title: The c-fos cyclic AMP-responsive element conveys constitutive expression to a tissue-specific promoter.
abstract: The c-fos and cardiac alpha-actin promoters share homologous 5' protein binding elements that are essential for serum-inducible and tissue-specific expression, respectively. Additional elements, auxiliary proteins or factor modifications, must distinguish the individual transcriptional responses of these two promoters. An element in the c-fos basal promoter that is normally responsible for transient stimulation of the fos gene in response to Ca2+ or cyclic AMP (CRE) may be able to modulate the expression of the upstream elements. We report here that this element, when inserted into the cardiac alpha-actin promoter, conveys constitutive expression to this otherwise highly restricted promoter. Additional data support the proposal that the CRE binding protein creates an alternative pathway whereby upstream regulatory elements in the cardiac alpha-actin promoter can activate transcription in a manner which circumvents the requirement for a tissue-specific environment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kedes
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D000242:Cyclic AMP