Differential regulation of A gamma and G gamma fetal hemoglobin mRNA levels by hydroxyurea and butyrate.

In clinical studies, both hydroxyurea and butyrate increase fetal hemoglobin expression and ameliorate the symptoms of sickle cell anemia. However, comparative studies of the effects of hydroxyurea and butyrate on the expression of the individual fetal hemoglobin genes, A gamma and G gamma, have not been performed. The present study reports the effects of hydroxyurea and butyrate on steady-state A gamma and G gamma mRNA levels in K562 cells. Because the high degree of homology between the A gamma and G gamma cDNA sequences precludes the use of large cDNA probes for detection of individual fetal hemoglobin gene products, we investigated the specificity of two 20-base oligonucleotide probes synthesized from the region of greatest sequence diversity between these genes. Hybridization experiments demonstrated that the A gamma oligonucleotide probe was specific for A gamma DNA and RNA sequences and the G gamma oligonucleotide probe was specific for G gamma DNA and RNA sequences. These oligonucleotide probes detected both A gamma and G gamma mRNAs in K562 cells. In K562 cells treated with 2 mM sodium butyrate for 168 hours, the G gamma mRNA level increased 3.6-fold, whereas the A gamma mRNA level was not significantly different from untreated cells. Similar results were obtained when K562 cells were treated with 80 microM hydroxyurea. The G gamma mRNA level increased 2.3-fold at 168 hours, whereas the A gamma mRNA level did not change. The above results demonstrate that both butyrate and hydroxyurea selectively increase G gamma expression. Selective regulation of individual fetal hemoglobin genes is also seen in human development, where approximately 70% of the total fetal hemoglobin in the fetus is G gamma. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which butyrate and hydroxyurea differentially regulate fetal hemoglobin gene expression may provide insights into the developmental regulation of hemoglobin expression as well as the mechanisms of action of pharmacological agents currently being used to treat sickle cell disease.