Genomic structure of and a cardiac promoter for the mouse carnitine palmitoyltransferase II gene.

The mouse carnitine palmitoyltransferase II gene has been isolated and its genomic structure determined. The gene contained five exons, including an unusually long 1305-nt exon 4. The exon/intron boundaries were sequenced and conformed to the consensus splice junction sequences. The transcription start site was determined from adult mouse heart mRNA by primer extension analysis and confirmed by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. A promoter that differs from the previously published promoter for the carnitine palmitoyltransferase II gene was isolated and sequenced. When placed in a mammalian expression vector, this promoter was shown to drive the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in mouse hepatoma cells. This new promoter is the major driver of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II gene expression in heart and may also be active in liver.