K. Hovanes et al., The human LEF-1 gene contains a promoter preferentially active in lymphocytes and encodes multiple isoforms derived from alternative splicing, NUCL ACID R, 28(9), 2000, pp. 1994-2003
Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF-1) is a member of a family of transcription
factors that function as downstream mediators of the Wnt signal transducti
on pathway. In the absence of Wnt signals, specific LEF/TCF isoforms repres
s rather than activate gene targets through recruitment of the co-repressor
CtBP, Characterization of the full-length human LEF-1 gene locus and its c
omplete set of mRNA products shows that this family member exists as a uniq
ue set of alternatively spliced isoforms; none are homologous to TCF-1E/TCF
-4E. Therefore LEF-1 is distinct from its TCF family members in that it can
not engage in activities specific to this isoform such as recruitment of th
e co-repressor CtBP, Expression of alternatively spliced LEF-1 isoforms are
driven by a promoter that is highly active in lymphocyte cell lines, Trans
cription initiates within a TATA-less core promoter region that contains co
nsensus binding sites for Sp1, an E box, an Initiator element and a LEF/TCF
binding site, all juxtaposed to the start sites of transcription, The prom
oter is most active in a B lymphocyte cell line (Raji) in which the endogen
ous LEF-1 gene is silent, suggesting that the promoter region is actively r
epressed by a silencing mechanism.