EPO receptor circuits for primary erythroblast survival

Blood. 2008 Jun 1;111(11):5390-9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-10-119743. Epub 2008 Mar 18.

Abstract

EPO functions primarily as an erythroblast survival factor, and its antiapoptotic actions have been proposed to involve predominantly PI3-kinase and BCL-X pathways. Presently, the nature of EPO-regulated survival genes has been investigated through transcriptome analyses of highly responsive, primary bone marrow erythroblasts. Two proapoptotic factors, Bim and FoxO3a, were rapidly repressed not only via the wild-type EPOR, but also by PY-deficient knocked-in EPOR alleles. In parallel, Pim1 and Pim3 kinases and Irs2 were induced. For this survival gene set, induction failed via a PY-null EPOR-HM allele, but was restored upon reconstitution of a PY343 STAT5-binding site within a related EPOR-H allele. Notably, EPOR-HM supports erythropoiesis at steady state but not during anemia, while EPOR-H exhibits near wild-type EPOR activities. EPOR-H and the wild-type EPOR (but not EPOR-HM) also markedly stimulated the expression of Trb3 pseudokinase, and intracellular serpin, Serpina-3G. For SERPINA-3G and TRB3, ectopic expression in EPO-dependent progenitors furthermore significantly inhibited apoptosis due to cytokine withdrawal. BCL-XL and BCL2 also were studied, but in highly responsive Kit(pos)CD71(high)Ter119(neg) erythroblasts, neither was EPO modulated. EPOR survival circuits therefore include the repression of Bim plus FoxO3a, and EPOR/PY343/STAT5-dependent stimulation of Pim1, Pim3, Irs2 plus Serpina-3G, and Trb3 as new antiapoptotic effectors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Cell Survival
  • Erythroblasts / physiology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Receptors, Erythropoietin / physiology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Receptors, Erythropoietin