Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

G to A substitution in the distal CCAAT box of the Aγ-globin gene in Greek hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin

Abstract

The sequence 5′ TTGGPyCAAT 3′ (the ‘CCAAT box’) is a constituent of the promoter region of many eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes1,2 and is believed to play a part in promoter function3,4. A characteristic of the two fetal human globin genes (Aγ and Gγ) is a duplication of a 12-base pair (bp) sequence containing the CCAAT box. Here we report a G → A substitution in the TTG sequence of the distal CCAAT box of the Aγ-globin gene in an individual with the Aγ (Greek) type of hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH). This represents the first report of a natural mutation of the CCAAT box in a eukaryotic gene. The fact that this transition is associated with inappropriate expression of the Aγ gene in adult life suggests that the CCAAT box (or its surrounding sequences) may have a role in the developmental control of γ-globin genes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Benoist, C., O'Hare, K., Breathnach, R. & Chambon, P. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 127–142 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Gilbert, W. in RNA Polymerase (eds Losick, R. & Chamberlain, M.) 193–205 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dierks, P. et al. Cell 32, 695–706 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Grosveld, G. C., Rosenthal, A. & Flavell, R. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 4951–4972 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Maniatis, T., Fritsch, E. F., Lauer, J. & Lawn, R. M. A. Rev. Genet. 14, 145–178 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Efstratiadis, A. et al. Cell 21, 653–668 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Weatherall, D. J. & Clegg, J. B. The Thalassaemia Syndromes 2nd edn (Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fritsch, E., Lawn, R. & Maniatis, T. Nature 279, 598–603 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Tuan, D., Murnane, M., DeRiel, J. & Forget, B. Nature 258, 335–337 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bernards, R. & Flavell, R. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 1521–1534 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Fessas, P. & Stamatoyannopoulos, G. Blood 24, 223–240 (1964).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Huisman, T., Schroeder, W. & Stamatoyannopoulos, G. J. clin. Invest. 49, 1035–1040 (1970).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Sofroniadou, K., Wood, W., Nute, P. & Stamatoyannopoulos, G. Br. J. Haemat. 29, 137–148 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Clegg, J. B. et al. Br. J. Haemat. 43, 521–536 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Papayannopoulou, Th., Lawn, R. M., Stamatoyannopoulos, G. & Maniatis, T. Br. J. Haemat. 50, 387–399 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Farquhar, M. et al., Am. J. hum. Genet. 35, 611–620 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Moschonas, N., de Boer, E. & Flavell, R. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 2109–2120 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Kohen, G., Philippe, N. & Godet, J. Hum. Genet. 62, 121–123 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Van der Ploeg, L. et al. Nature 283, 637–642 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Slightom, J., Blechl, A. & Smithies, O. Cell 21, 627–638 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shen, S., Slightom, J. & Smithies, O. Cell 26, 191–203 (1981).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Collins, F. et al. Nature 313, 325–326 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Collins, F., Stoeckert, C., Serjeant, G., Forget, B. & Weissman, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 4894–4898 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Giglioni, B. et al. EMBO J. 3, 2641–2645 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Siebenlist, U., Simpson, R. & Gilbert, W. Cell 20, 269–281 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Southern, E. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503–517 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lawn, F., Fritsch, E., Parker, R., Blake, G. & Maniatis, T. Cell 15, 1157–1174 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Lawn, R., Efstratiadis, A., O'Connell, C. & Maniatis, T. Cell 21, 647–651 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Blin, N. & Stafford, D. W. Nucleic Acids Res. 3, 2303–2308 (1976).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Shafit-Azgardo, B., Maio, J. & Brown, F. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 3175–3193 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Hohn, B. & Collins, J. Gene 11, 291–298 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ish-Horowicz, D. & Burke, J. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 2989–2998 (1981).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Grosveld, F. G., Dahl, H., deBoer, E. & Flavell, R. Gene 13, 227–237 (1981).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Barsh, G., Seeburg, P. & Gelinas, R. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 3939–3958 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Norrander, J., Kempe, T. & Messing, J. Gene 26, 101–106 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Henikoff, S. Gene 28, 351–359 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Sanger, F., Nicklen, S. & Coulson, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5463–5467 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gelinas, R., Endlich, B., Pfeiffer, C. et al. G to A substitution in the distal CCAAT box of the Aγ-globin gene in Greek hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin. Nature 313, 323–325 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/313323a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/313323a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing