INTERACTIONS OF TRANS-ACTING FACTOR(S) WITH THE ESTRADIOL RESPONSE ELEMENT AND NUCLEAR FACTO-1 OF THE VITELLOGENIN-II GENE OF JAPANESE-QUAIL

This study was directed at achieving an understanding of the mechanism s by which steroid hormones control the synthesis of vitellogenin (VTG ) protein in the liver of the Japanese quail. Northern hybridization s hows that administration of estradiol alone or with progesterone stimu lates the synthesis of VTG mRNA. Gel mobility shift assay of DNA fragm ents containing the ERE and NF1 shows that estradiol alone or with pro gesterone increases the levels of nuclear proteins that bind to these cis-acting elements of the promoter of the VTG gene. The cooperative e ffect of the two hormones seen at the level of expression of the VTG g ene may be due to protein-protein interactions of terms-acting factors that bind to ERE and NF1.