The early response gene NGFI-C encodes a zinc finger transcriptional activator and is a member of the GCGGGGGCG (GSG) element-binding protein family.
We have cloned NGFI-C, a nerve growth factor-induced early-response gene which encodes a Cys2/His2 zinc finger protein. RNA blot analysis demonstrates that NGFI-C mRNA is induced within minutes of stimulation of PC12 cells by nerve growth factor and is similarly activated in brain after a Metrazol-induced seizure. The cDNA sequence predicts a protein that contains three zinc fingers which show striking homology to the DNA-binding regions of three previously reported zinc finger proteins, NGFI-A, Krox-20, and the Wilms' tumor gene product. NGFI-C binds to the previously described DNA-binding site of these three proteins, which is GCGGGGGCG. Cotransfection experiments revealed that NGFI-C strongly activates transcription from this site in mammalian cells. The isolation of another early-response gene that encodes a member of the G(C/G)G or GSG element-binding family should provide an opportunity to investigate the relative contributions of a family of transcription factors to the cell's response to changes in its environment.
Crosby
S D
SD
Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
Puetz
J J
JJ
Simburger
K S
KS
Fahrner
T J
TJ
Milbrandt
J
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D003513:Cycloheximide