scholarly journals The chromatin landscape of the casein gene locus

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Rijnkels ◽  
Elena Kabotyanski ◽  
Amy Shore ◽  
Jeffrey M. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Hormonal Regulation ◽  
Dna Looping ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Specific Factor ◽  
Distal Enhancer ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Casein Gene ◽  
Cooperative Effects ◽  
Conserved Sequence

AbstractFor several decades, the regulation of casein gene expression by the lactogenic hormones, prolactin and glucocorticoids, has provided an excellent model system in which to study how steroid and peptide hormones regulate gene expression. Early studies of casein gene regulation defined conserved sequence elements in the 5′ flanking region of these genes, including one of which was identified as a γ-interferon activation sequence (GAS). Although this site was thought to interact with a mammary gland-specific factor, purification and cloning of this factor by Bernd Groner and his colleagues revealed it was instead a new member of the signal transducers and activators of transcription family, Stat5, which was expressed in many tissues. The exquisite tissue-specific expression of the casein genes was subsequently shown to depend not on a single transcription factor but on composite response elements that interacted with a number of ubiquitous transcription factors in response to the combinatorial effects of peptide and steroid hormone signaling. More recent studies have defined cooperative effects of prolactin and glucocorticoids as well as antagonistic effects of progesterone on the chromatin structure of both the casein gene proximal promoter region as well as a distal enhancer. Local chromatin modifications as well as long-range interactions facilitated by DNA looping are required for the hormonal regulation of β-

scholarly journals Olfactory expression of trace amine-associated receptors requires cooperative cis-acting enhancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ami Shah ◽  
Madison Ratkowski ◽  
Alessandro Rosa ◽  
Paul Feinstein ◽  
Thomas Bozza
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Cis Acting ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Trace Amine ◽  
Sequence Elements ◽  
Cell Type Specific Expression ◽  
Cell Type Specific

AbstractOlfactory sensory neurons express a large family of odorant receptors (ORs) and a small family of trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). While both families are subject to so-called singular expression (expression of one allele of one gene), the mechanisms underlying TAAR gene choice remain obscure. Here, we report the identification of two conserved sequence elements in the mouse TAAR cluster (T-elements) that are required for TAAR gene expression. We observed that cell-type-specific expression of a TAAR-derived transgene required either T-element. Moreover, deleting either element reduced or abolished expression of a subset of TAAR genes, while deleting both elements abolished olfactory expression of all TAARs in cis with the mutation. The T-elements exhibit several features of known OR enhancers but also contain highly conserved, unique sequence motifs. Our data demonstrate that TAAR gene expression requires two cooperative cis-acting enhancers and suggest that ORs and TAARs share similar mechanisms of singular expression.

221 EPIGENETIC DYNAMICS OF PLURIPOTENCY GENES IN THE CONTEXT OF DIFFERENTIATION AND NUCLEAR REPROGRAMMING DETERMINED BY Q2ChIP, A QUICK AND QUANTITATIVE CHROMATIN IMMUNOPRECIPITATION TECHNIQUE APPLICABLE TO SMALL CELL SAMPLES

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Dahl ◽  
C. K. Taranger ◽  
P. Collas
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Extract ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Nuclear Reprogramming ◽  
Distal Enhancer ◽  
Developmentally Regulated

Interactions between proteins and DNA are essential for cellular functions such as genomic stability, DNA replication and repair, chromosome segregation, transcription, and epigenetic silencing of gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a key technique for mapping histone modifications and transcription factor binding on DNA and thereby unraveling the role of epigenetics in the regulation of gene expression. Current ChIP protocols require extensive sample handling and large numbers of cells (5-10 million). primarily owing to ample loss of material during the procedure. We altered critical steps of conventional ChIP to develop a quick and quantitative (Q2) ChIP assay suitable for cell numbers 100- to 1000-fold lower than those required for conventional ChIP. Key modifications of the ChIP procedure include (i) formaldehyde DNA–protein cross-linking in suspended cells, (ii) cross-linking in the presence of 20 mM sodium butyrate to enhance specificity of precipitation of acetylated histones, (iii) transfer of washed precipitated immune complexes to a clean tube ('tube shift') to increase ChIP specificity by virtually eliminating nonspecifically bound chromatin, and (iv) combination of cross-link reversal, protein digestion, and DNA elution into a single 2-h step. We used Q2ChIP to monitor changes in 6 histone H3 modifications on the human developmentally regulated genes OCT4 (POU5F1), NANOG, and LMNA (lamin A) in the context of retinoic acid (RA)-mediated differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells and upon reprogramming of kidney epithelial 293T cells to pluripotency in carcinoma cell extract (Taranger et al. 2005 Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 5719–5735). Real-time PCR analysis of precipitated DNA unravels an unexpected two-step heterochromatin assembly elicited by RA on the OCT4 proximal promoter, proximal enhancer, and distal enhancer, and on the NANOG promoter, whereby methylation of H3K9 and H3K27 is followed by H3K9 deacetylation. H3K4 di- and trimethylation remain relatively unaffected by RA treatment. In contrast, reprogramming of 293T cells in carcinoma extract promotes assembly of histone marks characteristic of transcriptional induction of OCT4 and NANOG, such as acetylation and demethylation of H3K9. The results argue toward ordered chromatin repackaging at developmentally regulated promoters upon differentiation or, conversely, nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency.

JG cell expression and partial regulation of a human renin genomic transgene driven by a minimal renin promoter

1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (4) ◽  
pp. F634-F642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Sinn ◽  
Xiaoji Zhang ◽  
Curt D. Sigmund
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibition ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Renin Synthesis ◽  
Human Renin ◽  
Renin Gene ◽  
Renin Mrna ◽  
Cell Expression

In the kidney, renin gene expression is exquisitely localized to the juxtaglomerular (JG) cells lining the afferent arteriole, having the capacity to regulate renin synthesis in response to a variety of physiological cues. We investigated human renin gene expression in transgenic mice containing a genomic construct driven by 149 bp of its proximal promoter to elucidate whether this was sufficient to confer JG-specific expression. Whereas human renin mRNA was permissively expressed in most tissues, the transgene was expressed mainly in JG cells in the kidney. Active human renin and human prorenin were found in the systemic circulation at levels consistent with previous transgenic models. Remarkably, two lines displayed an appropriate upregulation of transgene mRNA in response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, and two lines exhibited a downregulation of transgene mRNA in response to subpressor and pressor doses of ANG II. Our results suggest that 149 bp of the human renin proximal promoter, in a context of a genomic construct, are sufficient to confer human renin expression in renal JG cells and at least some aspects of appropriate regulation.

Functional study of the equine β-casein and κ-casein gene promoters

2005 ◽  
Vol 72 (S1) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Lenasi ◽  
Nadja Kokalj-Vokac ◽  
Mojca Narat ◽  
Antonella Baldi ◽  
Peter Dovc
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mammary Gland ◽  
Reporter Gene ◽  
Gene Promoter ◽  
Reporter Gene Expression ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Casein Gene ◽  
Casein Genes

Casein genes are expressed in a tissue-specific and highly coordinated manner. The main goals of casein gene promoter studies are to unravel cis- and trans-acting factors involved in the complex signalling pathway controlling milk production, and to explore the possibility of using these promoters for tissue-specific production of heterologous proteins in the mammary gland. Here we present a comparative study of the equine β-casein and κ-casein gene proximal promoters. In order to confirm the assumption that in the horse, as in other mammalian species, casein genes are organized in a cluster located on a single chromosome, we performed in situ hybridization of pro-metaphase chromosomes with two BAC clones containing different equine casein genes. Sequence analysis of the β-casein and κ-casein gene proximal promoters revealed binding sites for activators (STAT5, GRE, NF1, MAF) and repressors (YY1, PMF), characteristic for casein genes. The alignments of casein gene promoters revealed the highest sequence identity in the proximal promoter region between the equine and human β-casein gene promoters. We directly compared the activity of equine β-casein and κ-casein gene promoters in vitro using bovine mammary gland cell line BME-UV1. In this system, the κ-casein gene proximal promoter activated the reporter gene expression more efficiently than the β-casein gene promoter of approximately the same length. The 810 bp of β-casein promoter activated the reporter gene expression more efficiently than the long fragment (1920 bp) and the 1206 bp fragment of the same promoter, which included also 396 bp of 5′ UTR.

scholarly journals POU domain transcription factor brain 4 confers pancreatic alpha-cell-specific expression of the proglucagon gene through interaction with a novel proximal promoter G1 element.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 7186-7194 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Hussain ◽  
J Lee ◽  
C P Miller ◽  
J F Habener
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Alpha Cell ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Major Constituent ◽  
Alpha Cells ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Pou Domain ◽  
Pancreatic Alpha Cell

The proglucagon gene is expressed in a highly restricted tissue-specific manner in the alpha cells of the pancreatic islet, the hypothalamus, and the small and large intestines. Proglucagon is processed to glucagon and glucagon-like peptides GLP-1 and -2. Glucagon is expressed in alpha cells and regulates glucose homeostasis. GLP-1 is implicated in the control of insulin secretion, food intake, and satiety signaling, and GLP-2 is implicated in regulating small-bowel growth. Cell-specific expression of the proglucagon gene is mediated by proteins that interact with the proximal G1 promoter element which contains several AT-rich domains with binding sites for homeodomain transcription factors. In an attempt to identify major homeodomain proteins involved in pancreatic alpha-cell-specific proglucagon expression, we found that the POU domain transcription factor brain 4 is abundantly expressed in proglucagon-producing islet cell lines and rat pancreatic islets. In the latter, brain 4 and glucagon immunoreactivity colocalize in the outer mantle of islets. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with specific antisera identify brain 4 as a major constituent of nuclear proteins of glucagon-producing cells that bind to the G1 element of the proglucagon gene proximal promoter. Transcriptional transactivation experiments reveal that brain 4 is a major regulator of proglucagon gene expression by its interaction with the G1 element. The finding that a neuronal transcription factor is involved in glucagon gene transcription may explain the presence of proglucagon in certain areas of the brain as well as in pancreatic alpha cells. Further, this finding supports the idea that the neuronal properties of endodermis-derived endocrine pancreatic cells may find their basis in regulation of gene expression by neuronal transcription factors.

A negative element involved in vimentin gene expression

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2349-2358
Author(s):  
F X Farrell ◽  
C M Sax ◽  
Z E Zehner
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Protein Distribution ◽  
Distal Enhancer ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Negative Element ◽  
Nuclear Extracts ◽  
Vimentin Gene

Vimentin is one member of the intermediate filament multigene family which exhibits both tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression. In vivo, vimentin is expressed in cells of mesenchymal origin. Previously, we identified both enhancer and promoter elements in the chicken vimentin gene which regulate gene expression in a positive manner. In this report, we have identified a 40-base-pair region at -568 base pairs between the proximal and distal enhancer elements which represses transcriptional activity. This silencer region can also repress the heterologous herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, which is comparable to the vimentin promoter. In addition, the element is able to function in a position- and orientation-independent manner, and the amount of repression is increased by multiple copies. Here we show by gel retardation assays and DNase I footprinting that this region binds a protein in nuclear extracts from HeLa cells. Southwestern (DNA-protein) blot analysis indicates this protein is approximately 95 kilodaltons in size. Moreover, protein distribution and activity mimic the expression pattern of vimentin during myogenesis, i.e., protein binding increases as vimentin gene expression decreases. The silencer region shares strong sequence similarity with 5'-flanking sequences found in both the human and hamster vimentin genes and with other characterized silencer elements, including the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat, rat growth hormone, chicken lysozyme, and rat insulin genes. Thus, a negative element appears to bind a 95-kilodalton protein involved in regulating the tissue-specific expression of the chicken vimentin gene.

scholarly journals A systems genetics approach identifiesTrp53inp2as a link between cardiomyocyte glucose utilization and hypertrophic response

2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (4) ◽  
pp. H728-H741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus M. Seldin ◽  
Eric D. Kim ◽  
Milagros C. Romay ◽  
Shen Li ◽  
Christoph D. Rau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Glucose Utilization ◽  
Specific Factor ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Glucose Content ◽  
Rat Cardiomyocytes ◽  
Utilization Factor ◽  
Hypertrophic Response ◽  
Elevated Glucose

Cardiac failure has been widely associated with an increase in glucose utilization. The aim of our study was to identify factors that mechanistically bridge this link between hyperglycemia and heart failure. Here, we screened the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HMDP) for substrate-specific cardiomyocyte candidates based on heart transcriptional profile and circulating nutrients. Next, we utilized an in vitro model of rat cardiomyocytes to demonstrate that the gene expression changes were in direct response to substrate abundance. After overlaying candidates of interest with a separate HMDP study evaluating isoproterenol-induced heart failure, we chose to focus on the gene Trp53inp2 as a cardiomyocyte glucose utilization-specific factor. Trp53inp2 gene knockdown in rat cardiomyocytes reduced expression and protein abundance of key glycolytic enzymes. This resulted in reduction of both glucose uptake and glycogen content in cardiomyocytes stimulated with isoproterenol. Furthermore, this reduction effectively blunted the capacity of glucose and isoprotereonol to synergistically induce hypertrophic gene expression and cell size expansion. We conclude that Trp53inp2 serves as regulator of cardiomyocyte glycolytic activity and can consequently regulate hypertrophic response in the context of elevated glucose content.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we apply a novel method for screening transcripts based on a substrate-specific expression pattern to identify Trp53inp2 as an induced cardiomyocyte glucose utilization factor. We further show that reducing expression of the gene could effectively blunt hypertrophic response in the context of elevated glucose content.

CpG islands in genes showing tissue-specific expression

1990 ◽  
Vol 326 (1235) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Tissue Expression ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Promoter Regions ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Single Cell Type

Patterns of DNA methylation at GpG dinucleotides and their relations with gene expression are complex. Methylation-free CpG clusters, so-called HTF islands, are most often associated with the promoter regions of housekeeping genes, whereas genes expressed in a single-cell type are usually deficient in these sequences. However, in the human carbonic anhydrase (CA) gene family, both the ubiquitously expressed CAII and the muscle specific CAIII appear to have such CpG islands although erythrocyte-specific CAI does not. The CAII island is quantitatively more CpG rich than that of CAIII, with a CpG :GpC ratio of 0.94 compared with 0.82 for CAIII. Estimation of CpG:GpC ratios in the proximal-promoter regions of 44 vertebrate genes suggest that 40% of genes with tissue-specific or limited tissue distribution may show methylation-free CpG clusters in their promoter regions. In many cases the CpG:GpC ratio is less than that found in housekeeping genes and this may reflect variation in the interaction of CpG clusters with regulatory factors that define different patterns of tissue expression.

scholarly journals RNA transcribed from a distal enhancer is required for activating the chromatin at the promoter of the gonadotropin α-subunit gene

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (14) ◽  
pp. 4369-4374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilach Pnueli ◽  
Sergei Rudnizky ◽  
Yahav Yosefzon ◽  
Philippa Melamed
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Subunit Gene ◽  
Distal Enhancer ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Total Histone ◽  
Α Subunit

Since the discovery that many transcriptional enhancers are transcribed into long noncoding RNAs termed “enhancer RNAs” (eRNAs), their putative role in enhancer function has been debated. Very recent evidence has indicted that some eRNAs play a role in initiating or activating transcription, possibly by helping recruit and/or stabilize binding of the general transcription machinery to the proximal promoter of their target genes. The distal enhancer of the gonadotropin hormone α-subunit gene, chorionic gonadotropin alpha (Cga), is responsible for Cga cell-specific expression in gonadotropes and thyrotropes, and we show here that it encodes two bidirectional nonpolyadenylated RNAs whose levels are increased somewhat by exposure to gonadotropin-releasing hormone but are not necessarily linked to Cga transcriptional activity. Knockdown of the more distal eRNA led to a drop in Cga mRNA levels, initially without effect on the forward eRNA levels. With time, however, the repression on the Cga increased, and the forward eRNA levels were suppressed also. We demonstrate that the interaction of the enhancer with the promoter is lost after eRNA knockdown. Dramatic changes also were seen in the chromatin, with an increase in total histone H3 occupancy throughout this region and a virtual loss of histone H3 Lys 4 trimethylation at the promoter following the eRNA knockdown. Moreover, histone H3 Lys 27 (H3K27) acetylation, which was found at both enhancer and promoter in wild-type cells, appeared to have been replaced by H3K27 trimethylation at the enhancer. Thus, the Cga eRNA mediates the physical interaction between these genomic regions and determines the chromatin structure of the proximal promoter to allow gene expression.

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