Effect of erythropoietin administration on proteins participating in iron homeostasis in Tmprss6-mutated mask mice

PLoS One. 2017 Oct 26;12(10):e0186844. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186844. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Tmprss6-mutated mask mice display iron deficiency anemia and high expression of hepcidin. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of erythropoietin administration on proteins participating in the control of iron homeostasis in the liver and spleen in C57BL/6 and mask mice. Administration of erythropoietin for four days at 50 IU/mouse/day increased hemoglobin and hematocrit in C57BL/6 mice, no such increase was seen in mask mice. Erythropoietin administration decreased hepcidin expression in C57BL/6 mice, but not in mask mice. Erythropoietin treatment significantly increased the spleen size in both C57BL/6 and mask mice. Furthermore, erythropoietin administration increased splenic Fam132b, Fam132a and Tfr2 mRNA content. At the protein level, erythropoietin increased the amount of splenic erythroferrone and transferrin receptor 2 both in C57BL/6 and mask mice. Splenic ferroportin content was decreased in erythropoietin-treated mask mice in comparison with erythropoietin-treated C57BL/6 mice. In mask mice, the amount of liver hemojuvelin was decreased in comparison with C57BL/6 mice. The pattern of hemojuvelin cleavage was different between C57BL/6 and mask mice: In both groups, a main hemojuvelin band was detected at approximately 52 kDa; in C57BL/6 mice, a minor cleaved band was seen at 47 kDa. In mask mice, the 47 kDa band was absent, but additional minor bands were detected at approximately 45 kDa and 48 kDa. The results provide support for the interaction between TMPRSS6 and hemojuvelin in vivo; they also suggest that hemojuvelin could be cleaved by another as yet unknown protease in the absence of functional TMPRSS6. The lack of effect of erythropoietin on hepcidin expression in mask mice can not be explained by changes in erythroferrone synthesis, as splenic erythroferrone content increased after erythropoietin administration in both C57BL/6 and mask mice.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Erythropoietin / genetics
  • Erythropoietin / pharmacology*
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Hemochromatosis Protein
  • Hepcidins / genetics
  • Hepcidins / metabolism*
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Organ Size / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Spleen / pathology

Substances

  • Ankrd17 protein, mouse
  • Cytokines
  • Erfe protein, mouse
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • HJV protein, mouse
  • Hamp protein, mouse
  • Hemochromatosis Protein
  • Hepcidins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Erythropoietin
  • Iron
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • matriptase 2

Grants and funding

Supported by Czech Science Foundation (GACR, http://gacr.cz/), grant 15-16803S to JK and grant 13-28830S to JT; by the MEYS of CR within the LQ1604 National Sustainability Program II (Project BIOCEV-FAR); by the project „BIOCEV“ (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0109) and by institutional grants PROGRES Q26 and SVV 260371/2017.