title: An in vitro globin gene switching model based on differentiated embryonic stem cells.
abstract: We used mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to study globin gene expression and switching in vitro. We show that ES-derived embryoid bodies express the full complement of mouse embryonic globin genes in the correct temporal order and that on further differentiation, a switch occurs to the fetal/adult genes. In addition, the erythroid-specific transcription factor NF-E1 was shown to be expressed coordinately with that of globin in embryoid bodies. We conclude from these experiments that the ES cell system provides a good model to study hematopoietic development. When the human epsilon- or beta-globin genes driven by the dominant control region (DCR) are introduced into this system, the human epsilon-globin gene, in contrast to the beta-globin gene, is not deregulated by the presence of the DCR and is expressed strictly as an embryonic gene. We conclude from this that the epsilon-globin gene is not regulated by competition with other genes in the human beta-globin locus.
authors: Laboratory of Gene Structure and Expression, National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Lindenbaum
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Grosveld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D005812:Genes, Switch; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005914:Globins