title: A negative cis-acting G-fer element participates in the regulation of expression of the human H-ferritin-encoding gene (FERH).
abstract: Ferritin (Fer) is the major iron storage protein in man. Its synthesis is regulated both at the translational and transcriptional levels. In previous studies on transcriptional regulation of the human H-ferritin-encoding gene (FERH), a 160-bp promoter segment was analyzed [Bevilacqua et al., Gene 111 (1992) 255-260]. In order to obtain a more complete view of the elements involved in the transcriptional regulation of FERH, we have studied, in a further upstream region of the human FERH promoter (pFERH), a sequence between -272 and -291, named G-fer, because it contains a stretch of ten G, which binds a nuclear factor present in different cell types. DNA-binding assays and competition experiments suggest that the factor binding to G-fer has binding properties very similar to inhibitory factor-1 (IF-1), an ubiquitous factor that interacts with G-rich elements in the promoters of the mouse type-I collagen genes. DNA transfection experiments in HeLa cells, using either a wild-type or mutated pFERH fused to a reporter gene, showed that a 3-bp substitution mutation, that abolished the binding of the specific factor to G-fer, increased the promoter activity, thus suggesting an inhibitory role for the G-fer element and its cognate trans-acting factor.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Genetics, University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barresi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sirito
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karsenty
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravazzolo
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D005293:Ferritins / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D005293:Ferritins