title: Identification of a tau promoter region mediating tissue-specific-regulated expression in PC12 cells.
abstract: Tau, a microtubule-associated protein, is encoded by a single gene, the expression of which is neuron-specific and developmentally regulated. When PC12 cells are exposed to nerve growth factor (NGF), they differentiate to sympathetic-like neurons. This differentiation process is accompanied by an elevation of tau proteins and mRNA. Here, we describe, for the first time, the isolation and characterization of a tau promoter region. We show that the promoter of tau is G + C-rich, lacks a genuine TATA box and thus promotes multiple initiation sites of RNA transcription. Our results demonstrate that a region of approximately 335 base-pairs residing immediately upstream of tau exon -1 are able to direct positive control of neuron-specific activity of the luciferase reporter gene. The isolation of tau promoter will facilitate facilitate further studies of the regulation of tau expression during development and aging of neuronal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sadot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heicklen-Klein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lazarovici
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ginzburg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005091:Exons; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016875:tau Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor