Widespread Alu repeat-driven expansion of consensus DR2 retinoic acid response elements during primate evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nuclear receptors are hormone-regulated transcription factors whose signaling controls numerous aspects of development and physiology. Many receptors recognize DNA hormone response elements formed by direct repeats of RGKTCA motifs separated by 1 to 5 bp (DR1-DR5). Although many known such response elements are conserved in the mouse and human genomes, it is unclear to which extent transcriptional regulation by nuclear receptors has evolved specifically in primates.

Results

We have mapped the positions of all consensus DR-type hormone response elements in the human genome, and found that DR2 motifs, recognized by retinoic acid receptors (RARs), are heavily overrepresented (108,582 elements). 90% of these are present in Alu repeats, which also contain lesser number

SUBMITTER: Laperriere D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1785376 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature