpose EPCs; the development, optimization, and validation of the ELISA and secondary assays for γ-globin detection; and screening results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Li
- 1Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
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