title: Recombinant human hemoglobins designed for gene therapy of sickle cell disease.
abstract: Two human hemoglobins designed to inhibit the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin (Hb S; alpha 2 beta S2) have been produced. Mutations that disrupt the ability of Hb S to form polymers were introduced into the normal human beta-globin gene by site-specific mutagenesis. These mutations affect the axial and lateral contacts in the sickle fiber. The recombinant hemoglobin designated anti-sickling hemoglobin 1 (Hb AS1) contains the mutations beta 22 glutamic acid to alanine and beta 80 asparagine to lysine. Hb AS2 has the same beta 22 glutamic acid to alanine mutation combined with beta 87 threonine to glutamine. Human alpha- and beta AS-globin genes were separately fused downstream of beta-globin locus control region sequences and these constructs were coinjected into fertilized mouse eggs. Transgenic mouse lines that synthesize high levels of each anti-sickling hemoglobin were established and anti-sickling hemoglobins were purified from hemolysates and characterized. Both AS hemoglobins bind oxygen cooperatively and the oxygen affinities of these molecules are in the normal range. Delay time experiments demonstrate that Hb AS2 is a potent inhibitor of Hb S polymerization; therefore, locus control region beta AS2-globin gene constructs may be suitable for future gene therapy of sickle cell disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McCune
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chomo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Townes
mesh_terms: D019794:2,3-Diphosphoglycerate; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004163:Diphosphoglyceric Acids / Q000097:blood; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005914:Globins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004163:Diphosphoglyceric Acids; D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle; D006454:Hemoglobins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019794:2,3-Diphosphoglycerate; D005914:Globins