title: Th2-specific DNase I-hypersensitive sites in the murine IL-13 and IL-4 intergenic region.
abstract: IL-4 and IL-13 are cytokines preferentially produced by Th2 cells, and their genes are located in close proximity on human chromosome 5 and mouse chromosome 11. To identify potential regulatory elements that confer Th2-specific expression of IL-4 and IL-13 genes, we constructed a physical map of the IL-13/IL-4 locus and conducted DNase I-hypersensitive (DH) site analysis using Th clones and in vitro-differentiated effector Th cells obtained from TCR transgenic mice. Three DH sites, HSS1, HSS2 and HSS3, were identified within the intergenic region between IL-13 and IL-4 genes. HSS3 was observed both in Th1 and Th2 cells as well as CD4+ naive T cells, while HSS1 and HSS2 were detected exclusively in Th2 cells. The correlation between differentiation into Th2 subtype and the appearance of HSS1 and HSS2 suggests that these regions may play a role in subtype-specific expression of the IL-13/IL-4 locus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Developmental Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koyano-Nakagawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyatake
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arai
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015847:Interleukin-4; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I