title: Glial cell-specific expression of the serotonin 2 receptor gene: selective reactivation of a repressed promoter.
abstract: The 5' flanking region of the 5-HT2 receptor gene has been cloned, sequenced and its transcriptional regulatory functions analyzed. The promoter lacks an identifiable TATA motif, and utilizes at least 11 clustered start sites. Promoter function was analyzed by transient assays in rat C6 glioma cells, which were shown to express the endogenous 5-HT2 receptor gene, as well as in rat CREF and human HeLa cells which do not express the endogenous gene. The basal promoter functioned equally well in all three cell lines; and a repression domain, located upstream of the basal promoter, inhibited activity of the promoter in all three cell lines. A far upstream cell specific activator domain restored promoter activity in C6 glioma cells, but did not reactivate the silenced promoter in CREF or HeLa cells. The upstream activator domain, repressor domain and basal promoter functioned in concert to achieve cell type specific expression. The activator domain did not direct C6 glioma cell specific expression in the absence of the repressor domain or in constructs carrying a heterologous basal promoter. These results indicate that glial cell expression of the 5-HT2 receptor gene is achieved through a cell type specific reactivation of a repressed promoter.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, NJ 08544-1014.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toth
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shenk
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005796:Genes; D005910:Glioma; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C031182:LSD receptor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin