Cytosine Arabinoside Plus Hemin Treatment of a Human Erythroid Cell Line, Kmoe, Strongly Induces Embryonic, Fetal, and Adult β-Like Globin Genes

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Abstract
A variety of regimens were utilized on KMOE cells to maximally raise globin mRNA levels for the purpose of improving the usefullness of this line for globin gene studies. Steady-state mRNA levels of embryonic (.epsilon.), fetal (.gamma.) and adult (.beta.) globin genes were assayed by the S1-nuclease protection method before and after exposure to inducing compounds. Exposure of KMOE cells to cytosine arabinoside and hemin leads to over 20-fold increases in .beta.- and .gamma.-globin mRNA steady-state levels, and an over 60-fold increase in .epsilon.-globin mRNA level. Exposure to cytosine arabinoside alone induced .beta.- and .epsilon.-globin but not .gamma.-globin gene expression. The .alpha.-like globin genes (.zeta. and .alpha.) were also monitored but found to be poorly expressed and not significantly inducible. The presence of .epsilon.-globin mRNA and the lack of .alpha.-globin mRNA distinguishes this line, KMOE-EL, from the KMOE sublines previously described.
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