The mammalian gene for SREBP-1 (sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1) contains two promoters that control the production of two proteins, SREBP-1a and -1c, and each contains a unique N-terminal transcriptional activation domain, but they are otherwise identical. The relative level of each mRNA varies from tissue to tissue and they respond differently to regulatory stimuli. SREBP-1c is more abundantly expressed in liver, where its level is also regulated by insulin and liver X receptor activators, and it is also autoregulated by SREBPs. In contrast, SREBP-1a mRNA levels are relatively low and constant in different tissues and few studies have specifically analysed its pattern of expression and regulation. In the present study, we show that the promoter for SREBP-1a is contained in a very small promoter-proximal region containing two Sp1 sites. The small and relatively simple structure for its promoter provides an explanation for the low level of SREBP-1a expression. Additionally, since Sp1 has been implicated in the modest regulation of several genes by insulin, its involvement in the expression of the SREBP-1a promoter provides an explanation for the modest insulin regulation observed in animal experiments.
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Research Article|
February 08 2005
A simple promoter containing two Sp1 sites controls the expression of sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1a (SREBP-1a)
Chengkang ZHANG;
Chengkang ZHANG
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, U.S.A.
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Dong-Ju SHIN;
Dong-Ju SHIN
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, U.S.A.
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Timothy F. OSBORNE
Timothy F. OSBORNE
1
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, U.S.A.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email tfosborn@uci.edu).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
September 03 2004
Revision Received:
October 01 2004
Accepted:
October 06 2004
Accepted Manuscript online:
October 06 2004
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
The Biochemical Society, London
2005
Biochem J (2005) 386 (1): 161–168.
Article history
Received:
September 03 2004
Revision Received:
October 01 2004
Accepted:
October 06 2004
Accepted Manuscript online:
October 06 2004
Citation
Chengkang ZHANG, Dong-Ju SHIN, Timothy F. OSBORNE; A simple promoter containing two Sp1 sites controls the expression of sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1a (SREBP-1a). Biochem J 15 February 2005; 386 (1): 161–168. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20041514
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