Reduced Rate of beta-Globin mRNA Translation in beta-Thalassemia

The synthesis of α and β-globin have been determined in normal and thalassemic erythroid cells, incubated at temperatures decreasing from 37 to 10°C. Synthesis of β-globin by thalassemic reticulocytes decreased with temperature clearly less than α and β-globin synthesis by normal erythroid cells, and also less than α-globin synthesis by thalassemic reticulocytes. Consequently the excess of α-globin synthesis, typical of β-thalassemia, disappeared when cells where incubated at temperatures of approximately 10°C. The normalization of β-globin synthesis, obtained in our experimental conditions, clearly suggests that the defect of β-globin synthesis, characteristic of β-thalassemia, does not result from a reduction in amount of β-globin messenger, but rather from a reduction of the rate of β-globin mBNA translation.