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PMID: 8290549 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Ribosomal gene promoter domains can function as artificial enhancers of RNA polymerase I transcription, supporting a promoter origin for natural enhancers in Xenopus.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 91 ·No. 2 ·1994-01-18 ·Pages 464-8

Pikaard CS

Abstract

Enhancers of RNA polymerase I transcription in higher eukaryotes are repetitive elements within the intergenic spacers of rRNA genes. In Xenopus and mouse, enhancers and the gene promoter bind the activator protein, upstream binding factor, and in Xenopus, enhancers also share sequence similarity with an upstream domain of the promoter. This upstream promoter domain can act as an efficient enhancer when polymerized and cloned adjacent to a ribosomal gene promoter injected into oocytes. A core promoter domain lacking similarity with spacer sequences in Xenopus laevis but analogous to a repeated sequence in Xenopus borealis can also function as an enhancer. These data demonstrate functional relatedness between the promoter and enhancers, supporting the hypothesis that enhancers could have evolved from duplicated promoter domains that bind essential transcription factors. The ability of upstream binding factor to bind enhancers inactivated by mutation suggests that upstream binding factor binding alone cannot explain enhancer function.

MeSH Terms
Animals Base Sequence Biological Evolution DNA, Ribosomal/genetics Enhancer Elements, Genetic Female Mice Molecular Sequence Data Mutation Oocytes/metabolism Promoter Regions, Genetic RNA Polymerase I/genetics RNA, Ribosomal/genetics Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Species Specificity Transcription, Genetic Xenopus laevis/genetics,metabolism
Chemicals
DNA, Ribosomal RNA, Ribosomal RNA Polymerase I
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Pikaard C S
Biology Department, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130.
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.91.2.464
Published
1994-01-18
Pages
464-8
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC42969
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.2.464 PMC Full Text View journal details
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