Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 8, 2026

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Assay for Tissue-specific Genes using Early-stage Mouse Embryos
Published on: April 29, 2011
Regulation of alpha-tropomyosin and N5 genes by a shared enhancer. Modular structure and hierarchical organization
1Section of Molecular Genetics, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts 02118.
Abstract:
We have identified a 99-base pair (bp) tandem repeat consisting of two modules/repeat: a 40-bp-long d(CA.GT)20 potential Z-DNA sequence and a 59-bp-long unique sequence. This repeat is located between and differentially regulates two transcription units, rat alpha-tropomyosin and N5, organized in "head-to-head" orientation. Transient expression experiments showed orientation- and position-independent enhancer activity of the 99-bp repeat in a tissue-specific and developmental manner. Deletion analysis revealed a hierarchical organization establishing the two modules as protoenhancers. Southwestern blot analysis of crude nuclear extracts identified at least six C2C12 myotube nuclear proteins binding to the 99-bp repeat. These observations demonstrate a mammalian gene regulatory sequence structurally and functionally organized like the simian virus 40 viral enhancer and confirm in a specific gene context the contribution of a d(CA.GT)20 tract in transcriptional regulatory mechanisms as a protoenhancer.
Related Concept Videos
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Master Transcription Regulators
General Transcription Factors
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Master Transcription Regulators

