L. Sevaljevic et al., INFLAMMATION OF THE DAM HAS DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON THE BINDING OF MATERNAL AND FETAL-RAT LIVER NUCLEOPROTEINS TO THE RAT HAPTOGLOBIN GENE PROMOTER, Experientia, 50(10), 1994, pp. 947-952
Transcriptional regulation of binding interactions between nucleoprote
ins and the hormone response element (RE) of the rat haptoglobin (Hp)
gene was investigated in adult and fetal livers of rats exposed to inf
lammation on day 19 of pregnancy. Nuclear extracts from the embryonal
liver displayed a barely detectable binding-affinity for hormone RE, b
ut in extracts from the adult liver it was noticeable. The acute phase
reaction of the mother promoted an increase of Hp gene expression in
both adult and fetal livers, relying on stage-specific changes in horm
one RE binding activities of nucleoplasmic proteins. The results indic
ated that the elevation of Hp gene expression in fetal liver to the st
eady basal level found in adults required the induction of new trans-a
cting proteins, whereas an overexpression of this gene in adult acute
phase liver relied essentially on an increase in the binding-affinity
of the preexisting hormone RE binding proteins.