Myocyte enhancer factor (MEF) 2C: a tissue-restricted member of the MEF-2 family of transcription factors.
MEF-2 is a muscle-specific DNA binding activity that recognizes an A+T-rich sequence found in the control regions of numerous muscle-specific genes. The recent cloning of MEF-2 showed that it belongs to the MADS (MCM1, Agamous, Deficiens, and serum-response factor) box family of transcription factors and that MEF-2 mRNA is expressed ubiquitously. Here we describe the cloning of a member of the MEF-2 gene family, referred to as MEF-2C, that is nearly identical to other MEF-2 gene products in the MADS box but diverges from other members of the family outside of this domain. MEF-2C binds the MEF-2 site with high affinity and can activate transcription of a reporter gene linked to tandem copies of that site. In contrast to previously described members of the MEF-2 family, MEF-2C transcripts are highly enriched in skeletal muscle, spleen, and brain of adult mice and are upregulated during myoblast differentiation. These results suggest that the MEF-2 site is a target for a diverse family of proteins that regulates transcription in a variety of cell types.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
J F
JF
Martin
J J
JJ
Schwarz
E N
EN
Olson
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005091:Exons; D006801:Humans; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578040:MEF2C protein, human; C578041:Mef2c protein, mouse; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D003402:Creatine Kinase