title: An antisilencer element is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the human vimentin gene.
abstract: Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein normally expressed in cells of mesenchymal origin. The promoter of the human vimentin gene was previously reported to contain two positive-acting regions, separated by a negative region (Rittling, S.R., Baserga, R., 1987. Functional analysis and growth factor regulation of the human vimentin promoter. Mol. Cell. Biol. 7, 3908-3915). Here, detailed studies reveal two additional regulatory elements, a new positive transcriptional element located between -717 and -757, and a new repressor element at -780 to -821. In transient transfections, the positive-acting element is able to completely override the effect of different silencer elements when fused to a heterologous promoter. However, this element does not enhance gene activity when the silencer element is absent and thus cannot be viewed as a true enhancer. Since it appears to overcome the effect of a silencer element, we refer to it as an antisilencer element. Gel mobility shift assays, UV-cross-linking experiments, and Southwestern blots reveal that a 105-kDa protein specifically binds to this region.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and the Massey Cancer Center, Medical College of Virginia Campus/ Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
authors: E S
authors: ES
authors: Izmailova
authors: Z E
authors: ZE
authors: Zehner
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D018983:DNA Footprinting; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014746:Vimentin