Identification of a critical control element directing expression of the muscle-specific transcription factor MRF4 in the mouse embryo.
Skeletal muscle development in the vertebrate embryo critically depends on the myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) including MRF4 and Myf5. Both genes exhibit distinct expression patterns during mouse embryogenesis, although they are genetically closely linked with multiple regulatory elements dispersed throughout the common gene locus. MRF4 has a biphasic expression profile, first in somites and later in foetal skeletal muscles. Here, we demonstrate by transgenic analysis that elements within a 7.5-kb promoter fragment of the MRF4 gene are sufficient to drive the embryonic wave of expression very similar to the endogenous gene in somites of mouse embryos. In contrast, a 3-kb fragment of the proximal promoter fails to support expression in the myotome, suggesting that essential cis-acting elements are located between -7.5 and -3 kb upstream of MRF4. Further analysis of this sequence delimits an essential region between -6.6 and -5.6 kb that together with the 3-kb promoter fragment directs transgene expression in the epaxial myotome of all somites during the appropriate developmental period. These data provide evidence that the partly overlapping expression patterns of Mrf4 and Myf5 in somites are controlled by distinct regulatory elements. We also show that 11.4 kb sequence upstream of MRF4, including the promoter and the somitic control region identified in this study, is not sufficient to elicit target specificity towards the strong Myf5 (-58/-48 kb) enhancer, suggesting that additional yet unidentified elements are necessary to convey promoter selectivity and protect the MRF4 gene from this enhancer.
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Technical University of Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
Marina
M
Fomin
Natalia
N
Nomokonova
Hans-Henning
HH
Arnold
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005121:Extremities / Q000196:embryology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D051787:Myogenic Regulatory Factor 5; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C497418:Myf5 protein, mouse; D051787:Myogenic Regulatory Factor 5; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C063403:myogenic factor 6