title: The human transferrin gene: 5' region contains conserved sequences which match the control elements regulated by heavy metals, glucocorticoids and acute phase reaction.
abstract: Transferrin is a major plasma protein that transports iron to proliferating cells throughout the body. A clone containing the 5' region of the human transferrin gene has been isolated and characterized. A 14 kb EcoRI fragment was identified that contained the first 8 exons of the transferrin gene and 3.6 kb of its 5' flanking region. Conserved sequences identical or homologous to regulatory elements responding to heavy metals, glucocorticoid receptor and a putative acute phase reaction signal were identified in the 5'flanking region and intron 1. Also, the regulatory region of the transferrin gene contains a 14-bp sequence which closely matches sequences found in the interleukin-2 and gamma-interferon genes. All three genes are expressed by T lymphocytes before proliferation. A secondary loop structure similar to that proposed for the ovotransferrin gene can be formed by sequences in the 5' untranslated region of the transferrin mRNA.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics; D003207:Conalbumin / Q000235:genetics; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000032:analysis; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014168:Transferrin; D003207:Conalbumin; D007371:Interferon-gamma