Regulation of insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene expression by Sp1: Physical and functional interactions of Sp1 at GC boxes and at a CT element

Dana Beitner-Johnson, Haim Werner, Charles T. Roberts, Derek LeRoith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor mediates signal transduction by the IGFs and plays a critical role in growth and development. The proximal promoter region of the rat IGF-I receptor gene contains multiple Sp1 consensus-binding sites (GC boxes). Various promoter fragments fused to a luciferase reporter gene were transiently cotransfected together with an Sp1 expression vector into Drosophila Schneider cells, which lack endogenous Sp1. A proximal promoter fragment containing 476 nucleotides of 5'-flanking region and 640 nucleotides of 5'-untranslated region was strongly activated by Sp1 (an average of 116-fold), and progressive 5'-deletions of the promoter that sequentially removed GC boxes reduced Sp1 activation to 15-fold over basal promoter activity. DNase I footprinting studies with purified Sp1 protein revealed four GC boxes in the 5'-flanking region of the promoter and one homopurine/homopyrimidine motif (CT element) in the 5'-untranslated region that bound Sp1. Mutation of the CT element reduced Sp1 activation by 70%. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Sp1 can regulate expression of the IGF-I receptor promoter by acting both on GC boxes in the 5'-flanking region of the promoter and on a CT element in the 5'-untranslated region.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1147-1156
Number of pages10
JournalMolecular Endocrinology
Volume9
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1995
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Endocrinology

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