The extinction of erythroid genes after tetradecanoylphorbol acetate treatment of erythroleukemic cells correlates with down-regulation of the tissue-specific factors NF-E1 and NF-E2.

We have studied the elements involved in the tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-mediated extinction of erythroid-specific genes. We show that transcription driven by a -714/+78-base pair DNA fragment of the erythroid promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene is down-regulated upon TPA treatment of erythroleukemic cells. Examination of the DNA binding activity of trans-acting factors involved in the expression of the porphobilinogen deaminase erythroid promoter showed (i) a constitutive expression of the CACC binding proteins and (ii) a decrease in DNA binding activity of two tissue-specific factors, NF-E1 and NF-E2. Kinetics experiments indicated that NF-E2 was down-regulated after 1 h of TPA treatment whereas NF-E1 was down-regulated at the protein and mRNA levels only after 5 h of TPA treatment. These results suggest that different pathways, acting via different transcription factors, are involved in the TPA-mediated extinction of erythroid-specific genes.