ABO transcript levels in peripheral blood and erythropoietic culture show different allele-related patterns independent of the CBF/NF-Y enhancer motif and multiple novel allele-specific variations in the 5'- and 3'-noncoding regions.

Summary, in English

BACKGROUND: Mechanisms regulating the ABO gene are unclear, especially in the hematopoietic compartment. The number of 43-bp repeats in the CBF/NF-Y-binding enhancer region is considered to have a major influence on transcription. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Transcript levels in peripheral blood and in erythropoietic culture of CD34+ cells from marrow donors were measured with TaqMan assays. The 5'-regulatory region and 3'-downstream sequences were investigated to determine if allelic variations occur. RESULTS: Surprisingly, transcripts from A(1) and A(2) alleles could not be detected in peripheral blood, although transcripts from B/O(1)/O(1v)/O(2) alleles were readily observed. Sequencing of approximately 4 kb upstream and 1.8 kb downstream of the coding region showed multiple novel allele-specific and allele-related motifs. No correlation between these sequence variations and transcript levels was found, however. Contradictory to the results with peripheral blood, in erythropoietic culture of CD34+ cells from healthy marrow donors transcripts from A(1) and A(2) alleles were found at higher levels than transcripts from B/O(1)/O(1v) alleles. CONCLUSION: These data do not support previous suggestions that nonsense-mutated O(1)/O(1v) transcripts are eliminated first. Furthermore, our results contradict the notion that the number of repeats in the upstream CBF/NF-Y-binding enhancer region, which contains four 43-bp repeats in A(2)/B/O(1)/O(1v) but only one 43-bp unit in A(1)/O(2) alleles, determines the transcription rate. The reason for the remarkable discrepancy between blood and marrow remains to be elucidated.

• Author: Britt Thuresson; Alan Chester; Jill Storry; Martin L Olsson
• Department/s: Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine; Transfusion Medicine
• Publishing year: 2008
• Language: English
• Pages: 493-504
• Publication/Series: Transfusion
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18067502?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2007.01554.x
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Topic: Hematology
• Status: Published
• Research group: Transfusion Medicine
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1537-2995