title: Increased binding of Sp1 to the gamma-globin gene promoter upon site-specific cytosine methylation.
abstract: We have studied the effect of site-specific cytosine methylation on the binding of nuclear proteins to the gamma-globin promoter region from -71 to -34. This sequence was recently shown to contain a stage selector element responsible for increased transcription from the gamma compared to the beta promoter when both are linked to Locus Control Region enhancer sequences. We observed that Sp1 binding to this sequence is increased upon site-specific cytosine methylation, such that only methylation of the cytosine in the -50 CpG dinucleotide effects Sp1 binding. Methylation of the distal C of the Hpall site has no effect. The possible functional role of Sp1 as a repressor of gamma-globin synthesis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lavelle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeSimone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D003596:Cytosine; D005914:Globins