title: Transcription and replication silencer element is present within conserved region of human Alu repeats interacting with nuclear protein.
abstract: Human cells contain a nuclear protein interacting with Alu repeats, and this protein seems to recognize a conserved sequence motif, GGAGGC, present within the RNA polymerase III promoter and within the SV40 T-antigen-dependent ARS-like element. To study the potential functional role of this element, we have inserted the sequence into a chloramphenicolacetyltransferase (CAT) expression vector with a SV40 promoter and enhancer element from the up-stream region of the human c-myc gene, and transfected HeLa cells with the resulting plasmid. Analysis of expression by the CAT assay indicates that the Alu-derived sequence supresses transcription of the CAT gene driven by the c-myc enhancer/SV40 promoter. The Alu-derived sequence also inhibits ARS activity of the c-myc enhancer. The data allow the explanation of the transcriptional inactivity of Alu repeats in HeLa cells, and suggest the existence of a negative control of Alu transcription.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cytology, Academy of Sciences, Leningrad, USSR.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Tomilin
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Iguchi-Ariga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariga
mesh_terms: D004261:DNA Replication; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D012320:RNA Polymerase III