Rodent Aanat:: Intronic E-box sequences control tissue specificity but not rhythmic expression in the pineal gland

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY

卷:270

Article

Humphries, Ann ; Wells, Tim ; Baler, Ruben ; Klein, David C. ; Carter, David A.

关键词: arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase;    pineal gland;    transgenic rat;    E-box;    circadian rhythm;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.mce.2007.02.003

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (Aanat) is the penultimate enzyme in the serotonin-N-acetylserotonin-melatonin pathway. It is nearly exclusively expressed in the pineal gland and the retina. A marked rhythm of Aanat gene expression in the rat pineal is mediated by cyclic AMP response elements located in the promoter and first intron. Intron I also contains E-box elements, which mediate circadian gene expression in other cells. Here we examined whether these elements contribute to rhythmic Aanat expression in the pineal gland. This was done using transgenic rats carrying Aanat transgenes with mutant E-box elements. Circadian expression of Aanat transgenes was not altered by these mutations. However, these mutations enhanced ectopic expression establishing that the intronic Aanat E-box elements contribute to the gene's pineal specific expression. A similar role of the Aanat E-box has been reported in zebrafish, indicating that Aanat E-box mediated silencing is a conserved feature of vertebrate biology. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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