The Effects of Drugs on the Expression of Human Fetal Hemoglobin in a Transgenic Mouse

Abstract

A transgenic mouse carrying the human locus control region (LCR), the Ay gene, and 13-gh>bin gene on a single construct was treated with hydroxyurea, a-amino butyric• acid, valproic acid, or isobutyramide to determine whether y-globin reactivation in the adult mouse is achievable with drugs. The results from this study indicate that the human y-globingene in the line 17-1 mouse is not inducible. The ineffectiveness of the drugs to stimulate y-globin expression in line 17-1 may be due to the inability of the mouse to synthesize a trans-acting factor which may only be present in the embryonic yolk sac. This study raises questions about the significance of other reports on the inducibility of the human y-globin gene in transgenic mice.