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Liver‐enriched HNF‐3α and ubiquitous factors interact with the human transferrin gene enhancer
Author(s) -
Augé-Gouillou Corinne,
Petropoulos Isabelle,
Zakin Mario M.
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81436-4
Subject(s) - enhancer , transferrin , transcription factor , sertoli cell , biology , gene , enhancer rnas , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , biochemistry , endocrinology , spermatogenesis
The human transferrin gene enhancer is organized in two domains. Domain A contains a single enhanson designated 1a. Domain B contains four enhansons named Ib, II, III and IV. We demonstrate here that the liver‐enriched transcription factor HNF‐3α interacts with enhanson Ia and that enhansons Ib and IV are binding sites for members of the NF1 family. In addition, enhansons II and III seem to be respectively the targets for the AP4 protein and for EIII, a factor not yet completely identified. Analysis of mutated enhancer regions establishes that each enhanson is required for full enhancer activity and that the proteins binding to enhansons II, III and IV may interact within a multiprotein complex. This enhancer region presents no activity in the Sertoli cells of testis, where transferrin is also synthesized. We demonstrate that in Sertoli cells, the members of the HNF‐3 family are not expressed; this fact may account for the inactivity of the enhancer in these cells.