HRI Protects Erythroid Precursors in iron deficiency and beta-Thalassemia by Maintaining GATA-1 and Fog-1 Expression

Heme-regulated eIF2α kinase (HRI) is essential for the survival of erythroid precursors in iron and heme deficiency and it also plays a protective role in red blood cell diseases of erythroid protoporphyria and β-thalassemia. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time the impairment of GATA-1 and Fog-1 expressions in iron deficiency and the impairment of GATA-1 expression in β-thalassemia. Furthermore, HRI is necessary to maintain the GATA-1/Fog-1 induced functions in erythroid differentiation, cell cycle and cell survival by sustaining both expressions of GATA-1 and Fog-1 in iron deficiency and in β-thalassemia. Keywords: Genetic modification Three replicates of gene chip profiling were performed for each condition, Wt+Fe, Wt-Fe, Ko+Fe and Ko-Fe.