Transcription of the sea urchin U6 gene in vitro requires a TATA-like box, a proximal sequence element, and sea urchin USF, which binds an essential E box.
Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: The tandemly repeated gene set encoding the sea urchin U6 gene has been cloned from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The U6 gene is transcribed by RNA polymerase III in a sea urchin nuclear extract. Like that of the vertebrate U6 genes, transcription of the sea urchin U6 gene does not require any internal sequences or 3' sequences but requires only 5' flanking sequences. Only 88 nucleotides of 5' flanking sequence are required for maximal expression in vitro. Mutagenesis experiments demonstrated the requirement for three elements, a CACGTG element at -80, a proximal sequence element at about -55, and the TATA-like box at -25. The major protein in sea urchin extracts that interacts with the CACGTG element is sea urchin USF, and immunodepletion of sea urchin USF greatly reduces transcription. The USF binding site in the U6 gene is highly homologous (11 of 13 nucleotides) with the USF binding sites found in the promoter of the S. purpuratus spec genes.
Source: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Authors: J M Li, R A Parsons, W F Marzluff
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Institutes of Health
OpenAlex ID: W2213536769