DNA sequences bound specifically by glucocorticoid receptor in vitro render a heterologous promoter hormone responsive in vivo

Dexamethasone increases the number of RNA polymerase II molecules transcribing integrated mouse mammary tumor virus DNA and flanking mouse sequences

In mouse Ltk- cells that were transfected with recombinant bacteriophage DNA containing a complete proviral copy of an integrated endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) with its flanking cellular sequences, the newly acquired MMTV proviruses were transcribed in a glucocorticoid-responsive fashion. After hormone treatment of selected cell clones in culture we isolated the nuclei, elongated the nascent RNA chains in vitro, and determined the number of RNA polymerase II molecules on the transcribed MMTV DNA as well as on the flanking mouse DNA sequences. We found that the specific increase in the polymerase loading after hormone treatment is proportional to the increase in the amount of stable MMTV mRNA. When the DNA sequences which are responsible for hormone-receptor binding and for the increased MMTV mRNA levels were deleted, no increase in RNA polymerase II loading on MMTV DNA was observed. Nuclear RNA chains which were transcribed in response to hormone treatment were detected not only from the transfected MMTV DNA but also from the mouse DNA sequences adjacent to the 3' end of the provirus.

Functional analysis of the steroid hormone control region of mouse mammary tumor virus

Gene fusions between the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat and the E. coli lacZ gene have been shown to exhibit hormone dependent expression of beta-galactosidase activity. These constructions were used in transient expression experiments to assess the effects of specific modifications introduced into the region upstream of the transcription initiation site. 5' deletions demonstrate that sequences sufficient for wild-type promoter function are contained downstream of residue -64 relative to the initiation site. Other deletions define a region of approximately 80 base pairs between -220 and -140 which contains sequences essential for hormonal control. Between this control region and the promoter lie sequences dispensable for both functions.

Activation of cellular gene by mouse mammary tumour virus may occur early in mammary tumour development

There is now good evidence that the induction of mammary carcinomas by mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) involves provirus activation of specific cellular genes. Thus, a high percentage of virally induced tumours contain an acquired MMTV provirus in either of two defined integration regions, termed int-1 and int-2, and provirus insertion is accompanied by expression of specific RNA transcripts from these regions. We show here that in some recurring, pregnancy-dependent mammary tumours provirus integration within int-2 has already occurred at the earliest appearance of the tumour and may therefore represent an important step in the development of neoplasia. As judged by the distribution of the acquired MMTV proviruses, the tumours recurring at any one site represent the same clonal population of cells as the original tumour and remain clonal during cycles of proliferation and regression, including the transition to hormone-independent status. These data suggest that either the expression of the int-2 locus or the function of this putative oncogene must remain responsive to hormones and that some additional event must be responsible for the transition to autonomous growth.

Long terminal repeats of human T-cell leukaemia virus II genome determine target cell specificity

Human T-cell leukaemias and lymphomas associated with the human T-cell leukaemia viruses (HTLV) are invariably neoplasms of cells with mature T-lymphocyte phenotype. Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B- lymphoycte lines which are productively infected with HTLV may be isolated from patients with HTLV malignancies, but no non-lymphoid tissues seem to be involved. Here, to investigate the basis for this tissue specificity, we introduced type II HTLV (HTLV-II) into a variety of human cells by infection and also by transfection of recombinant genomes. We found no HTLV-II expression in non-lymphoid tissues although expression and correct initiation of transcription was observed in B and T lymphocytes. Our results using recombinant genomes indicate that the restriction of expression is at least partly due to cis-acting functions of the long terminal repeats which lie at each end of the HTLV genome.

Adenovirus 5 E2 transcription unit: an E1A-inducible promoter with an essential element that functions independently of position or orientation

Utilizing deletion mutants of a plasmid containing the adenovirus E2 gene, an E1A-inducible transcription unit, we determined the promoter sequences required for full expression in transient transfection assays. Wild-type expression was obtained from plasmids containing only 79 nucleotides of upstream sequence relative to the transcription initiation site. Removal of an additional nine nucleotides lowered expression 10-fold, and deletion to -59 resulted in near total loss of transcription. Wild-type levels of expression were restored to a -28 deletion mutant by insertion of the sequence from -21 to -262 from the wild-type promoter at the -28 position, in either orientation, even though when inserted in the opposite orientation the relevant sequences were ca. 270 nucleotides upstream from their normal position. Finally, this sequence could be placed at a distance of 4,000 nucleotides from the E2 cap site and still retain near total function. Thus, the E2 promoter element can function independent of orientation and position, properties characteristic of enhancer elements.

Contacts between hormone receptor and DNA double helix within a glucocorticoid regulatory element of mouse mammary tumor virus

Glucocorticoid hormones enhance the transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus DNA by mechanisms involving a direct interaction of the hormone receptor with four binding sites in a glucocorticoid regulatory element located between -72 and -192 base pairs upstream of the main transcription initiation site within the proviral long terminal repeat regions. Methylation at the N-7 position of any of three G residues within one of the binding sites prevents binding of the receptor. In addition, in the presence of the receptor, methylation by dimethyl sulfate is reduced at several G residues, indicating sites of contact between the receptor and DNA at these positions. The G residues in the hexanucleotide 5'-T-G-T-T-C-T-3' 3'-A-C-A-A-G-A-5' were protected by the receptor against MH2-specific gene. (iii) myc is followed by the 3'-terminal c region of about 400 nucleotides, which is colinear with that of Rous sarcoma virus except for a substitution near the 5' end of the long terminal repeat. It is concluded that MH2 contains two genes with oncogenic potential, the delta gag- mht gene, which is closely related to the delta gag-raf transforming gene of MSV 3611, and the myc gene, which is related to the transforming gene of MC29. Furthermore, it may be concluded that the cellular proto-onc genes, which on sequence transduction become viral onc genes, are a small group because among the 19 known onc sequences, 5 are shared by different taxonomic groups of viruses of which the mht /raf homology is the closest determined so far.

Enhancer-like properties of the 60/81 bp elements in the ribosomal gene spacer of Xenopus laevis

The spacer region of the Xenopus laevis ribosomal gene contains blocks of repetitive sequence elements that are 60 or 81 bp long. These 60/81 bp elements function as enhancer elements for the RNA polymerase I promoter at the 5' end of the gene. An RNA polymerase I promoter adjacent to a block of 60/81 bp elements is always dominant over a promoter on a second plasmid when both are coinjected into oocyte nuclei. If two promoters are placed on the same plasmid containing enhancers, both promoters come under their influence and are codominant. The influence of the enhancers can be transmitted through several kilobases of plasmid sequence, through a potentially active promoter, and is independent of the orientation of the enhancers. The enhancers appear to compete with promoters for the same transcription factor(s); however, the enhancers can only compete when they are on a circular plasmid.

Characterization of DNA sequences through which cadmium and glucocorticoid hormones induce human metallothionein-IIA gene

Deletion experiments have defined two stretches of DNA (genetic elements), lying close to the promoter for a human gene for metallothionein, that separately mediate the induction of the gene by heavy metal ions, particularly cadmium, and by glucocorticoid hormones. The element responsible for induction by cadmium is duplicated, yet a single copy is fully functional; the element responsible for induction by glucocorticoid hormones is coincident with the DNA-binding site for the glucocorticoid hormone receptor.

Asymmetric transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus genes in vivo and in vitro

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) DNA fragments were cloned into M13 bacteriophage, and the single-stranded recombinant phage DNAs were used as strand-specific nucleic acid hybridization probes to measure synthesis of plus (genomic) and minus strands of MMTV RNA in cultured cell lines and in cell-free preparations of nuclei. Pulse-labeling studies showed that synthesis of MMTV RNA in three different cell lines was highly asymmetric. In nuclear preparations from a cloned line of MMTV-infected rat hepatoma cells, elongation of nascent MMTV RNA chains and initiation of new MMTV RNA chains with nucleoside (beta-S)triphosphates were also highly asymmetric.

An SV40 "enhancer trap" incorporates exogenous enhancers or generates enhancers from its own sequences

We have transfected monkey CV-1 cells with non-infectious, linear SV40 DNA, lacking the 72 bp repeat enhancer region. Infectious virus was recovered from this "enhancer trap" upon cotransfection with enhancer DNA segments from various viruses, notably a truncated polyoma enhancer that was integrated as a dimer. Cotransfection of the "enhancer trap" with fragmented DNA of mouse, monkey, or human origin yielded no recombinant virus with integrated cellular sequences, with one possible exception. In some transfection experiments without added viral enhancer DNA, SV40 variants were generated that have a segment of their flanking "late" DNA duplicated to substitute for the deleted 72 bp repeat. In one variant, an 88 bp duplication creates a strong enhancer from this nonenhancing DNA region. Both the polyoma enhancer fragment and the spontaneously created enhancers lack the alternating purines-pyrimidines or "CACA box" suggested to be characteristic for enhancer elements and show only limited homology to the "GTGG(AAATTT)G box."

Functional and inducible expression of a transfected murine class II major histocompatibility complex gene

Using the spheroplast fusion technique, we have introduced the cloned E beta b gene into two d haplotype cell lines, the B lymphoma line A20-2J and the macrophage tumor line P388D1. Analysis with a monoclonal antibody indicates that the product of the transfected E beta b gene associates with the endogenous E alpha chain to form an E alpha dE beta b complex. While expression of E alpha dE beta b is constitutive in A20-2J cells transfected with the E beta b gene, surface expression of E alpha dE beta b is detected in transfected macrophage cells only after treatment of cells with culture supernatants from concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated T cells. Transfected B lymphoma cells and transfected Con A supernatant-treated macrophage cells have acquired the ability to present antigen to E alpha dE beta b-restricted T-cell hybridomas. The observed inducible expression of the transfected gene in the macrophage host indicates that sequences responsible for regulated expression of the E beta b gene may be associated with the transfected gene. In combination with directed mutagenesis, the system described here provides a means to study (i) E beta b sequences that are important in determining the restriction specificity of the E molecule and (ii) sequences associated with the E beta gene that may be important in the regulation of E beta chain expression.

Stimulation of simian virus 40 late gene expression by simian virus 40 tumor antigen

The early simian virus 40 (SV40) gene product, large tumor (T) antigen, is responsible for the initiation of viral DNA replication and the autoregulation of early gene expression through direct protein-DNA interactions. We investigated the role of T antigen in late viral gene expression, independent of its function in amplifying templates through DNA replication. SV40 DNA was transfected into BSC-1 and COS-1 cells and cultured in the presence of inhibitors of DNA replication. Electrophoretic immunoblot analysis indicated that both the onset and the extent of SV40 late gene expression is increased in COS-1 cells, which constitutively express SV40 T antigen. Blot hybridization analysis of poly(A)-selected RNA demonstrated that the level of synthesis of the major late structural protein VP-1 in COS-1 cells was due to increased transcription. Similar results were obtained when plasmids that contain the SV40 late gene but lack both the origin for viral DNA replication and the early gene coding region were transfected onto COS-1 cells. Using lines of SV40-transformed monkey kidney cells that express altered T antigens, we found that enhanced expression of the late gene product is correlated with the ability of T antigen to bind SV40 DNA. These results indicate that large T antigen plays a role in the stimulation of late viral gene expression.

Use of gene transfer to study expression of steroid-responsive genes

The ability to introduce DNA into eucaryotic cells has provided a means to analyse the expression of cloned genes. By manipulating the genes in vitro using recombinant DNA techniques it is possible to identify regulatory DNA sequences which are important for individual steps in gene expression. This review will summarize how these techniques have been applied to study steroid-responsive genes and what we have learned about steroid hormone action.

Steroid regulation of RNAs transcribed from the Drosophila 68c polytene chromosome puff

The 68C region of the Drosophila melanogaster salivary gland polytene chromosomes harbors the structural genes for the three salivary gland glue proteins sgs-3, sgs-7, and sgs-8. This region is puffed during the third larval instar, the stage when glue proteins are being produced in the salivary glands. The puff regresses near the end of the third instar as a result of an increased titer of the steroid hormone ecdysterone in the larval hemolymph. The experiments reported here were designed to determine whether the ecdysterone effect on puffing at 68C is correlated with hormone effects on expression of the three puff RNAs. In the first series of experiments, it is shown that there is a more rapid disappearance of 68C RNA transcripts from salivary glands cultured in the presence of ecdysterone than from glands cultured in its absence. The second set of experiments, in which 68C transcripts were pulse-labeled in salivary glands cultured in the presence or absence of hormone, demonstrates that one effect of ecdysterone is to cause a sharp reduction in the rate at which newly synthesized 68C transcripts accumulate. The final experiments follow the time required for ecdysterone to produce this effect, and show that it occurs in salivary glands exposed to the hormone for as little as 15 min. In all of the experiments, the RNA products of the Sgs-3, Sgs-7, and Sgs-8 genes acted coordinately.

How damaged is the biologically active subpopulation of transfected DNA?

Relatively little is known about the damage suffered by transfected DNA molecules during their journey from outside the cell into the nucleus. To follow selectively the minor subpopulation that completes this journey, we devised a genetic approach using simian virus 40 DNA transfected with DEAE-dextran. We investigated this active subpopulation in three ways: (i) by assaying reciprocal pairs of mutant linear dimers which differed only in the arrangement of two mutant genomes; (ii) by assaying a series of wild-type oligomers which ranged from 1.1 to 2.0 simian virus 40 genomes in length; and (iii) by assaying linear monomers of simian virus 40 which were cleaved within a nonessential region to leave either sticky, blunt, or mismatched ends. We conclude from these studies that transfected DNA molecules in the active subpopulation are moderately damaged by fragmentation and modification of ends. As a whole, the active subpopulation suffers about one break per 5 to 15 kilobases, and about 15 to 20% of the molecules have one or both ends modified. Our analysis of fragmentation is consistent with the random introduction of double-strand breaks, whose cause and exact nature are unknown. Our analysis of end modification indicated that the most prevalent form of damage involved deletion or addition of less than 25 base pairs. In addition we demonstrated directly that the efficiencies of joining sticky, blunt, or mismatched ends are identical, verifying the apparent ability of cells to join nearly any two DNA ends and suggesting that the efficiency of joining approaches 100%. The design of these experiments ensured that the detected damage preceded viral replication and thus should be common to all DNAs transfected with DEAE-dextran and not specific for viral DNA. These measurements of damage within transfected DNA have important consequences for studies of homologous and nonhomologous recombination in somatic cells as is discussed.

Interaction of rat prostate androgen receptors with polynucleotides, RNA, DNA and cloned DNA fragments

Androgen receptors were partially purified from prostates of mature (non-castrated) rats by chromatography on 2',5'-ADP-Sepharose and labelled by exchange with 5 alpha-[3H]dihydrotestosterone. The partially purified receptor preparation was free of DNAase activity and sedimented at approx. 3 S. The specificity of the interaction of this androgen receptor with nucleotides was investigated in a competitive binding assay using inhibition of binding of the steroid receptor complex to ADP-Sepharose. Certain polyribonucleotides were strongly bound (e.g., poly(UG), poly(AU), poly(G) and poly(U] and competed more effectively for the receptor binding sites than prostate RNA. Restriction fragments of genomic clones from the genes which code for prostatic binding protein showed only moderate affinity for the 3 S receptor form. These data suggest that the 3 S form of the androgen receptor lacks the specific domain or conformation necessary for specific interaction with DNA, but retains a high affinity for certain forms of RNA. Some potent inhibitors of proteolysis (diisopropylfluorophosphate, leupeptin) did not have any effect on the form of the receptor isolated from mature intact animals. A possible function of the 3 S form in post-transcriptional processing is discussed.

Activation of a heterologous promoter in response to dexamethasone and cadmium by metallothionein gene 5'-flanking DNA

Human metallothionein-IIA (hMT-IIA) gene expression is regulated by heavy metals and glucocorticoids. When the cloned hMT-IIA gene or its 5'-flanking DNA structure fused to herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) structural gene sequences were transferred into TK- Rat 2 fibroblasts, both genes were inducible by Cd++ and/or dexamethasone. Placement of the hMT-IIA gene 5'-flanking region, either intact of deleted in its TATA box and cap site, upstream of the HSV-TK gene promoter rendered the latter both glucocorticoid- and heavy metal-inducible. Thus the structure that mediates both Cd++ and glucocorticoid responsiveness is present in the hMT-IIA gene 5'-flanking DNA, does not require its TATA box or cap site, and can activate a heterologous promoter.

Specific interaction between enhancer-containing molecules and cellular components

Using an in vivo assay, we have obtained competition between several types of enhancer-containing molecules for cellular components that interact with them. The presence of these cellular factors is required for enhancer function. Specific competition involved enhancers and not other SV40 promoter elements such as the 21 bp repeats or TATA box. Point mutants within the 72 bp repeat of SV40 that were defective in enhancer function were unable to compete for the cellular components in the competition assay. Although heterologous enhancers compete in several types of cells for the same set of cellular molecules, the host cell preference of different enhancers is reflected in the competition assay. This result might explain the previously described host cell preference of enhancer elements.

Cis-acting and trans-acting regulatory mutations define two types of promoters controlled by the qa-1F gene of Neurospora

The function of the qa-1F positive regulatory gene of Neurospora has been studied by mapping the initiation sites for transcription of the clustered qa structural genes in wild type, in qa-1F mutants, and in cis-acting activator protein-independent mutants of qa-2 (qa-2ai mutants). Each structural gene under qa-1F control has two to four promoters. The qa-2ai mutations, which include point mutations and small (68-84 bp) duplications 5' to qa-2, allow qa-1F-independent transcription from surrounding qa promoters independently of the orientations and positions (up-stream or downstream) of teh mutations relative to the promoters. However, one subset of promoters was not reactivated by the enhancer-like elements created by these mutations, and qa-1F mutants selectively deficient in the activation of these promoters have been identified. Therefore, the qa-1F regulatory gene appears to control two types of promoters that have different requirements for activation.

Mode of proviral activation of a putative mammary oncogene (int-1) on mouse chromosome 15

Most mammary carcinomas induced in C3H mice by the mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) bear a new proviral insertion within a highly conserved locus on chromosome 15 called int-1. A transcriptional unit within this locus is inactive in all tested normal tissues but expressed at low levels in mammary tumours with proviral insertions positioned on either the 5' and 3' sides of the gene. Transcription of the proviruses proceeds away from int-1; thus an indirect mechanism appears to activate expression of this putative oncogene.

Structure and specific DNA binding of the rat liver glucocorticoid receptor

During recent years major advances have been made in our understanding of glucocorticoid mechanism of action. This progress has been made possible by access to purified glucocorticoid receptor in significant amounts as well as by application of hybrid DNA technology within the field of glucocorticoid control of gene expression. Especially the mammary tumour virus genome has turned out to be a convenient experimental system suitable for such investigations. This paper summarizes some of the work carried out in our own laboratory, partially in collaboration with Dr Keith Yamamoto and his associates at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, U.S.A.

Stimulation of in vitro transcription from heterologous promoters by the simian virus 40 enhancer

Insertion of the simian virus 40 enhancer upstream from the +33 to -34 adenovirus major late promoter element or the +62 to -102 conalbumin promoter region causes a 10-fold stimulation of specific transcription using a whole cell extract but not an S100 extract. Many of the in vivo effects of the enhancer were mimicked in vitro. This stimulation occurred only in cis, with either orientation of the 72-base-pair repeat, and was markedly decreased by deletions known to diminish the enhancer activity in vivo. However, in vitro, the 72-base-pair repeat did not stimulate at a distance or in the presence of a strong upstream promoter element.

An enhancer element is located 340 base pairs upstream from the adenovirus-2 E1A capsite

A chimeric recombinant, containing the 270 bp left-terminal fragment of Adenovirus-2 (Ad2) inserted upstream from the -34 to +33 Ad2 major late promoter (Ad2MLP) element, has been used to characterize the transcription stimulatory element which is located at least 231 bp upstream from the E1A capsite in the left-end of Ad2 (Ref. 1). We demonstrate that this element, which acts in cis, possesses several properties characteristic of transcriptional enhancers. Firstly, it potentiates initiation of transcription from the capsite of the heterologous Ad2MLP and from "cryptic" sites often preceded by TATA box-like sequences. Secondly, although there is no critical distance requirement between the enhancer element and the Ad2MLP, the extent of stimulation decreases as the distance between the two element increases. However, in contrast to the other known viral or cellular enhancers which are bidirectional, the Ad2 enhancer is unidirectional, i.e. it potentiates the Ad2MLP element only when it is inserted in its "natural" orientation with respect to the direction of transcription. Using two convergent series of deletions, we have localized the Ad2 enhancer element within a 24 bp segment located at approximately 160 bp from the Ad2 left-end, i.e. 340 bp upstream from the E1A capsite. This 24 bp segment contains a sequence which exhibits a striking homology with the consensus sequence of several viral and cellular enhancers.

A functional component of the sea urchin H2A gene modulator contains an extended sequence homology to a viral enhancer

The DNA sequences imparting a maximal rate of sea urchin H2A gene transcription in the frog oocyte nucleus were narrowed down by deletion mapping to a DNA segment -165 to -111, far-upstream of the H2A mRNA cap site. C to T base changes in this area create strong down mutations, hence the primary structure of this DNA sequence is of paramount importance to the H2A gene expression. Sequence comparisons suggest that the -165 to -111 region may contain two essential sequence blocks. Most strikingly, the -135 area contains a 14 out of 17 basepair homology to the Moloney murine sarcoma virus enhancer and to topologically related 5' LTR-sequences of the simian sarcoma virus and the murine Friend spleen focus forming virus.

Conformation of promoter DNA: fine mapping of S1-hypersensitive sites

Larsen and Weintraub showed that a feature of active (but not inactive) chromatin is the appearance of S1-nuclease-hypersensitive sites in the 5'-flanking regions of expressing genes. Such sites are also present in supercoiled, but not relaxed, plasmids carrying these gene sequences. We have developed an in vitro approach to map, at the nucleotide level, S1-hypersensitive sites in artificially generated supercoiled circles of naked DNA. In the case of the adult chicken beta-globin gene, our results correlate extremely well with the coarser in vivo mapping. These sites reside in homopurine-homopyrimidine tracts, and, despite their S1 sensitivity, they do not seem to be single-stranded.

Sequence-specific binding of glucocorticoid receptor to MTV DNA at sites within and upstream of the transcribed region

Glucocorticoid receptor protein stimulates transcription initiation within murine mammary tumor virus (MTV) DNA sequences in vivo, and interacts selectively with MTV DNA in vitro. We mapped and compared five regions of MTV DNA that are bound specifically by purified receptor; one resides upstream of the transcription start site, and the others are distributed within transcribed sequences between 4 and 8 kb from the initiation site. Each region contains at least two strong binding sites for receptor, which itself appears to be a tetramer of 94,000 dalton hormone-binding subunits. Three of the five binding regions contain nine nuclease footprints that lack extensive homology, although a family of related octanucleotides can be discerned. Receptor interacts with the different regions with similar efficiencies, suggesting that receptor affinity for upstream and internal regions may differ by less than one order of magnitude. Moreover, each region appears to be bound independent of the others. A restriction fragment containing four footprint sequences from one of the regions has previously been shown to act in vivo as a receptor-dependent transcriptional enhancer element, implying that the binding sites detected in vitro may be biologically functional.

Nucleotide sequence of the 5' noncoding region and part of the gag gene of mouse mammary tumor virus; identification of the 5' splicing site for subgenomic mRNAs

We have determined the sequence of the first 1371 nucleotides at the 5' end of the genome of mouse mammary tumor virus using molecularly cloned proviral DNA of the GR virus strain. The most likely initiation codon used for the gag gene of mouse mammary tumor virus is the first one, located 312 nucleotides from the 5' end of the viral RNA. The 5' splicing site for the subgenomic mRNA's is located approximately 288 nucleotides downstream from the 5' end of the viral RNA. From the DNA sequence the amino acid sequence of the N-terminal half of the gag precursor protein, including p10 and p21, was deduced (353 amino acids).

Complete nucleotide sequence of the human corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor gene

The nucleotide sequence of an 8658-base-pair human genomic DNA segment containing the entire corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor gene has been determined, and some sequence features of the gene and its flanking regions have been analysed. The gene is composed of 7665 base pairs including two introns of 3708 and 2886 base pairs. Comparison of the 5'-flanking sequences of the human, bovine and mouse corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor genes reveals the presence of a highly conserved region, which contains sequences of 14-15 base pairs homologous with sequences located upstream of the mRNA start site of other glucocorticoid-regulated genes.

A small region of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat confers glucocorticoid hormone regulation on a linked heterologous gene

Expression of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviruses is transcriptionally regulated by glucocorticoid hormones. We have linked the MMTV long terminal repeat (LTR) to the coding region of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene and used this construction to characterize sequences within the LTR that are involved in glucocorticoid regulation. Our results show that 290 base pairs (bp) of the MMTV LTR, including 190 bp upstream from the start site for transcription, are sufficient to confer regulation on the downstream gene. Deletion of an additional 50 bp, leaving sequences from position -140 to +100, eliminates the response. However, the constitutive level of expression is maintained even after deletion of sequences upstream from position -80, indicating that sequences required for the hormone response can be distinguished from those required for basal expression. We also have shown, by making a 4-bp insertion or a 20-bp deletion around position -107, that the distance between the putative signal for hormone response and the start site of transcription can be varied without affecting regulation. Furthermore, replacement of MMTV sequences from position -59 to +100 with analogous sequences from the Rous sarcoma virus LTR does not change the regulation.