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  • Constitutive expression of the brg1 gene requires GC-boxes near to the transcriptional start site. 21149256

    We previously reported that BRG1, an ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complexes, is constitutively expressed and that the alternative ATPase subunit (BRM) is inducibly expressed through differentiation in mammalian cells. In the present study, the regulatory elements that confer constitutive expression on brg1 were explored. First, we analysed the promoter proximal region surrounding its transcriptional start site. Using computer-aided analysis, a TATA-less, GC-rich promoter containing four putative binding sites for Sp1/3 was predicted. One of the putative Sp1/3-binding sites (from -21 to -15 bp) overlapped with a putative YY1-binding site. A gel-shift assay showed that YY1 but not Sp1/3 bound to this sequence and that Sp3 but not Sp1 bound to the other three predicted binding sites. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that Sp3 and YY1 bound to the promoter region together with TATA-binding protein in vivo. In vivo and in vitro binding assays showed that Sp3 and YY1 interacted with each other. Together, these results suggest that Sp3 and YY1 recruit general transcription factors and facilitate the assembly of a preinitiation complex.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    Multiple
    Product Catalog Name:
    Multiple
  • The Growth arrest specific 1 (Gas1) gene is transcriptionally regulated by NeuroD1 via two distal E-boxes. 29395133

    Growth arrest specific 1 (GAS1) is a signaling mediator for the development of the central nervous system that works as a co-receptor for sonic hedgehog (SHH) to induce the amplification of neural progenitors during the patterning of the mammalian neural tube and establishing granular cells in the cerebellum. Recently, we confirmed that Gas1 is also expressed by neural progenitors of the developing cortex and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The presence of GAS1 in progenitor stages indicates that one of its principal roles is the maintenance of these cells during neurogenic events. However, the signals responsible for the expression of Gas1 in progenitor cells are unknown, an aspect that is relevant to understand its functions during neurogenesis. Here, we focused on elucidating the mechanisms of the transcriptional regulation of Gas1 and using comparative genomics methods found two highly conserved E-boxes in the Gas1 promoter which mediate its up-regulation by NeuroD1. Additionally, we found that GAS1 and NeuroD1 co-localize in the neocortex, the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the external granular layer of the cerebellum, suggesting a previously unsuspected regulatory relationship. Our data indicate that Gas1 is a direct target of NeuroD1 during the induction of the neurogenic program.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    17-371
    Product Catalog Name:
    EZ-ChIP™
  • Defining the mammalian CArGome. 16365378

    Serum response factor (SRF) binds a 1216-fold degenerate cis element known as the CArG box. CArG boxes are found primarily in muscle- and growth-factor-associated genes although the full spectrum of functional CArG elements in the genome (the CArGome) has yet to be defined. Here we describe a genome-wide screen to further define the functional mammalian CArGome. A computational approach involving comparative genomic analyses of human and mouse orthologous genes uncovered >100 hypothetical SRF-dependent genes, including 10 previously identified SRF targets, harboring a conserved CArG element within 4000 bp of the annotated transcription start site (TSS). We PCR-cloned 89 hypothetical SRF targets and subjected each of them to at least two of several validations including luciferase reporter, gel shift, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and mRNA expression following RNAi knockdown of SRF; 60/89 (67%) of the targets were validated. Interestingly, 26 of the validated SRF target genes encode for cytoskeletal/contractile or adhesion proteins. RNAi knockdown of SRF diminishes expression of several SRF-dependent cytoskeletal genes and elicits an attending perturbation in the cytoarchitecture of both human and rodent cells. These data illustrate the power of integrating existing algorithms to interrogate the genome in a relatively unbiased fashion for cis-regulatory element discovery. In this manner, we have further expanded the mammalian CArGome with the discovery of an array of cyto-contractile genes that coordinate normal cytoskeletal homeostasis. We suggest one function of SRF is that of an ancient master regulator of the actin cytoskeleton.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    17-371
    Product Catalog Name:
    EZ-ChIP™
  • Ordered histone modifications are associated with transcriptional poising and activation of the phaseolin promoter. 16326929

    The phaseolin (phas) promoter drives copious production of transcripts encoding the protein phaseolin during seed embryogenesis but is silent in vegetative tissues, in which a nucleosome is positioned over its three-phased TATA boxes. Transition from the inactive state in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana leaves was accomplished by ectopic expression of the transcription factor Phaseolus vulgaris ABI3-like factor (ALF) and application of abscisic acid (ABA). Placement of hemagglutinin-tagged ALF expression under the control of an estradiol-inducible promoter permitted chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of chronological changes in histone modifications, notably increased acetylation of H3-K9 and H4-K12, as phas chromatin was remodeled (potentiated). A different array of changes, including acetylation of H3-K14 and methylation of H3-K4, was found to be associated with ABA-mediated activation. Thus, temporal separation of phas potentiation from activation revealed that histone H3 and H4 Lys residues are not globally hyperacetylated during phas expression. Whereas decreases in histone H3 and H4 levels were detected during ALF-mediated remodeling, slight increases occurred after ABA-mediated activation, suggesting the restoration of histone-phas interactions or the replacement of histones in the phas chromatin. The observed histone modifications provide insight into factors involved in the euchromatinization and activation of a plant gene and expand the evidence for histone code conservation among eukaryotes.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    Multiple
    Product Catalog Name:
    Multiple
  • KNOX1 is expressed and epigenetically regulated during in vitro conditions in Agave spp. 23126409

    The micropropagation is a powerful tool to scale up plants of economical and agronomical importance, enhancing crop productivity. However, a small but growing body of evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, can be affected under the in vitro conditions characteristic of micropropagation. Here, we tested whether the adaptation to different in vitro systems (Magenta boxes and Bioreactors) modified epigenetically different clones of Agave fourcroydes and A. angustifolia. Furthermore, we assessed whether these epigenetic changes affect the regulatory expression of KNOTTED1-like HOMEOBOX (KNOX) transcription factors.To gain a better understanding of epigenetic changes during in vitro and ex vitro conditions in Agave fourcroydes and A. angustifolia, we analyzed global DNA methylation, as well as different histone modification marks, in two different systems: semisolid in Magenta boxes (M) and temporary immersion in modular Bioreactors (B). No significant difference was found in DNA methylation in A. fourcroydes grown in either M or B. However, when A. fourcroydes was compared with A. angustifolia, there was a two-fold difference in DNA methylation between the species, independent of the in vitro system used. Furthermore, we detected an absence or a low amount of the repressive mark H3K9me2 in ex vitro conditions in plants that were cultured earlier either in M or B. Moreover, the expression of AtqKNOX1 and AtqKNOX2, on A. fourcroydes and A. angustifolia clones, is affected during in vitro conditions. Therefore, we used Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP) to know whether these genes were epigenetically regulated. In the case of AtqKNOX1, the H3K4me3 and H3K9me2 were affected during in vitro conditions in comparison with AtqKNOX2.Agave clones plants with higher DNA methylation during in vitro conditions were better adapted to ex vitro conditions. In addition, A. fourcroydes and A. angustifolia clones displayed differential expression of the KNOX1 gene during in vitro conditions, which is epigenetically regulated by the H3K4me3 and H3K9me2 marks. The finding of an epigenetic regulation in key developmental genes will make it important in future studies to identify factors that help to find climate-resistant micropropagated plants.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    Multiple
    Product Catalog Name:
    Multiple
  • Direct p53 transcriptional repression: in vivo analysis of CCAAT-containing G2/M promoters. 15831478

    In response to DNA damage, p53 activates G(1)/S blocking and apoptotic genes through sequence-specific binding. p53 also represses genes with no target site, such as those for Cdc2 and cyclin B, key regulators of the G(2)/M transition. Like most G(2)/M promoters, they rely on multiple CCAAT boxes activated by NF-Y, whose binding to DNA is temporally regulated during the cell cycle. NF-Y associates with p53 in vitro and in vivo through the alphaC helix of NF-YC (a subunit of NF-Y) and a region close to the tetramerization domain of p53. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that p53 is associated with cyclin B2, CDC25C, and Cdc2 promoters in vivo before and after DNA damage, requiring DNA-bound NF-Y. Following DNA damage, p53 is rapidly acetylated at K320 and K373 to K382, histones are deacetylated, and the release of PCAF and p300 correlates with the recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs)-HDAC1 before HDAC4 and HDAC5-and promoter repression. HDAC recruitment requires intact NF-Y binding sites. In transfection assays, PCAF represses cyclin B2, and a nonacetylated p53 mutant shows a complete loss of repression potential, despite its abilities to bind NF-Y and to be recruited on G(2)/M promoters. These data (i) detail a strategy of direct p53 repression through associations with multiple NF-Y trimers that is independent of sequence-specific binding of p53 and that requires C-terminal acetylation, (ii) suggest that p53 is a DNA damage sentinel of the G(2)/M transition, and (iii) delineate a new role for PCAF in cell cycle control.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    Multiple
    Product Catalog Name:
    Multiple
  • Characterization and functional analysis of the 5'-flanking promoter region of the mouse Tcf3 gene. 21935611

    Tcf3 is a nuclear mediator of canonical Wnt signaling which functions in many systems as a repressor of target gene transcription. In this study, we have cloned and characterized a 6.7 kb fragment of the 5'-flanking promoter region of the mouse Tcf3 gene. In silico analysis of the promoter sequence identified the existence of GC boxes and CpG islands, but failed to identify any TATA box. In addition, the promoter sequence contained putative binding sites for multiple transcription factors, including a few known to regulate the function of mTcf3. Of those, we confirmed functional binding sites for NF?B and Oct1 using a luciferase assay and ChIP. In vitro analysis revealed five potential transcription start sites which resulted in a 298 base pair 5'-untranslated region upstream of the mTcf3 translation start site ATG. Using a luciferase assay, we analyzed the activity of the cloned promoter fragment in embryonically derived neural stem cells. The luciferase activity of a 3.5 kb core promoter fragment (-3243/+211) showed up to 40-fold increased activity compared to the empty vector. Addition of sequences 5' to the 3.5 kb core promoter fragment resulted in a 20-fold drop in luciferase activity, indicating the presence of further upstream repressive elements. In vivo analysis of a 4.5 kb promoter fragment (-4303/+211) driving, the expression of EGFP in mouse embryos highly resembled endogenous expression of mTcf3.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    MAB5434
  • The binding of the ubiquitous transcription factor Sp1 at the locus control region represses the expression of beta-like globin genes. 15998736

    To investigate the function of transcription factor Sp1 in beta-like globin gene activation, we analyzed the recruitment of Sp1, fetal Krüppel-like factor 2 (FKLF2), and related factors at the human beta-globin locus in a human fetal liver and mouse erythroleukemia hybrid cell (A181gamma cell) that contains a single copy of human chromosome 11. Sp1 binds at the GT boxes of the cis-elements throughout the beta-locus, but it is phosphorylated and lost over DNase I hypersensitive site (HS)2, HS3, HS4, and the human beta-globin gene promoter after A181gamma cell differentiation. The binding of FKLF2 at HS2 and HS3 was unchanged. Histone deacetylase 1, which could be recruited by Sp1, is also lost over HS2 and HS3 after differentiation, resulting in the acetylation of histones 3 and 4 across the human beta-globin locus. We previously detected in vivo GT footprints over the beta-globin locus after A181gamma differentiation. Here, we report that after differentiation, the p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor is recruited by FKLF2 to the locus control region to acetylate histones 3 and 4 at the human beta-globin gene locus. Our results suggest that Sp1 is an inhibitor of beta-like globin gene transcription during erythroid terminal differentiation. Its phosphorylation and release allow the erythroid-specific FKLF2 or erythroid Krüppel-like factor to interact with other erythroid-specific transcription factors to initiate the transcription of beta-like globin genes.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    Multiple
    Product Catalog Name:
    Multiple
  • Expression of the rat sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c gene in response to insulin is mediated by increased transactivating capacity of specificity protein 1 ... 17449871

    The induction of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis by insulin is mediated in part by the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). SREBP-1c is directly regulated by insulin by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Previously, we have demonstrated that the insulin-responsive cis-acting unit of the rat SREBP-1c promoter is composed of several elements that include a sterol regulatory element, two liver X receptor elements, and a number of conserved GC boxes. Here we systematically dissected the role of these GC boxes and report that five bona fide Sp1-binding elements of the SREBP-1c promoter determine its basal and insulin-induced activation. Luciferase expression driven by the rat SREBP-1c promoter was accelerated by ectopic expression of Sp1, and insulin further enhanced the transactivation potential of Sp1. Introduction of a small interfering RNA against Sp1 reduced both basal and insulin-induced activation of the SREBP-1c promoter. We also found that Sp1 interacted with both SREBP-1c and LXRalpha proteins and that insulin promoted these interactions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies revealed that insulin facilitated the recruitment of the steroid receptor coactivator-1 to the SREBP-1c promoter. These studies identify a novel mechanism by which maximal activation of the rat SREBP-1c gene expression by insulin is mediated by Sp1 and its enhanced ability to interact with other transcriptional regulatory proteins.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    07-645
    Product Catalog Name:
    Anti-Sp1 Antibody
  • Targeting the microphthalmia basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper transcription factor to a subset of E-box elements in vitro and in vivo. 9819381

    The development of melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells responsible for skin, hair, and eye color, is absolutely dependent on the action of the microphthalmia basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-LZ) transcription factor (Mi); mice lacking a functional Mi protein are entirely devoid of pigment cells. Mi has been shown to activate transcription of the tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and QNR-71 genes through specific E-box elements, most notably the highly conserved M box. We investigated the mechanism which enables Mi to be recruited specifically to a restricted subset of E boxes in target promoters while being prevented from binding E-box elements in other promoters. We show both in vitro and in vivo that the presence of a T residue flanking a CATGTG E box is an essential determinant of the ability of Mi to bind DNA, and we successfully predict that the CATGTG E box from the P gene would not bind Mi. In contrast, no specific requirement for the sequences flanking a CACGTG E box was observed, and no binding to an atypical E box in the c-Kit promoter was detected. The relevance of these observations to the control of melanocyte-specific gene expression was highlighted by the fact that the E-box elements located in the tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and QNR-71 promoters without exception possess a 5' flanking T residue which is entirely conserved between species as diverse as man and turtle. The ability of Mi to discriminate between different E-box motifs provides a mechanism to restrict the repertoire of genes which are likely to be regulated by Mi and provides insight into the ability of bHLH-LZ transcription factors to achieve the specificity required for the precise coordination of transcription during development.
    Document Type:
    Reference
    Product Catalog Number:
    06-886