Two cis-acting regulatory sequences in the peroxisome proliferator-responsive enhancer region of rat acyl-CoA oxidase gene.

To clarify the mechanism of transcriptional induction of the rat liver acyl-CoA oxidase gene by hypolipidemic agents, we searched for cis-acting regulatory sequences in the 5' upstream region of the gene by transfection studies. We found that the sequence between -639 and -472 acts as a peroxisome proliferator-responsive, tissue-specific enhancer. Footprint analysis revealed two protein binding sites in this region. One of these sequences exhibited a positive, whereas the other a negative, regulatory activity in transcription assays.