Skip to main content
PMC home page
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1988 Oct;8(10):4120–4133. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.10.4120

A common factor regulates skeletal and cardiac alpha-actin gene transcription in muscle.

G E Muscat 1, T A Gustafson 1, L Kedes 1
PMCID: PMC365481  PMID: 3185543

Abstract

The skeletal and cardiac alpha-actin genes are coexpressed in muscle development but exhibit distinctive tissue-specific patterns of expression. We used an in vivo competition assay and an in vitro electrophoretic mobility shift assay to demonstrate that both genes interact with a common trans-acting factor(s). However, there was at least one gene-specific cis-acting sequence in the skeletal alpha-actin gene that interacted with a trans-acting factor which was not rate limiting in the expression of the cardiac alpha-actin gene. The common factor(s) interacted with several cis-acting regions that corresponded to sequences that are required for the transcriptional modulation of these sarcomeric alpha-actin genes in muscle cells. These regulatory regions contained the sequence motif CC(A + T-rich)6GG, which is known as a CArG box. Results of in vivo competition assays demonstrated that the factor(s) bound by the skeletal alpha-actin gene is also essential for the maximal activity of the cardiac alpha-actin, simian virus 40 (SV40), alpha 2(I)-collagen, and the beta-actin promoters in muscle cells. In contrast, fibroblastic cells contained functionally distinct transcription factor(s) that were used by the SV40 enhancer but that did not interact with the sarcomeric alpha-actin cis-acting sequences. The existence of functionally different factors in these cell types may explain the myogenic specificity of these sarcomeric alpha-actin genes. Results of in vitro studies suggested that both the sarcomeric alpha-actin genes interact with the CArG box-binding factor CBF and that the skeletal alpha-actin promoter contains multiple CBF-binding sites. In contrast, CBF did not interact in vitro with a classical CAAT box, the SV40 enhancer, or a linker scanner mutation of an alpha-actin CArG box. Furthermore, methylation interference and DNase I footprinting assays demonstrated the precise sites of interaction of CBF with three CArG motifs at positions -98, -179, and -225 in the human skeletal alpha-actin gene.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

4125Image
on p.4125
4125Image
on p.4125
4126Image
on p.4126
4127Image
on p.4127
4128Image
on p.4128
4128Image
on p.4128
4129Image
on p.4129
4130Image
on p.4130

Selected References

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

  1. Alwine J. C. Transient gene expression control: effects of transfected DNA stability and trans-activation by viral early proteins. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 May;5(5):1034–1042. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.5.1034. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Atchison M. L., Perry R. P. The role of the kappa enhancer and its binding factor NF-kappa B in the developmental regulation of kappa gene transcription. Cell. 1987 Jan 16;48(1):121–128. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90362-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bains W., Ponte P., Blau H., Kedes L. Cardiac actin is the major actin gene product in skeletal muscle cell differentiation in vitro. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 Aug;4(8):1449–1453. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.8.1449. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blau H. M., Chiu C. P., Webster C. Cytoplasmic activation of human nuclear genes in stable heterocaryons. Cell. 1983 Apr;32(4):1171–1180. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90300-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Burbeck S., Latter G., Metz E., Leavitt J. Neoplastic human fibroblast proteins are related to epidermal growth factor precursor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Sep;81(17):5360–5363. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.17.5360. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chung J., Sinn E., Reed R. R., Leder P. Trans-acting elements modulate expression of the human c-myc gene in Burkitt lymphoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Oct;83(20):7918–7922. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.20.7918. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davidson I., Fromental C., Augereau P., Wildeman A., Zenke M., Chambon P. Cell-type specific protein binding to the enhancer of simian virus 40 in nuclear extracts. Nature. 1986 Oct 9;323(6088):544–548. doi: 10.1038/323544a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dignam J. D., Lebovitz R. M., Roeder R. G. Accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in a soluble extract from isolated mammalian nuclei. Nucleic Acids Res. 1983 Mar 11;11(5):1475–1489. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.5.1475. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gidoni D., Kadonaga J. T., Barrera-Saldaña H., Takahashi K., Chambon P., Tjian R. Bidirectional SV40 transcription mediated by tandem Sp1 binding interactions. Science. 1985 Nov 1;230(4725):511–517. doi: 10.1126/science.2996137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Godbout R., Ingram R., Tilghman S. M. Multiple regulatory elements in the intergenic region between the alpha-fetoprotein and albumin genes. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Feb;6(2):477–487. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.2.477. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gorman C. M., Moffat L. F., Howard B. H. Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1982 Sep;2(9):1044–1051. doi: 10.1128/mcb.2.9.1044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Graham F. L., van der Eb A. J. A new technique for the assay of infectivity of human adenovirus 5 DNA. Virology. 1973 Apr;52(2):456–467. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(73)90341-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gunning P., Hardeman E., Wade R., Ponte P., Bains W., Blau H. M., Kedes L. Differential patterns of transcript accumulation during human myogenesis. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Nov;7(11):4100–4114. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.11.4100. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gunning P., Ponte P., Blau H., Kedes L. alpha-skeletal and alpha-cardiac actin genes are coexpressed in adult human skeletal muscle and heart. Mol Cell Biol. 1983 Nov;3(11):1985–1995. doi: 10.1128/mcb.3.11.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hammer R. E., Krumlauf R., Camper S. A., Brinster R. L., Tilghman S. M. Diversity of alpha-fetoprotein gene expression in mice is generated by a combination of separate enhancer elements. Science. 1987 Jan 2;235(4784):53–58. doi: 10.1126/science.2432657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hardeman E. C., Chiu C. P., Minty A., Blau H. M. The pattern of actin expression in human fibroblast x mouse muscle heterokaryons suggests that human muscle regulatory factors are produced. Cell. 1986 Oct 10;47(1):123–130. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90373-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Herbomel P., Bourachot B., Yaniv M. Two distinct enhancers with different cell specificities coexist in the regulatory region of polyoma. Cell. 1984 Dec;39(3 Pt 2):653–662. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90472-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hickey R., Skoultchi A., Gunning P., Kedes L. Regulation of a human cardiac actin gene introduced into rat L6 myoblasts suggests a defect in their myogenic program. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Sep;6(9):3287–3290. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.9.3287. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Jameson J. L., Deutsch P. J., Gallagher G. D., Jaffe R. C., Habener J. F. trans-acting factors interact with a cyclic AMP response element to modulate expression of the human gonadotropin alpha gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Sep;7(9):3032–3040. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.9.3032. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kawamoto T., Makino K., Niwa H., Sugiyama H., Kimura S., Amemura M., Nakata A., Kakunaga T. Identification of the human beta-actin enhancer and its binding factor. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Jan;8(1):267–272. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.1.267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Laimins L. A., Khoury G., Gorman C., Howard B., Gruss P. Host-specific activation of transcription by tandem repeats from simian virus 40 and Moloney murine sarcoma virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Nov;79(21):6453–6457. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.21.6453. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Laimins L., Holmgren-König M., Khoury G. Transcriptional "silencer" element in rat repetitive sequences associated with the rat insulin 1 gene locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 May;83(10):3151–3155. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.10.3151. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Lee W., Haslinger A., Karin M., Tjian R. Activation of transcription by two factors that bind promoter and enhancer sequences of the human metallothionein gene and SV40. Nature. 1987 Jan 22;325(6102):368–372. doi: 10.1038/325368a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Maniatis T., Goodbourn S., Fischer J. A. Regulation of inducible and tissue-specific gene expression. Science. 1987 Jun 5;236(4806):1237–1245. doi: 10.1126/science.3296191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Melloul D., Aloni B., Calvo J., Yaffe D., Nudel U. Developmentally regulated expression of chimeric genes containing muscle actin DNA sequences in transfected myogenic cells. EMBO J. 1984 May;3(5):983–990. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1984.tb01917.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mercola M., Goverman J., Mirell C., Calame K. Immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer requires one or more tissue-specific factors. Science. 1985 Jan 18;227(4684):266–270. doi: 10.1126/science.3917575. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Minty A., Blau H., Kedes L. Two-level regulation of cardiac actin gene transcription: muscle-specific modulating factors can accumulate before gene activation. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Jun;6(6):2137–2148. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.6.2137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Minty A., Kedes L. Upstream regions of the human cardiac actin gene that modulate its transcription in muscle cells: presence of an evolutionarily conserved repeated motif. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Jun;6(6):2125–2136. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.6.2125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Miwa T., Boxer L. M., Kedes L. CArG boxes in the human cardiac alpha-actin gene are core binding sites for positive trans-acting regulatory factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Oct;84(19):6702–6706. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.19.6702. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Miwa T., Kedes L. Duplicated CArG box domains have positive and mutually dependent regulatory roles in expression of the human alpha-cardiac actin gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Aug;7(8):2803–2813. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.8.2803. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Mohun T. J., Garrett N., Gurdon J. B. Upstream sequences required for tissue-specific activation of the cardiac actin gene in Xenopus laevis embryos. EMBO J. 1986 Dec 1;5(12):3185–3193. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04628.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Mohun T., Garrett N., Treisman R. Xenopus cytoskeletal actin and human c-fos gene promoters share a conserved protein-binding site. EMBO J. 1987 Mar;6(3):667–673. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb04806.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Muscat G. E., Kedes L. Multiple 5'-flanking regions of the human alpha-skeletal actin gene synergistically modulate muscle-specific expression. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Nov;7(11):4089–4099. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.11.4089. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Nir U., Walker M. D., Rutter W. J. Regulation of rat insulin 1 gene expression: evidence for negative regulation in nonpancreatic cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 May;83(10):3180–3184. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.10.3180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Ondek B., Shepard A., Herr W. Discrete elements within the SV40 enhancer region display different cell-specific enhancer activities. EMBO J. 1987 Apr;6(4):1017–1025. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb04854.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Ordahl C. P., Cooper T. A. Strong homology in promoter and 3'-untranslated regions of chick and rat alpha-actin genes. Nature. 1983 May 26;303(5915):348–349. doi: 10.1038/303348a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Parker C. S., Topol J. A Drosophila RNA polymerase II transcription factor contains a promoter-region-specific DNA-binding activity. Cell. 1984 Feb;36(2):357–369. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90229-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Piette J., Yaniv M. Two different factors bind to the alpha-domain of the polyoma virus enhancer, one of which also interacts with the SV40 and c-fos enhancers. EMBO J. 1987 May;6(5):1331–1337. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02372.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Sassone-Corsi P., Wildeman A., Chambon P. A trans-acting factor is responsible for the simian virus 40 enhancer activity in vitro. Nature. 1985 Feb 7;313(6002):458–463. doi: 10.1038/313458a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Schirm S., Jiricny J., Schaffner W. The SV40 enhancer can be dissected into multiple segments, each with a different cell type specificity. Genes Dev. 1987 Mar;1(1):65–74. doi: 10.1101/gad.1.1.65. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Schmidt A., Rossi P., de Crombrugghe B. Transcriptional control of the mouse alpha 2(I) collagen gene: functional deletion analysis of the promoter and evidence for cell-specific expression. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Feb;6(2):347–354. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.2.347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Scholer H., Haslinger A., Heguy A., Holtgreve H., Karin M. In vivo competition between a metallothionein regulatory element and the SV40 enhancer. Science. 1986 Apr 4;232(4746):76–80. doi: 10.1126/science.3006253. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Schöler H. R., Gruss P. Specific interaction between enhancer-containing molecules and cellular components. Cell. 1984 Feb;36(2):403–411. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90233-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Sen R., Baltimore D. Multiple nuclear factors interact with the immunoglobulin enhancer sequences. Cell. 1986 Aug 29;46(5):705–716. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90346-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Siebenlist U., Gilbert W. Contacts between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and an early promoter of phage T7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jan;77(1):122–126. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.1.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Southern P. J., Berg P. Transformation of mammalian cells to antibiotic resistance with a bacterial gene under control of the SV40 early region promoter. J Mol Appl Genet. 1982;1(4):327–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Sures I., Levy S., Kedes L. H. Leader sequences of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus histone mRNAs start at a unique heptanucleotide common to all five histone genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Mar;77(3):1265–1269. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.3.1265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Sures I., Lowry J., Kedes L. H. The DNA sequence of sea urchin (S. purpuratus) H2A, H2B and H3 histone coding and spacer regions. Cell. 1978 Nov;15(3):1033–1044. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90287-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Treisman R. Identification and purification of a polypeptide that binds to the c-fos serum response element. EMBO J. 1987 Sep;6(9):2711–2717. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02564.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Treisman R. Identification of a protein-binding site that mediates transcriptional response of the c-fos gene to serum factors. Cell. 1986 Aug 15;46(4):567–574. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90882-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Vandekerckhove J., Bugaisky G., Buckingham M. Simultaneous expression of skeletal muscle and heart actin proteins in various striated muscle tissues and cells. A quantitative determination of the two actin isoforms. J Biol Chem. 1986 Feb 5;261(4):1838–1843. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Walsh K., Schimmel P. Two nuclear factors compete for the skeletal muscle actin promoter. J Biol Chem. 1987 Jul 15;262(20):9429–9432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Yaffe D., Saxel O. A myogenic cell line with altered serum requirements for differentiation. Differentiation. 1977;7(3):159–166. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-0436.1977.tb01507.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Yaffe D., Saxel O. Serial passaging and differentiation of myogenic cells isolated from dystrophic mouse muscle. Nature. 1977 Dec 22;270(5639):725–727. doi: 10.1038/270725a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES