“Transcriptional repression of lncRNA and miRNA subsets mediated by LRF during erythropoiesis”

Abstract Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) species, mainly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been currently imputed for lesser or greater involvement in human erythropoiesis. These RNA subsets operate within a complex circuit with other epigenetic components and transcription factors (TF) affecting chromatin remodeling during cell differentiation. Lymphoma/Leukemia related (LRF) TF exerts higher occupancy on DNA CpG rich sites and is implicated in several differentiation cell pathways and erythropoiesis among them. Also, directs the epigenetic regulation of hemoglobin transversion from fetal (HbF) to adult (HbA) form by intervening in the γ-globin gene repression. We intended to investigate LRF activity in the evolving landscape of cells’ commitment to the erythroid lineage and specifically during HbF to HbA transversion, to qualify this TF as potential repressor of lncRNAs and miRNAs. Transgenic human erythroleukemia cells, overexpressing LRF and further induced to erythropoiesis, were subjected to expression analysis in high LRF occupancy genetic loci producing lncRNAs. LRF abundance in genetic loci transcribing for studied lncRNAs was determined by ChIP-Seq data analysis. qPCRs were performed to examine lncRNAs expression status. Differentially expressed miRNAs pre- and post-erythropoiesis induction were assessed by next generation sequencing (NGS) and their promoter regions were charted. Expression levels of lncRNAs were correlated with DNA methylation status of flanked CpG islands and contingent co-regulation of hosted miRNAs was considered. LRF binding sites were overrepresented in LRF overexpressing cell clones during erythropoiesis induction and exerted a significant suppressive effect towards lncRNAs and miRNA collections. Based on present data interpretation LRF’s multiplied binding capacity across genome is suggested to be transient and associated with higher levels of DNA methylation.