Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To study how the expression of the D1A dopamine receptor gene is regulated, a human genomic clone was isolated by using a rat cDNA as probe. A 2.3-kilobase genomic fragment spanning -2571 through -236 relative to the adenosine of the first methionine codon was sequenced. The gene has an intron of 116 base pairs in the 5' noncoding region, nucleotides -599 through -484 as determined by S1 mapping and reverse transcription-PCR. It has multiple transcription initiation sites located between -1061 and -1040. The promoter region lacks a TATA box and a CAAT box, is rich in G+C content, and has multiple putative binding sites for transcription factor Sp1. Thus, the promoter region of the human D1A gene has features of "housekeeping" genes. However, it also has consensus sequences for AP1 and AP2 binding sites and a putative cAMP response element. The ability of four deletion mutants of the 2.3-kilobase fragment to modulate transcription of the heterologous chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in the promoterless plasmid pCAT-Basic was determined. All mutants demonstrated substantial transcriptional activity in the murine neuroblastoma cell line NS20Y, which expresses the D1A gene endogenously. Transient expression assays suggested the presence of a positive modulator between nucleotides -1340 and -1102, and a negative modulator between -1730 and -1341. The four genomic fragments had no or very low transcriptional activity in NB41A3, C6, and Hep G2 cells, which are not known to express this gene. Thus, the human D1A gene belongs to the category of tissue-specific, regulated genes that have housekeeping-type promoters.
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PMID:Characterization of the 5' flanking region of the human D1A dopamine receptor gene. 155 11

Expression of the human galanin gene was analysed using a 3.5-kb DNA fragment comprising the 5'-flanking sequence of the gene. This sequence contains a TATA box (ATATATA) preceded by numerous potential binding sites for transcription factors such as SP1, AP2, and NF kappa B. Three half-palindromic estrogen response elements (EREs, GGTCA) are also found at positions -1,162, -361, and -122 bp relative to the transcription start site. To localize functionally important portions of the promoter region, several shorter fragments of the galanin 5'-flanking region were placed upstream from the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. In transient transfection assays, all constructs demonstrated substantial transcriptional activity in both rat glioma/mouse neuroblastoma hybrid cells (NG108-15) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. Comparison of the basal expression levels of the different constructs suggests the presence of a negative modulator between positions -1,891 and -207. When cotransfected into NG108-15 cells with the human estrogen receptor cDNA, estrogen did not induce transcription of the human galanin gene at physiological levels of estrogen receptor, although transcription was induced up to 30-fold in the presence of high levels of receptor.
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PMID:Characterization of the 5'-flanking region of the human preprogalanin gene. 753 7

Synapsin II is a neuron-specific phosphoprotein that selectively binds to small synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic nerve terminal. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of the 5'-flanking region of the human synapsin II gene. This sequence is very GC-rich and lacks a TATA or CAAT box. Two major transcriptional start sites were mapped. A hybrid gene consisting of the Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene under the control of 837 base pairs of the synapsin II 5'-upstream region was transfected into neuronal and nonneuronal cells. While reporter gene expression was low in neuroblastoma and non-neuronal cells, high chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activities were monitored in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. However, there was no correlation between reporter gene expression in the transfected cells and endogenous synapsin II immunoreactivity. Using DNA-protein binding assays we showed that the transcription factors zif268/egr-1, polyoma enhancer activator 3 (PEA3), and AP2 specifically contact the synapsin II promoter DNA in vitro. Moreover, the zif268/egr-1 protein as well as PEA3 were shown to stimulate transcription of a reporter gene containing synapsin II promoter sequences. In the nervous system, zif268/egr-1 functions as a "third messenger" with a potential role in synaptic plasticity. PEA3 is expressed in the brain and its activity is regulated by proteins encoded from non-nuclear oncogenes. We postulate that zif268/egr-1 and PEA3 couple extracellular signals to long-term responses by regulating synapsin II gene expression.
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PMID:The human synapsin II gene promoter. Possible role for the transcription factor zif268/egr-1, polyoma enhancer activator 3, and AP2. 759 48

We have isolated and characterized the 5'-flanking region and the proximal polyadenylation site of the human 5-HT transporter gene. The major gene transcript is 2,793 bp in length and it contains 208 bp of 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) and 694 bases of 3'-UTR. While only a single mRNA species occurs in rats and mice, the most proximal signal for polyadenylation in the human gene appears to be highly degenerate in comparison to the rat and murine motif. This polyadenylation signal-like motif may lead to alternate usage of additional polyadenylation sites resulting in multiple mRNA species in humans. A TATA-like motif and several potential binding sites for transcription factors including AP1, AP2, SP1, and a cAMP response element (CRE)-like motif are present in the 5'-flanking region. A approximately 1.7 kb fragment beginning 217 bp downstream from the transcription start site, which had been ligated into a luciferase reporter vector and transiently expressed in JAR human placental choriocarcinoma cells, displayed both constitutive and forskolin/cholera toxin-induced promoter activity. Functional promoter mapping revealed that there are negative attenuating elements between bp -1,428 and -1,185 and positive elements between bp -1,184 and -78 from the transcription initiation site. Studies with deletional mutants also indicated that core promoter sequences are contained within 78 bp of the transcription start site and that regulation of cAMP-inducible promoter activity depends on multiple cis-acting elements including two AP1 binding sites and a single CRE-like element located at bp -99. Our findings suggest that (1) the 5-HT transporter gene promoter is active in human JAR cells, but inactive in 5-HT transporter-deficient human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma and HeLa cells, (2) the information contained within 1.4 kb of 5'-flanking sequence is sufficient to confer its cell-specific expression, (3) the promoter responds to cAMP induction, and (4) the expression of the 5-HT transporter gene is regulated by a combination of positive and negative cis-acting elements operating through a basal promoter unit defined by a TATA-like motif.
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PMID:Functional promoter and polyadenylation site mapping of the human serotonin (5-HT) transporter gene. 878 73

The amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is the major proteinaceous component of the amyloid deposits that accumulate extracellularly in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta is generated proteolytically from a larger beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP). The apparent overexpression of the betaAPP gene in certain areas of AD brains indicate that abnormalities in gene regulation might be an important factor in AD. Here, I report that an upstream regulatory element (URE) located between -2257 to -2234 base pair (bp) of the human betaAPP promoter may interact with a novel protein(s) as determined by a gel shift assay. To determine whether this novel protein is related to an already characterized transcription factor, a gel shift assay was performed using various specific competitors in human neuroblastoma and rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The labeled URE probe could interact with a distinct nuclear factor which was not competed by the oligonucleotides specific for the different transcription factors, AP1, AP2, AP3, GRE, Oct1, NF1 and NF-kappaB. Alternatively the specific protein band(s) detected with either the labeled NF-kappaB or NF1 probe could not be competed out with an excess of unlabeled URE. To determine if such a band could be detected in human brain tissue samples, a gel shift assay from the nuclear extracts of the human brain was performed. A distinct URE-specific nuclear factor was detected in different regions of the brain as well. To determine the size of the protein(s) that were specifically bound in the DNA-protein complexes, Southwestern blotting was performed. Using the URE probe, two major protein bands of approximately 53 and 116 kDa were detected in PC12 nuclear extracts. These results suggest that the protein factor(s) interacting with URE is not related to the known transcription factors tested, and that the protein is expressed in certain cell types and different regions of the human brain.
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PMID:An region upstream of the gene promoter for the beta-amyloid precursor protein interacts with proteins from nuclear extracts of the human brain and PC12 cells. 968 2

Eukaryotic transcriptional regulation in different cells involves large numbers and arrangements of cis and trans elements. To survey the number of cis regulatory elements that are active in different contexts, we have devised a high-throughput selection procedure permitting synthesis of active cis motifs that enhance the activity of a minimal promoter. This synthetic promoter construction method (SPCM) was used to identify >100 DNA sequences that showed increased promoter activity in the neuroblastoma cell line Neuro2A. After determining DNA sequences of selected synthetic promoters, database searches for known elements revealed a predominance of eight motifs: AP2, CEBP, GRE, Ebox, ETS, CREB, AP1, and SP1/MAZ. The most active of the selected synthetic promoters contain composites of a number of these motifs. Assays of DNA binding and promoter activity of three exemplary motifs (ETS, CREB, and SP1/MAZ) were used to prove the effectiveness of SPCM in uncovering active sequences. Up to 10% of 133 selected active sequences had no match in currently available databases, raising the possibility that new motifs and transcriptional regulatory proteins to which they bind may be revealed by SPCM. The method may find uses in constructing databases of active cis motifs, in diagnostics, and in gene therapy.
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PMID:Synthetic promoter elements obtained by nucleotide sequence variation and selection for activity. 1072 47

The mechanism underlying increased AVP synthesis and release in glucocorticoid deficiency is not known. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate whether the mechanism was at the level of AVP gene transcription. The AVP gene promoter contains a consensus GRE, a CRE, and four AP2 sites. To assess the functional importance of these sites, 5' deletions of the AVP promoter were created and transient transfections were performed. Promoter activity in hypothalamic cells transfected with deletions lacking the GRE or both the GRE and CRE exhibited higher activity when compared to longer constructs containing both sites. In neuroblastoma cells, only the deletion lacking the GRE exhibited increased AVP promoter activity over the longer construct. These results are consistent with the idea that glucocorticoids suppress AVP gene expression by acting on a GRE in the AVP promoter region. Further, dexamethasone inhibited AVP promoter activity by >50% in hypothalamic cells transfected with the GRE-containing construct. In conclusion, the data presented here support a central mechanism to explain, at least in part, the nonosmotic increase in AVP with glucocorticoid deficiency.
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PMID:Role of glucocorticoid hormones in arginine vasopressin gene regulation. 1174 29

The L1 adhesion molecule regulates axon growth and is mutated in the X-linked mental retardation syndrome CRASH (acronym for corpus callosum agenesis, retardation, aphasia, spastic paraplegia, hydrocephalus). A novel role for L1 as a potentiator of neuronal cell migration to extracellular matrix proteins through beta1 integrins and intracellular signaling to mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was identified. L1 potentiated haptotactic migration of B35 neuroblastoma cells toward fibronectin, vitronectin, and laminin through the signaling intermediates c-Src, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, and MAP kinase. L1 potentiated migration toward fibronectin through alpha5beta1 integrin in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and depended on determinants of L1 endocytosis: dynamin I, c-Src, and the AP2/clathrin binding site (Arg-Ser-Leu-Glu) in the neuronal splice form of L1. L1 clustering on the cell surface enhanced the internalization of activated beta1 integrins and L1 into distinct endocytic vesicles. L1-potentiated migration, enhancement of beta1 integrin endocytosis, and activation of MAP kinase were coordinately inhibited by mutation of an RGD sequence in the sixth immunoglobulin-like domain of L1. Moreover, three CRASH mutations in the L1 cytoplasmic domain (1194L, S1224L, Y1229H), two of which interfere with ankyrin association, inhibited L1-potentiated migration and MAP kinase activation. Function-blocking antibodies to L1 and beta1 integrin retarded the migration of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled mouse cerebellar granule cells in slice cultures, underscoring the potential physiological relevance of these findings. These studies suggest that L1 functionally interacts with beta1 integrins to potentiate neuronal migration toward extracellular matrix proteins through endocytosis and MAP kinase signaling, and that impairment of this function by L1 cytoplasmic domain mutations may contribute to neurological deficits in CRASH.
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PMID:The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 potentiates integrin-dependent cell migration to extracellular matrix proteins. 1207 89

To study the transcriptional mechanisms by which expression of the dopamine receptor regulating factor (DRRF) gene is regulated, a murine genomic clone was isolated using a DRRF cDNA as probe. A 24 kb genomic fragment which comprises 13 kb upstream of the transcription initiation site was sequenced. The promoter region lacks a TATA box and CAAT box, is rich in G+C content, and has multiple putative binding sites for the transcription factor Sp1. The DRRF gene also has consensus sequences for AP1 and AP2 binding sites. The transcriptional activity of five deletion mutants of a 1.5 kb fragment was analyzed by modulating transcription of the heterologous chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene in the promoterless plasmid pCAT-Basic. All mutants showed significant transcriptional activity in the murine neuroblastoma cell line NB41A3, except the construct stretching from -901 to +17. These transient expression assays suggested the presence of positive regulators between -1153 and -901 and between -118 and -93 while a negative regulator was found in the region between -901 and -118. Comparison among cell types revealed strong transcriptional activity of the DRRF promoter in neuronal NB41A3 cells and moderate activity in hepatic HepG2 and renal OK cells, but none in skeletal muscle C2C12 or glial C6 cells. These findings confirm the tissue-specific activity of the DRRF promoter and suggest that this gene shares structural and functional similarities with the dopamine receptor genes that it regulates.
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PMID:Genomic organization and promoter characterization of the murine dopamine receptor regulating factor (DRRF) gene. 1256 28

Beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta-1,4-GalT) V is a constitutively expressed enzyme that can effectively galactosylate the GlcNAcbeta1-->6Man group of the highly branched N-glycans that are characteristic of tumor cells. Upon malignant transformation of cells, the expression of the beta-1,4-GalT V gene increases in accordance with the increase in the amounts of highly branched N-glycans. Lectin blot analysis showed that the galactosylation of highly branched N-glycans is inhibited significantly in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells by the transfection of the antisense beta-1,4-GalT V cDNA, indicating the biological importance of the beta-1,4-GalT V for the functions of highly branched N-glycans. We cloned the 2.3-kb 5'-flanking region of the human beta-1,4-GalT V gene, and we identified the region -116/-18 relative to the transcription start site as that having promoter activity. The region was found to contain several putative binding sites for transcription factors, including AP2, AP4, N-Myc, Sp1, and upstream stimulatory factor. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that Sp1 binds to nucleotide positions -81/-69 of the promoter region. Mutations induced in the Sp1-binding site showed that the promoter activity of the beta-1,4-GalT V gene is impaired completely in cancer cells. In contrast, the promoter activity increased significantly by the transfection of the Sp1 cDNA into A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Mithramycin A, which inhibits the binding of Sp1 to its binding site, reduced the promoter activation and expression of the beta-1,4-GalT V gene in A549 cells. These results indicate that Sp1 plays an essential role in the transcriptional activity of the beta-1,4-GalT V gene in cancer cells.
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PMID:Transcriptional regulation of the human beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase V gene in cancer cells: essential role of transcription factor Sp1. 1526 12


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