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The DNA‐binding drugs mithramycin and chromomycin are powerful inducers of erythroid differentiation of human K562 cells
Author(s) -
Bianchi Nicoletta,
Osti Fabio,
Rutigliano Cristina,
Corradini Federica Ginanni,
Borsetti Elena,
Tomassetti Marina,
Mischiati Carlo,
Feriotto Giordana,
Gambari Roberto
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1999.01173.x
Subject(s) - k562 cells , globin , cellular differentiation , biology , inducer , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , fetal hemoglobin , in vitro , dna , gene , biochemistry , fetus , genetics , pregnancy
The human leukaemic K562 cell line can be induced in vitro to undergo erythroid differentiation by a variety of chemical compounds, including haemin, butyric acid, 5‐azacytidine and cytosine arabinoside. Differentiation of K562 cells is associated with an increased expression of embryo‐fetal globin genes, such as the ζ, ε and γ globin genes. Therefore the K562 cell line has been proposed as a useful in vitro model system to determine the therapeutic potential of new differentiating compounds as well as to study the molecular mechanism(s) regulating changes in the expression of embryonic and fetal human globin genes. Inducers of erythroid differentiation which stimulate γ‐globin synthesis could be considered for possible use in the experimental therapy of those haematological diseases associated with a failure in the expression of adult β‐globin genes. In this paper we demonstrated that the G + C selective DNA‐binding drugs chromomycin and mithramycin were powerful inducers of erythroid differentiation of K562 cells. Erythroid differentiation was associated with an increase in the accumulation of (a) Hb Gower 1 and Hb Portland and (b) γ‐globin mRNA.