Cloning and functional characterization of the human heterogeneous nuclearribonucleoprotein type I promoter

We have cloned and functionally characterized a portion of the human hnRNP I (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein type I) gene containing the prom oter elements. HnRNP I is an alternative splicing modulator of tissue-speci fic transcripts that is expressed in three different isoforms. The DNA sequ ence at the transcription start site, identified by 5 ' -rapid amplificatio n of cDNA ends, shows a high 'GC' content, lacks canonical TATA sequences a nd contains multiple putative Sp I and NF1 transcription factor-binding sit es, a GATA box and a CAAT box. By means of a chloramphenicol acetyltransfer ase reporter construct and deletion analyses, we have identified two region s between -770 bp and -206 bp that had a positive effect on expression acti vity in HeLa cells. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.