Tandem arrangement of human genes for interleukin-4 and interleukin-13: Resemblance in their organization

• Published in: Gene Vol. 155; no. 2; pp. 277 - 281
• Main Authors: Smirnov, D.V., Smirnova, M.G., Korobko, V.G., Frolova, E.I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 03.04.1995
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 - genetics; Cloning, Molecular; CpG island; DNA sequence; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Interleukin-13 - genetics; Interleukin-4 - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; regulatory element; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; transcription factor; Transcription, Genetic; transcription factor; TPA; Ag; nt; DNA sequence; CpG island; bp; N; GHR; tsp; R; UTR; regulatory element; GM-CSF; kb; NF-IL6; Y; oligo; aa; IL; TBP; GCF; AP; TCF; HRE; YAC; Ig
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(94)00720-D

The genes encoding human interleukin-4 ( IL-4) and interleukin-13 ( IL-13) are located on segment q23-31 of chromosome 5 and encode two multifunctional lymphokines with some common functions. We have cloned 72 kb of human genomic DNA that contain IL-4 and IL-13 and their flanking sequences, and constructed a restriction map of this region. Using Southern analysis, we have shown that IL-13 is located 12 kb 5 ′ to IL-4 and linked in a ‘tail-to-head’ fashion. We have also determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the DNA fragment (about 4.8 kb) containing IL-13 and its 5 ′ flanking regulatory region (2.1 kb) with a ‘CpG island’. We identified potential binding sites for a different transcription factors in the 5 ′ flanking region and in the first intron of IL-13. Comparison of IL-13 and IL-4 revealed considerable similarity in the structural organization of these genes and also many potential binding sites for transcription factors common to both genes: AP1, AP2, AP3, PEA3, HRE, TCF-1, GATA-3 and the interferon-inducible and enhancer elements. These results, along with the similarity in functional activity of IL-4 and IL-13 suggests that their expression may be coregulated.