Comparative sequence analysis of the mouse and human transferrin promoters: hormonal regulation of the transferring promoter in Sertoli cells.

摘要

A 3-kb mouse transferrin promoter was cloned and sequenced. Comparison with the human transferrin promoter revealed a conserved regulatory element; the proximal 90 bp of the promoter was 80% homologous in the 2 species. The previously identified protected regions in the proximal human promoter were also conserved in the mouse transferrin promoter. Sequence analysis revealed that an E-box response element was also conserved between mouse and human promoters. Deletion mutants of the mouse transferrinpromoter were generated in chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter constructs to study the regulation of the transferrin promoter in Sertoli cells. The mouse 581-bp proximal transferrin promoter was sufficient to obtain basal expression. A putativec-AMP response element in the minimal promoter may be needed for FSH actions mediated via c-AMP. Other regulatory agents, such as the testicular paracrine factor PModS, used elements in the upstream region. A repressor was identified 2.5 kb upstream fromthe start site of translation. It is suggested that a minimal promoter is sufficient for basal transcription, but the upstream regions of the promoter are needed for the hormonal regulation of the transferrin gene in Sertoli cells.