A 60-bp core promoter sequence of murine lactate dehydrogenase C is sufficient to direct testis-specific transcription in vitro.

A clone containing the 5' flanking region of the testis-specific murine lactate dehydrogenase C (Ldhc) gene was isolated from a mouse genomic library. Promoter activity was demonstrated within a 720-bp fragment in testis nuclear extract (TN). Interestingly, the addition of liver nuclear extract (LN) significantly repressed Ldhc promoter activity in the transcription assay system. Sequence analysis of this promoter region revealed several ubiquitous cis-regulatory elements, including one TATA box, one GC box, and two putative CCAAT elements. Analysis of a series of deletion mutants revealed that a 60-bp core promoter sequence was sufficient to direct basal, testis-specific transcription in an in vitro transcription system. A 103-kDa protein in TN and a 65-kDa protein in LN bind to the same palindromic sequences within the 60-bp core promoter region.