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S-phase-specific transcription regulatory elements are present in a replication-independent testis-specific H2B histone gene.

Department of Biochemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7260.

ABSTRACT

The testis-specific H2B histone (TH2B) gene is expressed in pachytene spermatocytes during meiotic prophase I in the absence of any significant DNA synthesis. Unlike somatic histones, synthesis of testis-specific histones is not affected by inhibitors of DNA synthesis. A genomic rat TH2B gene was cloned by using a DNA fragment derived from TH2B cDNA as a probe. Expression of the cloned TH2B was investigated by gene transfer experiments. From these studies, we found that the 5' upstream region of the cloned TH2B gene contained S-phase-specific transcription elements which regulated expression of a reporter gene in an S-phase-specific manner. The S-phase-regulatory element was found to be located in two regions containing CCAAT elements between -153 and -110 base pairs (bp) and an octamer element (ATTTGCAT) between -109 and -84 bp. The two regions were required for a maximal stimulation of transcription of the cloned TH2B gene in S phase. On the other hand, only the octamer element was reported be important for the S-phase-specific transcription of human H2B gene. Since the synthesis of the TH2B histone is independent of DNA synthesis and specific for pachytene spermatocytes in vivo, the presence of the S-phase-specific transcription regulatory elements in the TH2B gene is surprising.

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• Zalensky, A. O., Siino, J. S., Gineitis, A. A., Zalenskaya, I. A., Tomilin, N. V., Yau, P., Bradbury, E. M. (2002). Human Testis/Sperm-specific Histone H2B (hTSH2B). MOLECULAR CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 43474-43480 [Abstract] [Full Text]