title: [Role of aquaporin-1 gene in erythroid differentiation of erythroleukemia K562 cells induced by retinoic acid].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the role of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) gene in erythroid differentiation of erythroleukemia K562 cells induced by retinoic acid (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  K562 cells were cultured in the presence of 1 µmol/L RA for varying lengths of time, and γ-globin mRNA expression and hemoglobin content in the cells were detected by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, respectively, to evaluate the erythroid differentiation of K562 cells. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to examine AQP1 expression in the cells following RA treatment. A retroviral expression vector of AQP1 small interfering RNA (pSUPER-retro-puro-shAQP1) was constructed and transfected into K562 cells to establish a K562 cell line with stable AQP1 down-regulation (K562-shAQP1), in which the changes in γ-globin and hemoglobin expressions after RA treatment were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RA treatment significantly increased γ-globin and hemoglobin expressions in K562 cells (P<0.01), causing also significantly enhanced AQP1 mRNA and protein expressions over time (P<0.01). Transfection with the recombinant plasmids pSuper-retro-puro-shAQP1 resulted in stable AQP1 suppression in K562 cells (P<0.01), which showed markedly reduced γ-globin and hemoglobin expressions after RA induction as compared to the control K562 cells (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  K562 cells show a significant increase of AQP1 expression after RA-induced erythroid differentiation, and suppression of AQP1 expression can partially block the effect of RA, suggesting the important role of AQP1 in RA-induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetic Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. weimin78@126.com
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C496020:AQP1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051398:Aquaporin 1; D014212:Tretinoin