title: Identification and analysis of a novel bmp4 enhancer in Fugu genome.
abstract: Spatiotemporal expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) in epithelial and mesenchymal cells is critical for the development of many organs including teeth. Since Bmp4 has a complex and widespread regulatory area in mammals, the tissue-specific enhancers that are responsible for mesenchymal expression of Bmp4 are difficult to identify in mammals. TakiFugu rubripes (Fugu, pufferfish) has a highly compact genome size and is widely used in comparative genomics studies of gene regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we used the Fugu genome to evaluate the 15kb promoter region upstream of the Fugu bmp4 gene. By DNA segmental cloning and luciferase assay with two dental odontoblast-like cell lines, a dental ameloblast-like cell line, and a kidney fibroblast cell line, we identified a 485bp cis-regulatory enhancer between -4213 and -3728bp of the Fugu bmp4 gene. This enhancer showed strong transcriptional activity in all three dental cell lines and, to a lesser extent, also in kidney fibroblast cells. Though not located in an evolutionary conserved region, the enhancer activity for the DNA segment is intense. This is the first time a bmp4 enhancer sequence with activity in both mesenchymal and epithelial cells has been identified, which will help to decode the mechanism of tooth development in vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, United States.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, State University of New York at Buffalo, United States.
authors.forename: Lara D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, United States.
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, United States. Electronic address: gguan@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000565:Ameloblasts / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D023741:Takifugu / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Bmp4; Enhancer; Fugu genome; Mesenchymal cells