Expression of the glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit gene in the placenta requires a functional cyclic AMP response element, whereas a different cis-acting element mediates pituitary-specific expression.

Molecular and Cellular Biology
J A BokarJ H Nilson

Abstract

The single-copy gene encoding the alpha subunit of glycoprotein hormones is expressed in the pituitaries of all mammals and in the placentas of only primates and horses. We have systematically analyzed the promoter-regulatory elements of the human and bovine alpha-subunit genes to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying their divergent patterns of tissue-specific expression. This analysis entailed the use of transient expression assays in a chorionic gonadotropin-secreting human choriocarcinoma cell line, protein-DNA binding assays, and expression of chimeric forms of human or bovine alpha subunit genes in transgenic mice. From the results, we conclude that placental expression of the human alpha-subunit gene requires a functional cyclic AMP response element (CRE) that is present as a tandem repeat in the promoter-regulatory region. In contrast, the promoter-regulatory region of the bovine alpha-subunit gene, as well as of the rat and mouse genes, was found to contain a single CRE homolog that differed from its human counterpart by a single nucleotide. This difference substantially reduced the binding affinity of the bovine CRE homolog for the nuclear protein that bound to the human alpha CRE and thereby rendered the bovi...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Jul 1, 1996·Placenta·M J SoaresK E Orwig
Oct 24, 2006·Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology·T Rajendra Kumar
Jul 12, 2008·Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology·Saara M Rawn, James C Cross
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Jun 13, 1997·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·W JohnsonJ L Jameson
Jun 1, 1991·DNA and Cell Biology·T G GolosJ M Fisher

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