Isolation and characterization of the murine transforming growth factor- beta 2 promoter

• Published in: Gene 2001-05, Vol.270 (1-2), p.201-209
• Main Authors: Wilder, P J, Desler, M M, Nowling, T K, Rizzino, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: TGF-^b2 gene
• ISSN: 0378-1119
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1119(01)00475-9

This report describes the isolation and characterization of the 5' flanking region of the murine transforming growth factor beta-2 (TGF- beta 2) gene. A genomic clone containing the promoter region of the gene was isolated after screening a bacteriophage P1 genomic library. The resulting clone was sequenced and compared to promoters for the human and chicken TGF- beta 2 genes. The sequence located near the transcription start site is highly conserved. It includes a TATA box, an E-box, and a largely conserved CRE/ATF site. A series of murine TGF- beta 2 promoter /reporter constructs was generated to identify regulatory regions of the gene. As in the case of the human TGF- beta 2 gene, sequences just upstream of the TATA box, including the CRE/ATF site, actively stimulate the murine TGF- beta 2 promoter. However, unlike the human TGF- beta 2 gene, the 5' flanking region of the murine TGF- beta 2 gene contains a long alternating purine/pyrimidine repeat that unexpectedly exerts a strong positive effect on its promoter. This is of particular interest since alternating purine/pyrimidine repeats in other promoters have been observed to be inhibitory.