Pax-6 is essential for lens-specific expression of zeta-crystallin.
Pax-6 is essential for normal eye development and has been implicated as a "master gene" for lens formation in embryogenesis. Guinea pig zeta-crystallin, a taxon-specific enzyme crystallin, achieves high expression specifically in lens through use of an alternative promoter. Here we show that Pax-6 binds a site in this promoter, which is essential for lens-specific expression. Lens and lens-derived cells exhibit a tissue-specific pattern of alternative splicing of Pax-6 transcripts and Pax-6 is expressed in adult lenses and cells that support zeta-crystallin expression. These results suggest that zeta-crystallin is a natural target gene for Pax-6 and that this Pax family member has a direct role in the continuing expression of tissue-specific genes.
Richardson
J
J
Section on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Cvekl
A
A
Wistow
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003459:Crystallins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014162:Transfection
D003459:Crystallins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; C000605730:PAX6 protein, human; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors