Orientadores: Maria de Fatima Sonati, Maricilda Palandi de Mello / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T14:17:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wenning_MarciaReginadeSouzaCossa_D.pdf: 2460425 bytes, checksum: bd59f41846de3b0439b17450b12154a1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: A Doença da Hb H resulta da remoção ou inativação de três dos quatro genes da cadeia a da hemoglobina normalmente presentes no genoma diplóide e é caracterizada por anemia hemolítica crônica de intensidade moderada a grave. Os pacientes apresentam microcitose, hipocromia e poiquilocitose, com cerca de 25 a 30% de Hb Bart¿s (?4) ao nascimento e 5-30% de Hb H (ß4) na vida adulta. Embora a base molecular da doença tenha influência nos níveis de Hb H produzidos, uma heterogeneidade em relação a esse aspecto tem sido observada mesmo em pacientes com genótipos a idênticos, sugerindo que outros fatores contribuem para esta diversidade além dos determinantes talassêmicos. No presente trabalho, procuramos identificar transcritos diferencialmente expressos nos reticulócitos de dois pacientes com Doença da Hb H, irmãos, de origem étnica mista (chinesa e africana), um do sexo masculino, 21 anos de idade, com 18% de Hb H (MKS), e outro do sexo feminino, 19 anos, com 5% desta Hb (FKS), ambos com genótipo -a3.7/--SEA. O método envolveu a técnica de Differential Display Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (DDRT-PCR) e a realização de Hibridização Subtrativa Supressiva (SSH). A validação dos achados foi feita pela Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase quantitativa em Tempo Real (qRT-PCR). Quatro perfis diferenciais de expressão foram selecionados, todos mais representados no paciente com maior nível de Hb H. Dois foram detectados por ambas as abordagens metodológicas: um transcrito altamente homólogo à parte do gene da PIP5KIIA (fosfatidilinositol 4-fosfato-5 quinase tipo II a) e outro ao gene da cadeia ß da hemoglobina humana. Os outros dois transcritos, selecionados apenas pela SSH, apresentararam similaridade ao gene FAM46C (Family with sequence similarity 46, member C), que corresponde a uma proteína hipotética de função indeterminada, e ao gene EIF4E-BP1 (eukariotic translation initiation factor 4E ¿ binding protein 1), que codifica uma proteína regulatória da tradução com capacidade de inibição do fator eIF4E (eukariotic translation initiation factor 4E). Na tentativa de identificar os mecanismos responsáveis pelo aumento dos transcritos da PIP5KIIA e da globina ß nos reticulócitos de MKSalguns outros genes, relacionados às vias de atuação ou ao processo de transcrição dos primeiros, tiveram sua expressão também avaliada pela qRT-PCR. Os resultados obtidos, embora não conclusivos, sugeriram que a diferença nos níveis de Hb H apresentada pelos pacientes aqui estudados está correlacionada com a taxa de síntese de cadeias ß, e que a enzima PIP5KIIA, provavelmente via sinalização celular pelo fosfatidilinositol, de alguma maneira participa de sua regulação. O significado destes achados e o papel dos transcritos dos genes FAM46C e EIF4E-BP1 devem ser futuramente investigados para uma melhor compreensão dos mecanismos de regulação da expressão dos genes da globina ß em pacientes com talassemia a / Abstract: Hb H disease results from the inactivation of three of the four a-globin genes normally present on diploid genome and it is characterized by a moderate to severe chronic hemolytic anemia. Patients usually present microcytosis, hypochromia and poikilocytosis, with 25 to 30% of Hb Bart¿s (?4) at birth and 5 to 30% of Hb H (ß4) in adult life. Although the molecular base of this disease influences the Hb H levels produced, some heterogeneity has been observed in relation to this aspect, even in patients with identical a genotypes, thus suggesting that other factors contribute to this diversity besides a-thalassemic determinants. The aim of the present study was to identify differentially expressed transcripts in the reticulocytes from two patients with Hb H disease, siblings, from Chinese and African origins, a 21-year- old male (MKS) with 18% of Hb H and a 19-year-old female (FKS) with 5% of Hb H, both with genotype -a3.7/--SEA. The methodology involved two techniques: the Differential Display Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (DDRT-PCR) and the Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH). Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments were used to confirm some results. Four differentially expressed profiles were obtained, all of them better represented in the subject with the highest Hb H level. Two transcripts were detected by both methodological approaches, one being highly similar to PIP5KIIA gene (Phosphatidylinositol ¿ 4 phosphate 5-kinase, type II a) and the other one similar to human ß-globin gene. Two others transcripts were selected only by SSH and they showed to be to FAM 46C (Family with sequence similarity 46, member C) and EIF4E-BP1 (eukariotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1) gene homologues. In order to identify the mechanisms that are responsible for the transcripts PIP5KIIA and ß- globin increase in the reticulocytes from MKS patient, some other genes related to the transcriptional process also had its expression evaluated by qRT-PCR. Although not conclusive, our results suggest that the difference between the Hb H levels, showed by the subjects here studied, is correlated with ß-globin synthesis rate and that PIP5KIIA may participate of its regulation, probably by cell signalizing through Phosphatidylinositol. Studies, particularly involving a higher number of patients, and experiments aimed at elucidating the PIP5KIIA function in erythroid cells, should help to understand this process. The initiation factor -4E binding protein (EIF4E-BP1) and its capacity to bind to eIF4E, acts as negative regulator of cell growth. Its overexpression was detected in the patient with the highest HbH level. The significance of these findings and the role of the FAM46C and EIF4E-BP1 gene transcripts should be further investigated so that the regulating of the ß-globin gene expression in a-thalassemic patients can be better understood / Doutorado / Medicina Experimental / Doutor em Fisiopatologia Medica

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays an important role in development and differentiation. The patterns of DNA methylation are largely established in early embryogenesis and maintained during development. Abnormal DNA methylation patterns have been associated with many human diseases, including cancer. Despite its importance, little is currently known about the mechanisms that determine DNA methylation patterns throughout the genome. To shed light on the molecular mechanisms that regulate DNA methylation, this study investigates whether DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained normally when human DNA is placed into a heterologous murine environment as opposed to its natural, endogenous chromosomal environment. Here, a previously generated transgenic mouse model, containing 117 kb of human DNA bearing the human α-globin cluster and all of its known regulatory elements, was analysed. The pattern of DNA methylation of the endogenous human α-globin cluster was compared with that of the transgenic cluster in the background of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and tissues. It was found that, although the normal human DNA methylation pattern was largely established and maintained in a mouse background, the region immediately around the human α-globin genes themselves is generally less methylated in mouse compared to human ESCs. It was found that regions adjacent and up to 2kb from the CpG islands (CGIs), so-called CGI shores, were unusually hypomethylated: this seems to be the result of an extension of CGIs in humanised mouse (hm) ESCs compared to human (h) ESCs. Furthermore, this hypomethylation appeared to increase during development in both erythroid and non-erythoid cells. To identify any cis-regulatory sequences responsible for the hypomethylated state of human CGI shores in the mouse, 2-4 kb human test sequences containing the CGI associated with the human α-globin 2 (α2) gene and its adjacent hypomethylated shore were re-integrated into the mouse α-globin locus via recombination-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE). Human CGI shores became hypomethylated in the context of the re-integrated test sequences, indicating that the appearance of hypomethylation is determined by the underlying human DNA sequence in the test fragments. In summary, the data presented here reveal that human CGIs become extended when placed in a mouse background leading to hypomethylation of human CGI shores in the mouse compared to the pattern of methylation at the normal endogenous human locus. These findings suggest that species-specific factors determine DNA methylation near CGIs. The transgenic mouse model provides an excellent system to dissect out species-specific regulation of CGI shore methylation. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for future experiments addressing the role of DNA methylation in regulating human gene expression in the murine context, and examining the validity of transgenic mouse models for the study of human gene regulation.