MBD2 mediates silencing by recruiting the NuRD complex to methylated DNA.62 and 63 Structural studies of the MBD2-NuRD complex have identified a critical coiled-coil protein interaction between MBD2 and p66α/β, another NuRD complex component. Enforced expression of the p66 coiled-coil protein results in release of the Mi2β chromatin remodeling ATPase from the NuRD complex, and derepression of the silenced embryonic and fetal β-type globin genes, presumably by decoupling MBD2 from the NuRD chromatin remodeling function.60 A closely related member of the MBD family,

MBD3, also associates with a NuRD complex, but does not bind to methylated vs nonmethylated DNA with high affinity.58 and 64 Moreover, the presence of MBD2 and MBD3 in association with NuRD complex appears to be mutually exclusive.65 MBD3-NuRD Ibrutinib purchase is associated with the ɣ-globin gene promoter primarily through association with the GATA1 transcription factor–associated Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor protein, friend of GATA1 (FOG1),32 and 33 or other complexes.66 Disruption of expression of the Mi2β subunit of NuRD results in increased ɣ-globin gene expression in transgenic mice,34 cultured mouse chemical inducer of dimerization (CID) hematopoietic cells

bearing a human β-globin gene locus, and cultured primary human erythroid cells.67 Recently, it was shown that as little as a 50% knockdown of Mi2β in primary human erythroid cells results in a ∼10-fold increase in ɣ-globin gene expression without affecting erythroid differentiation, compared with control CD34+ progenitor–derived erythroid cells treated with scramble short hairpin RNA.67 The degree of differentiation in control cells in these studies leads to a level of 1% ɣ/ɣ+β RNA, which is comparable with normal adult reticulocyte

levels. Interestingly, in these studies, the effect of Mi2β on ɣ-globin gene silencing did not appear to be chiefly because of an effect on MBD2-NuRD for or MBD3-NuRD. Rather at least part of the effect was through downregulation of BCL11A and KLF1 in Mi2β knockdown erythroid cells. The purposed relationships of MBD2-NuRD, MBD3-NuRD, and Mi2β in ɣ-globin gene silencing in the context of other major epigenetic regulatory factors are depicted in Fig 1. 67 On the basis of the preponderance of evidence, it appears that MBD2 plays a greater role than MBD3 in silencing ɣ-globin gene expression, whereas Mi2β plays a greater role than either MBD2 or MBD3. Increased histone acetylation has long been posited to be associated with decompressed chromatin and active gene expression.68 and 69 The writers for histone acetylation are histone acetyltransferases including P300/CBP (CRE3 binding protein), PCAF, and TAF(11)250 (TBP associated factor),70 as well as histone deacetylases (HDACs, which might be more properly thought of as “erasers”). The complexity of histone acetylation and its relationship to gene regulation have been intensively studied and will not be reviewed in detail here.