title: A pituitary-specific trans-acting factor can stimulate transcription from the growth hormone promoter in extracts of nonexpressing cells.
abstract: The growth hormone (GH) gene is specifically expressed in the anterior pituitary. The first 289 bp of the human (h)GH 5' region contains a promoter that is active only in pituitary-derived cell lines. These cell lines also contain a specific factor, GHF-1, that binds to two sites upstream to the hGH TATA box. Using in vitro transcription systems we demonstrate greater hGH promoter activity in extracts of GH-expressing GC cells than in extracts of nonexpressing HeLa cells. The two GHF-1 binding sites are essential promoter elements in GC extracts. Addition of GHF-1-containing fractions to HeLa extracts stimulates hGH promoter activity. Thus, GHF-1 appears to be a positively acting, cell-type- and promoter-specific transcription factor. Furthermore, the tissue specificity of the hGH promoter appears to be positively controlled by the abundance or activity of GHF-1.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005796:Genes; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors; D013006:Growth Hormone