Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026

Methods to Discover Alternative Promoter Usage and Transcriptional Regulation of Murine Bcrp1
Published on: May 27, 2016
Gene structure and promoter function of murine Munc18-2, a nonneuronal exocytic Sec1 homolog
1Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA. aagrawal@bcm.tmc.edu
Abstract:
Sec1 family proteins are regulators of diverse exocytic processes, from yeast to man. Three mammalian homologues, Munc18-1, -2, and -3 have been described. We have studied the structure and expression of the mouse Munc18-2 gene. The Munc18-2 gene comprises 19 exons whose sizes range from 50 to 158 bp, with a total gene size of approximately 11 kb. A single transcript of 2.1 kb is expressed in multiple non-neuronal murine tissues. Munc18-2 has a striking resemblance to Munc18-1 in structure despite only 60% sequence identity, suggesting a recent gene duplication event. Analysis of the region upstream of the transcription start site shows that Munc18-2 has a TATA-less promoter, with a consensus initiator (Inr) sequence at the start of transcription, several Sp1 binding sites, and strong promoter activity in RBL-2H3 mast cells. The region from +5 to -430 is more active than +5 to -800, suggesting upstream repressor elements.
Related Concept Videos
Master Transcription Regulators
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Nuclear Export
NES are of three types- the canonical 10-residue long leucine-rich signal and other...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the translocon complex.

