title: Functional analyses of promoter elements responsible for the differential expression of the human metallothionein (MT)-IG and MT-IF genes.
abstract: The sequences responsible for heavy metal-inducible expression are situated within the proximal 437 and 160 base pairs (bp) of MT-IF and MT-IG 5'-flanking sequence, respectively. Only 105 bp of proximal MT-IG 5'-flanking sequence containing a TATA box, two metal responsive elements (MREs), and three GC motifs and 147 bp of proximal MT-IF 5'-flanking sequence containing a TATCA box, four MREs, and two GC motifs were required for heavy metal-inducible expression. However, the proximal 111 bp of MT-IF 5'-flanking sequences (a TATCA box, two MREs, and two GC motifs) was not responsive to heavy metals and competes less efficiently than the 105-bp MT-IG fragment in a competition transfection analysis. The MT-IF promoter fragment containing MREc and MREd is substantially stronger and a more efficient competitor than the MT-IG promoter fragment containing MREc and MREd. Furthermore, the proximal 160 bp of MT-IG 5'-flanking sequence functions as a strong metal-inducible promoter but not as a metal-inducible enhancer. Mobility shift analysis of MT-IF and MT-IG promoter subregions suggests a correlation between protein binding to MRE sequences and MT gene expression. These data illustrate that the overall structural and functional organization of the MT-IF and MT-IG promoters are very different and that the molecular mechanisms governing differential expression levels of human MT genes are quite complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gedamu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D008668:Metallothionein; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase