Promoters of the murine embryonic β-like globin genes Ey and βh1 do not compete for interaction with the β-globin locus control region

Mammalian beta-globin loci contain multiple beta-like genes that are expressed at different times during development. The murine beta-globin locus contains two genes expressed during the embryo stage, Ey and betahl, and two genes expressed at both the fetal and postnatal stages, beta-major and beta-minor. Studies of transgenic human beta-like globin loci in mice have suggested that expression of one gene at the locus will suppress expression of other genes at the locus. To test this hypothesis we produced mouse lines with deletions of either the Ey or betah1 promoter in the endogenous murine beta-globin locus. Promoter deletion eliminated expression of the mutant gene but did not affect expression of the remaining embryonic gene or the fetal/adult beta-globin genes on the mutant allele. These results demonstrate a lack of competitive effects between individual mouse embryonic beta-globin gene promoters and other genes in the locus. The implication of these findings for models of beta-globin gene expression are discussed.