title: Regulated expression of the human corticotropin releasing hormone gene by cyclic AMP.
abstract: The factors controlling the expression of the hypothalamic neuropeptide, corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), are poorly understood. We have used a mouse anterior pituitary cell line, AtT-20, permanently transfected with the human CRH gene as a model for studying the regulation of the CRH gene by cyclic AMP. Previously, we demonstrated that in this system the CRH gene is correctly expressed and appropriately negatively regulated by glucocorticoids. Treatment of five CRH-producing cell lines with an activator of adenylate cyclase (forskolin, 0.1-50 microM for 24 h) caused a dose-dependent and specific increase in the amount of CRH mRNA and radioimmunoassay-detectable CRH peptide secreted into the medium. Ribonuclease protection analysis revealed that the CRH gene was transcribed from multiple transcriptional initiation sites located over several hundred nucleotides. Forskolin treatment resulted in a specific increase in the CRH mRNA transcripts initiating from one of these many transcriptional start sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Smas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiandaca
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Frim
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Majzoub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D005576:Colforsin; D004247:DNA; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000242:Cyclic AMP