Our long-term objective for this proposed research is to contribute to the more comprehensive understanding of the regulation of hemoglobin synthesis and erythropoiesis under stress conditions and in red cell disorders. In this proposal, we focus on translational control by the heme-regulated eIF2? kinase (HRI) in oxidative stress and stress erythropoiesis. Our laboratory has demonstrated that HRI is necessary to reduce ineffective erythropoiesis and to maintain proper gene expression in erythroid precursors during iron deficiency. HRI is also essential for reducing the phenotypic severities of ?-thalassemia. Phosphorylation of eIF2? by HRI not only inhibits translation globally, but also selectively increases the translation of ATF4 mRNA in primary erythroid precursors. This HRI-activated ATF4 stress response pathway is necessary to mitigate oxidative stress and to promote erythroid differentiation. Most recently, HRI-eIF2?P pathway has been shown to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production in human CD34+ cells undergoing erythroid differentiation. While transcriptional regulation during erythropoiesis has been studied extensively, much less is known about the role of translational control in this process. We hypothesize that eIF2 ?P-mediated translation is necessary to mitigate oxidative stress and to promote erythroid differentiation during stress erythropoiesis. We will employ a recently developed genome-wide approach, ribosome profiling, to study translational regulation during normal and stress erythropoiesis in heme deficiency and in ?-thalassemia. A novel line of erythroid-specific eIF2?Ser51Ala knockin (erythroid- ?A/A) mice, which are defective in eIF2?P signaling specifically in the erythroid lineage, will be generated. Erythroblasts isolated by FACS sorting from fetal livers of wild type (Wt), Hri-/- and erythroid-A/A mice under iron sufficient and deficint conditions, will be used to study the role of heme, HRI and eIF2?P in regulating in vivo translation genome-wide. In addition, ribosome profiling will also be performed in splenic basophilic erythroblasts of ?-thalassemic mice. The outcomes of these proposed studies will elucidate the essential role of heme and eIF2?P-mediated translation in erythropoiesis under stress conditions. This proposed research will also uncover novel molecular mechanisms in translational regulation and new proteins produced in the erythroid lineage during differentiation. The novel information obtained from these studies will advance the field of erythropoiesis greatly and will have a very significant impact on the development of new therapies for hemoglobinopathies.

Public Health Relevance

The purpose of this proposed research is to further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of red blood cell development in normal conditions and in anemia of iron deficiency and ?-thalassemia. The outcome of this study may lead to the discovery of novel drug treatments for red blood cell diseases and anemia of cancers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK087984-07
Application #
9243242
Study Section
Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section (MCH)
Program Officer
Bishop, Terry Rogers
Project Start
2010-07-12
Project End
2018-03-31
Budget Start
2017-04-01
Budget End
2018-03-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$305,370
Indirect Cost
$109,620
Name
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department
Engineering (All Types)
Type
Schools of Engineering
DUNS #
001425594
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02142
Zhang, Shuping; Macias-Garcia, Alejandra; Velazquez, Jason et al. (2018) HRI coordinates translation by eIF2?P and mTORC1 to mitigate ineffective erythropoiesis in mice during iron deficiency. Blood 131:450-461
Yang, Xi; Xia, Rui; Yue, Cuihua et al. (2018) ATF4 Regulates CD4+ T Cell Immune Responses through Metabolic Reprogramming. Cell Rep 23:1754-1766
Chen, Jane-Jane (2014) Stress-enhanced translation of ?-globin mRNA. Blood 124:2622-3
Chen, Jane-Jane (2014) Translational control by heme-regulated eIF2? kinase during erythropoiesis. Curr Opin Hematol 21:172-8
Chen, Jane-Jane; Perrine, Susan (2013) Stressing HbF synthesis: role of translation? Blood 122:467-8
Suragani, Rajasekhar N V S; Zachariah, Roshini S; Velazquez, Jason G et al. (2012) Heme-regulated eIF2? kinase activated Atf4 signaling pathway in oxidative stress and erythropoiesis. Blood 119:5276-84
Acharya, Poulomi; Chen, Jane-Jane; Correia, Maria Almira (2010) Hepatic heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI) eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha kinase: a protagonist of heme-mediated translational control of CYP2B enzymes and a modulator of basal endoplasmic reticulum stress tone. Mol Pharmacol 77:575-92