Cloning of a novel Olf-1/EBF-like gene, O/E-4, by degenerate oligo-based direct selection.
The Olf-1/EBF (O/E) family of transcription factors plays important roles in neural development and B-cell maturation. We have utilized a variation of the direct selection scheme (Degenerate Oligo-based Direct Selection, or DODS) to identify a fourth member of the O/E family (O/E-4). We demonstrated that, similar to previously identified mouse O/E proteins, O/E-4 is expressed in the neuronal and basal cell layers of mouse olfactory epithelium. However, unlike other O/E members, O/E-4 expression is absent in the vomeronasal organ. O/E-4 can partner with the other O/Es to form heterodimers that are capable of binding an Olf-1 consensus site in vitro. In contrast to other O/E family members, the O/E-4 protein only weakly activates transcription in a reporter assay. In summary, we have identified O/E-4 utilizing a novel homology screening method. Our results suggest that O/E-4 may interact with other O/E family members to regulate gene expression in the olfactory sensory neurons.
Wang
Song S
SS
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Betz
Alexander G
AG
Reed
Randall R
RR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C081976:EBF1 protein, human; C489921:Ebf1 protein, mouse; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D015534:Trans-Activators