title: Expression of the serum response factor gene is regulated by serum response factor binding sites.
abstract: The serum response factor (SRF) is a ubiquitous transcription factor that plays a central role in the transcriptional response of mammalian cells to a variety of extracellular signals. Notably, SRF has been found to be a key regulator of members of a class of cellular response genes termed immediate-early genes (IEGs), many of which are believed to be involved in regulating cell growth and differentiation. The mechanism by which SRF activates transcription of IEGs in response to mitogenic agents has been extensively studied. Significantly less is known about how expression of the SRF gene itself is mediated. We and others have previously shown that the SRF gene is itself transiently induced by a variety of mitogenic agents and belongs to a class of "delayed" early response genes. We have cloned the SRF promoter and in the present study have analyzed the upstream regulatory sequences involved in mediating serum responsiveness of the SRF gene. Our analysis indicates that inducible SRF expression requires both SRF binding sites located within the first 63 nucleotides upstream from the start site of transcriptional initiation and an Sp1 site located 83 nucleotides upstream from the start site. Maximal transcriptional activity of the promoter also requires two CCAATT box sites located 90 and 123 nucleotides upstream of the start site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Misra
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001769:Blood; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D026362:Serum Response Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D026362:Serum Response Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA