Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The understanding of cutaneous pigmentation biology is relevant from the biologic and clinical point of view. The binding of α-melanocortin and its specific receptor, on the plasma membrane of melanin synthesising cells, plays a cruc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2008-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research |
| Online Access: | http://www.jeccr.com/content/27/1/71 |
| _version_ | 1818144667126988800 |
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| author | Natali Pier Picardo Mauro Pascucci Barbara Miccadei Stefania Civitareale Donato |
| author_facet | Natali Pier Picardo Mauro Pascucci Barbara Miccadei Stefania Civitareale Donato |
| author_sort | Natali Pier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The understanding of cutaneous pigmentation biology is relevant from the biologic and clinical point of view. The binding of α-melanocortin and its specific receptor, on the plasma membrane of melanin synthesising cells, plays a crucial role in melanins biosynthesis. Furthermore, loss of <it>MC1R </it>function is associated with an increased incidence of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The expression of the α-melanocortin receptor gene is highly controlled but, at the present, region responsible for tissue-specific activity of the gene promoter has not been identified.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have cloned the genomic sequences upstream the human MC1R coding gene. A DNA fragment of 5 kilobases upstream the human MC1R encoding sequence was placed in front of a reporter gene and several deletion mutants of such fragment have been prepared. These constructs have been tested for the ability to drive the melanocyte-specific gene expression of the reporter gene using transfection experiments in melanocyte and non-melanocyte cell lines. From these experiments we identified a DNA fragment with the ability to drive the gene transcription in a tissue-specific way and we used this small DNA fragment in DNA-protein interaction assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that the 150 base pairs upstream the MC1R gene initiation codon are able to drive the melanocyte-specific gene transcription. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidences suggesting that on such minimal melanocyte-specific gene promoter can assemble tissue-specific complexes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present results strongly imply that the transcriptional regulation of the melanocyte-specific MC1R gene requires an internal promoter located in the 150 base pairs upstream the initiation codon.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:51:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a121615d3d884dca985464ded6be3039 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-9966 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:51:12Z |
| publishDate | 2008-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-a121615d3d884dca985464ded6be30392022-12-22T01:08:20ZengBMCJournal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research1756-99662008-11-012717110.1186/1756-9966-27-71Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 geneNatali PierPicardo MauroPascucci BarbaraMiccadei StefaniaCivitareale Donato<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The understanding of cutaneous pigmentation biology is relevant from the biologic and clinical point of view. The binding of α-melanocortin and its specific receptor, on the plasma membrane of melanin synthesising cells, plays a crucial role in melanins biosynthesis. Furthermore, loss of <it>MC1R </it>function is associated with an increased incidence of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The expression of the α-melanocortin receptor gene is highly controlled but, at the present, region responsible for tissue-specific activity of the gene promoter has not been identified.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have cloned the genomic sequences upstream the human MC1R coding gene. A DNA fragment of 5 kilobases upstream the human MC1R encoding sequence was placed in front of a reporter gene and several deletion mutants of such fragment have been prepared. These constructs have been tested for the ability to drive the melanocyte-specific gene expression of the reporter gene using transfection experiments in melanocyte and non-melanocyte cell lines. From these experiments we identified a DNA fragment with the ability to drive the gene transcription in a tissue-specific way and we used this small DNA fragment in DNA-protein interaction assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that the 150 base pairs upstream the MC1R gene initiation codon are able to drive the melanocyte-specific gene transcription. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidences suggesting that on such minimal melanocyte-specific gene promoter can assemble tissue-specific complexes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present results strongly imply that the transcriptional regulation of the melanocyte-specific MC1R gene requires an internal promoter located in the 150 base pairs upstream the initiation codon.</p>http://www.jeccr.com/content/27/1/71 |
| spellingShingle | Natali Pier Picardo Mauro Pascucci Barbara Miccadei Stefania Civitareale Donato Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research |
| title | Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| title_full | Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| title_fullStr | Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| title_short | Identification of the minimal melanocyte-specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| title_sort | identification of the minimal melanocyte specific promoter in the melanocortin receptor 1 gene |
| url | http://www.jeccr.com/content/27/1/71 |
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