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. 1990 Jun;10(6):3145–3154. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.6.3145

Complex regulation of the immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain gene enhancer: microB, a new determinant of enhancer function.

B Nelsen 1, T Kadesch 1, R Sen 1
PMCID: PMC360679  PMID: 2111446

Abstract

The B-lymphocyte-specific activity of the immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain gene enhancer has been attributed to the octamer motif (ATTTGCAT) present within the enhancer that binds a B-cell-specific factor designated NF-A2/OTF-2. However, significant residual enhancer activity even after deletion of this element has suggested the presence of a second critical functional determinant. We have used deletion and mutational analyses to define an element, microB (TTTGGGGAA), that is essential for B-cell-specific enhancer activity in S194 myeloma cells in the absence of the octamer. Transfection analysis in a panel of lymphoid cell lines suggests that the presence of either microB or octamer leads to considerable enhancer activity in cell lines representing later stages of B-cell differentiation, whereas both elements are needed for function in cell lines representing earlier stages. Furthermore, in contrast to the results in pre-B-cell lines, both microB and octamer elements function independently in certain T-cell lines in which the mu enhancer is active.

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Selected References

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