Analysis of the c-myc P2 promoter

The cis-acting elements governing transcription from the murine c-myc P2 promoter have not been well defined. To gain a better understanding of the nature of the protein-DNA interactions that take place on the P2 promoter, protein binding assays were performed. The ME1a2 and E2F factors appear to be the predominant proteins bound to a region spanning positions -140 to -24 relative to the P2 transcription start site. By a number of criteria, these factors appear to be distinct. When c-myc promoter sequences were coupled to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (CAT) and transiently transfected into tissue culture cells it was found that optimal transcription from P2 was heavily dependent on the ME1a2 element.