The –3.9 kb DHS of the chicken lysozyme locus harbors an enhancer element with unusual chromatin reorganizing activity

G Kruger, Matthias C Huber, Constanze Bonifer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Tissue specific regulation of the chicken lysozyme locus is achieved by a combination of positive and negative cis-regulatory elements. Here we describe the molecular characterization of a newly discovered enhancer element located −3.9 kb upstream of the transcription start. The −3.9 kb enhancer is activated early in macrophage differentiation, as indicated by chromatin reorganization in macrophage precursor cells. Interestingly, enhancer activation leads to nucleosome phasing. Tissue specificity of expression is achieved by a combination of 5′-sequences with ubiquitous enhancer activity and 3′-flanking sequences. The 5′-half contains binding sites for members of the nuclear factor I transcription family and a yet unknown protein. We could show by in vivo footprinting that the ubiquitously expressed factors occupy their binding sites only in lysozyme expressing cells. We conclude that a specific chromatin architecture may be responsible for the differential activity of the enhancer.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-77
JournalGene
Volume236
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Aug 1999

Keywords

  • Chromatin domain
  • Macrophage specific gene expression
  • Nuclear factor I
  • Nucleosome phasing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

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