Heme initiates changes in the expression of a wide array of genes during the early erythroid differentiation stage.
Heme is central to oxygen sensing and utilization in all living organisms. It directly regulates numerous molecular and cellular processes for systems that sense or use oxygen. In mammals, heme plays an indispensable role in erythroid cell differentiation. To investigate heme regulatory functions, we identified, by differential display, and confirmed, by quantitative RT-PCR and Northern blotting analysis, the genes whose expression is altered by heme during the early stage of K562 cell differentiation. These include genes encoding a GAP-associated p62 protein, histone H2A.Z, a subunit of the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex, and the chaperonin Tcp20, and a cellular immediate-early-response gene. The results suggest that heme initiates changes in key factors that control a wide array of processes ranging from cell cycle and Ras signaling to chromatin structure, splicing and protein folding. These key factors might act together to mediate heme action, which is critical for erythroid cell differentiation.
Zhu
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Department of Biochemistry, NYU Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA.
Hon
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Zhang
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D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006418:Heme / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006418:Heme