Distinct NF-kappa B/Rel transcription factors are responsible for tissue-specific and inducible gene activation.
The NF-kappa B/Rel family is a growing class of transcriptional regulators whose members share the conserved Rel-homology domain, involved in specific DNA binding and dimerization. They interact with the regulatory elements of many different genes and are involved in the regulation of lymphoid-specific and inducible transcription. We tested whether these factors could alone activate a gene in transgenic mice. We report here that a minimal promoter containing three copies of a binding site for these proteins allows tissue-specific and inducible transgene activation. In lymphoid tissues constitutive transgene expression correlates with the presence of a constitutively active p50/RelB heterodimer. Other organs that only contain the p50 homodimer do not express the transgene. In contrast to this constitutive activity mediated by p50/RelB, the p50/p65 heterodimer (which is NF-kappa B) could confer inducible transgene activation in embryo fibroblasts. Thus two different members of the NF-kappa B/Rel family of transcriptional activators are involved in tissue-specific and inducible gene activation in transgenic mice.
Lernbecher
T
T
Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie, Heidelberg, Germany.
Müller
U
U
Wirth
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D017931:DNA Primers; D016328:NF-kappa B; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D012313:RNA; D005914:Globins