Description
Heme-regulated eIF2 kinase (HRI) is essential for the survival of erythroid precursors in iron and heme deficiency and it also plays a protective role in red blood cell diseases of erythroid protoporphyria and -thalassemia. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time the impairment of GATA-1 and Fog-1 expressions in iron deficiency and the impairment of GATA-1 expression in -thalassemia. Furthermore, HRI is necessary to maintain the GATA-1/Fog-1 induced functions in erythroid differentiation, cell cycle and cell survival by sustaining both expressions of GATA-1 and Fog-1 in iron deficiency and in -thalassemia.