Identification of a tissue- and differentiation stage-specific enhancer of the VpreB1 gene.
The VpreB and lambda 5 genes encode proteins that associate non-covalently to form the so-called surrogate light (SL) chain. The SL chain complexes with the immunoglobulin heavy chain to form the pre-B cell receptor, which plays a critical role in B cell development. Expression of the murine SL genes is regulated at the level of transcription initiation. Here, we show that a VpreB1 enhancer is located within the 356 bp immediately upstream of the coding sequence. Interestingly, this region exhibits 96% identity to the upstream region of VpreB2. Deletion mapping located the enhancer to between positions -214 and -47 (+1 is the 5'-most transcription initiation site). The enhancer is tissue and differentiation stage specific, and is composed of several DNA elements that are important for its activity. We also show that a transcription factor, early B cell factor, binds to two such elements, and that at least one of these sites is involved in determining enhancer activity.
Persson
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Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Lund, Sweden. christine.persson@immuno.lu.se
Mårtensson
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Mårtensson
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D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D054444:Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C489921:Ebf1 protein, mouse; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D054444:Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004247:DNA