Multiple regulatory regions on the 5' side of the mouse E alpha gene

The function of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse major histocompatibility complex gene Ed alpha has been studied by deletion analysis with the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene as a transient expression marker in various cell lines. This analysis reveals the presence of several control regions on the 5' side of the gene. Sequences between base pair (bp) -873 and bp -353 have a negative function in human and mouse fibroblasts but not in the mouse macrophage line WEHI-3. Additional positive and negative elements have been mapped between bp -353 and bp -38. A gamma-interferon response region has been also identified within that sequence. the 5' and 3' boundaries of the gamma-interferon response region have been located between bp -164 and bp -43. Inducible human cell lines showed the same gamma-interferon response region endpoints with the mouse cell line WEHI-3. A DNA fragment spanning the equivalent region of the mouse Ed beta gene confers gamma-interferon inducibility to the simian virus 40 and alpha-globin promoters in an orientation-independent manner. We further provide evidence that the conserved sequence motifs on the 5' side of all major histocompatibility complex class II genes are indispensable for gamma-interferon induction.