Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Promotion”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Characterization of the rat insulin-like growth factor I gene promoters and identification of a minimal exon 2 promoter.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) promoter activity was characterized in C6, GH3, OVCAR-3, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Maximal exon 1 promoter activity was present in the region extending from -133 to +362 (where +1 is the first transcription start site). Promoter activity was higher in the +75/+362 fragment, which contains exon 1 transcription start sites 3 and 4, than in the -133/+74 fragment, which contains exon 1 transcription start sites 1 and 2. Promoter activity was also observed in constructs containing sequences from -133 to +192, which includes start sites 1, 2, and 3. Inclusion of sequences upstream of -133 inhibited exon 1 proximal promoter activity in a cell type-specific manner. Exon 2 promoter activity was observed in all cell lines with a construct containing 73 bp of 5'-flanking sequence and 44 bp of exon 2. Exon 2 promoter activity was abolished when only 36 bp of 5'-flanking sequence and 44 bp of exon 2 were present, suggesting that an essential minimal promoter element(s) is contained within the -73 to -36 region. A putative CACCC box was observed within this region at -53. Upstream sequence regulated exon 2 promoter activity in a cell type-specific manner. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed a single specifically bound band when the +75/+362 fragment of the exon 1 promoter was used with nuclear extracts from C6 and GH3 cells. Multiple specifically bound bands with slower mobility were observed when the -236/+44 exon 2 promoter fragment was incubated with C6, GH3, CHO, and OVCAR-3 cell nuclear extracts. The exon 1 and exon 2 promoter regions were able to inhibit each other's binding in electrophoretic mobility shift assay using GH3 cell and OVCAR-3 cell nuclear extracts, respectively. Oligonucleotides containing consensus activating protein-1 (AP-1) and AP-3 sequences inhibited exon 1 promoter binding by GH3 cell nuclear extracts. AP-2 and AP-3 sites inhibited exon 2 promoter binding. Our data suggest that the sequence surrounding and including start site 3 in exon 1 functions as a minimal independent promoter. The minimal exon 2 promoter is contained within the 73 bp upstream and 44 bp downstream of the transcription start site cluster. These minimal promoters contain similar and distinct elements that are important for basal transcription. Upstream sequences may contain cell type-specific silencer elements.

Animals

The tac promoter: a functional hybrid derived from the trp and lac promoters.

Two hybrid promoters that are functional in Escherichia coli have been constructed. These hybrid promoters, tacI and tacII, were derived from sequences of the trp and the lac UV5 promoters. In the first hybrid promoter (tacI), the DNA upstream of position -20 with respect to the transcriptional start site was derived from the trp promoter. The DNA downstream of position -20 was derived from the lac UV5 promoter. In the second hybrid promoter (tacII), the DNA upstream of position -11 at the Hpa I site within the Pribnow box was derived from the trp promoter. The DNA downstream of position -11 is a 46-base-pair synthetic DNA fragment that specifies part of the hybrid Pribnow box and the entire lac operator. It also specifies a Shine-Dalgarno sequence flanked by two unique restriction sites (portable Shine-Dalgarno sequence). The tacI and the tacII promoters respectively direct transcription approximately 11 and 7 times more efficiently than the derepressed parental lac UV5 promoter and approximately 3 and 2 times more efficiently than the trp promoter in the absence of the trp repressor. Both hybrid promoters can be repressed by the lac repressor and both can be derepressed with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside. Consequently, these hybrid promoters are useful for the controlled expression of foreign genes at high levels in E. coli. In contrast to the trp and the lac UV5 promoters, the tacI promoter has not only a consensus -35 sequence but also a consensus Pribnow box sequence. This may explain the higher efficiency of this hybrid promoter with respect to either one of the parental promoters.

Base Sequence

Development of a trpE promoter-strength measuring system and its use in comparison of the trpEDCBA, trpR and aroH promoters.

An expression system was developed for measuring in vivo promoter strength at the single copy level and this system was used to compare the trp, aroH and trpR promoters. This system employs trpE enzyme activity as a measure of promoter strength and lacZ expression for internal copy number reference. Promoter-containing fragments are inserted into a cloning vector and subsequently recombined on to phage lambda by genetic exchange. Single lysogens are then prepared and used in promoter-strength analyses. The strength of several promoters was determined using this system. Among the promoters tested, the Escherichia coli trpEDCBA promoter was the strongest; it was four times more active than the lacUV5 promoter and about ten times stronger than the trpR and aroH promoters. To validate measurement of trpE enzyme activity as an indicator of promoter strength, trpE enzyme activity was compared with the level of trpE mRNA. There was excellent correspondence between the two, suggesting that with this system trpE enzyme activity accurately reflects promoter strength. We also examined a homologous promoter-strength measuring system in which the promoter-cloning plasmid lacked a 104 base-pair DNA spacer that was present immediately downstream from the promoter-cloning site in our preferred system. We found that the spacer was essential; the transcribed region accompanying a cloned promoter apparently affected trpE translational efficiency and/or trpE mRNA stability.

Anthranilate Synthase

Promoter-promoter interactions influencing transcription of the yeast mitochondrial gene, Oli 1, coding for ATPase subunit 9. Cis and trans effects.

The gene for ATPase subunit 9 of yeast mitochondria (Oli 1) contains two promoter sequences (Op1 and Op2) separated by 78 nucleotides. Both promoters are transcribed in vivo and in vitro though with different efficiency. The upstream promoter (Op1) is 12-15 times stronger than the downstream promoter (Op2), and this difference in promoter activity is partly attributable to the influence of the +2 nucleotide (Biswas, T. K., and Getz, G. S. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 270-274). In addition, the presence of the strong promoter (Op1) in close proximity to the weak promoter (Op2) partially inhibits the expression of the latter (Op2). The relative orientation of the two promoters has no influence on these inhibitory effects. When both promoters are present in the same reaction mixture, the strong promoter always competes effectively with the weak promoter for limited RNA polymerase (trans or competition effect). When the two promoters are present in the same plasmid, there is an inhibitory interaction between them that decreases as the distance between the two promoters increases (cis or position effect). Thus, the difference between the activities of a strong and a weak mitochondrial promoter in tandem is a function of two effects, the trans or competition effect and the cis or position-related effect. A model for promoter-promoter interactions is proposed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

In vivo studies on the interaction of RNA polymerase-sigma 54 with the Klebsiella pneumoniae and Rhizobium meliloti nifH promoters. The role of NifA in the formation of an open promoter complex.

Transcription from the Klebsiella pneumoniae and Rhizobium meliloti nifH promoters requires the positive control protein NifA and the alternative sigma factor sigma 54, encoded by the rpoN gene. Transcription from the K. pneumoniae nifH promoter is fully dependent upon NifA bound at the upstream activator sequence (UAS) whereas the R. meliloti nifH promoter can be efficiently activated in the absence of this sequence and can also be activated by a mutant form of NifA unable to bind the UAS. The in vivo interaction of RNA polymerase-sigma 54 with these promoters was examined using dimethyl sulphate footprinting. The R. meliloti nifH promoter but not the K. pneumoniae nifH promoter showed sigma 54-dependent methylation protection of guanine residues at -14, -25 and -26, the most conserved nucleotides characteristic of sigma 54-dependent promoters. A mutant derivative of the K. pneumoniae nifH promoter bearing transitions at positions from -15 to -17 showed sigma 54-dependent methylation protection of guanines -13, -24 and -25. The enhanced interaction of the RNA polymerase-sigma 54 with this mutant promoter correlates with its increased level of activation by a form of NifA unable to bind the UAS. Use of in vivo KMnO4 footprinting to detect single-stranded pyrimidine residues and in vivo methylation protection demonstrated that the sigma 54-dependent protection observed in the R. meliloti and mutant K. pneumoniae nifH promoter results from the formation of a closed promoter complex. The isomerization of the pre-existing closed complex to an open promoter form, as judged by the local denaturation of promoter DNA which rendered sequences from +5 to -10 reactive towards KMnO4, was shown to be fully dependent on NifA. We propose a model in which the fidelity of activation of sigma 54-dependent promoters relies on a weak activator-independent interaction of RNA polymerase-sigma 54 with the promoter. A specific interaction of the appropriate activator with its respective UAS is then required for the positive control protein to facilitate open complex formation.

Bacterial Proteins

Stimulation of the mouse rRNA gene promoter by a distal spacer promoter.

We show that the mouse ribosomal DNA (rDNA) spacer promoter acts in vivo to stimulate transcription from a downstream rRNA gene promoter. This augmentation of mammalian RNA polymerase I transcription is observed in transient-transfection experiments with three different rodent cell lines, under noncompetitive as well as competitive transcription conditions, over a wide range of template concentrations, whether or not the enhancer repeats alone stimulate or repress expression from the downstream gene promoter. Stimulation of gene promoter transcription by the spacer promoter requires the rDNA enhancer sequences to be present between the spacer promoter and gene promoter and to be oriented as in native rDNA. Stimulation also requires that the spacer promoter be oriented toward the enhancer and gene promoter. However, stimulation does not correlate with transcription from the spacer promoter because the level of stimulation is not altered by either insertion of a functional mouse RNA polymerase I transcriptional terminator between the spacer promoter and enhancer or replacement with a much more active heterologous polymerase I promoter. Further analysis with a series of mutated spacer promoters indicates that the stimulatory activity does not reside in the major promoter domains but requires the central region of the promoter that has been correlated with enhancer responsiveness in vivo.

Animals

Striking conformational similarities between the transcription promoters of Thogoto and influenza A viruses: evidence for intrastrand base pairing in the 5' promoter arm.

In the accompanying report, we describe an in vitro polymerase assay based on reconstituted Thogoto virus (THOV) cores which provided evidence of a double-stranded vRNA promoter consisting of both the 3' and 5' sequences of vRNA (M. B. Leahy, J. T. Dessens, and P. A. Nuttall, J. Virol. 71:8347-8351, 1997). This system was used to investigate further the THOV vRNA promoter structure by using short, synthetic vRNA promoters. The results obtained show that interstrand base pairing between residues 10 and 11 of the 3' promoter arm with residues 11 and 12 of the 5' promoter arm, respectively, is important for promoter activity. In addition, intrastrand base pairing between residues 2 and 3 with residues 9 and 8 of the 5' promoter arm, respectively, was shown to be involved in promoter activity, while no evidence of intrastrand base pairing between residues 2 and 9 of the 3' promoter arm was obtained. These observations are consistent with a hook-like structure in the 5' promoter arm of the THOV promoter. The THOV cores were able to transcribe an influenza A virus (FLUA) vRNA-like promoter, as well as hybrid THOV-FLUA promoters. Hence, the THOV and FLUA vRNA promoters appear to be both structurally and functionally similar.

Base Sequence

Differential promoter usage in prolactin receptor gene expression: hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 binds to and activates the promoter preferentially active in the liver.

Characterization of the rat PRL receptor (PRLR) gene has revealed three separate untranslated exon 1 sequences, each associated with a different transcription start site and 5'-flanking sequence. We show by RT-PCR that exon 1A is expressed primarily in liver but is also detectable in ovary and mammary gland. Exon 1B expression is observed exclusively in the ovary, whereas exon 1C is expressed in all three tissues. Transient transfection of luciferase reporter constructs containing parts of the 5'-flanking regions (0.3-1.1 kb) of exon 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively, showed activity of the 1A promoter in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, and the rat hepatoma cell line, H4II, which was 10- to 14-fold increased compared with the activity of the promoter-less luciferase vector. No activity of the 1A promoter was detected in the human mammary cell line, T-47D. Relative to a vector containing the Simian virus 40 (SV40) promoter, the 1A promoter had 20% activity in H4II cells and 1-3% activity in CHO and HepG2 cells. The 1B promoter produced a 6.1-fold increase of luciferase activity in CHO cells (approximately 2% of the SV40 promoter), whereas no significant activity was detected in HepG2, H4II, and T-47D cells. The 1C promoter was strongly active in T-47D cells (approximately 64-fold over control) and moderately active in the other cell lines tested (9- to 13-fold over control). 5'-Deletion analysis of the 1A promoter revealed that a fragment containing -83/ +81 bp, relative to the transcription start site, was sufficient to drive transcription in hepatoma cells, whereas this construct was inactive in CHO cells. Cotransfection of CHO cells with the -83/+81 construct and an expression vector encoding the liver-enriched transcription factor, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF4), revealed a dose-dependent transactivation of the proximal 1A promoter with a maximal stimulation of approximately 10-fold. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed binding of HNF4 to the sequence -14/+24 of the 1A promoter, and mutational analysis revealed that the sequence GGGCAAAGTCA at position +11/+21 is required for this binding. We conclude that the 1A, 1B, and 1C promoters of the PRLR gene are used in a cell type- dependent way that may play a role in differential hormonal regulation of the gene. In particular, we have shown that HNF4 operates on the proximal 1A promoter and may be responsible, in combination with other factors, for the increased activity of this promoter in adult female liver.

Animals

Responses of preneoplastic epidermal cells to tumor promoters and growth factors: use of promoter-resistant variants for mechanism studies.

The JB6 mouse epidermal cell model system is being used to study the mechanism of promotion of transformation. Promotion of anchorage independence in JB6 cells occurs in response to second-stage but not first-stage promoters, and is inhibited by inhibitors of second-stage not first-stage promotion. A number of variants that are resistant to the phorbol diester TPA have been derived. Some are resistant to plateau density mitogenic stimulation by TPA; others are resistant to promotion of anchorage independence by TPA. Some of the mitogen-resistant variants were promotable by TPA, thus ruling out a requirement for TPA mitogenesis in promotion of transformation in JB6 cells. TPA promotable clones were also sensitive to mezerein and EGF while the TPA nonpromotable variants were also resistant to mezerein and EGF, suggesting that sensitivity to promoters in these JB6 cells is determined at a level distal to receptor binding. Promotion sensitivity did not require available EGF receptors since two TPA promotable variants were EGF receptorless. The mitogenic response of JB6 cells to TPA may however be mediated by EGF since four of four mitogen-resistant variants showed low to zero levels of EGF binding. Tumor promoting phorbol esters produce specific changes in cellular gangliosides. Certain of these changes occur in promotable but not nonpromotable variants of JB6 cells, suggesting that ganglioside changes may be involved in the process of promotion of transformation.

Animals

Biological assays for irritant, tumor-initiating and tumor-promoting activities. II. Standardized initiation/promotion protocol and semiquantitative estimation of promoting (or initiating) potencies in skin of NMRI mice.

A versatile standardized protocol of initiation/promotion of skin is described using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene as initiator and diterpene esters as promoters in 28 female NMRI mice per promoter (or initiator) dose group including appropriate positive and negative controls ("standardized initiation/promotion protocol 28" or "protocol 28"). To monitor the weekly tumor responses, the tumor rate Tr and the tumor yield Ty were recorded per dose group collectively as a measure of the tumor-promoting (or initiating) activity of individual compounds; similarly the general health status of the group was controlled twice weekly by collective weighing of the dose group and recorded daily by the survival rate Sr. Synoptic consideration of Tr, Ty and the promoter dose (or initiator dose) at a set time period of exposure was used for the semiquantitative estimation of the relative tumor-promoting (or initiating) potency, referring to a high-potency promoter (or initiator) as standard. The full scope of utilization of "protocol 28" to determine comparable individual promoting activities and -at 24 weeks of exposure--relative tumor-promoting potencies (rtpp24) is demonstrated in typical examples with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) as well as various other phorbol esters as promoters. For estimation of promoting potencies TPA is rated a rtpp24 of + + + +. The other phorbol derivatives exhibit rtpp24 between 0 and + + + +. In this manner, "protocol 28" was verified in 1000 promoter dose groups (i.e. 28,000 mice) to determine tumor-promoting activities of individual diterpene esters and partly also their rtpp24. Grading of tumor-promoting potencies of diterpene esters in skin by rtpp24 proved useful for evaluating the relative environmental risk involved in exposure to various diterpene esters as well as in comparative mechanistic investigations including structure/activity relationships. As an example, the correlation of irritancy and tumor-promoting potency of certain diterpene esters in epithelial tissue, postulated previously from essentially qualitative data, is verified in semiquantitative terms by comparison--as a typical example--of the irritancy of phorbol esters on the ear and of the corresponding rtpp24 on the back skin of NMRI mice.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene

Synergistic interaction between the non-phorbol ester-type promoter mirex and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in mouse skin tumor promotion.

Mirex, an organochlorine pesticide and non-genotoxic rodent hepatocarcinogen, is also a potent non-phorbol ester-type promoter of mouse skin tumors. Mirex, unlike most other skin tumor promoters, is not a significant epidermal hyperplasiogen even at a maximally promoting dose (200 nmol). Experiments described here examined whether tumor promotion by mirex and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) are mediated through different mechanisms as indicated by their additivity when co-applied to 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA, 200 nmol)-initiated female CD-1 mouse skin. Instead of the additive response of 14 plus 5 tumors/mouse predicted from mice promoted for 20 weeks (2x/week) with either mirex (200 nmol) or TPA (2 nmol) respectively, their co-application yielded 35 tumors/mouse. This synergy with TPA was specific to mirex since a structurally related compound, chlordecone (Kepone) was inactive. Mirex plus TPA-promoted papillomas contained a c-Ha-ras A182-->T mutation as frequently (13/14) as those promoted by mirex or TPA alone, suggesting that these DMBA-initiated/co-promoted papillomas were not atypical in this genotypic marker. Promotional synergy with mirex was only observed with a submaximal promoting dose of 2 nmol TPA; 5 or 8 nmol TPA plus mirex gave additive or less tumor multiplicities. This synergistic multiplicity with mirex plus 2 nmol TPA (35 tumors/mouse) approximated the sum of individual responses to 200 nmol mirex (14 tumors/mouse) and the maximally promoting dose of TPA (12 nmol), 24 tumors/mouse, suggesting that mirex potentiated the promotional activity of TPA, as well as promoted through a mirex-specific mechanism. Epidermal DNA synthesis induced by 2 nmol TPA was potentiated by mirex, further supporting a role for mirex in potentiation of epidermal TPA activity. Collectively, these studies suggest that mirex affects two possibly related responses: (i) promotion through a distinct mirex-specific mechanism, and (ii) potentiation of a mechanism mediating the promotional activity of TPA.

Adenine

Kinetic analysis of T7 RNA polymerase-promoter interactions with small synthetic promoters.

Specific interactions between T7 RNA polymerase and its promoter have been studied by a simple steady-state kinetic assay using synthetic oligonucleotide promoters that produce a short five-base message. A series of promoters with upstream lengths extending to promoter positions -19, -17, -14, and -12 show that promoters extending to -19 and -17 produce very specific transcripts with initiation rate constant Kcat = 50 min-1 and a Michaelis constant Km = 0.02 microM, indicating that the consensus sequence to position -17 is sufficient for maximum promoter usage. Shortening the upstream region of the promoter to -14 substantially increases Km (0.3 microM) but does not significantly reduce the maximum velocity (kcat = 30 min-1). Finally, truncation of the promoter at position -12 results in extremely low levels of specific transcription. The coding and noncoding strands appear to make different contributions to promoter recognition. Although the double-stranded promoter of upstream length -12 is very poor as a transcription template, extension of only the noncoding strand to -17 very significantly improves both Kcat and Km. In contrast, extension of only the coding strand results in no significant improvement. Substitution of an AT base pair at position -10 by CG (as found in T3 RNA polymerase promoters) produces a 10-fold increase in Km, with little effect on Kcat. Comparison of two promoters containing a base pair mismatch at this site (AG or CT) demonstrates that promoter recognition is very sensitive to the nature of the base on the noncoding strand and is only slightly affected by the presence of a mismatch created by a wrong base in the coding strands.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Base Sequence

The trmA promoter has regulatory features and sequence elements in common with the rRNA P1 promoter family of Escherichia coli.

The tRNA(m5U54)methyltransferase, whose structural gene is designated trmA, catalyzes the formation of 5-methyluridine in position 54 of all tRNA species in Escherichia coli. The synthesis of this enzyme has previously been shown to be both growth rate dependent and stringently regulated, suggesting regulatory features similar to those of rRNA. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the trmA operon in E. coli and the sequence of the trmA promoter region in Salmonella typhimurium and also analyzed the transcriptional regulation of the gene. The trmA and the btuB (encoding the vitamin B12 outer membrane receptor protein) promoters are divergent promoters separated by 102 bp between the transcriptional start sites. The trmA promoters of both E. coli and S. typhimurium share promoter elements with the rRNA P1 promoter. The sequence downstream from the -10 region of the trmA promoter is homologous to the discriminatory region found in stringently regulated promoters. Next to and upstream from the -10 region is a sequence, TCCC, in the trmA promoter that is present in all of the seven rRNA P1 promoters and in some tRNA promoters but not in any other sigma 70 promoter. However, a similar motif is also found in promoters transcribed by the heat shock sigma factor sigma 32. The trmA gene is transcribed as a monocistronic operon, and the 3' end of the transcript is shown to be located downstream from a dyad symmetry region not followed by a poly(U) stretch. Using a trmA-cat operon fusion, we show that the growth rate-dependent regulation of trmA resembles that of rRNA and operates at the level of transcription.

Amino Acid Sequence

Expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in mammalian cells under the control of adenovirus type 12 promoters: effect of promoter methylation on gene expression.

The effect of DNA methylation at specific promoter sites on gene expression was tested by using a sensitive and quantitative assay system. The plasmid pSVO CAT contains the prokaryotic gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and a HindIII site in front of it for experimental promoter insertion. Upon insertion into pSVO CAT, the E1a and protein IX gene promoters from adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) DNA were capable of mediating CAT expression upon transfection in mouse cells. In many viral and nonviral eukaryotic genes, DNA methylation at highly specific sites in the promoter region can attain a regulatory function in gene expression. One of the important sites is the 5' C-C-G-G 3' sequence. The CAT-promoting activity of the early simian virus 40 promoter in plasmid pSV2 CAT is refractory to methylation by the Hpa II or Hha I DNA methyltransferase at 5' C-C-G-G 3' or 5' G-C-G-C 3' sequences, respectively, because this promoter lacks such sites. The CAT coding sequence of this plasmid carries four Hpa II and no Hha I sites. Methylation of the Hpa II sites in the coding region does not affect expression. The E1a promoter of Ad12 DNA comprising the leftmost 525 base pairs of the viral genome carries two 5' C-C-G-G 3' and three 5' G-C-G-C 3' sites upstream from the leftmost "TATA" signal. Methylation of the Hpa II or Hha I sites incapacitates this promoter. The promoter of protein IX gene of Ad12 DNA contains one 5' C-C-G-G 3' and one 5' G-C-G-C 3' site downstream and two 5' G-C-G-C 3' sites greater than 300 base pairs upstream from the TATA motif and probably outside the promoter. The protein IX promoter is not inactivated by methylation of these sites. These data demonstrate that critical 5' methylations in the promoter region decrease or eliminate transcription; methylations of sites too far upstream or probably any sites downstream from the TATA site do not affect expression.

Acetyltransferases

Evidence for a common genetic pathway controlling susceptibility to mouse skin tumor promotion by diverse classes of promoting agents.

The present study has compared different mouse stocks and strains with known sensitivity to phorbol ester skin tumor promotion for their sensitivities to skin tumor promotion by a prototypic organic peroxide (benzoyl peroxide, BzPo) and anthrone (chrysarobin, Chr) tumor promoter. Following initiation with either 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and/or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, groups of mice were promoted with several different doses of each promoting agent. Among mice selectively bred for sensitivity to phorbol ester promotion, the order of sensitivity to BzPo was inbred SENCAR (SSIn) greater than SENCAR greater than CD-1. With Chr as the promoter, the order of sensitivity was SENCAR greater than SSIn greater than CD-1. Concurrent tumor promotion experiments examined the responsiveness of two common inbred mouse strains, DBA/2 and C57BL/6. The phorbol ester-responsive mouse strain, DBA/2, was more sensitive to skin tumor promotion by Chr than was C57BL/6 at all doses tested but was clearly less sensitive than both SENCAR and SSIn mice. Finally, DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice were similar in their responsiveness to BzPo promotion, but again both of these inbred strains were significantly less sensitive than were SSIn and SENCAR mice to this organic peroxide type of skin tumor promoter. Histological evaluations comparing SENCAR and C57BL/6 mice revealed that a major difference between these strains in response to multiple Chr and BzPo treatments was in the inflammatory response (measured by edema formation). Unlike 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, Chr and BzPo did not induce dramatic differences in the epidermal hyperplasia (as measured by epidermal thickness) in these two mouse lines. The results presented in this paper suggest that there is a common pathway controlling susceptibility to skin tumor promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, BzPo, and chrysarobin. These results are discussed in terms of a possible genetic model(s) for skin tumor promotion in mice.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene

Hamster cheek pouch as a bioassay system in short term screening for tumor initiating and promoting agents. Optimization of parameters and observations of effects of cytotoxicity on tumor promotion by retinyl acetate.

The effects of various conditions on tumor initiation by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA) and promotion by retinyl acetate (RA), both in dimethylsulfoxide, were studied by topical application in hamster cheek pouch. The variables studied were: initiation and promotion time and schedule (alternate vs consecutive day paintings), concentration of DMBA used for initiation, and cytotoxicity. Spontaneous tumor progression followed by regression was observed in control animals which had been initiated for 4 weeks with 0.2% DMBA, but not given subsequent promotion treatment. Spontaneous progression was not observed in control animals which had been given only 2 weeks of initiation treatment, although RA both promoted new tumors and caused progression of benign hyperplastic lesions (BHLs) to advanced tumors. The approximate optimal conditions for obtaining acceptable tumor yields from promotion while minimizing associated errors and time periods were: 2 weeks of initiation with 0.2% DMBA and 4 weeks of promotion with 0.05 M RA, both with alternate day painting schedules. Reducing the initiation period but painting on consecutive days caused intolerable cytotoxicity and lowered tumor yields although the total dose of DMBA was kept constant. Increasing initiation time increased tumor yield in unpromoted controls as well as promoted groups, thus increasing errors in net yield from promotion. Similar results were obtained from doubling concentration of DMBA and halving initiation time. Reducing promotion time to below 4 weeks lowered tumor yield due to insufficient time for tumor development. Increasing promotion time to 6 weeks lowered tumor yield in both control and promoted groups, possibly due to spontaneous regression. Cytotoxicity enhanced progression to advanced tumors all of which were inflamed polypoid fibrovascular lesions. The cytotoxicity of DMBA was far greater than that of RA. Evidence is presented that tumor promotion by RA is not due to cytotoxicity. The hamster pouch system may afford an excellent short term mammalian screening test for tumor initiating and promotion agents.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene

Identification of a stage selector element in the human gamma-globin gene promoter that fosters preferential interaction with the 5' HS2 enhancer when in competition with the beta-promoter.

The erythroid-specific enhancer within hypersensitivity site 2 (HS2) of the human beta-globin locus control region is required for high level globin gene expression. We investigated interaction between HS2 and the gamma- and beta-promoters using reporter constructs in transient assays in human erythroleukemia (K562) cells. The beta-promoter, usually silent in K562 cells, was activated by HS2. This activity was abolished when a gamma-promoter was linked in cis. Analysis of truncation mutants suggested that sequences conveying the competitive advantage of the gamma-promoter for HS2 included those between positions -53 and -35 relative to the transcriptional start site. This sequence, when used to replace the corresponding region of the beta-promoter, increased beta-promoter activity 10-fold when linked to HS2. The modified beta-promoter was also capable of competing with a gamma-promoter modified internally in the -53 to -35 region, when the two promoters were linked to HS2 in a single plasmid. The corresponding sequences from the Galago gamma-promoter, a species which lacks fetal gamma-gene expression, were inactive in analogous assays. We have identified and partially purified a nuclear protein found in human (fetal stage) erythroleukemia cells, but present in much lower concentration in murine (adult stage) erythroleukemia cells, that binds the -53 to -35 sequence of the gamma-promoter. We speculate that this region of the gamma-promoter functions as a stage selector element in the regulation of hemoglobin switching in humans.

Animals

Chromogenic identification of promoters in Streptomyces lividans by using an ampC beta-lactamase promoter-probe vector.

A promoter-probe system, based on the ampC beta-lactamase gene of Escherichia coli, has been developed for the isolation and characterization of transcriptional signals in the gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces lividans. The promoter-probe vector, denoted pJAS14, has the SLP1.2 replicon with a copy number of four-five plasmids per cell. It contains a unique BamHI site just in front of the ampC ribosome-binding site, and upstream of this BamHI site a transcriptional terminator signal that prevents readthrough transcription from plasmid-borne promoters has been inserted. Using pJAS14, we have shot-gun cloned chromosomal DNA from S. lividans and S. lavendulae into the BamHI site, and isolated a number of promoter containing DNA fragments by the use of the chromogenic cephalosporin nitrocefin. On plates, we identified promoters of varying strengths and also with differences in nutritional and temporal expression. Using liquid cultures of S. lividans, it has been demonstrated that one promoter, denoted P1 (SEP8), as well as the ampC gene of E. coli, show activity corresponding to the vegetative growth of the cells. The P1 (SEP8) promoter was shown to be expressed also in E. coli, and it initiates RNA synthesis at exactly the same nucleotides in both S. lividans and E. coli. The promoter shows good homology to the E. coli promoter consensus sequence in both the -35 and -10 regions. Thus, this promoter is a representative of the SEP (Streptomyces E. coli-type promoter) class of promoters recently described (Jaurin and Cohen 1985). This indicates that an S. lividans RNA polymerase recognizes the same sequence determinants and chooses the point of initiation of RNA synthesis in the same way as the corresponding E. coli enzyme.

Base Sequence