Global gene expression reveals a set of new genes involved in the modification of cells during erythroid differentiation.
OBJECTIVE
Erythroid differentiation is a dynamic process in which a pluripotent stem cell undergoes a series of developmental changes that commit it to a specific lineage. These alterations involve changes in gene expression profiles. In this study, gene expression profiles during differentiation of human erythroid cells of a normal blood donor were evaluated using SAGE.


METHODS
Global gene expression was evaluated in cells collected immediately before addition of erythropoietin (0 h) and 192 and 336 h after addition of this hormone. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate activation of differentially expressed genes.


RESULTS
The data indicate that global aspects of the transcriptome were similar during differentiation of the majority of the genes and that a relatively small set of genes is probably involved in modification of erythroid cells during differentiation. We have identified 93 differentially expressed genes during erythroid development, and expression of some of these was confirmed by qPCR. Various genes including EYA3, ERH, HES6, TIMELESS and TRIB3 were found to be homologous to those of Drosophila melanogaster and here are described for the first time during erythroid development. An important and unique carboxypeptidase inhibitor described in mammalians, LXN, was also identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study amplify previously published data and may contribute to comprehension of erythroid differentiation and identification of new target genes involved in some erythroid concerning diseases.
da Cunha
A F
AF
Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. anderf@ufscar.br
Brugnerotto
A F
AF
Duarte
A S
AS
Lanaro
C
C
Costa
G G L
GG
Saad
S T O
ST
Costa
F F
FF
D000941:Antigens; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D041905:Erythroid Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D000941:Antigens; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C484495:ERH protein, human; C411859:HES6 protein, human; C086812:Lxn protein, rat; C509769:TIMELESS protein, human; C474831:TRIB3 protein, human; C104381:EYA1 protein, human