title: The restricted promoter activity of the liver transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 beta involves a cell-specific factor and positive autoactivation.
abstract: The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3) is involved in the coordinate expression of several liver genes. HNF-3 DNA binding activity is composed of three different liver proteins which recognize the same DNA site. The HNF-3 proteins (designated alpha, beta, and gamma) possess homology in the DNA binding domain and in several additional regions. To understand the cell-type-specific expression of HNF-3 beta, we have defined the regulatory sequences that elicit hepatoma-specific expression. Promoter activity requires -134 bp of HNF-3 beta proximal sequences and binds four nuclear proteins, including two ubiquitous factors. One of these promoter sites interacts with a novel cell-specific factor, LF-H3 beta, whose binding activity correlates with the HNF-3 beta tissue expression pattern. Furthermore, there is a binding site for the HNF-3 protein within its own promoter, suggesting that an autoactivation mechanism is involved in the establishment of HNF-3 beta expression. We propose that both the LF-H3 beta and HNF-3 sites play an important role in the cell-type-specific expression of the HNF-3 beta transcription factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago 60612.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.forename: X B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Quian
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clevidence
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496502:FOXA2 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta