NPRL3 and thalassemia: As α-globin enhancers are required for α-globin expression on the allele in cis, Nprl3+/AEKO is equivalent to the expression of 2 of 4 functional α-globin genes (such as in α0-thalassaemia carriers and alpha-thalassaemia mice, including Hbath-J (− −/aa)).