Overlapping protein-binding sites within a negative regulatory element modulate the brain-preferential expression of the human HPRT gene
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States); and others
The hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene, whose deficiency in humans causes the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, is constitutively expressed at low levels in all tissues but at higher levels in the brain, the significance and mechanism of which is unknown. Towards dissecting this molecular mechanism, we have previously identified a 182 bp element (hHPRT-NE) within the 5{prime}-flanking region of the human HPRT gene which is involved not only in conferring neuronal specificity but also in repressing gene expression in non-neuronal tissues. Here we report that this element interacts with different nuclear proteins, some of which are present specifically in neuronal cells (complex I) and others of which are present in cells showing constitutive expression of the gene (complex II). In addition, we found that complex I factors are expressed in human NT2/D1 cells following induction of neuronal differentiation by retinoic acid. This finding correlates with an increase of HPRT gene transcription following neuronal differentiation, as demonstrated by RT-PCR and RNAase protection assays. We also mapped the binding sites for both complexes to a 60 bp region which, when tested by transient transfections in cultured fibroblasts, functioned as a repressor element. Methylation interference footprinting revealed a minimal unique DNA motif as the binding site for nuclear proteins from both neuronal and non-neuronal sources. Moreover, UV-crosslinking experiments showed that both complexes are formed by the association of several distinct proteins. Strikingly, site-directed mutagenesis of the footprinted region indicated that different nucleotides are essential for the association of these two complexes. These data suggest that differential formation of DNA-protein complexes at this regulatory domain could be a major determinant in the brain-preferential expression of the human HPRT gene.
- OSTI ID:
- 133864
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009-; ISSN 0002-9297; TRN: 95:005313-0598
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 55, Issue Suppl.3; Conference: 44. annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Montreal (Canada), 18-22 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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