Characterization of potential regulatory elements within the rat arginine vasopressin proximal promoter

In order to identify potential cis acting regulatory elements in the rat arginine vasopressin promoter, spanning nucleotides -374 to -36, we have carried out DNAase1 footprint analysis complemented by electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. This analysis has identified distinct transcription factor binding sites within this region. These are: 1) five E box motifs which are bound by members of the basic helix loop helix family of transcription factors; 2) two dGC rich elements which bind multiple complexes including Sp1; 3) a single AP1 element which binds a complex containing c-Fos or Fos related antigens. The location of these elements and their relationship to one another suggests combinatorial interaction amongst these factors as a mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the rat arginine vasopressin proximal promoter.