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. 1989 Mar;9(3):1200–1211. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.3.1200

Identification of transcriptional regulatory elements in human mitochondrial DNA by linker substitution analysis.

J N Topper 1, D A Clayton 1
PMCID: PMC362711  PMID: 2725494

Abstract

Human mitochondrial DNA contains two major promoters, one for transcription of each strand of the helix. Previous mapping and mutagenesis data have localized these regulatory elements and have suggested regions important to their function. In order to define, at high resolution, the sequences critical for accurate and efficient transcriptional initiation, a linker substitution analysis of the entire promoter region was performed. Each promoter was shown to consist of approximately 50 base pairs comprising two functionally distinct elements. These and previous data strongly support a mode of transcription initiation requiring minimal sequences surrounding the initiation sites that are likely interactive with core polymerase and upstream regulatory domains capable of binding a transcription factor that modulates the efficiency of transcription initiation. Furthermore, in at least one case, this upstream regulatory domain is capable of operating bidirectionally.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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