A common cis-element in promoters of protein synthesis and cell cycle genes

Gene promoters contain several classes of functional sequence elements (cis elements) recognized by protein agents, e.g. transcription factors and essential components of the transcription machinery. Here we describe a common DNA regulatory element (tandem TCTCGCGAGA motif) of human TATA-less promoters. A combination of bioinformatic and experimental methodology suggests that the element can be critical for expression of genes involved in enhanced protein synthesis and the G1/S transition in the cell cycle. The motif was identified in a substantial fraction of promoters of cell cycle genes, like cyclins (CCNC, CCNG1), as well as transcription regulators (TAF7, TAF13, KLF7, NCOA2), chromatin structure modulators (HDAC2, TAF6L), translation initiation factors (EIF5, EIF2S1, EIF4G2, EIF3S8, EIF4) and previously reported 18 ribosomal protein genes. Since the motif can define a subset of promoters with a distinct mechanism of activation involved in regulation of expression of about 5% of human genes, further investigation of this regulatory element is an emerging task.