EYA3 May Be Required for Globin Gene Expression in Erythroid Differentiation

Extensive studies have led to a considerable understanding of the cellular and molecular control of haemoglobin production during red blood cell differentiation, however, identification of the genes expressed as part of the erythroid differentiation programme remains an important goal because of the insights that these data will bring to erythrocyte biology and disease. Previous results using SAGE identified 93 differentially-expressed genes during erythroid development. One of these genes, EYA3, a homologue gene of Eyes Absent 3 in Drosophila, is a transcription cofactor with intrinsic phosphatase activity and its expression was observed to be high at the end of CD34⁺ cell differentiation and in human bone marrow.

To evaluate globin gene, fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expressions and apoptosis levels in the erythroleukemic K562 cell line after EYA3 gene silencing and induction with hemin.

Four different cultures from human K562 cells (1×10⁵cells/mL in DMEM, 10% FBS, penicillin/streptomycin, 5% CO₂, 37°C) were transfected with control or EYA3 knockdown lentiviruses (MOI=2.5). After proliferation and selection of successfully transfected cells with puromicin (2.0 ug/mL), cells were treated with 30μM hemin and collected after 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96h for gene expression and flow cytometry analyses. EYA3, LXN, α, and g-gene expression was measured by qRT-PCR and normalized using the Genorm program. HbF expression and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry.

Analysis of globin gene expression showed that α-globin gene was downregulated in EYA3 silenced K562 culture cells compared with the control culture in 72h after hemin addition (1.791±0.1735; 0.7404±0.1709, respectively, **P<0.001, n=4). g-globin gene expression was found to be downregulated in K562 EYA3 silenced culture after 24h (1.350±0.1296; 0.5285±0.1736, respectively, *P<0.05, n=4) and 72h (1.554±0.1042; 0.6889±0.1535, respectively, **P<0.001, n=4). HbF expression was found to be downregulated in the same culture compared to the control culture at 72h after hemin addition (3568±41.00; 1947±206.50, respectively, *P<0.05, n=4). Apoptosis levels were found increased in EYA3 silenced K562 culture cells compared with the control culture in 72h after hemin addition (4.7±0.10; 8.55±0.55, respectively, *P<0.001, n=4).

Our results show that silencing EYA causes modifications in the expression pattern of α- and g-globin gene expression as well as in HbF expression pattern and apoptosis levels in a model of erythroid differentiation. Further studies should be performed in primary erythroid cell cultures using siRNA-based gene silencing and overexpression of these genes to determine how these genes are involved in the mechanisms of globin gene regulation.

Support by FAPESP, CNPq and INCTS

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.