title: Identification of regulatory sequences in the gene for 5-aminolevulinate synthase from rat.
abstract: The housekeeping enzyme 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) regulates the supply of heme for respiratory cytochromes. Here we report on the isolation of a genomic clone for the rat ALAS gene. The 5'-flanking region was fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene and transient expression analysis revealed the presence of both positive and negative cis-acting sequences. Expression was substantially increased by the inclusion of the first intron located in the 5'-untranslated region. Sequence analysis of the promoter identified two elements at positions -59 and -88 bp with strong similarity to the binding site for nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1). Gel shift analysis revealed that both NRF-1 elements formed nucleoprotein complexes which could be abolished by an authentic NRF-1 oligomer. Mutagenesis of each NRF-1 motif in the ALAS promoter gave substantially lowered levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression, whereas mutagenesis of both NRF-1 motifs resulted in the almost complete loss of expression. These results establish that the NRF-1 motifs in the ALAS promoter are critical for promoter activity. NRF-1 binding sites have been identified in the promoters of several nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins concerned with oxidative phosphorylation. The present studies suggest that NRF-1 may co-ordinate the supply of mitochondrial heme with the synthesis of respiratory cytochromes by regulating expression of ALAS. In erythroid cells, NRF-1 may be less important for controlling heme levels since an erythroid ALAS gene is strongly expressed and the promoter for this gene apparently lacks NRF-1 binding sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Braidotti
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Borthwick
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: May
mesh_terms: D000624:5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D015698:Genomic Library; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010957:Plasmids; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011061:Poly A; D004247:DNA; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D000624:5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase