Regulatory mechanisms controlling human hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF-4alpha) (nuclear receptor 2A1) is an essential regulator of hepatocyte differentiation and function. Genetic and molecular evidence suggests that the tissue-restricted expression of HNF-4alpha is regulated mainly at the transcriptional level. As a step toward understanding the molecular mechanism involved in the transcriptional regulation of the human HNF-4alpha gene, we cloned and analyzed a 12.1-kb fragment of its upstream region. Major DNase I-hypersensitive sites were found at the proximal promoter, the first intron, and the more-upstream region comprising kb -6.5, -8.0, and -8.8. By the use of reporter constructs, we found that the proximal-promoter region was sufficient to drive high levels of hepatocyte-specific transcription in transient-transf

SUBMITTER: Hatzis P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC99906 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature