Abstract
We have identified a previously undetected cis-acting element in the mouse beta-major globin promoter region that is necessary for maximal transcription levels of the gene in the inducible preerythroid murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cell line. This element, termed the beta-globin direct-repeat element (beta DRE), consists of a directly repeated 10-base-pair sequence, 5'-AGGGCAG(G)AGC-3', that lies just upstream from the TATA box of the promoter. The beta DRE motif is highly conserved in all adult mammalian beta-globin promoter sequences known. Mutation of either single repeat alone caused less than a twofold decrease in transcript levels. However, simultaneous mutation of both repeated regions resulted in a ninefold decrease in accumulated transcripts when the gene was transiently transfected into MEL cells. Attachment of the beta DRE to a heterologous promoter had little effect on levels of accumulated transcripts initiated from the promoter in undifferentiated MEL cells but resulted in a threefold increase in transcript levels in induced (differentiated) MEL cells. Similarly, a comparison of the relative effects of mutations in the beta DRE in uninduced and induced MEL cells indicated that the element was more active in induced cells. The increase in beta DRE activity upon MEL cell differentiation and the more pronounced effects of mutations in both repeats of the beta DRE have implications for the mechanism of action of the element in regulating beta-globin transcription and for mutational studies of other repetitive or redundant transcription elements.
Full text
PDF









Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Antoniou M., deBoer E., Habets G., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin gene contains multiple regulatory regions: identification of one promoter and two downstream enhancers. EMBO J. 1988 Feb;7(2):377–384. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02824.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bösze Z., Thiesen H. J., Charnay P. A transcriptional enhancer with specificity for erythroid cells is located in the long terminal repeat of the Friend murine leukemia virus. EMBO J. 1986 Jul;5(7):1615–1623. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04404.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chao M. V., Mellon P., Charnay P., Maniatis T., Axel R. The regulated expression of beta-globin genes introduced into mouse erythroleukemia cells. Cell. 1983 Feb;32(2):483–493. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90468-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Charnay P., Mellon P., Maniatis T. Linker scanning mutagenesis of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse beta-major-globin gene: sequence requirements for transcription in erythroid and nonerythroid cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Jun;5(6):1498–1511. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.6.1498. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Charnay P., Treisman R., Mellon P., Chao M., Axel R., Maniatis T. Differences in human alpha- and beta-globin gene expression in mouse erythroleukemia cells: the role of intragenic sequences. Cell. 1984 Aug;38(1):251–263. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90547-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cowie A., Myers R. M. DNA sequences involved in transcriptional regulation of the mouse beta-globin promoter in murine erythroleukemia cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Aug;8(8):3122–3128. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.8.3122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Deisseroth A., Hendrick D. Human alpha-globin gene expression following chromosomal dependent gene transfer into mouse erythroleukemia cells. Cell. 1978 Sep;15(1):55–63. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90082-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dierks P., van Ooyen A., Cochran M. D., Dobkin C., Reiser J., Weissmann C. Three regions upstream from the cap site are required for efficient and accurate transcription of the rabbit beta-globin gene in mouse 3T6 cells. Cell. 1983 Mar;32(3):695–706. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90055-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dodgson J. B., Engel J. D. The nucleotide sequence of the adult chicken alpha-globin genes. J Biol Chem. 1983 Apr 10;258(7):4623–4629. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Erbil C., Niessing J. The primary structure of the duck alpha D-globin gene: an unusual 5' splice junction sequence. EMBO J. 1983;2(8):1339–1343. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01589.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Favaloro J., Treisman R., Kamen R. Transcription maps of polyoma virus-specific RNA: analysis by two-dimensional nuclease S1 gel mapping. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):718–749. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65070-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Friend C., Scher W., Holland J. G., Sato T. Hemoglobin synthesis in murine virus-induced leukemic cells in vitro: stimulation of erythroid differentiation by dimethyl sulfoxide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Feb;68(2):378–382. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.2.378. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Glanville N., Durnam D. M., Palmiter R. D. Structure of mouse metallothionein-I gene and its mRNA. Nature. 1981 Jul 16;292(5820):267–269. doi: 10.1038/292267a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grosveld G. C., Rosenthal A., Flavell R. A. Sequence requirements for the transcription of the rabbit beta-globin gene in vivo: the -80 region. Nucleic Acids Res. 1982 Aug 25;10(16):4951–4971. doi: 10.1093/nar/10.16.4951. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grosveld G. C., de Boer E., Shewmaker C. K., Flavell R. A. DNA sequences necessary for transcription of the rabbit beta-globin gene in vivo. Nature. 1982 Jan 14;295(5845):120–126. doi: 10.1038/295120a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hardison R. C., Butler E. T., 3rd, Lacy E., Maniatis T., Rosenthal N., Efstratiadis A. The structure and transcription of four linked rabbit beta-like globin genes. Cell. 1979 Dec;18(4):1285–1297. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90239-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Haynes J. R., Rosteck P., Jr, Lingrel J. B. Unusual sequence homology at the 5-ends of the developmentally regulated beta A-, beta C-, and gamma-globin genes of the goat. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7127–7131. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7127. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hofer E., Darnell J. E., Jr The primary transcription unit of the mouse beta-major globin gene. Cell. 1981 Feb;23(2):585–593. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90154-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jones K. A., Tjian R. Sp1 binds to promoter sequences and activates herpes simplex virus 'immediate-early' gene transcription in vitro. Nature. 1985 Sep 12;317(6033):179–182. doi: 10.1038/317179a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kamen R., Jat P., Treisman R., Favaloro J., Folk W. R. 5' termini of polyoma virus early region transcripts synthesized in vivo by wild-type virus and viable deletion mutants. J Mol Biol. 1982 Aug 5;159(2):189–224. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90493-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kingston R. E., Schuetz T. J., Larin Z. Heat-inducible human factor that binds to a human hsp70 promoter. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Apr;7(4):1530–1534. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.4.1530. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kollias G., Hurst J., deBoer E., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin gene contains a downstream developmental specific enhancer. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Jul 24;15(14):5739–5747. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.14.5739. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Konkel D. A., Tilghman S. M., Leder P. The sequence of the chromosomal mouse beta-globin major gene: homologies in capping, splicing and poly(A) sites. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1125–1132. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90040-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kretschmer P. J., Coon H. C., Davis A., Harrison M., Nienhuis A. W. Hemoglobin switching in sheep. Isolation of the fetal gamma-globin gene and demonstration that the fetal gamma- and adult beta A-globin genes lie within eight kilobase segments of homologous DNA. J Biol Chem. 1981 Feb 25;256(4):1975–1982. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Krieg P. A., Melton D. A. In vitro RNA synthesis with SP6 RNA polymerase. Methods Enzymol. 1987;155:397–415. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)55027-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kunkel T. A., Roberts J. D., Zakour R. A. Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection. Methods Enzymol. 1987;154:367–382. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)54085-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lawn R. M., Efstratiadis A., O'Connell C., Maniatis T. The nucleotide sequence of the human beta-globin gene. Cell. 1980 Oct;21(3):647–651. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90428-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Marks P. A., Rifkind R. A. Erythroleukemic differentiation. Annu Rev Biochem. 1978;47:419–448. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.47.070178.002223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martin S. L., Vincent K. A., Wilson A. C. Rise and fall of the delta globin gene. J Mol Biol. 1983 Mar 15;164(4):513–528. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(83)90048-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Myers R. M., Tilly K., Maniatis T. Fine structure genetic analysis of a beta-globin promoter. Science. 1986 May 2;232(4750):613–618. doi: 10.1126/science.3457470. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Poncz M., Schwartz E., Ballantine M., Surrey S. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the delta beta-globin gene region in humans. J Biol Chem. 1983 Oct 10;258(19):11599–11609. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Savatier P., Trabuchet G., Faure C., Chebloune Y., Gouy M., Verdier G., Nigon V. M. Evolution of the primate beta-globin gene region. High rate of variation in CpG dinucleotides and in short repeated sequences between man and chimpanzee. J Mol Biol. 1985 Mar 5;182(1):21–29. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90024-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schimenti J. C., Duncan C. H. Ruminant globin gene structures suggest an evolutionary role for Alu-type repeats. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Feb 10;12(3):1641–1655. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.3.1641. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Seiler-Tuyns A., Birnstiel M. L. Structure and expression in L-cells of a cloned H4 histone gene of the mouse. J Mol Biol. 1981 Oct 5;151(4):607–625. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(81)90426-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Simon M. C., Fisch T. M., Benecke B. J., Nevins J. R., Heintz N. Definition of multiple, functionally distinct TATA elements, one of which is a target in the hsp70 promoter for E1A regulation. Cell. 1988 Mar 11;52(5):723–729. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90410-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stuart G. W., Searle P. F., Chen H. Y., Brinster R. L., Palmiter R. D. A 12-base-pair DNA motif that is repeated several times in metallothionein gene promoters confers metal regulation to a heterologous gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Dec;81(23):7318–7322. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.23.7318. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Taylor I. C., Kingston R. E. Factor substitution in a human HSP70 gene promoter: TATA-dependent and TATA-independent interactions. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jan;10(1):165–175. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Treisman R. Transient accumulation of c-fos RNA following serum stimulation requires a conserved 5' element and c-fos 3' sequences. Cell. 1985 Oct;42(3):889–902. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90285-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Trudel M., Costantini F. A 3' enhancer contributes to the stage-specific expression of the human beta-globin gene. Genes Dev. 1987 Nov;1(9):954–961. doi: 10.1101/gad.1.9.954. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Volloch V., Housman D. Stability of globin mRNA in terminally differentiating murine erythroleukemia cells. Cell. 1981 Feb;23(2):509–514. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90146-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wong C., Dowling C. E., Saiki R. K., Higuchi R. G., Erlich H. A., Kazazian H. H., Jr Characterization of beta-thalassaemia mutations using direct genomic sequencing of amplified single copy DNA. 1987 Nov 26-Dec 2Nature. 330(6146):384–386. doi: 10.1038/330384a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wright S., Rosenthal A., Flavell R., Grosveld F. DNA sequences required for regulated expression of beta-globin genes in murine erythroleukemia cells. Cell. 1984 Aug;38(1):265–273. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90548-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wright S., deBoer E., Grosveld F. G., Flavell R. A. Regulated expression of the human beta-globin gene family in murine erythroleukaemia cells. Nature. 1983 Sep 22;305(5932):333–336. doi: 10.1038/305333a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]