Molecular characterization of the murine homologue of the DC-derived protein DC-SCRIPT

• Published in: Journal of leukocyte biology Vol. 79; no. 5; pp. 1083 - 1091
• Main Authors: Triantis, Vassilis, Moulin, Veronique, Looman, Maaike W. G., Hartgers, Franca C., Janssen, Richard A. J., Adema, Gosse J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society for Leukocyte Biology 01.05.2006
• Subjects: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus - physiology; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Binding Sites - genetics; Carrier Proteins; Cell Line; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 - genetics; Conserved Sequence; dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Dendritic Cells - metabolism; DNA-Binding Proteins - biosynthesis; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular Sequence Data; mouse; Nuclear Proteins - biosynthesis; Nuclear Proteins - chemistry; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - isolation & purification; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Protein Binding - genetics; Repressor Proteins - chemistry; Repressor Proteins - genetics; Repressor Proteins - isolation & purification; Repressor Proteins - metabolism; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; transcription factor; Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Zinc Fingers - physiology
• ISSN: 0741-5400; 1938-3673
• DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1005588

Dendritic cell‐specific transcript (DC‐SCRIPT) is a putative DC zinc (Zn) finger‐type transcription factor described recently in humans. Here, we illustrate that DC‐SCRIPT is highly conserved in evolution and report the initial characterization of the murine ortholog of DC‐SCRIPT, which is also preferentially expressed in DC as shown by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and its distribution resembles that of its human counterpart. Studies undertaken in human embryonic kidney 293 cells depict its nuclear localization and reveal that the Zn finger domain of the protein is mainly responsible for nuclear import. The human and the mouse genes are located in syntenic chromosomal regions and exhibit a similar genomic organization with numerous common transcription factor‐binding sites in their promoter region, including sites for many factors implicated in haematopoiesis and DC biology, such as Gfi, GATA‐1, Spi‐B, and c‐Rel. Taken together, these data show that DC‐SCRIPT is well‐conserved in evolution and that the mouse homologue is more than 80% homologous to the human protein. Therefore, mouse models can be used to elucidate the function of this novel DC marker.