title: Analysis of the 5'-flanking regions of rat inhibin alpha- and beta-B-subunit genes suggests two different regulatory mechanisms.
abstract: The genes encoding rat inhibin alpha- and beta-B-subunits were isolated and characterized. Both genes contain one intron that interrupts the region coding for the precursor portion of the alpha- and beta-B-subunits. The transcription start sites of alpha- and beta-B-subunit genes were determined by primer extension and nuclease mapping assay using mRNA from rat ovary and testis. Transcription of the alpha-subunit gene initiates predominantly at three adjacent sites with similar intensity. Several potential transcription start sites of beta-B-subunit gene are spread over 150 nucleotides upstream from translation initiation site. Neither of these two genes contains obvious TATA or CCAAT boxes. The alpha-subunit gene contains many GA clusters in the promoter region, while beta-B-subunit gene is highly GC rich. Several GGGCGG repeats and their inverted sequences, which are the potential binding sites for transcription factor Spl, were observed at the 5'-end as well as at the coding region of the beta-B-subunit gene. The potential cAMP-responsive element CTGCGTCAG was identified in alpha-but not beta-B-subunit gene. This sequence is identical to the cAMP- and phorbol ester-inducible DNA fragment found in human preproenkephalin gene. The different structure of the promoter region of rat alpha- and beta-B-subunit genes and the presence of a potential cAMP-inducible DNA sequence in alpha- but not beta-B-subunit gene is consistent with the hypothesis that transcription of alpha- and beta-B-subunit genes in rat is regulated by different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Population Council, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D007265:Inhibins / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007265:Inhibins