S. Wariishi et al., A SP1 BINDING-SITE IN THE GC-RICH REGION IS ESSENTIAL FOR A CORE PROMOTER ACTIVITY OF THE HUMAN ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE GENE, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 216(2), 1995, pp. 729-735
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is an important oxygenase whi
ch catalyzes the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline to form nitr
ic oxide (NO), a potent important factor for vasodilation and inhibiti
on of platelet aggregation. We have analyzed characteristics of the pr
omoter region of the human eNOS gene using the transient expression in
human endothelial cells of CAT constructs with a series of 5'-deletio
n mutants. The 5'-flanking region between -116 and -98, which contains
a putative consensus sequence for binding of transcription factor Spl
, is essential to direct a basal promoter activity. Gel mobility shift
analysis involving anti-Spl antibody and competitor DNAs disrupted at
the binding site for Spl reveals that Spl or its closely related prot
ein(s) binds to the consensus sequence located between -104 and -96. T
hese results indicate that the Spl site is essential for a core promot
er activity of the human eNOS gene. (C) 1995 Press, Inc.