Tissue-specific regulation of the mouse alphaA-crystallin gene in lens via recruitment of Pax6 and c-Maf to its promoter.

ABSTRACT: Pax6 is a lineage-restricted DNA-binding transcription factor regulating the formation of mammalian organs including brain, eye and pancreas. Pax6 plays key roles during the initial formation of lens lineage, proliferation of lens progenitor and precursor cells and their terminal differentiation. In addition to Pax6, lens fiber cell differentiation is regulated by c-Maf, Prox1 and Sox1. Crystallins are essential lens structural proteins required for light refraction and transparency. Mouse alphaA-crystallin represents about 17% of all crystallins at the protein level and ranks as one of the most abundant tissue-specific proteins. Lens-specific expression of this gene is regulated at the level of transcription. A promoter fragment of -88 to +46 is capable of driving lens-specific expression

SUBMITTER: Yang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2080862 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature