The mouse surfeit locus contains a cluster of six genes associated with four CpG-rich islands in 32 kilobases of genomic DNA

Murine Surf4 is essential for early embryonic development

Newly synthesized proteins co-translationally inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen may be recruited into anterograde transport vesicles by their association with specific cargo receptors. We recently identified a role for the cargo receptor SURF4 in facilitating the secretion of PCSK9 in cultured cells. To examine the function of SURF4 in vivo, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to generate mice with germline loss-of-function mutations in Surf4. Heterozygous Surf4^+/- mice exhibit grossly normal appearance, behavior, body weight, fecundity, and organ development, with no significant alterations in circulating plasma levels of PCSK9, apolipoprotein B, or total cholesterol, and a detectable accumulation of intrahepatic apoliprotein B. Homozygous Surf4^-/- mice exhibit embryonic lethality, with complete loss of all Surf4^-/- offspring between embryonic days 3.5 and 9.5. In contrast to the milder murine phenotypes associated with deficiency of known SURF4 cargoes, the embryonic lethality of Surf4^-/- mice implies the existence of additional SURF4 cargoes or functions that are essential for murine early embryonic development.

Interpretation of multiple probe sets mapping to the same gene in Affymetrix GeneChips

BACKGROUND

Affymetrix GeneChip technology enables the parallel observations of tens of thousands of genes. It is important that the probe set annotations are reliable so that biological inferences can be made about genes which undergo differential expression. Probe sets representing the same gene might be expected to show similar fold changes/z-scores, however this is in fact not the case.

RESULTS

We have made a case study of the mouse Surf4, chosen because it is a gene that was reported to be represented by the same eight probe sets on the MOE430A array by both Affymetrix and Bioconductor in early 2004. Only five of the probe sets actually detect Surf4 transcripts. Two of the probe sets detect splice variants of Surf2. We have also studied the expression changes of the eight probe sets in a public-domain microarray experiment. The transcripts for Surf4 are correlated in time, and similarly the transcripts for Surf2 are also correlated in time. However, the transcripts for Surf4 and Surf2 are not correlated. This proof of principle shows that observations of expression can be used to confirm, or otherwise, annotation discrepancies. We have also investigated groups of probe sets on the RAE230A array that are assigned to the same LocusID, but which show large variances in differential expression in any one of three different experiments on rat. The probe set groups with high variances are found to represent cases of alternative splicing, use of alternative poly(A) signals, or incorrect annotations.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that some probe sets should not be considered as unique measures of transcription, because the individual probes map to more than one transcript dependent upon the biological condition. Our results highlight the need for care when assessing whether groups of probe sets all measure the same transcript.

A functional YY1 binding site is necessary and sufficient to activate Surf-1 promoter activity in response to serum growth factors

The human Surf-1 and Surf-2 housekeeping genes are divergently transcribed and share a bi-directional, TATA-less promoter. Housekeeping promoters typically contain complex arrays of transcription factor binding sites and several studies have suggested that many of these sites might be functionally redundant. The Surf-1/Surf-2 promoter region contains four factor binding sites; members of the ETS family of transcription factors bind to two of these sites whilst YY1 binds to a third site immediately downstream of the major Surf-1 transcription start point. Here we show that Sp1 binds to the fourth transcription factor binding site. Although YY1 and Sp1 have previously been shown to interact both in vitro and in vivo, these proteins function independently at the Surf-1/Surf-2 promoter. The binding of Sp1 alone is sufficient to bring about full promoter activity in the Surf-2 direction. In contrast, both Sp1 and ETS proteins are required to bring about full promoter activity in the Surf-1 direction. The YY1 binding site is not required for basal transcription in either direction. The YY1 binding site is, however, both necessary and sufficient to confer growth factor inducibility on transcription in the Surf-1 direction. Our data suggest that functionally redundant transcription factor binding sites might not be a general feature of housekeeping promoters.

The leptin receptor promoter controls expression of a second distinct protein

The leptin receptor (OB-R) is a single membrane- spanning protein that mediates the weight-regulatory effects of leptin (OB protein). Several mRNA splice variants have been described which either encode OB-R proteins with cytoplasmic domains of different length or the OB-R and B219/OBR variants, which have different 5'-untranslated regions. Here we report evidence for the synthesis of a human mRNA splice variant of the OB-R gene that potentially encodes a novel protein, leptin receptor gene-related protein (OB-RGRP), which displays no sequence similarity to the leptin receptor itself. This OB-RGRP transcript contains the first two OB-R gene 5'-untranslated exons, but then is alternatively spliced to two novel exons which were mapped to a yeast artificial chromosome containing the leptin receptor gene. First identified by analysis of a large human expressed sequence tag database, the OB-RGRP transcript has now also been found in human and mouse tissues by the use of PCR. Preliminary experiments suggest that OB-RGRP and the OB-R variants share similar patterns of expression that are distinct from that of the B219/OBR variant. OB-RGRP is highly homologous to putative open reading frames in both yeast and Caenorhabditis elegans , suggesting a phylogenetically conserved role for this novel protein.

Surfeit locus gene homologs are widely distributed in invertebrate genomes

The mouse Surfeit locus contains six sequence-unrelated genes (Surf-1 to -6) arranged in the tightest gene cluster so far described for mammals. The organization and juxtaposition of five of the Surfeit genes (Surf-1 to -5) are conserved between mammals and birds, and this may reflect a functional or regulatory requirement for the gene clustering. We have undertaken an evolutionary study to determine whether the Surfeit genes are conserved and clustered in invertebrate genomes. Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of the mouse Surf-4 gene, which encodes an integral membrane protein associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, have been isolated. The amino acid sequences of the Drosophila and C. elegans homologs are highly conserved in comparison with the mouse Surf-4 protein. In particular, a dilysine motif implicated in endoplasmic reticulum localization of the mouse protein is conserved in the invertebrate homologs. We show that the Drosophila Surf-4 gene, which is transcribed from a TATA-less promoter, is not closely associated with other Drosophila Surfeit gene homologs but rather is located upstream from sequences encoding a homolog of a yeast seryl-tRNA synthetase protein. There are at least two closely linked Surf-3/rpL7a genes or highly polymorphic alleles of a single Surf-3/rpL7a gene in the C. elegans genome. The chromosomal locations of the C. elegans Surf-1, Surf-3/rpL7a, and Surf-4 genes have been determined. In D. melanogaster the Surf-3/rpL7a, Surf-4, and Surf-5 gene homologs and in C. elegans the Surf-1, Surf-3/rpL7a, Surf-4, and Surf-5 gene homologs are located on completely different chromosomes, suggesting that any requirement for the tight clustering of the genes in the Surfeit locus is restricted to vertebrate lineages.

Bop: a new T-cell-restricted gene located upstream of and opposite to mouse CD8b

In the course of transient expression studies undertaken to determine the location of the mouse CD8b gene promoter, two additional promoter activities were detected within 600 nucleotides upstream of the gene. One activity directs transcription in the same direction as CD8b but fails to transcribe the CAT reporter gene due to an apparent transcription-blocking element lying between it and the gene. The second activity directs transcription opposite to that of the CD8b gene. Northern hybridization with a probe consisting of nucleotides -875 to -550 relative to the site of CD8b transcription initiation revealed hybridizing species of 4 kilobases (kb) and 1.8 kb in poly-A-selected RNA from mouse thymus but not from any other tissues. Similar RNA species were detected in poly-A+ RNA from concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells and several long-term CTL lines but not from the EL4 or BW5147 T-cell lines or the J558L myeloma. The mRNA species were most abundant in cells of a secondary mixed leukocyte culture which were greater than 95% CD8(+). Northern hybridizations using single-stranded unidirectional probes indicated that these mRNAs represent transcription opposite to the CD8b gene. The tissue and cell type distribution of this newly-discovered gene (designated Bop for CD8b opposite) are consistent with T-cell-specific and possibly CD8-positive T-cell-specific expression. The head-to-head arrangement of the Bop and CD8b genes is reminiscent of the arrangement of the Tap1 and Lmp2 genes, and the expression of the Bop gene in CD8-positive cells raises the possibility that these genes are involved in the same functional pathway.

The genomic organization of the region containing the Drosophila melanogaster rpL7a (Surf-3) gene differs from those of the mammalian and avian Surfeit loci

The Surf-3 gene of the unusually tight mouse Surfeit locus gene cluster has been identified as the highly conserved ribosomal protein gene L7a (rpL7a). The topography and juxtaposition of the Surfeit locus genes are conserved for the 600 million years of divergent evolution between mammals and birds. This suggests cis interaction and/or coregulation of the genes and suggests that, within this locus, gene organization plays an important role in gene expression. The further evolutionary conservation of the organization of the Surfeit locus was investigated. A cDNA encoding the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of the Surf-3/rpL7a gene was cloned, was shown to be present as a single copy, and was expressed constitutively at high levels throughout development. Genomic cosmid clones encompassing the gene and its surrounding DNA were isolated. The gene was determined to have five introns, of which two were located in the 5' untranslated region of the gene. The remaining three introns had splice sites at positions equivalent to those found in the Surf-3/rpL7a mammalian homologs. S1 analysis and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends both confirmed the start of transcription to occur in a polypyrimidine tract in the absence of a TATA box in the promoter. The genomic region around the Surf-3/rpL7a gene was analyzed by low-stringency hybridization with murine Surfeit gene probes, by partial sequence analysis, and by hybridization of fragments to Northern (RNA) blots. No homologs of other members of the Surfeit gene cluster were detected in close proximity to the D. melanogaster Surf-3/rpL7a gene. However, a gene which was detected directly 3' to the Surf-3/rpL7a gene was shown to encode a homolog of a mammalian serine-pyruvate aminotransferase.

CpG methylation has differential effects on the binding of YY1 and ETS proteins to the bi-directional promoter of the Surf-1 and Surf-2 genes

The divergently transcribed Surf-1 and Surf-2 housekeeping genes are separated by a bi-directional, TATA-less promoter which lies within a CpG-rich island. Here we show that CpG methylation severely reduces transcription in the direction of both Surf-1 and Surf-2. Previous work has identified three promoter elements (Su1, Su2 and Su3) which are conserved between the human and mouse Surf-1/Surf-2 promoters. These elements bind transcription factors present in human and mouse cell nuclear extracts in vitro and mutations which prevent factor binding also reduce promoter activity in vivo. Transcription initiation factor YY1 binds to the Su1 site and stimulates transcription in the direction of Surf-1 and, to a lesser extent, Surf-2. Here we show that members of the ETS family of transcription factors bind to the Su2 site. Although the Su1 factor binding site contains three CpG dinucleotides, the binding of YY1 is not affected by CpG methylation. In contrast, CpG methylation abolishes the binding of ETS proteins to the Su2 site; methylation of a single cytosine, at position 3 of the consensus ETS site, is sufficient to prevent factor binding. This direct effect on the binding of ETS proteins is, however, not in itself sufficient to explain the repression of this promoter by CpG methylation. A mutation of the Su2 site which removes the sequence CpG, but which does not prevent ETS factor binding, fails to relieve this promoter from repression by CpG methylation.

The pseudoautosomal regions of the human sex chromosomes

In human females, both X chromosomes are equivalent in size and genetic content, and pairing and recombination can theoretically occur anywhere along their entire length. In human males, however, only small regions of sequence identity exist between the sex chromosomes. Recombination and genetic exchange is restricted to these regions of identity, which cover 2.6 and 0.4 Mbp, respectively, and are located at the tips of the short and the long arm of the X and Y chromosome. The unique biology of these regions has attracted considerable interest, and complete long-range restriction maps as well as comprehensive physical maps of overlapping YAC clones are already available. A dense genetic linkage map has disclosed a high rate of recombination at the short arm telomere. A consequence of the obligatory recombination within the pseudoautosomal region is that genes show only partial sex linkage. Pseudoautosomal genes are also predicted to escape X-inactivation, thus guaranteeing an equal dosage of expressed sequences between the X and Y chromosomes. Gene pairs that are active on the X and Y chromosomes are suggested as candidates for the phenotypes seen in numerical X chromosome disorders, such as Klinefelter's (47,XXY) and Turner's syndrome (45,X). Several new genes have been assigned to the Xp/Yp pseudoautosomal region. Potential associations with clinical disorders such as short stature, one of the Turner features, and psychiatric diseases are discussed. Genes in the Xq/Yq pseudoautosomal region have not been identified to date.

Coexpression of two closely linked avian genes for purine nucleotide synthesis from a bidirectional promoter

Two avian genes encoding essential steps in the purine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway are transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter element. The bidirectional promoter, embedded in a CpG island, directs coexpression of GPAT and AIRC genes from distinct transcriptional start sites 229 bp apart. The bidirectional promoter can be divided in half, with each half retaining partial activity towards the cognate gene. GPAT and AIRC genes encode the enzymes that catalyze step 1 and steps 6 plus 7, respectively, in the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of genes coding for structurally unrelated enzymes of the same pathway that are tightly linked and transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter. This arrangement has the potential to provide for regulated coexpression comparable to that in a prokaryotic operon.

Coexpression of two closely linked avian genes for purine nucleotide synthesis from a bidirectional promoter

Two avian genes encoding essential steps in the purine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway are transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter element. The bidirectional promoter, embedded in a CpG island, directs coexpression of GPAT and AIRC genes from distinct transcriptional start sites 229 bp apart. The bidirectional promoter can be divided in half, with each half retaining partial activity towards the cognate gene. GPAT and AIRC genes encode the enzymes that catalyze step 1 and steps 6 plus 7, respectively, in the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of genes coding for structurally unrelated enzymes of the same pathway that are tightly linked and transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter. This arrangement has the potential to provide for regulated coexpression comparable to that in a prokaryotic operon.

Six S100 genes are clustered on human chromosome 1q21: identification of two genes coding for the two previously unreported calcium-binding proteins S100D and S100E

The human genome contains large regions that are highly structured. Sequence-related members of multigene families are often found in a clustered organization. Here we describe a previously unrecognized gene cluster composed of genes coding for calcium-binding proteins of the S100 family. The linkage of six S100 genes was established by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and a contiguous DNA sequence of 15 kilobases containing the full coding region of four different S100 genes was characterized. This is the tightest mammalian gene cluster discovered so far to our knowledge. Two additional S100 genes are located within the cluster, both of which exhibit unique structural features when compared with other S100 genes. The product of S100E is cysteine-rich, whereas that of S100D contains a long hydrophobic N-terminal tail. The gene cluster was assigned to chromosome 1q21, one of the bands showing rearrangements in neoplasms at high frequency. The deregulated expression of some S100 genes in the cluster during tumor progression suggests that chromosomal abnormalities may influence the expression of S100 genes in late stages of cancer, particularly in association with the formation of metastases.

The isolation of transcription factors from lambda gt11 cDNA expression libraries: human steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1 has sequence-specific DNA binding activity

The Surf-1/Surf-2 bi-directional promoter contains binding sites for at least three transcription factors (Su1, Su2, and Su3). By screening a lambda gt11 HeLa cell cDNA expression library with a concatenated Su2 factor binding site, we isolated a cDNA which encodes a protein with sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Gel retardation assays showed that the cloned factor binds specifically to the Su2 factor binding site present in the human Surf-1/Surf-2 promoter but not to an Su2 site containing mutated base pairs. Co-transfection experiments demonstrated that the cloned cDNA had little or no effect on the expression of a reporter gene under the control of multiple Su2 factor binding sites. Similarly a fusion protein in which the acidic activation domain of HSV VP16 was linked to the cloned factor had no effect, implying that the factor does not function as a DNA binding protein in vivo. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the cloned cDNA is identical to that of human steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1, an enzyme which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. These results are discussed with respect to other putative transcription factors which have been isolated from cDNA expression libraries on the basis of their sequence-specific DNA binding activity.

Conservation of the organization of five tightly clustered genes over 600 million years of divergent evolution

The organization of the mouse surfeit locus is unusual in that it contains six housekeeping genes (Surf-1-Surf-6), which are unrelated by sequence homology, in the tightest mammalian gene cluster thus far described. A maximum of only 73 base pairs separates any two of the four well-characterized genes, and two of the genes overlap at their 3' ends. The direction of transcription of each of the five surfeit genes, Surf-1-Surf-5, alternates with respect to that of its neighbor, suggesting cis-interaction or coregulation between the genes by mechanisms such as the sharing of regulatory elements and/or antisense regulation. The Surf-3 gene has been identified as encoding the ribosomal protein L7a (Rpl7a). We have used the high conservation of the Rpl7a gene to clone the chicken gene and surrounding genomic DNA. The tight clustering and juxtaposition of at least five of the surfeit genes (Surf-1-Surf-5) and their associated CpG-rich islands have been found to be conserved over the 600 million years of divergent evolution that separates birds and mammals. This strongly suggests that the surfeit locus represents a different form of gene cluster in which gene organization may play both a positive and negative regulatory role in gene expression possibly via cis-interactions between the closely spaced genes.

Functional elements of the ribosomal protein L7a (rpL7a) gene promoter region and their conservation between mammals and birds

The transcriptional initiation sites of the chicken ribosomal protein L7a (rpL7a) gene have been determined and found to occur at three consecutive cytidine residues at the start of a polypyrimidine tract of 8 base pairs (bp). A comparative analysis of the 5' upstream regions of the mouse, human and chicken rpL7a genes identified two sequence elements (Box A and Box B) conserved over the 600 million years of divergent evolution that separate mammals and birds. Only Box A (nts - 56 to - 39) and Box B (nts - 25 to - 4) sequences were detected to bind nuclear factors from mouse nuclear extracts in an analysis of the mouse rpL7a 5' upstream sequence. Box A and Box B bind different nuclear factors and the factor binding to mouse Box A and mouse Box B sequences could be effectively competed by corresponding homologous sequences from the human and chicken rpL7a promoters. These results indicate that elements of the rpL7a promoter region are conserved between mammals and birds. An in vivo analysis of the mouse rpL7a 5' upstream sequence required for efficient transcription identified the 5' border of the minimal promoter region as lying between nts - 50 and - 56. Constructs containing 56 bp of 5' upstream DNA and the first 25 bp rpL7a exon were very efficiently transcribed indicating that sequences within the first intron are not required for gene expression. No sequence similarity was detected between the rpL7a promoter elements and described promoter elements of other eukaryotic ribosomal protein genes.

The bidirectional promoter of the divergently transcribed mouse Surf-1 and Surf-2 genes

The ubiquitously expressed mouse Surf-1 and Surf-2 genes are divergently transcribed, and their heterogeneous start sites are separated by up to a maximum of only 73 bp. By using in vitro DNase I, dimethyl sulfate methylation, and gel retardation assays, we have identified five putative promoter control elements between and around the Surf-1 and Surf-2 start sites. The effects of each site on the regulation of Surf-1 and Surf-2 transcription have been studied in vivo, and four sites were found to be functional promoter elements. A novel binding site is required for efficient use of the intermediate but not the major start site of Surf-1. Three elements function in a bidirectional manner and are shared for efficient and accurate expression of both Surf-1 and Surf-2. One is an UEF (USF, MLTF) binding site which had a small effect on the use of the intermediate start sites of Surf-1 and also affected the major start sites of Surf-2. Another has sequence homology to the RPG alpha binding site associated with some ribosomal protein gene promoters and is required for efficient expression of the major but not intermediate start sites of Surf-1 and all start sites of Surf-2. The third, an RPG alpha-like site, is used for all start sites of both Surf-1 and Surf-2. Dissection of this cellular promoter region showed that different binding sites affect the use of different start sites and revealed a complex interaction between multiple elements that constitute a bona fide bidirectional promoter.

The bidirectional promoter of the divergently transcribed mouse Surf-1 and Surf-2 genes

The ubiquitously expressed mouse Surf-1 and Surf-2 genes are divergently transcribed, and their heterogeneous start sites are separated by up to a maximum of only 73 bp. By using in vitro DNase I, dimethyl sulfate methylation, and gel retardation assays, we have identified five putative promoter control elements between and around the Surf-1 and Surf-2 start sites. The effects of each site on the regulation of Surf-1 and Surf-2 transcription have been studied in vivo, and four sites were found to be functional promoter elements. A novel binding site is required for efficient use of the intermediate but not the major start site of Surf-1. Three elements function in a bidirectional manner and are shared for efficient and accurate expression of both Surf-1 and Surf-2. One is an UEF (USF, MLTF) binding site which had a small effect on the use of the intermediate start sites of Surf-1 and also affected the major start sites of Surf-2. Another has sequence homology to the RPG alpha binding site associated with some ribosomal protein gene promoters and is required for efficient expression of the major but not intermediate start sites of Surf-1 and all start sites of Surf-2. The third, an RPG alpha-like site, is used for all start sites of both Surf-1 and Surf-2. Dissection of this cellular promoter region showed that different binding sites affect the use of different start sites and revealed a complex interaction between multiple elements that constitute a bona fide bidirectional promoter.

The mouse rpL7a gene is typical of other ribosomal protein genes in it's 5' region but differs in being located in a tight cluster of CpG-rich islands

The two major transcriptional start sites of the mouse ribosomal protein L7a gene (rpL7a) (formerly Surf-3) have been mapped to two cytidine residues separated by 4 bp embedded in a polypyrimidine tract of 21 bp. The rpL7a gene contains a small first exon (25-29 bp) and a small 5' untranslated leader sequence (22-26 bp). Its transcriptional start sites are not preceded by a canonical TATA box motif and its 5' end is located in a CpG-rich island. These are all features found associated with the five other functional mammalian ribosomal protein genes which have been previously characterized. The mouse rpL7a gene is found within a very tight cluster of six genes associated with 4 CpG-rich islands located in 32 kb of genomic DNA. Unique DNA probes located both upstream and downstream of the mouse rpL30 and rpL32 genes used on Southern blots of mouse DNA cleaved with a variety of CpG-rich island specific restriction enzymes did not detect CpG-rich islands in the close vicinity of these ribosomal protein genes. Thus the clustering of CpG-rich islands associated with rpL7a does not appear to be a general feature of mammalian ribosomal protein genes.