DNA Sequences and Their Binding Proteins Required for Sertoli Cell-Specific Transcription of the Rat Androgen-Binding Protein Gene

The rat androgen-binding protein (ABP) gene is transcriptionally regulated from two promoters: the P1 promoter regulates expression of transcripts starting at exon 1, whereas P(A) regulates transcripts containing exon A. The P1 promoter directs cell-specific gene regulation of ABP secreted by Sertoli cells. In this study, the Sertoli cell-regulatory sequences of P1 were further examined using a luciferase reporter system with three cell lines, including a Sertoli cell line (MSC-1) that expresses the ABP gene. Deletion mapping experiments determined that the sequences required for full activity in MSC-1 cells were included within 619 bp of the start site and identified several regions that demonstrated increased luciferase activity: the -583 bp to -564 bp, -503 bp to -484 bp, and -114 bp to -65 regions. The activities contributed by each region were much higher (up to 120-fold) in MSC-1 cells than in MA10 Leydig or NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. Nuclear-binding proteins and their binding sequences were identified using several molecular biology techniques. Complexes formed by nuclear proteins of MSC-1, MA10, and NIH3T3 cells, which bind specifically to the -114 to -65-bp region, were identified using gel retardation assays. Furthermore, the inverted repeat sequence in this region, 5'-AGGGTCAGTGTCCCT-3' was identified by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I footprinting. The regulatory element contained within the -503 to -484-bp region was identified by scanning mutagenesis, but no protein was found that bound to this sequence by gel retardation or DNase I protection assays. This element is characterized by the core sequence, 5'-GGAGGC-3'. The third regulatory region (residues -583 to -564) bound a protein complex that retarded mobility of the free DNA probe in a gel shift assay. Using several techniques, the binding sequence was identified as 5'-TTCATAGTATCCATTAAAC-3'. In summary, these data have identified several transcriptional regulatory sequences and their binding proteins, which appear to play a role in the Sertoli cell-specific expression of the ABP gene.