Cyclic AMP-responsive region of the human proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene.

Transcription of the human proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene is regulated by cAMP. To identify the region in the human POMC gene responsible for this regulation, we constructed chimeric genes containing different portions of the 5'-flanking region of the human POMC gene fused to the structural sequence encoding the bacterial reporter enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). The transcriptional activity of the fusion genes introduced into the rat glial cell line C6 was assayed by measuring CAT activity in the cell lysate. Forskolin, an adenylate cyclase-activating agent, stimulated the expression of POMC-CAT fusion genes. Deletion analysis demonstrated that the region between -417 and -97 bp from the transcriptional origin of the human POMC gene was responsible for regulation by cyclic AMP.