Open AccessOverlapping positive and negative regulatory domains of the human beta-interferon gene.
Author(s) -
Stephen Goodbourn,
Tom Maniatis
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.85.5.1447
Subject(s) - repressor , gene , biology , interferon regulatory factors , regulatory sequence , regulation of gene expression , genetics , interferon , regulator gene , transcription (linguistics) , negative regulatory element , dna , gene expression , transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , linguistics , philosophy
Virus or poly(I).poly(C) induction of human beta-interferon gene expression requires a 40-base-pair DNA sequence designated the interferon gene regulatory element (IRE). Previous studies have shown that the IRE contains both positive and negative regulatory DNA sequences. To localize these sequences and study their interactions, we have examined the effects of a large number of single-base mutations within the IRE on beta-interferon gene regulation. We find that the IRE consists of two genetically separable positive regulatory domains and an overlapping negative control sequence. We propose that the beta-interferon gene is switched off in uninduced cells by a repressor that blocks the interaction between one of the two positive regulatory sequences and a specific transcription factor. Induction would then lead to inactivation or displacement of the repressor and binding of transcription factors to both positive regulatory domains.