title: Expression of testis angiotensin-converting enzyme is mediated by a cyclic AMP responsive element.
abstract: Testis angiotensin-converting enzyme (testis ACE), an ACE isozyme that plays an important role in male fertility, is transcribed from a unique promotor active only in developing spermatids. In vitro analysis suggests the importance of a cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-like region within the testis ACE promoter, and similar DNA motifs are important in the expression of a variety of testis-specific genes. In the present study, we examined the effects of mutations in the CRE-like element on testis ACE promoter activity in vivo using transgenic mice. Disruption of this element reduced reporter gene expression to near background levels. In contrast, conversion of the CRE-like element to a consensus CRE-binding site resulted in high level expression of the reporter gene specifically in the testis. These experiments prove that the CRE-like element is essential for testis ACE promoter activity, although it does not appear to be responsible for its tissue specificity. These data provide insight into how a phenotypically differentiated tissue, ie, male gem cells, regulate tissue-specific gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Esther
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Semeniuk
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Overbeek
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A