A nerve growth factor-induced gene encodes a possible transcriptional regulatory factor.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a trophic agent that promotes the outgrowth of nerve fibers from sympathetic and sensory ganglia. The neuronal differentiation stimulated by this hormone was examined in the NGF-responsive cell line PC12. Differential hybridization was used to screen a complementary DNA library constructed from PC12 cells treated with NGF and cycloheximide. One of the complementary DNA clones that was rapidly induced by NGF was found to have a nucleotide sequence that predicts a 54-kilodalton protein with homology to transcriptional regulatory proteins. This clone, NGFI-A, contains three tandemly repeated copies of the 28- to 30-amino acid "zinc finger" domain present in Xenopus laevis TFIIIA and other DNA-binding proteins. It also contains another highly conserved unit of eight amino acids that is repeated at least 11 times. The NGFI-A gene is expressed at relatively high levels in the brain, lung, and superior cervical ganglion of the adult rat.
Milbrandt
J
J
Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005796:Genes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D003513:Cycloheximide