Identification and characterization of the cis-elements regulating the rat AMOG (adhesion molecule on glia)/Na,K-ATPase beta 2 subunit gene.

We have identified a positive regulatory cis-acting element of the adhesion molecule on glia (AMOG)/Na,K-ATPase beta 2 subunit gene as GAGGCGGGG at position -87 to -79 by transient transfection assay using B103 cells (rat neuroblastoma cell line). The newly identified AMOG regulatory element (AMRE) enhanced the promoter activity in a mutually compensating manner with the Sp1 element at position -147 to -142. AMRE acts as a positive regulatory element not only in B103 cells but also in 3Y1 (rat embryo cell line) cells to roughly the same extent and in MDCK (canine kidney cell line) cells to a lesser extent. AMRE also enhances other gene promoters, such as myelin basic protein (MBP) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) gene promoters. The element is not a typical enhancer element because when it is introduced downstream of the HSV TK promoter, it has no enhancing activity.