title: Long-range intrachromosomal interactions in the T helper type 2 cytokine locus.
abstract: The T helper type 2 (T(H)2) locus control region is important in the regulation of the genes encoding the cytokines interleukins 4, 5 and 13. Using the chromosome conformation capture technique, we found that in T cells, natural killer cells, B cells and fibroblasts, the promoters for the genes encoding T(H)2 cytokines are located in close spatial proximity, forming an initial chromatin core configuration. In CD4(+) T cells and natural killer cells, but not B cells and fibroblasts, the T(H)2 locus control region participates in this configuration. The transcription factors GATA3 and STAT6 are essential for the establishment and/or maintenance of these interactions. Intrachromosomal interactions in the T(H)2 cytokine locus may form the basis for the coordinated transcriptional regulation of cytokine-encoding genes by the T(H)2 locus control region.
authors.affiliation: Section of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Charalampos G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Spilianakis
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flavell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D019901:Locus Control Region; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011487:Protein Conformation; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494748:Gata3 protein, mouse; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; C494100:Stat6 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators; D002118:Calcium