MicroRNA-96 directly inhibits γ-globin expression in human erythropoiesis.

ABSTRACT: Fetal hemoglobin, HbF (α(2)γ(2)), is the main hemoglobin synthesized up to birth, but it subsequently declines and adult hemoglobin, HbA (α(2)β(2)), becomes predominant. Several studies have indicated that expression of the HbF subunit γ-globin might be regulated post-transcriptionally. This could be confered by ∼22-nucleotide long microRNAs that associate with argonaute proteins to specifically target γ-globin mRNAs and inhibit protein expression. Indeed, applying immunopurifications, we found that γ-globin mRNA was associated with argonaute 2 isolated from reticulocytes that contain low levels of HbF (<1%), whereas association was significantly lower in reticulocytes with high levels of HbF (90%). Comparing microRNA expression in reticulocytes from cord blood and adult blood, we identifi

SUBMITTER: Azzouzi I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3145767 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature