GENOMIC ORGANIZATION AND PROMOTER FUNCTION OF THE MOUSE UNCOUPLING PROTEIN-2 (UCP2) GENE

We cloned and characterized the mouse uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) gene and its promoter region. The gene spans approximately 6.3 kb and cont ains eight exons and seven introns, Two short exons are located in the 5' untranslated region, and each of the remaining exons encodes one o f the transmembrane domains. 3'-RACE analysis showed that a polyadenyl ation signal 257 bp downstream from the stop codon,cas functional, Pri mer extension analysis indicated a single transcriptional start site 3 69 bp upstream from the translational start site. The promoter region lacks both TATA and CAAT boxes but is GC-rich, A construct containing 1250 bp of the promoter region shelved significant activity in all 6 c ell lines examined, and the region between -160 and -678 bp exhibited strong positive regulatory activity, These features of the UCP2 gene a re different from those of the UCP1 gene and mag contribute to its ubi quitous expression. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societ ies.