Analysis of Glial-Specific Gene Expression Using in Vitro Transcription Assays

The in vitro transcription system using extracts from animal tissues is one of the most powerful and convenient ways to investigate transcriptional regulation of tissue-specific genes when appropriate cultured cells are not available. In the present study, we established a protocol for preparing transcription-competent nuclear extracts from mouse brain. Transcription in the extract could mimic in vivo tissue specificity qualitatively, suggesting that this technique is beneficial for studying transcriptional regulation of nervous system-specific genes. By using these methods, we analyzed cis-elements of the glial cell-specific mouse myelin basic protein gene.