title: Downstream region of the human tyrosinase-related protein gene enhances its promoter activity.
abstract: We have cloned and sequenced the human genomic DNA segments encoding the 5'-flanking region and the first two exons of the tyrosinase-related protein (TRP) gene, a pigment cell-specific gene. Functional analysis of its promoter suggests that the downstream region of the TRP gene, including the first intron, enhances the transient expression of the luciferase gene under control of the TRP gene promoter about 16- to 20-fold. This enhancer-like activity is detected not only in melanoma cells but also in HeLa cells whose TRP gene expression is assumed to be repressed. We suggest a possibility that the downstream region is not sufficient to confer pigment cell-specific expression, but is required for efficient transcription of the TRP gene in pigment cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physiology and Molecular Biology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibahara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005333:Fetus; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015698:Genomic Library; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D008156:Luciferases; C489799:TYRP1 protein, human; C079621:Tyrp1 protein, mouse; C064056:tyrosinase-related protein-1; D001616:beta-Galactosidase