Human liver-type arginase gene: structure of the gene and analysis of the promoter region.

The gene for human liver-type arginase (EC 3.5.3.1), a urea cycle enzyme, was cloned and the structure was determined. This gene is 11.5 kilobases long and is split into 8 exons. The cap site was determined by nuclease S1 mapping and primer extension. A "TATA box"-like sequence is located 28 bases upstream from the cap site, and a sequence similar to the binding sites of the transcription factor CTF/NF1, a "CAAT box"-binding protein, is located 72 bases upstream. In the 5' end region, sequences resembling the glucocorticoid responsive elements, the cAMP responsive elements, and the enhancer core sequences are present. The immediately 5' flanking region of the human gene up to position -105 is 84% identical with the corresponding segment of the rat gene. In this region of the human gene, one DNase I-protected area and several hypersensitive cleavage sites were detected by footprint analysis, using nuclear extracts from the rat liver. The protected area contains the sequence similar to the binding sites of CTF/NF1 and also overlaps with the sequence resembling the glucocorticoid responsive elements.