PROMOTER AND UPSTREAM REGULATORY ACTIVITIES OF THE MOUSE CELLULAR RETINOIC ACID-BINDING PROTEIN-I GENE

The promoter and its upstream regulatory region of the mouse cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I (crabp-I) gene were examined in transg enic mouse embryos, a mouse embryonal carcinoma cell line P19, and a m ouse embryonic fibroblast cell line 3T6. In transgenic mouse embryos, a beta-galactosidase reporter gene under the control of crabp-I promot er and its upstream regulatory region displayed a very specific patter n of expression characteristic of crabp-I gene expression during devel opmental stages. In tissue culture systems, the minimal promoter of th is gene was identified, and regions containing positive and negative r egulatory activities were dissected from the upstream 3-kilobase seque nce using assays for transient reporter activity. It is concluded that the minimal promoter of the mouse crabp-I gene is located between 120 and 150 base pairs upstream from the transcription initiation site. S everal cell type-specific positive and negative regulatory regions for this promoter have been identified. A region encoding a common negati ve regulatory activity in both P19 and 3T6 cells is also inhibitory to two heterologous promoters, and specific protein-DNA interactions bet ween this DNA fragment and nuclear extracts of P19 and 3T6 are demonst rated by gel retardation experiments.