title: Sequence analysis of the mouse RAG locus intergenic region.
abstract: The recombination activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2 are highly conserved throughout evolution and are necessary and essential for the DNA rearrangement of antigen-receptor gene segments. These convergently transcribed genes are expressed primarily by developing B and T lineage cells. In addition, recent data suggest that the RAG locus can be reactivated in mouse germinal center B cells. Despite these well-defined patterns of expression, little is known about mechanism(s) regulating transcription of the RAG locus. Experiments with a mouse fibroblast line stably transfected with a genomic fragment of the RAG locus suggest that the intergenic region between RAG-1 and RAG-2 may contain information modulating RAG transcription. In order to begin testing this hypothesis, we have sequenced the 7.0-kb RAG intergenic region of the mouse. The sequence did not contain open reading frames larger than 60 amino acids. Analysis with GCG software identified several potential transcription-factor binding sequences within this region. Many of these are associated with transcriptional regulation of the Ig locus.
authors.affiliation: Wellesley Hospital Research Institute and the Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016654:Genes, RAG-1; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014337:Trout / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2