Role of an insulator in testis-specific gene transcription.
Testis-specific promoters are unique in that relatively short proximal promoters of several genes have been shown to be capable of directing tissue- and cell-type-specific expression in transgenic mice. How such small promoter fragments perform the dual functions of maintaining a silenced state in somatic tissues and activating gene expression in the correct germ-cell type in testis remains poorly understood. Studies from our laboratory using the round spermatid-specific SP-10 gene as an experimental model have provided some insights into the mechanisms involved. It was found that the proximal promoter of the SP-10 gene acts as a chromatin insulator or boundary element in somatic tissues and prevents transcription of the SP-10 gene. In round spermatids, the insulator function is relieved, thus facilitating the SP-10 gene transcription. Insulators act as enhancer blockers and/or barriers to heterochromatin to protect the programmed expression of a gene. Typically, insulators are separable from promoters. In the case of the SP-10 gene, however, the insulator overlaps the promoter and operates in a facultative manner. We hypothesize that the proximal promoters of some testis-specific genes have adapted the insulator function to maintain transcriptional silence in the somatic tissues.
Reddi
Prabhakara P
PP
Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800904, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. ppr5s@virginia.edu
Urekar
Craig J
CJ
Abhyankar
Mayuresh M
MM
Ranpura
Sandeep A
SA
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D038101:Insulator Elements / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D013087:Spermatids / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
C080034:Acrv1 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins