title: Hormone-mediated positive and negative regulation of a silencer region containing laminin B2 promoter in astrocytes.
abstract: Primary astrocytes synthesize only B2 chain (200 Kda) of laminin, which is one of the major components of basement membranes in the central nervous system (CNS). In CNS, B2 laminin functions as a potent neurite growth factor. Laminin B2 promoter contain no TATA or CAAT boxes but is GC rich. By deletion analysis and transient transfection assays of B2 laminin promoter, we have identified a silencer-like activity in the upstream region of the promoter. Thyroid hormone, insulin and phorbol ester mediated the induction of the promoter activity. Induction was repressed by the treatment of astrocytes with synthetic glucocorticoid hormone, dexamethasone. Hormone-mediated regulation through specific positive and negative responsive elements in transactivation of this silencer-containing TATA-less laminin B2 gene has been postulated.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Strokes, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kedar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freeze
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hempel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000187:drug effects; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D016385:TATA Box; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D007797:Laminin