title: Promoter analysis of the gene encoding GDNF in murine Sertoli cells.
abstract: GDNF is a Sertoli-cell-derived factor that controls the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of the spermatogonial stem cells. Although research in recent years has concentrated on the impact of GDNF on target germ cells rather little attention has been paid to the molecular control of GDNF expression in Sertoli cells. Here, we aimed to characterize the promoter region of the mouse gdnf gene active in Sertoli cells. We identified the transcriptional start sites and analyzed the promoter activity of the 5'-flanking regions. By in-silico analysis of evolutionarily conserved DNA sequences we identified several putative transcription factor-binding regions. Deletion analysis showed the involvement of the three CRE sites for basal and cAMP-induced expression of gdnf in murine Sertoli cells. These results provide the basis for future studies to analyze how hormonal or paracrine signals modulate the transcriptional activity of gdnf in Sertoli cells.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Pasteur Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamberti
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Pasteur Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: elena.vicini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicini
mesh_terms: D024506:5' Flanking Region; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C495040:Gdnf protein, mouse; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000242:Cyclic AMP
keywords: CRE; FSH; GDNF; Luciferase activity; Sertoli cells; Spermatogonial stem cells