Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1991 Sep;11(9):4679–4689. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.9.4679

Characterization of the major regulatory element upstream of the human alpha-globin gene cluster.

A P Jarman 1, W G Wood 1, J A Sharpe 1, G Gourdon 1, H Ayyub 1, D R Higgs 1
PMCID: PMC361359  PMID: 1875946

Abstract

The major positive regulatory activity of the human alpha-globin gene complex has been localized to an element associated with a strong erythroid-specific DNase I hypersensitive site (HS -40) located 40 kb upstream of the zeta 2-globin mRNA cap site. Footprint and gel shift analyses of the element have demonstrated the presence of four binding sites for the nuclear factor GATA-1 and two sites corresponding to the AP-1 consensus binding sequence. This region resembles one of the major elements of the beta-globin locus control region in its constitution and characteristics; this together with evidence from expression studies suggests that HS -40 is a primary element controlling alpha-globin gene expression.

Full text

PDF
4679

Images in this article

4680Image
on p.4680
4683Image
on p.4683
4684Image
on p.4684
4685Image
on p.4685
4686Image
on p.4686

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Angel P., Imagawa M., Chiu R., Stein B., Imbra R. J., Rahmsdorf H. J., Jonat C., Herrlich P., Karin M. Phorbol ester-inducible genes contain a common cis element recognized by a TPA-modulated trans-acting factor. Cell. 1987 Jun 19;49(6):729–739. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90611-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Behringer R. R., Ryan T. M., Reilly M. P., Asakura T., Palmiter R. D., Brinster R. L., Townes T. M. Synthesis of functional human hemoglobin in transgenic mice. Science. 1989 Sep 1;245(4921):971–973. doi: 10.1126/science.2772649. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blom van Assendelft G., Hanscombe O., Grosveld F., Greaves D. R. The beta-globin dominant control region activates homologous and heterologous promoters in a tissue-specific manner. Cell. 1989 Mar 24;56(6):969–977. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90630-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Charnay P., Treisman R., Mellon P., Chao M., Axel R., Maniatis T. Differences in human alpha- and beta-globin gene expression in mouse erythroleukemia cells: the role of intragenic sequences. Cell. 1984 Aug;38(1):251–263. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90547-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Collis P., Antoniou M., Grosveld F. Definition of the minimal requirements within the human beta-globin gene and the dominant control region for high level expression. EMBO J. 1990 Jan;9(1):233–240. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08100.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Curran T., Franza B. R., Jr Fos and Jun: the AP-1 connection. Cell. 1988 Nov 4;55(3):395–397. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90024-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Curtin P. T., Liu D. P., Liu W., Chang J. C., Kan Y. W. Human beta-globin gene expression in transgenic mice is enhanced by a distant DNase I hypersensitive site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Sep;86(18):7082–7086. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.18.7082. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davidson I., Xiao J. H., Rosales R., Staub A., Chambon P. The HeLa cell protein TEF-1 binds specifically and cooperatively to two SV40 enhancer motifs of unrelated sequence. Cell. 1988 Sep 23;54(7):931–942. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90108-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dignam J. D., Lebovitz R. M., Roeder R. G. Accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in a soluble extract from isolated mammalian nuclei. Nucleic Acids Res. 1983 Mar 11;11(5):1475–1489. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.5.1475. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Evans T., Reitman M., Felsenfeld G. An erythrocyte-specific DNA-binding factor recognizes a regulatory sequence common to all chicken globin genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Aug;85(16):5976–5980. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.16.5976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Forrester W. C., Novak U., Gelinas R., Groudine M. Molecular analysis of the human beta-globin locus activation region. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Jul;86(14):5439–5443. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.14.5439. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Forrester W. C., Takegawa S., Papayannopoulou T., Stamatoyannopoulos G., Groudine M. Evidence for a locus activation region: the formation of developmentally stable hypersensitive sites in globin-expressing hybrids. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Dec 23;15(24):10159–10177. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.24.10159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Frampton J., Walker M., Plumb M., Harrison P. R. Synergy between the NF-E1 erythroid-specific transcription factor and the CACCC factor in the erythroid-specific promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jul;10(7):3838–3842. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.7.3838. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gross D. S., Garrard W. T. Nuclease hypersensitive sites in chromatin. Annu Rev Biochem. 1988;57:159–197. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.57.070188.001111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Grosveld F., van Assendelft G. B., Greaves D. R., Kollias G. Position-independent, high-level expression of the human beta-globin gene in transgenic mice. Cell. 1987 Dec 24;51(6):975–985. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90584-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hanscombe O., Vidal M., Kaeda J., Luzzatto L., Greaves D. R., Grosveld F. High-level, erythroid-specific expression of the human alpha-globin gene in transgenic mice and the production of human hemoglobin in murine erythrocytes. Genes Dev. 1989 Oct;3(10):1572–1581. doi: 10.1101/gad.3.10.1572. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hatton C. S., Wilkie A. O., Drysdale H. C., Wood W. G., Vickers M. A., Sharpe J., Ayyub H., Pretorius I. M., Buckle V. J., Higgs D. R. Alpha-thalassemia caused by a large (62 kb) deletion upstream of the human alpha globin gene cluster. Blood. 1990 Jul 1;76(1):221–227. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Higgs D. R., Wood W. G., Jarman A. P., Sharpe J., Lida J., Pretorius I. M., Ayyub H. A major positive regulatory region located far upstream of the human alpha-globin gene locus. Genes Dev. 1990 Sep;4(9):1588–1601. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.9.1588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Jackson P. D., Evans T., Nickol J. M., Felsenfeld G. Developmental modulation of protein binding to beta-globin gene regulatory sites within chicken erythrocyte nuclei. Genes Dev. 1989 Dec;3(12A):1860–1873. doi: 10.1101/gad.3.12a.1860. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Jackson S. P., Tjian R. O-glycosylation of eukaryotic transcription factors: implications for mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. Cell. 1988 Oct 7;55(1):125–133. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90015-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kadonaga J. T., Carner K. R., Masiarz F. R., Tjian R. Isolation of cDNA encoding transcription factor Sp1 and functional analysis of the DNA binding domain. Cell. 1987 Dec 24;51(6):1079–1090. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90594-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Knezetic J. A., Felsenfeld G. Identification and characterization of a chicken alpha-globin enhancer. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Mar;9(3):893–901. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.3.893. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Kollias G., Wrighton N., Hurst J., Grosveld F. Regulated expression of human A gamma-, beta-, and hybrid gamma beta-globin genes in transgenic mice: manipulation of the developmental expression patterns. Cell. 1986 Jul 4;46(1):89–94. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90862-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Lee W., Mitchell P., Tjian R. Purified transcription factor AP-1 interacts with TPA-inducible enhancer elements. Cell. 1987 Jun 19;49(6):741–752. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90612-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Liebhaber S. A., Griese E. U., Weiss I., Cash F. E., Ayyub H., Higgs D. R., Horst J. Inactivation of human alpha-globin gene expression by a de novo deletion located upstream of the alpha-globin gene cluster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Dec;87(23):9431–9435. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.23.9431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lowy I., Pellicer A., Jackson J. F., Sim G. K., Silverstein S., Axel R. Isolation of transforming DNA: cloning the hamster aprt gene. Cell. 1980 Dec;22(3):817–823. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90558-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Magram J., Chada K., Costantini F. Developmental regulation of a cloned adult beta-globin gene in transgenic mice. Nature. 1985 May 23;315(6017):338–340. doi: 10.1038/315338a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Mignotte V., Eleouet J. F., Raich N., Romeo P. H. Cis- and trans-acting elements involved in the regulation of the erythroid promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Sep;86(17):6548–6552. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.17.6548. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Mignotte V., Wall L., deBoer E., Grosveld F., Romeo P. H. Two tissue-specific factors bind the erythroid promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Nucleic Acids Res. 1989 Jan 11;17(1):37–54. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Moon A. M., Ley T. J. Conservation of the primary structure, organization, and function of the human and mouse beta-globin locus-activating regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Oct;87(19):7693–7697. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.19.7693. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Ney P. A., Sorrentino B. P., Lowrey C. H., Nienhuis A. W. Inducibility of the HS II enhancer depends on binding of an erythroid specific nuclear protein. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Oct 25;18(20):6011–6017. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.20.6011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Ney P. A., Sorrentino B. P., McDonagh K. T., Nienhuis A. W. Tandem AP-1-binding sites within the human beta-globin dominant control region function as an inducible enhancer in erythroid cells. Genes Dev. 1990 Jun;4(6):993–1006. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.6.993. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Philipsen S., Talbot D., Fraser P., Grosveld F. The beta-globin dominant control region: hypersensitive site 2. EMBO J. 1990 Jul;9(7):2159–2167. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07385.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Plumb M., Frampton J., Wainwright H., Walker M., Macleod K., Goodwin G., Harrison P. GATAAG; a cis-control region binding an erythroid-specific nuclear factor with a role in globin and non-globin gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res. 1989 Jan 11;17(1):73–92. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.1.73. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Reitman M., Felsenfeld G. Mutational analysis of the chicken beta-globin enhancer reveals two positive-acting domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Sep;85(17):6267–6271. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.17.6267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Romeo P. H., Prandini M. H., Joulin V., Mignotte V., Prenant M., Vainchenker W., Marguerie G., Uzan G. Megakaryocytic and erythrocytic lineages share specific transcription factors. Nature. 1990 Mar 29;344(6265):447–449. doi: 10.1038/344447a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Ryan T. M., Behringer R. R., Martin N. C., Townes T. M., Palmiter R. D., Brinster R. L. A single erythroid-specific DNase I super-hypersensitive site activates high levels of human beta-globin gene expression in transgenic mice. Genes Dev. 1989 Mar;3(3):314–323. doi: 10.1101/gad.3.3.314. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Ryan T. M., Behringer R. R., Townes T. M., Palmiter R. D., Brinster R. L. High-level erythroid expression of human alpha-globin genes in transgenic mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Jan;86(1):37–41. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Schüle R., Muller M., Otsuka-Murakami H., Renkawitz R. Cooperativity of the glucocorticoid receptor and the CACCC-box binding factor. Nature. 1988 Mar 3;332(6159):87–90. doi: 10.1038/332087a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Talbot D., Collis P., Antoniou M., Vidal M., Grosveld F., Greaves D. R. A dominant control region from the human beta-globin locus conferring integration site-independent gene expression. Nature. 1989 Mar 23;338(6213):352–355. doi: 10.1038/338352a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Talbot D., Philipsen S., Fraser P., Grosveld F. Detailed analysis of the site 3 region of the human beta-globin dominant control region. EMBO J. 1990 Jul;9(7):2169–2177. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07386.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Thomas K. R., Capecchi M. R. Site-directed mutagenesis by gene targeting in mouse embryo-derived stem cells. Cell. 1987 Nov 6;51(3):503–512. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90646-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Townes T. M., Behringer R. R. Human globin locus activation region (LAR): role in temporal control. Trends Genet. 1990 Jul;6(7):219–223. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(90)90182-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Tsai S. F., Martin D. I., Zon L. I., D'Andrea A. D., Wong G. G., Orkin S. H. Cloning of cDNA for the major DNA-binding protein of the erythroid lineage through expression in mammalian cells. Nature. 1989 Jun 8;339(6224):446–451. doi: 10.1038/339446a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Tuan D. Y., Solomon W. B., London I. M., Lee D. P. An erythroid-specific, developmental-stage-independent enhancer far upstream of the human "beta-like globin" genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Apr;86(8):2554–2558. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.8.2554. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Tuan D., Solomon W., Li Q., London I. M. The "beta-like-globin" gene domain in human erythroid cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Oct;82(19):6384–6388. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.19.6384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Wall L., deBoer E., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin gene 3' enhancer contains multiple binding sites for an erythroid-specific protein. Genes Dev. 1988 Sep;2(9):1089–1100. doi: 10.1101/gad.2.9.1089. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Weintraub H., Groudine M. Chromosomal subunits in active genes have an altered conformation. Science. 1976 Sep 3;193(4256):848–856. doi: 10.1126/science.948749. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Wilkie A. O., Lamb J., Harris P. C., Finney R. D., Higgs D. R. A truncated human chromosome 16 associated with alpha thalassaemia is stabilized by addition of telomeric repeat (TTAGGG)n. Nature. 1990 Aug 30;346(6287):868–871. doi: 10.1038/346868a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Yenofsky R. L., Fine M., Pellow J. W. A mutant neomycin phosphotransferase II gene reduces the resistance of transformants to antibiotic selection pressure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 May;87(9):3435–3439. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.9.3435. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Yu C. Y., Chen J., Lin L. I., Tam M., Shen C. K. Cell type-specific protein-DNA interactions in the human zeta-globin upstream promoter region: displacement of Sp1 by the erythroid cell-specific factor NF-E1. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jan;10(1):282–294. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.1.282. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. deBoer E., Antoniou M., Mignotte V., Wall L., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin promoter; nuclear protein factors and erythroid specific induction of transcription. EMBO J. 1988 Dec 20;7(13):4203–4212. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03317.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES