title: Regulation of synapsin I gene expression by the zinc finger transcription factor zif268/egr-1.
abstract: zif268/egr-1 is an immediate early response gene that is involved in regulation of growth and differentiation. Its mRNA encodes a sequence-specific transcriptional activator containing three zinc fingers that act as the DNA-binding domain. Although zif268/egr-1 is expressed in the nervous system during neuronal excitation, no target gene has yet been identified. Here we report that the zif268/egr-1 protein bound in vitro to two sites in the proximal regulatory region of the human synapsin I gene. The zif268/egr-1 protein was also shown to stimulate transcription from this control region in transactivation assays. Additionally, the presence of a putative neural-restrictive silencer element next to one of the zif268/egr-1-binding sites interfered with transactivation in a tissue-independent manner. An analysis of the temporal expression pattern of zif268/egr-1 and synapsin I during neuronal differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells revealed that zif268/egr-1 mRNA was induced on day 5 and synapsin I mRNA on day 8 after retinoic acid treatment. From this data we conclude that the synapsin I gene is a target of the zif268 transcription factor; however, intermediate factors may also be involved in the activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schoch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petersohn
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016704:Synapsins / Q000235:genetics*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497325:EGR1 protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016704:Synapsins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014212:Tretinoin