title: Cloning and tissue-specific expression of the gene for mouse C-reactive protein.
abstract: C-reactive protein is a serum acute-phase reactant that increases several thousand-fold in concentration during inflammation in most mammals. However, mouse C-reactive protein is considered to be a minor acute-phase reactant, since its blood level increases only from approx. 0.1 to 1-2 micrograms/ml. A mouse genomic clone of approximately 5 kb was obtained to determine the molecular basis for the regulation of the expression of mouse C-reactive protein. Several cis-acting elements in the 5' flanking region that potentially regulate transcription were identified: two glucocorticoid-responsive elements, two CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein C (C/EBP) consensus elements that are required for the interleukin-1 responsiveness of some acute-phase reactant genes, an interleukin-6-responsive element, two hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1) elements and a single heat-shock element. Transfection of the hepatoma cell line Hep 3B.2 with a pCAT expression vector containing the 5' flanking sequence from -1083 to -3 bp from the transcriptional start site, and truncations of this sequence, localized elements that control the tissue-specific expression of mouse C-reactive protein to the two HNF-1 elements and a C/EBP, interleukin-1-responsive element located between -220 and -153, and -90 and -50 bp from the transcriptional start site. A constitutive nuclear protein from mouse-liver hepatocytes specifically binds to the HNF-1 elements. These findings explain the tissue-specific expression of the gene, as well as its limited expression during the acute-phase response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1292.
authors.forename: N O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mortensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051537:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1; D051538:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha; D051539:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-beta; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496487:HNF1A protein, human; C496495:HNF1B protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D051538:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha; C496488:Hnf1a protein, mouse; C496496:Hnf1b protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051537:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1; D051539:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-beta; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D004247:DNA