Cloning and characterization of a 5.9 kb promoter region of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase alpha subunit gene.

A human genomic clone containing a 5.9 kb promoter region of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) alpha subunit gene (PDHA1) was isolated from a human X-chromosome library. The nucleotide sequence showed two Alu repeats at the -2880 and -2200 bp regions. Comparison between the -1400 bp E1alpha promoter and the -1241 bp E1beta promoter revealed a 57% homology, with a high degree of homology at the putative protein binding regions in these two promoters. Computer-aided transcription factor binding consensus sequence analysis revealed the presence of PPAR, HOXD, MyoD and other tissue-specific transcription factor binding sites. Promoter function analysis using the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene indicated that the -2.2 kb/-1.7 kb and -5.9 kb/-5.2 kb regions of the E1alpha promoter may possess negative regulatory elements which are likely to function in a tissue-specific manner.