Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Tissue-specific activity of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene promoter

Journal Article · · Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States)
The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene is specifically expressed in corticotroph cells of the anterior pituitary. To define the POMC promoter sequences responsible for tissue-specific expression, we assessed POMC promoter activity by gene transfer into POMC-expressing pituitary tumor cells (AtT-20) and fibroblast L cells. The rat POMC promoter was only efficiently utilized and correctly transcribed in AtT-20 cells. 5'-End deletion analysis revealed two promoter regions for activity in AtT-20 cells. When tested by fusion to a heterologuous promoter, DNA fragments corresponding to both regions exhibited tissue-specific activity, suggesting the presence of at least two tissue-specific DNA sequence elements within the promoter. In summary, POMC promoter sequences from -480 to -34 base pairs appear sufficient to mimic the specificity of anterior pituitary expression.
Research Organization:
Laboratoire de Biologie Moleculaire des Eucaryotes, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7 (CA)
OSTI ID:
7070705
Journal Information:
Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States), Journal Name: Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States) Vol. 7:11; ISSN MCEBD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English