Burbelo P D, Martin G R, Yamada Y
Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Anomalies, National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Dec;85(24):9679-82. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.24.9679.
Collagen IV is the major structural component of basement membranes and is a heterotrimer composed of two alpha 1(IV) and one alpha 2(IV) chains. Most collagen genes are dispersed in the human genome, such as the genes for collagen I, which are located on chromosomes 7 [alpha 1(I)] and 17 [alpha 2(I)]. In contrast, we have found that the murine alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) collagen chain genes exist in a head-to-head arrangement on opposite strands separated by 130 base pairs. By transfecting various portions of these genes into cells, we have found that transcription of the alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) genes is regulated by a bidirectional promoter located between the two genes working in concert with an enhancer located in the first intron of the alpha 1(IV) chain gene.
IV型胶原蛋白是基底膜的主要结构成分,是一种由两条α1(IV)链和一条α2(IV)链组成的异源三聚体。大多数胶原蛋白基因分散在人类基因组中,例如I型胶原蛋白的基因,它们位于7号染色体[α1(I)]和17号染色体[α2(I)]上。相比之下,我们发现小鼠α1(IV)和α2(IV)胶原蛋白链基因以头对头的方式排列在相反的链上,间隔130个碱基对。通过将这些基因的不同部分转染到细胞中,我们发现α1(IV)和α2(IV)基因的转录受位于两个基因之间的双向启动子调控,该启动子与位于α1(IV)链基因第一个内含子中的增强子协同作用。