title: A conserved GATA motif in a tissue-specific DNase I hypersensitive site of the cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain gene.
abstract: Transgenic analysis has indicated that far upstream regulatory elements of the cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain (MyHC) gene are required for appropriate transgene expression [Subramaniam, Gulick, Neumann, Knotts and Robbins (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 4331-4336]. In an attempt to identify these as-yet-undefined regulatory elements, we mapped the DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) in the 4 kb upstream region of the hamster cardiac alpha-MyHC gene. When using nuclei isolated from late-gestational and adult heart ventricles, a strong DHS was identified in the -1.9 kb region (alpha-1.9 kb site). It cannot be detected in kidney, liver or cardiofibroblast nuclei. Within this site, we found a conserved GATA-motif that interacts specifically with GATA-binding factors in nuclear extracts of cardiomyocytes at various developmental stages. These data provide further evidence to support the role of GATA factors in the regulation of cardiac alpha-MyHC gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Departments of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G IL5.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liew
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006224:Cricetinae; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D005333:Fetus; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains