title: A FTZ-F1-containing yeast artificial chromosome recapitulates expression of steroidogenic factor 1 in vivo.
abstract: Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1/Nr5a1) is an orphan nuclear receptor encoded by the Ftz-F1 gene and is required for gonad and adrenal development and regulation of hormone production within the reproductive and adrenal axes. To extend our understanding of Ftz-F1 and its role in SF-1 expression, we identified and characterized a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) containing Ftz-F1. Within this YAC, Ftz-F1 is centrally located and flanked by genes encoding a second orphan nuclear receptor, germ cell nuclear factor, and proteasome (prosome, macropain) subunit beta type 7. Three lines of transgenic mice carrying the YAC were generated and in two lines (lines 7 and 14), RT-PCR and ribonuclease protection analysis showed that expression of transgenic SF-1 mimicked that of endogenous SF-1, both spatially and quantitatively. In the third line (line 15), pituitary and hypothalamic expression were absent. Comparison of the integrated transgenes revealed that line 15 was truncated at the end of intron 4 and revealed a region within the locus that is responsible for SF-1 expression in the pituitary and hypothalamus. The line 14 transgene was introduced into a mouse strain lacking functional SF-1. Examination of SF-1-deficient, transgene-positive mice revealed that the YAC was able to rescue adrenal and gonad development, which normally arrests in the SF-1-null embryos and showed that the 153-kb transgene integrated in line 14 is sufficient to properly direct SF-1 expression and support its biological activity. Thus, the study defines a region of Ftz-F1 that contains the requisite set of regulatory elements to direct SF-1 cell-specific expression and all temporal and quantitative changes need for its biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard. Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karpova
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Presley
authors.forename: Rengasamy R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Manimaran
authors.forename: Serge P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.forename: Lovella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tejada
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Leslie L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Heckert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018244:Chromosomes, Artificial, Yeast / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005835:Genitalia / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; C515058:steroidogenic factor 1, mouse; C515060:steroidogenic factor 1, rat; D004247:DNA