Lietz M, Cicchetti P, Thiel G
Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany.
Biol Chem. 1998 Oct;379(10):1301-4.
The zinc finger protein REST is a repressor of neuronal genes in nonneuronal tissues. We have analyzed the expression of REST, together with the expression of a REST target gene, encoding synapsin I, in human neuroblastoma cells. It was found that REST and synapsin I are coexpressed in neuroblastoma cell lines, although the expression of REST was inversely proportional to the levels of synapsin I mRNA. Thus, increased expression of synapsin I was directly correlated with decreased expression of REST. These expression data are in excellent correlation with synapsin I promoter activity measured in neuroblastoma cells showing that an increase in the REST concentration switched off synapsin I promoter activity. We conclude that the concentration of REST determines the expression level of neuronal genes such as the synapsin I gene.
锌指蛋白REST是一种在非神经组织中抑制神经元基因表达的蛋白。我们分析了人类神经母细胞瘤细胞中REST的表达情况，以及一个编码突触素I的REST靶基因的表达情况。结果发现，REST和突触素I在神经母细胞瘤细胞系中共同表达，尽管REST的表达与突触素I mRNA的水平呈负相关。因此，突触素I表达的增加与REST表达的降低直接相关。这些表达数据与在神经母细胞瘤细胞中测得的突触素I启动子活性高度相关，表明REST浓度的增加会关闭突触素I启动子的活性。我们得出结论，REST的浓度决定了诸如突触素I基因等神经元基因的表达水平。
