Andre M. Pilon

Failure of Terminal Erythroid Differentiation in EKLF-Deficient Mice Is Associated with Cell Cycle Perturbation and Reduced Expression of E2F2

ABSTRACT Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF) is a Krüppel-like transcription factor identified as a transcriptional activator and chromatin modifier in erythroid cells. EKLF-deficient (Eklf−/−) mice die at day 14.5 of gestation from severe anemia. In this study, we demonstrate that early progenitor cells fail to undergo terminal erythroid differentiation in Eklf−/− embryos. To discover potential EKLF target genes responsible for the failure of erythropoiesis, transcriptional profiling was performed with RNA from wild-type and Eklf−/− early erythroid progenitor cells. These analyses identified significant perturbation of a network of genes involved in cell cycle regulation, with the critical regulator of the cell cycle, E2f2, at a hub. E2f2 mRNA and protein levels were markedly decreased in Eklf−/− early erythroid progenitor cells, which showed a delay in the G1-to-S-phase transition. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated EKLF occupancy at the proximal E2f2 promoter in vivo. Consistent with the role of EKLF as a chromatin modifier, EKLF binding sites in the E2f2 promoter were located in a region of EKLF-dependent DNase I sensitivity in early erythroid progenitor cells. We propose a model in which EKLF-dependent activation and modification of the E2f2 locus is required for cell cycle progression preceding terminal erythroid differentiation.

Alterations in Expression and Chromatin Configuration of the Alpha Hemoglobin-Stabilizing Protein Gene in Erythroid Krüppel-Like Factor-Deficient Mice

ABSTRACT Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF) is an erythroid zinc finger protein identified by its interaction with a CACCC sequence in the β-globin promoter, where it establishes local chromatin structure permitting β-globin gene transcription. We sought to identify other EKLF target genes and determine the chromatin status of these genes in the presence and absence of EKLF. We identified alpha hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) by subtractive hybridization and demonstrated a 95 to 99.9% reduction in AHSP mRNA and the absence of AHSP in EKLF-deficient cells. Chromatin at the AHSP promoter from EKLF-deficient cells lacked a DNase I hypersensitive site and exhibited histone hypoacetylation across the locus compared to hyperacetylation of wild-type chromatin. Wild-type chromatin demonstrated a peak of EKLF binding over a promoter region CACCC box that differs from the EKLF consensus by a nucleotide. In mobility shift assays, the AHSP promoter CACCC site bound EKLF in a manner comparable to the β-globin promoter CACCC site, indicating a broader recognition sequence for the EKLF consensus binding site. The AHSP promoter was transactivated by EKLF in K562 cells, which lack EKLF. These results support the hypothesis that EKLF acts as a transcription factor and a chromatin modulator for the AHSP and β-globin genes and indicate that EKLF may play similar roles for other erythroid genes.