beta-globin transcript found in induced murine erythroleukemia cells is homologous to the beta h0 and beta h1 genes

RNA transcripts complementary to at least one of the four beta-globin homologous genes (beta h) are found in high concentration in the murine erythroleukemic (MEL) cell line GM979 after butyric acid induction. Hybridization data indicate that the gene expressed is Hbb-beta h0 or Hbb-beta h1, or both. The level of beta h0/1 transcripts in the MEL cell is similar to the level of adult transcripts. The Hbb-beta h0/1 transcript is about 800 nucleotides in length. In addition, there is a larger beta h0/1 transcript of the same size and relative intensity as the adult beta-globin precursor. We also report significant levels of embryonic gene Hbb-y transcripts in induced GM979 cells. We have determined that the GM979 cell line has the [Hbb]s haplotype on the basis of an examination of its globin DNA restriction pattern. An additional MEL cell line of haplotype [Hbb]d (DBA/2 line 6A11A) was examined and found to contain no significant level of Hbb-beta h0, Hbb-beta h1, Hbb-beta h2, or Hbb-y gene transcripts.