title: The human urokinase-plasminogen activator gene and its promoter.
abstract: The urokinase type of plasminogen activator (uPA) is subject to regulation by hormones, phorbol esters and oncogenic transformation. This enzyme has been suggested to play a key role in processes involving cell migration and tissue remodeling, and to be essential for tumor metastasis. In order to study these processes, we have isolated the human uPA gene, and have determined its entire nucleotide sequence. The gene is organized in 11 exons and is 6.4 kb long. The 5' end of uPA mRNA has been determined by both S1 mapping and primer extension experiments. A fragment of 800 bp containing the entire 5' flanking region shows promoter activity when introduced upstream of a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene and introduced into human cells. The hexanucleotide sequence GGCGGG, previously found at similar regions in several viral and eukaryotic promoters and shown to be essential for promoter activity (McKnight et al. (1984) Cell, 37, 253-262), is repeated three times between the CAAT and the TATA boxes.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verde
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sebastio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boast
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blasi
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009876:Operon; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D004720:Endonucleases; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator