Identification of tissue-specific DNase I hypersensitive sites in the rabbit flavin-containing monooxygenase form 2 gene.

Previous studies demonstrated that the flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO) are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. To begin an elucidation of mechanisms regulating this expression pattern, genomic clones for rabbit FMO2 were isolated and characterized. Two clones were isolated from a lambda EMBL3 genomic library and shown to span approximately 30 kilobase pairs but to contain only about 800 base pairs of coding information. Primer extension analysis was used to map the transcription start site, extending the previously published cDNA sequence by 17 base pairs. The FMO2 promoter does not utilize a classical TATA box, nor are HTF islands present (DNA domains rich in cleavable sites for 5-methyl-cytidine/guanosine-sensitive restriction enzymes). Rather, homology with promoters controlled by initiator elements is observed. Previous studies demonstrated FMO2 expression in rabbit pulmonary Clara and type II cells [Overby, Nishio, Lawton, Plopper, and Philpot: Exp. Lung Res. 18, 131, (1992)]. In the present study, a highly enriched Clara/type II cell population was prepared, and the FMO2 gene was analyzed for DNase I-hypersensitive and methylated regions. These data were then contrasted with those obtained from a similar analysis of the nonexpressed, hepatocyte FMO2 gene. No difference in the methylation status was observed. However, Clara/type II cell-specific DNase I-hypersensitive sites are located within the promoter region of the FMO2 gene. Thus, tissue-specific transcription factors likely are more prominent than methylation in regulating FMO2 expression. Consistent with this observation, both polyomavirus enhancer activator 3 (E26 transformation specific) and thyroid transcription factor 1 consensus sequences are present within the tissue-specific DNase I-hypersensitive domain.