The effect of retinoic acid on the activation of the human H19 promoter by a 3′ downstream region

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 432; no. 3; pp. 123 - 127
• Main Authors: Kopf, E., Bibi, O., Ayesh, S., Tykocinski, M., Vitner, K., Looijenga, L.H.J., de Groot, N., Hochberg, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 07.08.1998
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - drug effects; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - genetics; Choriocarcinoma cell line; DNA, Neoplasm - genetics; Enhancer Elements, Genetic - drug effects; Enhancer Elements, Genetic - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Humans; Interaction of 3′ and 5′ regions of human H19 gene; Muscle Proteins - drug effects; Muscle Proteins - genetics; Promoter Regions, Genetic - drug effects; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - drug effects; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Retinoic acid; RNA, Long Noncoding; RNA, Untranslated; Simian virus 40 - genetics; Testicular tumor stem cell; Transcription, Genetic - drug effects; Transcription, Genetic - genetics; Transfection; Tretinoin - pharmacology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - cytology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - metabolism; Interaction of 3′ and 5′ regions of human H19 gene; Choriocarcinoma cell line; Testicular tumor stem cell; Retinoic acid
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-5793(98)00841-2

The human H19 is paternally imprinted (maternally expressed). It is transcribed by RNA pol II, but has no protein product. Its function is unknown. We showed that the transcription of the human H19 gene is under the simultaneous control of both a 5′ upstream (promoter) region and a 3′ downstream region in cell lines derived from human choriocarcinomas. Moreover, the activation of the H19 promoter by retinoic acid in cells derived from human testicular germ cell tumors is dependent upon the 3′ downstream region. The possibility that the action of retinoic acid on the H19 promoter is an indirect one and involves a member of the AP2 transcription factor family is discussed.