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The dual effects of the astrocyte‐specific enhancer of the AQP 4 M1 promoter
Author(s) -
Abe Yoichiro,
Goda Wakami,
IkeshimaKataoka Hiroko,
Yasui Masato
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1002/1873-3468.12910
Subject(s) - enhancer , promoter , astrocyte , gene isoform , reporter gene , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , 3t3 cells , transfection , gene expression , genetics , central nervous system , neuroscience
Aquaporin‐4, a predominant water channel in the central nervous system, has two isoforms, M1 and M23, whose transcripts are driven by distinct promoters. Using a reporter assay, we found that a fragment located between exons 0 and 1 of the mouse aquaporin‐4 gene, which had been thought to be the promoter for M23, lacked enhancers functioning in astrocytes. When the astrocyte‐specific enhancer ( ASE ) of the M1 promoter is connected to the putative M23 core promoter, it also works in astrocytes. Importantly, the ASE inhibits downstream promoter activity in NIH 3T3 cells, indicating that the ASE also functions as a silencer in cells lacking aquaporin‐4.