title: The macrophage transcription factor PU.1 directs tissue-specific expression of the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor.
abstract: The macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) receptor is expressed in a tissue-specific fashion from two distinct promoters in monocytes/macrophages and the placenta. In order to further understand the transcription factors which play a role in the commitment of multipotential progenitors to the monocyte/macrophage lineage, we have initiated an investigation of the factors which activate the M-CSF receptor very early during the monocyte differentiation process. Here we demonstrate that the human monocytic M-CSF receptor promoter directs reporter gene activity in a tissue-specific fashion. Since one of the few transcription factors which have been implicated in the regulation of monocyte genes is the macrophage- and B-cell-specific PU.1 transcription factor, we investigated whether PU.1 binds and activates the M-CSF receptor promoter. Here we demonstrate that both in vitro-translated PU.1 and PU.1 from nuclear extracts bind to a specific site in the M-CSF receptor promoter just upstream from the major transcription initiation site. Mutations in this site which eliminate PU.1 binding decrease M-CSF receptor promoter activity significantly in macrophage cell lines only. Furthermore, PU.1 transactivates the M-CSF receptor promoter in nonmacrophage cells. These results suggest that PU.1 plays a major role in macrophage gene regulation and development by directing the expression of a receptor for a key macrophage growth factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hetherington
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Tenen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014157:Transcription Factors; C062022:v-Spi-1 protein, Friend spleen focus-forming virus; D004247:DNA; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor