Maturation and developmental stage-related changes in fetal globin gene expression are reproduced in transiently transfected primary adult human erythroblasts

A novel system is described, which uses transfection of primary human eryth roblasts for the study of gene regulation in differentiating human red cell s. This system includes a protocol for liquid culture of erythroid progenit ors, which reproduces developmental differences in globin gene expression f ound between adult and cord blood as well as the maturation-related changes in fetal globin levels observed in adult cells. Reporter constructs driven by globin gene promoters were electroporated into adult and cord blood-der ived erythroblasts at different time points during culture, Both the develo pmental stage and maturation-related differences in endogenous fetal and ad ult globin gene expression could be reproduced by the transiently transfect ed reporter constructs. Transfection of primary human erythroblasts during differentiation provides a previously unavailable opportunity to study dyna mic aspects of erythropoiesis, (C) 1999 International Society for Experimen tal Hematology, Published by Elsevier Science Inc.