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Kinuko Ohneda

Publications and source records attributed to Kinuko Ohneda.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

GATA-4 incompletely substitutes for GATA-1 in promoting both primitive and definitive erythropoiesis in vivo.

Vertebrate GATA transcription factors have been classified into two subgroups; GATA-1, GATA-2, and GATA-3 are expressed in hematopoietic cells, whereas GATA-4, GATA-5, and GATA-6 are expressed in mesoendoderm-derived tissues. We previously discovered that expression of GATA-2 or GATA-3 under the transcriptional control for the Gata1 gene eliminates lethal anemia in Gata1 germ line mutant mice (Gata1.05/Y). Here, we show that the GATA-4 expression by the same regulatory cassette prolongs the life span of Gata1.05/Y embryos from embryonic day 12.5 to 15.5 but fails to abrogate its embryonic lethality. Gata1.05/Y mice bearing the GATA-4 transgene showed impaired maturation of both primitive and definitive erythroid cells and defective erythroid cell expansion in fetal liver. Moreover, the incidence of apoptosis was observed prominently in primitive erythroid cells. In contrast, a GATA-4-GATA-1 chimeric protein prepared by linking the N-terminal region of GATA-4 to the C-terminal region of GATA-1 significantly promoted the differentiation and survival of primitive erythroid cells, although this protein is still insufficient for rescuing Gata1.05/Y embryos from lethal anemia. These data thus show a functional incompatibility between hematopoietic and endodermal GATA factors in vivo and provide evidence indicating specific roles of the C-terminal region of GATA-1 in primitive erythropoiesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Real-time monitoring of stress erythropoiesis in vivo using Gata1 and beta-globin LCR luciferase transgenic mice.

Erythroid progenitors have the potential to proliferate rapidly in response to environmental stimuli. This process is referred to as stress erythropoiesis, with erythropoietin (EPO) playing central roles in its promotion. In this study, we wanted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of stress erythropoiesis and the maintenance of red-cell homeostasis. This was achieved by our development of a noninvasive real-time monitoring system for erythropoiesis using transgenic mouse lines expressing luciferase under the control of the mouse Gata1 hematopoietic regulatory domain (G1-HRD-luc) or human beta-globin locus control region (Hbb-LCR-luc). Optical bioluminescence images revealed that the luciferase was specifically expressed in spleen and bone marrow and was induced rapidly in response to anemia and hypoxia stimuli. The G1-HRD-luc activity tracked the emergence and disappearance of proerythroblast-stage progenitors, whereas the Hbb-LCR-luc activity tracked erythroblasts and later stage erythroid cells. Increased plasma EPO concentration preceded an increase in G1-HRD-luc, supporting our contention that EPO acts as the key upstream signal in stress erythropoiesis. Hence, we conclude that G1-HRD-luc and Hbb-LCR-luc reporters are differentially activated during stress erythropoiesis and that the transgenic mouse lines used serve as an important means for understanding the homeostatic regulation of erythropoiesis.

Animals↗

Graded levels of GATA-1 expression modulate survival, proliferation, and differentiation of erythroid progenitors.

Transcription factor GATA-1 plays an important role in gene regulation during the development of erythroid cells. Several reports suggest that GATA-1 plays multiple roles in survival, proliferation, and differentiation of erythroid cells. However, little is known about the relationship between the level of GATA-1 expression and its nature of multifunction to affect erythroid cell fate. To address this issue, we developed in vitro embryonic stem (ES) culture system by using OP9 stromal cells (OP9/ES cell co-culture system), and cultured the mutant (GATA-1.05 and GATA-1-null) and wild type (WT)ES cells, respectively. By using this OP9/ES cell co-culture system, primitive and definitive erythroid cells were developed individually, and we examined how expression level of GATA-1 affects the development of erythroid cells. GATA-1.05 ES-derived definitive erythroid cells were immature with the appearance of proerythroblasts, and highly proliferated, compared with WT and GATA-1-null ES-derived erythroid cells. Extensive studies of cell cycle kinetics revealed that the GATA-1.05 proerythroblasts accumulated in S phase and expressed lower levels of p16(INK4A) than WT ES cell-derived proerythroblasts. We concluded that GATA-1 must achieve a critical threshold activity to achieve selective activation of specific target genes, thereby influencing the developmental decision of an erythroid progenitor cell to undergo apoptosis, proliferation, or terminal differentiation.

Animals↗

Transgenic over-expression of GATA-1 mutant lacking N-finger domain causes hemolytic syndrome in mouse erythroid cells.

Transcription factor GATA-1 is essential for erythroid cell differentiation. GATA-binding motifs have been found in the regulatory regions of various erythroid-specific genes, suggesting that GATA-1 contributes to gene regulation during the entire process of erythropoiesis. A GATA-1 germ-line mutation results in embryonic lethality due to defective primitive erythropoiesis and GATA-1-null embryonic stem cells fails to differentiate beyond the proerythroblast stage. Therefore, the precise roles of GATA-1 in the later stages of erythropoiesis could not be clarified. Under the control of a GATA-1 gene hematopoietic regulatory domain, a GATA-1 mutant lacking the N-finger domain (DeltaNF mutant) was over-expressed in mice. These mice exhibited abnormal morphology in peripheral red blood cells (RBCs), reticulocytosis, splenomegaly, and erythroid hyperplasia, indicating compensated hemolysis. These mice were extremely sensitive to phenylhydrazine (PHZ), an agent that induces hemolysis, and their RBCs were osmotically fragile. Importantly, the hemolytic response to PHZ was partially restored by the simultaneous expression of wild-type GATA-1 with the DeltaNF mutant, supporting our contention that DeltaNF protein competitively inhibits the function of endogenous GATA-1. These data provide the first in vivo evidence that the NF domain contributes to the gene regulation that is critical for differentiation and survival of mature RBCs in postnatal erythropoiesis.

Animals↗

Essential role of synoviolin in embryogenesis.

We recently reported the importance of Synoviolin in quality control of proteins through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) system and its involvement in the pathogenesis of arthropathy through its anti-apoptotic effect. For further understanding of the role of Synoviolin in vivo, we generated in this study synoviolin-deficient (syno(-/-)) mice by genetargeted disruption. Strikingly, all fetuses lacking syno died in utero around embryonic day 13.5, although Hrd1p, a yeast orthologue of Synoviolin, is non-essential for survival. Histologically, hypocellularity and aberrant apoptosis were noted in the syno(-/-) fetal liver. Moreover, definitive erythropoiesis was affected in non-cell autonomous manner in syno(-/-) embryos, causing death in utero. Cultured embryonic fibroblasts derived from syno(-/-) mice were more susceptible to endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis than those from syno(+/+) mice, but the susceptibility was rescued by overexpression of synoviolin. Our findings emphasized the indispensable role of the Synoviolin in embryogenesis.

Adenoviridae↗

Leukemogenesis caused by incapacitated GATA-1 function.

GATA-1 is essential for the development of erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages. We found that GATA-1 gene knockdown female (GATA-1.05/X) mice frequently develop a hematopoietic disorder resembling myelodysplastic syndrome that is characterized by the accumulation of progenitors expressing low levels of GATA-1. In this study, we demonstrate that GATA-1.05/X mice suffer from two distinct types of acute leukemia, an early-onset c-Kit-positive nonlymphoid leukemia and a late-onset B-lymphocytic leukemia. Since GATA-1 is an X chromosome gene, two types of hematopoietic cells reside within heterozygous GATA-1 knockdown mice, bearing either an active wild-type GATA-1 allele or an active mutant GATA-1.05 allele. In the hematopoietic progenitors with the latter allele, low-level GATA-1 expression is sufficient to support survival and proliferation but not differentiation, leading to the accumulation of progenitors that are easily targeted by oncogenic stimuli. Since such leukemia has not been observed in GATA-1-null/X mutant mice, we conclude that the residual GATA-1 activity in the knockdown mice contributes to the development of the malignancy. This de novo model recapitulates the acute crisis found in preleukemic conditions in humans.

Animals↗

Transgenic rescue of GATA-1-deficient mice with GATA-1 lacking a FOG-1 association site phenocopies patients with X-linked thrombocytopenia.

Association of GATA-1 and its cofactor Friend of GATA-1 (FOG-1) is essential for erythroid and megakaryocyte development. To assess functions of GATA-1-FOG-1 association during mouse development, we used the GATA-1 hematopoietic regulatory domain to generate transgenic mouse lines expressing a mutant GATA-1, which contains a substitution of glycine 205 for valine (V205G) that abrogates its association with FOG-1. We examined whether the transgenic expression of mutant GATA-1 rescues GATA-1 germ line mutants from embryonic lethality. In high-expressor lines we observed that the GATA-1(V205G) rescues GATA-1-deficient mice from embryonic lethality at the expected frequency, revealing that excess GATA-1(V205G) can eliminate the lethal anemia that is due to GATA-1 deficiency. In contrast, transgene expression comparable to the endogenous GATA-1 level resulted in much lower frequency of rescue, indicating that the GATA-1-FOG-1 association is critical for normal embryonic hematopoiesis. Rescued mice in these analyses exhibit thrombocytopenia and display dysregulated proliferation and impaired cytoplasmic maturation of megakaryocytes. Although anemia is not observed under steady-state conditions, stress erythropoiesis is attenuated in the rescued mice. Our findings reveal an indispensable role for the association of GATA-1 and FOG-1 during late-stage megakaryopoiesis and provide a unique model for X-linked thrombocytopenia with inherited GATA-1 mutation.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

GATA-1 testis activation region is essential for Sertoli cell-specific expression of GATA-1 gene in transgenic mouse.

BACKGROUND: The erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 is also expressed in Sertoli cells of the testis. The testicular expression of GATA-1 is regulated in a developmental and spermatogenic stage-specific manner. To further clarify the regulatory mechanisms of testicular GATA-1 gene expression, we carried out transgenic reporter gene expression analyses. RESULTS: We found that GATA-1 expression in Sertoli cells is markedly decreased concomitant with the emergence of elongated spermatids in the seminiferous tubules. Transgenic reporter mouse analyses revealed that a 15 kb GATA-1 genomic region is sufficient to recapitulate the gene expression profile in Sertoli cells. While the GATA-1 haematopoietic enhancer and the proximal first exon are included within the 15 kb genomic region, these regulatory elements are not essential for GATA-1 expression in Sertoli cells. Further analyses using deletion constructs revealed that a 1.5 kb region 5' to the GATA-1 haematopoietic enhancer is essential for gene expression in Sertoli cells and this region is referred to as the GATA-1 testis activation region. CONCLUSION: These results thus demonstrated that the GATA-1 testis activation region is essential for Sertoli cell-specific expression of GATA-1 gene. The 15 kb genomic region is applicable and useful for the expression vector system specific for adult Sertoli cells in stage VII to IX.

Animals↗

A minigene containing four discrete cis elements recapitulates GATA-1 gene expression in vivo.

BACKGROUND: The GATA-1haematopoietic enhancer (G1HE), located between 3.9 and 2.6 kb 5' to the haematopoietic first exon, is essential for GATA-1 gene transcription in erythroid cells. However, G1HE is not sufficient to confer tissue specificity on the GATA-1 gene in vivo, indicating that additional regulatory sequences are necessary. RESULTS: We demonstrate here that two other upstream promoter elements containing a double GATA motif or two CACCC boxes are also indispensable for reporter gene expression in erythroid cells in the transgenic mouse. The combination of these three cis-acting regions was sufficient for reporter expression in primitive erythroid cells, as demonstrated by linking the elements together into a 659 bp artificial (GdC) minigene. The minigene activated the transcription of a reporter gene from either the endogenous or an exogenous thymidine kinase promoter, retaining cell type-specificity. The addition of a 320 bp fragment in the first intron to the GdC minigene sustained reporter expression in the definitive stage. Moreover, a line of transgenic mouse that expressed GATA-1 cDNA under the control of the complete 979 bp minigene rescued GATA-1 germ line mutant mice from embryonic lethality. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of four distinct sequence motifs co-operatively serve as a fundamental functional unit for GATA-1 erythroid transcription in vivo.

Animals↗

Reduction of spontaneous and irradiation-induced apoptosis in small intestine of IGF-I transgenic mice.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) may promote survival of putative stem cells in the small intestinal epithelium. Mitosis and apoptosis were quantified in crypts of nonirradiated and irradiated IGF-I transgenic (TG) and wild-type (WT) littermates. The mean apoptotic index was significantly greater in WT vs. TG littermates. After irradiation, apoptotic indexes increased, and WT mice showed a more dramatic increase in apoptosis than TG mice at the location of putative stem cells. After irradiation, no mitotic figures were observed in WT crypts, whereas mitosis was maintained within the jejunal epithelium of TG mice. The abundance and localization of Bax mRNA did not differ between nonirradiated littermates. However, there was more Bax mRNA in TG vs. WT mice after irradiation. Bax mRNA was located along the entire length of the irradiated crypt epithelium, but there was less Bax protein observed in the bottom third of TG mouse crypts compared with WT littermates. IGF-I regulates cell number by stimulating crypt cell proliferation and decreasing apoptosis preferentially within the stem cell compartment.

Animals↗

Roles of hematopoietic transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 in the development of red blood cell lineage.

The transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 play key roles in gene regulation during erythropoiesis. Gene ablation studies in mouse revealed that GATA-2 is crucial for the maintenance and proliferation of immature hematopoietic progenitors, whereas GATA-1 is essential for the survival of erythroid progenitors as well as the terminal differentiation of erythroid cells. Both GATA-1 and GATA-2 are regulated in a cell-type-specific manner, their expression being strictly controlled during the development and differentiation of erythroid cells. Closer examination revealed a cross-regulatory mechanism by which GATA-1 can control the expression of GATA-2 and vice versa, possibly via essential GATA binding sites in their cis-acting elements. In addition, recent studies identified several human inherited hematopoietic disorders that are caused by mutations in cis-acting GATA binding motifs or mutations in GATA-1 itself.

Animals↗