title: Functional analysis of mouse 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh) gene promoter in developing brain.
abstract: D-3-Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh; EC 1.1.1.95) is a necessary enzyme for de novo L-serine biosynthesis via the phosphorylated pathway. Targeted disruption of the mouse Phgdh gene has been shown to result in embryonic lethality, accompanied by severe abnormalities in brain development. Phgdh is expressed exclusively by neuroepithelium and radial glia in developing brain and later mainly by astrocytes. To elucidate the molecular mechanism that regulates such cell-type-specific expression of Phgdh in developing brain, an upstream 3.5-kilobase-pair (kbp) region of the gene harboring the promoter was characterized in primary cultures and transgenic mice. Analysis of Phgdh 5'-nested deletions in transfected cultures indicated that overall reporter luciferase levels were higher in glial cultures than those in neuronal cultures. Although basal promoter activity of the gene appeared to depend on an Sp1 binding sequence residing between -193 and -184 in both glial and neuronal cultures, an upstream 5'-flanking region between -1,794 and -1,095 contributed to up-regulation of Phgdh transcription in a glial-cell-specific manner. In the cerebral cortex of transgenic mouse embryos, the Phgdh promoter-LacZ transgene DNA containing -1,794/+4 promoter sequences directed beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) expression mainly to Phgdh-positive neuroepithelium and radial glia. This glial preference diminished when beta-Gal expression was driven solely by the upstream 0.2-kbp minimal promoter. However, glial preference of beta-Gal expression was restored by placing the 700-base-pair 5'-DNA segment upstream of the minimal promoter. These observations suggest the presence of cis-acting elements that confer the cell type specificity of Phgdh transcription in the distal promoter region.
authors.affiliation: Neuronal Circuit Mechanism Research Group, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitoma
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology*; D002237:Carbohydrate Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay / Q000379:methods; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D050543:Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049231:Saposins; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG; C511597:Bpifa2 protein, mouse; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; C483344:Psap protein, mouse; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D049231:Saposins; D014404:Tubulin; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D002237:Carbohydrate Dehydrogenases; D050543:Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase