title: A tandem array of Sp-1 sites and a reverse initiator element are both required for synergistic transcriptional activation of the T-cell-specific MAL gene.
abstract: We have characterized the three cis elements responsible for promoter strength present in the 5'-flanking proximal region of MAL, a human T-cell-specific gene encoding a proteolipid protein present in detergent-insoluble complexes of high molecular weight. The first element consisted of an initiator sequence that, curiously, was present in reverse orientation compared to that of the standard initiator elements. The other two elements were contained in a region of 126 bp upstream of the mRNA initiation site, and consisted of a tandem array of one GC box and one GA box. The GC box corresponds to a consensus site for the nuclear factor Sp1, whereas the GA box deviates from this consensus, although it was able to compete for the binding of Sp1 in vitro and to respond to trans-activation by Sp1 in vivo. This simple promoter lacks an apparent TATA box and lost more than 99% of its activity when a fragment of 60 bp containing the GC and GA boxes was deleted. A synergistic effect on transcriptional activation was observed in the presence, but not in the absence, of the initiator element when both GC and GA boxes were present.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tugores
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rancaño
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C569026:MAL protein, human; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D012333:RNA, Messenger