[Regulation of fibrillar and type IV collagen genes]

Control of collagen synthesis can be exerted through control of mRNA levels by regulating of gene transcription and RNA maturation or the stability of mRNA. For fibrillar collagen genes many of the cis-acting regulatory elements are located in a relatively small region 5' to the transcription start site. The exon structure of the type IV genes differs significantly from that of fibrillar collagen in that triple-helical exons show considerable divergence from the 54 bp motif. The first intron of the alpha 1 (IV) is shown to contain an enhancer that can activate promoter. To identify the cellular mechanisms that determine the tissue-specific expression of the different collagen genes, the mechanisms whereby these genes respond to various cytokines and hormones that influence their expression.