Further, it is shown that upregulation of DKC1 was necessary for expansion of Glycophorin A+ (GLYA+) erythroblasts and sufficient to extend telomeres in erythroleukemia cells.
Finally, a short hairpin RNA study showed that FUT8 down-regulation induced hemoglobin production and increase of transferrin receptor/glycophorin A-positive cells in human erythroleukemia K562 cells.
The use of this method permits the sensitive identification of GYPA transcripts in these cells and confirms GPA protein expression in the erythroleukemia cell lines and the MN phenotypes of individuals determined by immunolabeling with GPA allele-specific monoclonal antibodies.