Selective transcription of rat proenkephalin fusion genes from the spermatogenic cell-specific promoter in testis of transgenic mice

The rat and mouse proenkephalin genes each contains two distinct promoters, one of which is utilized exclusively by spermatogenic cells. The germ cell-specific promoter lacks TATA sequences, is G+C rich, and contains multiple initiation sites. To investigate the nature of the cis-acting elements tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of biological chemistry 1991-12, Vol.266 (35), p.23850-23855
Main Authors: ZINN, S. A, EBERT, K. M, MEHTA, N. D, JOSHI, J, KILPATRICK, D. L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - biosynthesis
Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - genetics
Cloning, Molecular
Enkephalins - biosynthesis
Enkephalins - genetics
Exons
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Introns
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred Strains
Mice, Transgenic
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
Molecular Sequence Data
Organ Specificity
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Protein Precursors - biosynthesis
Protein Precursors - genetics
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis
Spermatogenesis
Testis - physiology
Transcription, Genetic
Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing
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Summary:The rat and mouse proenkephalin genes each contains two distinct promoters, one of which is utilized exclusively by spermatogenic cells. The germ cell-specific promoter lacks TATA sequences, is G+C rich, and contains multiple initiation sites. To investigate the nature of the cis-acting elements that determine selective transcription of the proenkephalin gene in male germ cells, two rat proenkephalin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion genes containing the two different promoter regions as well as 1.6 or 0.3 kilobases, respectively, of 5'-flanking sequence were expressed in transgenic mice. Multiple transgenic lines were developed which expressed the fusion genes in testis, brain, and heart but not in tissues that do not normally express the proenkephalin gene. Fusion gene transcripts in transgenic mouse testes were localized to those spermatogenic cell types that utilize the spermatogenic cell promoter and were selectively and accurately initiated from the multiple rat germ cell start sites. Transgenic mice thus provide a useful model for the localization and characterization of cis-acting elements mediating transcription of the proenkephalin gene from its germ cell-specific promoter.
ISSN:0021-9258
1083-351X
DOI:10.1016/s0021-9258(18)54361-1