Changes in globin messenger RNA content during erythroid cell differentiation.

Previous studies have shown that mouse fetal erythroid precursor cells isolated by an immunological technique synthesize little or no globin and contain little, if any, globin mRNA, as assayed in a cell-free system (translatable mRNA). After culture for 10 hours in the presence of erythropoietin, there is a marked increase in globin synthesis and in translatable globin mRNA. The present studies were designed to measure directly the content of globin mRNA sequences during erythroid cell differentiation, by molecular hybridization with 3H-labeled DNA complementary to globin mRNA. The results indicate that few, if any, globin mRNA sequences are present in the total RNA of erythroid precursor cells. There is little or no pool of untranslated globin mRNA in these cells. After 10 hours of culture with erythropoietin, there is an increase in globin mRNA content, as ;easured by a change in the Cot1/2 values obtained by cDNA: mRNA hybridization with (Co) representing the concentration of RNA. Between 0 and 22 hours of culture, there is a 250-fold rise, and between 22 and 44 hours, a further 2-fold increase in globin mRNA content. During the 44 hours in culture, the number of cells in culture increases 2- to 3-fold. The number of globin mRNA molecules rises in erythroid precursor cells to an average value of 1800 molecules/cell during 22 hours of culture. In cultures without added erythropoietin, the absolute number of cells decreases, however, cells presumably induced to differentiate by exposure to erythropoietin in vivo continue to differentiate in vitro, accumulating globin mRNA and initiating globin synthesis.