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. 1994 Jul 19;91(15):7252–7256. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.15.7252

The chicken beta/epsilon-globin enhancer directs autonomously regulated, high-level expression of the chicken epsilon-globin gene in transgenic mice.

K P Foley 1, S Pruzina 1, J D Winick 1, J D Engel 1, F Grosveld 1, P Fraser 1
PMCID: PMC44377  PMID: 8041775

Abstract

In transiently transfected chicken erythroid cells, beta-like globin gene switching is mediated through differential activation of the cis-linked embryonic epsilon- and adult beta-globin genes by a shared enhancer. Two underlying mechanisms have been proposed: (i) tissue- and stage-specific factors activate the beta-globin promoter in adult erythroid cells (autonomous regulation); and (ii) the epsilon-globin promoter, although transcriptionally competent in both embryonic and adult cells, is suppressed at the adult stage through competition with the beta-globin promoter for interaction with the enhancer (competitive regulation). Analyses of transgenic mice carrying the chicken beta/epsilon-globin locus demonstrated that both genes depended on the enhancer for erythroid expression, but only the epsilon-globin gene exhibited developmentally appropriate transcription at levels comparable to the endogenous mouse globin genes. Surprisingly, the chicken epsilon-globin gene also appeared to be autonomously regulated, as has been observed for human embryonic and fetal beta-like globin genes in transgenic mice. These results suggest that the chicken beta/epsilon-globin enhancer possesses either embryonic stage or epsilon-globin gene specificity when incorporated into the murine germ line.

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Selected References

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