TY - JOUR
T1 - Ret 1, a cis-acting element of the rat opsin promoter, can direct gene expression in rod photoreceptors
AU - Yu, Xiu
AU - Leconte, Laurence
AU - Martinez, Julian A.
AU - Barnstable, Colin J.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1996/12
Y1 - 1996/12
N2 - The Ret 1 element, located at -136 to -110 in the rat opsin promoter, binds developmentally regulated retinal nuclear proteins. A similar sequence is found upstream of opsin genes, from humans to Drosophila, as well as many other photoreceptor-specific genes. The function of the Ret 1 element was tested both in vitro and in two sets of transgenic mice. A mutated Ret 1 element did not bind retinal nuclear proteins in vitro. The same mutations in an otherwise normal 1.9-kb rat opsin promoter tailed to drive expression of a lacZ reporter gene in nine of 12 lines. In the three other lines, expression in photoreceptors was very faint. Four tandem copies of the Ret 1 element maintained the Ret 1 binding specificity in vitro and were able to direct expression of a lacZ transgene in photoreceptors of all nine mouse lines obtained. In two lines, expression was also detected in the ganglion cell layer and the ciliary epithelium. In three lines, a characteristic pattern of expression was found in the nervous system in addition to the normal retinal expression. These results indicate that Ret 1 can and is necessary to drive gene expression in rod photoreceptors. Furthermore, our results suggest that Ret 1-like elements may also be important in the developing nervous system.
AB - The Ret 1 element, located at -136 to -110 in the rat opsin promoter, binds developmentally regulated retinal nuclear proteins. A similar sequence is found upstream of opsin genes, from humans to Drosophila, as well as many other photoreceptor-specific genes. The function of the Ret 1 element was tested both in vitro and in two sets of transgenic mice. A mutated Ret 1 element did not bind retinal nuclear proteins in vitro. The same mutations in an otherwise normal 1.9-kb rat opsin promoter tailed to drive expression of a lacZ reporter gene in nine of 12 lines. In the three other lines, expression in photoreceptors was very faint. Four tandem copies of the Ret 1 element maintained the Ret 1 binding specificity in vitro and were able to direct expression of a lacZ transgene in photoreceptors of all nine mouse lines obtained. In two lines, expression was also detected in the ganglion cell layer and the ciliary epithelium. In three lines, a characteristic pattern of expression was found in the nervous system in addition to the normal retinal expression. These results indicate that Ret 1 can and is necessary to drive gene expression in rod photoreceptors. Furthermore, our results suggest that Ret 1-like elements may also be important in the developing nervous system.
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1996.67062494.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1996.67062494.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 8931483
AN - SCOPUS:0029806253
VL - 67
SP - 2494
EP - 2504
JO - Journal of Neurochemistry
JF - Journal of Neurochemistry
SN - 0022-3042
IS - 6
ER -