Two promoters in the bovine adrenodoxin gene and the role of associated, unique cAMP-responsive sequences.

The bovine adrenodoxin gene gives rise to two species of mRNA differing only at their 5'-ends. The synthesis of these two types of mRNA in bovine adrenal cortical cells is regulated transcriptionally in part by ACTH via the action of cAMP. Examination of the 5'-end of the adrenodoxin gene revealed that each mRNA contains sequences derived from a different exon encoding the mitochondrial leader sequence. To define the sequences necessary for the synthesis of these two types of mRNA and to determine if the synthesis of each is driven by a separate promoter, 5'-regions of the adrenodoxin gene were inserted upstream from two different reporter genes and tested for promoter/enhancer regulatory activity by transient transfection into mouse adrenocortical Y1 tumor cells. The results clearly demonstrated that the bovine adrenodoxin gene contains two functional promoters; one, ADXP1, located in the 5'-flanking region gives rise to the minor form of mRNA, and a second, stronger promoter, ADXP2, which maps within intron 1 gives rise to the major form of mRNA. Unique cAMP-responsive sequences were found upstream from each promoter which share no sequence homology to the consensus CRE (cAMP-responsive element). Upon transient expression, the cAMP-responsive sequence associated with the ADXP2 promoter, termed CRS2, confers the cAMP responsiveness to stimulate the transcription of the linked beta-globin reporter gene regardless of whether the adrenodoxin ADXP2 promoter or the beta-globin promoter was utilized.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)