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Thyroid hormone regulates expression of a transfected human. alpha. -myosin heavy-chain fusion gene in fetal rat heart cells

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson (USA)
  2. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (USA)

The rat {alpha}-myosin heavy-chain ({alpha}-MHC) gene is regulated by 3,5,3{prime}-triiodo-L-thyronine (T{sub 3}) in ventricular myocardium and is constitutively expressed in atrial tissue. Less is known about regulation of the human gene, but conservation of sequences in the 5{prime}-flanking region between the rat and human {alpha}-MHC genes suggests that the human gene may be regulated similarly. Accordingly, T{sub 3}-responsiveness and tissue-specific expression of human and rat {alpha}-MHC/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion constructs have been compared in rat fetal heart cells, L{sub 6}E{sub 9} myoblasts and myotubes, 3T3 fibroblasts, and HeLa cells. Transient transfection assays revealed a complex series of cis-regulatory elements in the 5{prime}-flanking sequences in the human genes, including a basal promoter element with canonical TATAA and CAAT sequences, two positive regulatory element(s), and two negative regulatory-elements, which markedly diminished both constitutive and T{sub 3}-inducible activity. Interestingly, the human gene seemed to contain a proximal thyroid-hormone response element(s) not found in the rat gene. The authors propose that interactions among the thyroid hormone responsive elements and other cis-acting elements in the human {alpha}-MHC 5{prime}-flanking sequences may be sufficient to explain the characteristic features of expression of this gene in cardiac tissues.

OSTI ID:
6941408
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 87:1; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English