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Mol. Cell. Biol., Jan 1995, 246-254, Vol 15, No. 1
C Kurschner and JI Morgan
L7 is expressed in all adult cerebellar Purkinje cells, although during
development it appears in a stereotyped spatial and temporal pattern that
is manifested as parasagittal domains of neurons. Mutations of the L7
promoter in transgenic mice have established that these domains represent
functional compartments of Purkinje neurons. Therefore, it is hoped that by
defining the transcriptional control of the L7 gene insights into the
mechanisms that control functional fate and organization in the nervous
system can be gained. Fragments of the L7 promoter were introduced into a
selectable reporter gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and these strains
were used to select for cerebellar cDNAs encoding proteins that can bind
to, and activate transcription from, these elements. This assay identified
the c-Maf proto-oncogene as activating transcription from two sites in the
L7 promoter. We did a functional domain analysis of vertebrate c-Maf based
upon transcriptional activation in S. cerevisiae and showed the requirement
for a transactivation domain, leucine zipper, and DNA- binding region in
c-Maf. The c-Maf interaction site was mapped to the sequence G/TGG/CNG/TNCT
CAGNN in the L7 promoter, which represents an atypical
12-O-tetradecanoate-13-acetate-responsive element-type Maf- responsive
element. However, neither Fos nor Jun, either alone or in combination with
each other or c-Maf, altered transcription from this element. In contrast,
a Maf-related protein, Nrl, completely mimicked c- Maf actions. These data
suggest that Maf may interact with additional basic-zipper proteins that
determine a subtype of Maf-responsive element binding.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
The maf proto-oncogene stimulates transcription from multiple sites in a promoter that directs Purkinje neuron-specific gene expression
Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Roche Research Center, Nutley, New Jersey 07110.
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