3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent transcription of the CYP11A (cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450) gene involves a DNA response element containing a putative binding site for transcription factor Sp1.

The product of the CYP11A gene, cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450, catalyzes the initial step of steroidogenesis. A major mechanism whereby steroid hydroxylase gene transcription is regulated in the adrenal cortex requires the pituitary peptide hormone, ACTH, which acts via cAMP. We have previously identified a transcriptional enhancer in the 5'-flanking sequence [-183 to -83 base pairs (bp)] of the bovine CYP11A gene, which activates transcription of a beta-globin promoter/reporter gene in transiently transfected mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells in response to the activator of adenylate cyclase, forskolin. Further deletion analysis has located the minimal cAMP-responsive sequence (CRS) to -118 to -100 bp. Analysis of DNA-protein interactions using nuclear extracts from Y1 cells revealed two protein binding sites, which were shown by competition analysis to be closely related to the two protein binding sites identified previously in the CRS of the human CYP21 gene. Namely, within the cAMP responsive fragment -118 to -100 bp, a sequence with a high degree of similarity to the consensus binding sequence for the ubiquitous transcription factor Sp1 is present, and binding of protein to this site was abolished by competition with excess GC box oligonucleotide. The second partially overlapping site is located 3' of the putative Sp1-binding site and binds to a protein identical or closely related to a putative adrenal-specific protein. Whereas the adrenal-specific protein binding site of the CYP21 CRS was previously shown to be sufficient to confer cAMP-responsive activation of transcription, the homologous site within the CYP11A CRS appears to have an attenuating effect on transcription.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)