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The Fire Ant Social Chromosome Exerts a Major Influence on Genome Regulation.

Supergenes underlying complex trait polymorphisms ensure that sets of coadapted alleles remain genetically linked. Despite their prevalence in nature, the mechanisms of supergene effects on genome regulation are poorly understood. In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, a supergene containing over 500 individual genes influences trait variation in multiple castes to collectively underpin a colony level social polymorphism. Here, we present results of an integrative investigation of supergene effects on gene regulation. We present analyses of ATAC-seq data to investigate variation in chromatin accessibility by supergene genotype and STARR-seq data to characterize enhancer activity by supergene haplotype. Integration with gene co-expression analyses, newly mapped intact transposable elements (TEs), and previously identified copy number variants (CNVs) collectively reveals widespread effects of the supergene on chromatin structure, gene transcription, and regulatory element activity, with a genome-wide bias for open chromatin and increased expression in the presence of the derived supergene haplotype, particularly in regions that harbor intact TEs. Integrated consideration of CNVs and regulatory element divergence suggests each evolved in concert to shape the expression of supergene encoded factors, including several transcription factors that may directly contribute to the trans-regulatory footprint of a heteromorphic social chromosome. Overall, we show how genome structure in the form of a supergene has wide-reaching effects on gene regulation and gene expression.

Animals

Genomic organization of human fetal specific P-450IIIA7 (cytochrome P-450HFLa)-related gene(s) and interaction of transcriptional regulatory factor with its DNA element in the 5' flanking region.

P-450IIIA7 is a form of cytochrome P-450 which was isolated from human fetal livers and termed P-450HFLa. This form has been clarified to be expressed during fetal life specifically (Komori, M., Nishio, K., Kitada, M., Shiramatsu, K., Muroya, K., Soma, M., Nagashima, K. and Kamataki, T. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 4430-4433). In the present study, we isolated five independent clones which probably corresponded to the human P-450IIIA7 gene. These clones were completely sequenced, all exons, exon-intron junctions and the 5' flanking region from the cap site to-869. Although the sequences in the coding region were completely identical to P-450IIIA7, it is possible that genomic fragments sequenced in this study encode portions of other P-450IIIA7-related genes since we could not obtain a complete overlapping set of genomic clones. Within its 5' flanking sequence, the putative binding sites of several transcriptional regulatory factors existed. Among them, it was shown that a basic transcription element binding factor (BTEB) actually interacted with the 5' flanking region of this gene.

Adult

Regulation of transcription from the hepatitis B virus major surface antigen promoter by the Sp1 transcription factor.

The DNA-binding proteins which recognize the regulatory sequence elements of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) major surface antigen promoter were examined by gel retardation analysis, using nuclear extracts from the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. Using this assay, we identified four regions (B, D, E, and F) of the promoter that interact with the same or similar transcription factor(s). In addition, the recognition sequence for the Sp1 transcription factor bound the same or similar transcription factor(s) present in Huh7 cell nuclear extracts, and this binding was inhibited by the four major surface antigen promoter elements, B, D, E, and F. Purified Sp1 transcription factor was shown to bind to three (B, D, and F) of the major surface antigen promoter regulatory sequence elements by DNase I footprinting. Using transient transfection assays with Drosophila Schneider line 2 cells, we found that transcription from the major surface antigen promoter was transactivated by exogenously expressed Sp1, whereas transcription from the other three HBV promoters was not. Deletion analysis of the major surface antigen promoter demonstrated that the promoter region between -35 and +157 was sufficient to confer Sp1 responsiveness. This promoter region includes one of the regulatory elements footprinted by the purified Sp1 transcription factor. The function of the B, D, E, and F promoter elements was further examined by using these binding sites cloned into a minimal promoter element. Each of these regulatory regions transactivated transcription from the minimal promoter element in response to exogenously expressed Sp1. This finding demonstrates that the HBV major surface antigen promoter contains four functional Sp1 binding sites which probably contribute to the level of expression from this promoter during viral infection.

Antigens, Viral

A Drosophila CREB/ATF transcriptional activator binds to both fat body- and liver-specific regulatory elements.

We have identified a Drosophila transcription factor that binds to fat body-specific enhancers of alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) and yolk protein genes. DNA sequence analysis of cDNA clones encoding this protein, box B-binding factor-2 (BBF-2), indicates that it is a member of the CREB/ATF family of transcriptional regulatory proteins. A number of observations suggest that BBF-2 is involved in fat body-specific expression: Mutations that disrupt BBF-2 binding to two different Adh fat body enhancers in vitro decrease the activity of these enhancers in transgenic flies. BBF-2 mRNA is present in all cell types examined, and the protein is present in cells that express ADH. Finally, BBF-2 is a transcriptional activator in Drosophila tissue culture cells. Remarkably, BBF-2 also binds specifically to regulatory elements required for liver-specific expression of the human Adh and rat tyrosine aminotransferase genes. Thus, BBF-2 and the DNA sequence to which it binds may be important components of a tissue-specific regulatory mechanism conserved between Drosophila and man.

Activating Transcription Factors

Protocol to predict gene expression from transcriptomic data using PREDICT.

Linking DNA sequence variation to context-specific transcriptional programs is a critical challenge in regulatory genomics, especially for non-model organisms. Here, we present PREDICT, a modular Python package for discovering cis-regulatory elements and transcription factor binding motifs. We describe steps to identify enriched k-mers from differentially expressed genes, map them to known motifs, quantify their impact on gene expression, and visualize motif co-occurrences. PREDICT provides a robust, k-mer-based approach to uncover regulatory logic in diverse genomic systems. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yen et al. and Liu et al.1,2.

Gene Expression Profiling

Tracing regulatory element networks using epigenetic traits to identify key transcription factors: TENET R/Bioconductor package.

SUMMARY: There is a lack of publicly available bioinformatic tools that can be widely used by researchers to identify transcription factors (TFs) that regulate cell type-specific regulatory elements (REs). To address this, we developed the Tracing regulatory Element Networks using Epigenetic Traits (TENET) R/Bioconductor package. By collecting hundreds of histone mark and open chromatin datasets from a variety of cell lines, primary cells, and tissues, and comparing these features along with matched DNA methylation and gene expression data, TENET identifies TFs and REs linked to a specific cell type. Moreover, we developed methods to interrogate findings using motifs, clinical information, and other genomic and chromatin conformation capture datasets, and applied them to pan-cancer data, highlighting TFs and REs associated with ten different cancer types. TENET enables researchers to better characterize the 3D epigenomes of cell types of interest for future clinical applications. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: TENET is available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/TENET. Curated functional genomic datasets utilized by TENET are available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/TENET.AnnotationHub. Example datasets are available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/TENET.ExperimentHub.

Transcription Factors

Small Copy Number Neutral Intrachromosomal Translocation of PAX6 and Aniridia.

IMPORTANCE: Approximately 5% to 10% of individuals with classic aniridia do not receive a molecular diagnosis after clinical testing for variants in PAX6 and its downstream regulatory region. OBJECTIVE: To apply optical genome mapping (OGM) and long-read whole-genome sequencing (lrWGS) to diagnose an individual with unexplained classic aniridia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: High-quality DNA was extracted from the blood of a 16-year-old male patient with classic aniridia and prior negative clinical test results that included sequencing and copy number analysis of PAX6 exons and downstream regulatory region as well as genomic analysis via short-read whole-genome sequencing (srWGS) and analyzed using OGM and lrWGS. All analyses were performed in a research laboratory in Wisconsin from January 2019 to September 2025. INTERVENTIONS: OGM and lrWGS. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Identification of a structural variant disrupting PAX6 expression in an individual with classic aniridia, following negative prior testing including srWGS. RESULTS: OGM identified a 55-kb deletion on 11p13 encompassing all PAX6 exons and exon 12 of ELP4, with insertion of this segment into 11q21. lrWGS delineated the exact breakpoints, confirming that the downstream regulatory region, required for normal PAX6 expression, remained at the 11p13 locus. Consequently, the translocated copy of PAX6 at 11q21 is expected to lack expression due to the loss of its essential regulatory elements. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings in an individual with classic aniridia harboring an intrachromosomal rearrangement at the PAX6 locus identified by OGM and lrWGS may represent the smallest reported structural variant to separate the PAX6 coding sequence from its downstream regulatory region. This structural variant may have fallen below the detection threshold of srWGS due to its balanced nature and small size, suggesting OGM and lrWGS would be needed for definitive identification.

Aniridia

ChromBERT-tools: a versatile toolkit for context-specific regulatory representations of transcription regulators across different cell types.

SUMMARY: Representations that encode the genome-wide regulatory behavior of transcription regulators provide a foundation for flexible transcription modeling and in silico regulatory analysis. Existing regulator representations are commonly derived from gene co-expression, motif annotations, or static protein features, which capture useful but limited aspects of regulator identity but do not directly model how regulators participate in region-specific regulatory programs across the genome. ChromBERT addresses this gap by learning context-aware regulatory representations from large-scale ChIP-seq data. However, routine bioinformatics applications require lightweight, accessible, and modular tools for generating, adapting, and interpreting these representations in user-defined biological contexts. Here, we present ChromBERT-tools, a user-oriented toolkit built upon ChromBERT that converts its regulatory representation framework into practical workflows for customizable analysis across cellular contexts. ChromBERT-tools provides command-line interfaces and Python APIs organized into three functional layers: representation generation, predictive modeling, and regulatory interpretation. The representation generation layer produces representations of genomic regions and transcription regulators. The predictive modeling layer fine-tunes ChromBERT for genome-wide regulatory activity prediction through classification or regression tasks, with optimized implementation to reduce running time and computational resource requirements. The regulatory interpretation layer supports inference of the context-specific roles of cis-regulatory elements and transcription regulators. These modules can be used independently or integrated into end-to-end workflows, enabling flexible analyses across diverse datasets. ChromBERT-tools lowers the barrier to applying context-specific regulatory representations in routine genomic analyses. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: ChromBERT-tools is freely available at https://github.com/TongjiZhanglab/ChromBERT-tools, with documentation at https://chrombert-tools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/. A frozen archival snapshot is available on Zenodo under DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20094206.

Software

Formation of the LuxR protein in the Vibrio fischeri lux system is controlled by HtpR through the GroESL proteins.

The transcription of the luminescence (lux) system of Vibrio fischeri is regulated by the LuxR protein and an autoinducer. We previously showed that apart from these regulatory elements, the transcription of the lux system is negatively controlled by the LexA protein and positively controlled by the HtpR protein (sigma 32). This study was conducted in order to elucidate the mode of action of the HtpR protein. Using luxR-lacZ fused genes, we showed that the HtpR protein is essential for the maximum expression of beta-galactosidase activity in Escherichia coli lac mutant cells. Using this construct, we also demonstrated that luxR is preferentially expressed toward the end of the logarithmic phase of growth. Starvation and addition of ethanol significantly advanced the appearance of beta-galactosidase activity in htpR+ cells. The luminescence system of E. coli htpR+ cells harboring the pChv1 plasmid with a deletion in the luxI gene is induced in the presence of low and constant concentrations (150 pg/ml) of the inducer only at a late stage of the logarithmic phase of growth. When the cellular LuxR content is reduced, following 23 generations of exponential growth in Luria broth, a mid-log-phase culture does not respond to the inducer (150 pg/ml). On the basis of the above observations we suggest that the HtpR protein controls the formation of V. fischeri LuxR protein. Preliminary findings indicate that the HtpR protein acts through the chaperonins GroESL. E. coli htpR/pChv1 cells retained their full level of in vivo and in vitro luciferase activities in the presence of multiple copies of groESL genes. The possibility that GroESL proteins stabilize the native form of LuxR protein is discussed.

Bacterial Proteins

PETScan: score-based genome-wide association analysis of RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq data.

MOTIVATION: High-dimensional sequencing data, such as RNA-Seq for gene expression and ATAC-Seq for chromatin accessibility, are widely used in studying systems biology. Accessible chromatin allows transcription factors and regulatory elements to bind to DNA, thereby regulating transcription through the activation or repression of target genes. The association analysis of RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq data provides insights into gene regulatory mechanisms. Most existing analytic tools exclusively focus on cis-associations, despite regulatory elements being able to physically interact with distant target genes. Furthermore, conventional approaches often utilize Pearson or Spearman correlations, which ignore the count-based nature of RNA-Seq data. RESULTS: To address these limitations, we introduce PETScan, a computationally efficient genome-wide PEak-Transcript Score-based association analysis, utilizing negative binomial models to better accommodate RNA-Seq data. We leverage score tests and matrix calculations for improved computational efficiency, and combine an empirical permutation method with genomic control to ensure valid p-value calculations in studies with limited sample sizes. In real-world datasets, PETScan achieved three orders of magnitude faster than Wald tests, while identifying similar significant gene-peak pairs. AVAILABILITY: The PETScan R package is available on GitHub at https://github.com/yajing-hao/PETScan.

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing

Novel DNA-binding proteins regulate intestine-specific transcription of the sucrase-isomaltase gene.

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is an enterocyte-specific gene which exhibits a complex pattern of expression during intestinal development and in the adult intestinal mucosa. In the studies described in this report, we demonstrate that enterocyte-specific transcription of the SI gene is regulated by an evolutionarily conserved promoter that extends approximately 180 bp upstream of the transcription start site. DNase I footprint analysis allowed the identification of three nuclear protein-binding sites within the SI promoter (SIF1, SIF2, and SIF3 [SI footprint]), each of which acted as a positive regulatory element for transcription in intestinal cell lines. SIF1 was shown to bind nuclear protein complexes present in primary mouse small intestinal cell and in an intestinal cell line (Caco-2). However, SIF1-binding proteins were absent in a variety of other epithelial and nonepithelial cells. In vitro mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the SIF1 site is required for high-level promoter activity in intestinal cells. The SIF3 element formed prominent binding complexes with intestinal and liver nuclear extracts, whereas nuclear proteins from other epithelial and nonepithelial cells formed weaker complexes of different mobilities. The SIF2 element bound nuclear proteins in a pattern similar to that of SIF3, and cross-competition studies suggested that SIF2 and SIF3 may bind the same nuclear proteins. Taken together, these data have allowed the identification of novel DNA-binding proteins that play an important role in regulating intestine-specific transcription of the SI gene.

Animals

A transcriptional silencer downstream of the promoter in the osmotically controlled proU operon of Salmonella typhimurium.

The proU operon of Salmonella typhimurium is induced by conditions of high osmolality. The cis-acting sequences that mediate osmotic control of transcription were characterized by deletion analysis. The nucleotide sequence between -60 and +274 (relative to the transcription start point) is sufficient for normal osmotic control. Deletions that removed sequences upstream of position +274 but left the promoter intact resulted in greatly increased expression from the proU promoter in the absence of osmotic stress. Thus, the transcription control region of the proU operon consists of two discrete components: (i) the promoter and (ii) a negatively acting site that overlaps the coding sequence of the first structural gene of the operon, proV. That this negative regulatory element is a transcriptional terminator or mRNA processing site was ruled out. Our results suggest that the negative regulatory element behaves as a transcriptional silencer that inhibits transcription initiation at the proU promoter in medium of low osmolality by some action at a distance. We propose several possible mechanisms for the function of this regulatory site.

Base Sequence

Through the lens of bioenergy crops: advances, bottlenecks, and promises of plant engineering.

Advances in engineering of bioenergy crops were driven over the past years by adapting technological breakthroughs and accelerating conventional applications but also exposed intriguing challenges. New tools revealed rich interconnectivity in the exponentially growing and dynamic 'big' omics data' of metabolomes, transcriptomes, and genomes at previously inaccessible magnitude (global, cross-species, meta-) and resolution (single cell). Insights enabled fresh hypotheses and stimulated disciplines such as functional genomics with discovery of broad regulatory networks and their determinants, that is, DNA parts, including promoters, regulatory elements, and transcription factors. Their rational design, assembly into increasingly complex blueprints, and installation into diverse chassis is an existing frontier that may benefit from emerging technologies to address bottlenecks. Interweaving nature-inspired to fully synthetic parts has already allowed building of fine-tuned regulatory circuits, or new-to-nature metabolic routes insulated from the biological context of the chassis species. Similarly, developments and the evolving need for unifying principles in plant transformation and species-agnostic technologies highlight future opportunities for engineering the next generation of bioenergy plants.

Crops, Agricultural

Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks in Stem Cells: Methods and Applications.

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) represent the complex interplay of transcription factors, regulatory elements, and target genes that orchestrate cellular identity and function, playing a crucial role in the differentiation and maintenance of stem cells. This chapter provides an overview of experimental and computational methodologies for inferring GRNs, with particular emphasis on single-cell approaches. We first review key experimental techniques for detecting transcription factor binding sites, chromatin accessibility, and DNA motifs, alongside essential databases that support GRN reconstruction. We then introduce computational inference methods that can be categorized into four principal frameworks: correlation-based approaches, regression and machine learning models, probabilistic and deep learning methods, and integrative or message-passing frameworks. To illustrate practical application, we present a case study applying the pySCENIC workflow to a peripheral blood mononuclear cell single-cell RNA sequencing dataset from mouse, demonstrating how regulon-based analysis can reveal cell-type-specific regulatory programs. This chapter aims to serve as a practical guide for researchers seeking to understand and implement GRN inference methodologies in stem cell biology and related fields.

Gene Regulatory Networks

The transcriptional tissue specificity of the human pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene is determined by a negative cis-regulatory element in the promoter.

The transcriptional activity of plasmid pCOL-KT, in which human pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene upstream sequences up to -804 and most of the first intron (+474 to +1440) drive expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene [Thompson, Simkevich, Holness, Kang & Raghow (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 2549-2556], was tested in a number of mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal cells. We observed that pCOL-KT was readily expressed in fibroblasts of human (IMR-90 and HFL-1), murine (NIH 3T3) and avian (SL-29) origin and in a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (A204), but failed to be expressed in human erythroleukaemia (K562) and rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, indicating that the regulatory elements required for appropriate tissue-specific expression of the human pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene were present in pCOL-KT. To delineate the nature of cis-acting sequences which determine the tissue specificity of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene expression, functional consequences of deletions in the promoter and first intron of pCOL-KT were tested in various cell types by transient expression assays. Cis elements in the promoter-proximal and intronic sequences displayed either a positive or a negative influence depending on the cell type. Thus deletion of fragments using EcoRV (nt -625 to -442 deleted), XbaI (-804 to -331) or SstII (+670 to +1440) resulted in 2-10-fold decreased expression in A204 and HFL-1 cells. The negative influences of deletions in the promoter-proximal sequences was apparently considerably relieved by deleting sequences in the first intron, and the constructs containing the EcoRV/SstII or XbaI/SstII double deletions were expressed to a much greater extent than either of the single deletion constructs. In contrast, the XbaI* deletion (nt -804 to -609), either alone or in combination with the intronic deletion, resulted in very high expression in all cells regardless of their collagen phenotype; the XbaI*/(-SstII) construct, which contained the intronic SstII fragment (+670 to +1440) in the reverse orientation, was not expressed in either mesenchymal or nonmesenchymal cells. Based on these results, we conclude that orientation-dependent interactions between negatively acting 5'-upstream sequences and the first intron determine the mesenchymal cell specificity of human pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene transcription.

Animals

Identifying transcription factors controlling the basal expression of human MRP4 highlights a substantial role for Sp1.

The multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4/ABCC4) is a versatile efflux pump, known to transport several drugs but also signaling molecules such as cyclic nucleotides and lipid mediators. Based on this substrate spectrum and its broad tissue distribution, MRP4 plays a significant physiological and pathophysiological role in both the cardiovascular and oncological fields. However, the determinants of its gene expression are still incompletely defined. This study aimed to identify key regulatory elements and transcription factors that are essential for basal MRP4 expression. Using luciferase reporter assays with a series of 5'-deletion constructs, we identified a region upstream of the transcription start site as crucial for basal expression across diverse cell types. This region is evolutionary highly conserved and contains putative binding sites for Sp1 and Ets transcription factors. Site-directed mutagenesis of both binding elements resulted in a significant decrease in the promoter activity in HeLa and megakaryoblastic M07e cells. The binding of Sp1 to this region was further confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Finally, siRNA knockdown of Sp1 led to a significant decrease in MRP4 protein levels and function. In summary, we show that Sp1 binds to the MRP4 promoter and plays an essential role in the basal expression of MRP4, with Ets factors also potentially cooperating in this regulation.

Humans

Glucocorticoids mobilize macrophages by transcriptionally up-regulating the exopeptidase DPP4.

Glucocorticoids are potent endogenous anti-inflammatory molecules, and their cognate receptor, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), is expressed in nearly all immune cells. Macrophages are heterogeneous immune cells having a central role in both tissue homeostasis and inflammation and also play a role in the pathogenesis of some inflammatory diseases. Paradoxically, glucocorticoids have only a limited efficacy in controlling the resolution of these macrophage-related diseases. Here, we report that the transcriptomes of monocyte-like THP-1 cells and macrophage-like THP-1 cells (THP1-MΦ) have largely conserved gene expression patterns. In contrast, the differentiation to THP1-MΦ significantly altered the sensitivity of gene transcription to glucocorticoids. Among glucocorticoid-regulated genes, we identified the exopeptidase dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) as a critical glucocorticoid-responsive gene in THP1-MΦ. We found that GR directly induces DPP4 gene expression by binding to two glucocorticoid-responsive elements (GREs) within the DPP4 promoter. Additionally, we show that glucocorticoid-induced DPP4 expression is blocked by the GR antagonist RU-486 and by GR siRNA transfection and that DPP4 enzyme activity is reduced by DPP4 inhibitors. Of note, glucocorticoids highly stimulated macrophage mobility; unexpectedly, DPP4 mediated the glucocorticoid-induced macrophage migration, and siRNA-mediated knockdowns of GR and DPP4 blocked dexamethasone-induced THP1-MΦ migration. Moreover, glucocorticoid-induced DPP4 activation was also observed in proinflammatory M1-polarized murine macrophages, as well as peritoneal macrophages, and was associated with increased macrophage migration. Our results indicate that glucocorticoids directly up-regulate DPP4 expression and thereby induce migration in macrophages, potentially explaining why glucocorticoid therapy is less effective in controlling macrophage-dominated inflammatory disorders.

Animals

Reactivation of Mutator transposable elements of maize by ultraviolet light.

After epigenetic loss of Mutator activity, the family of Mu elements in Zea mays becomes immobile and highly methylated; in addition, Mu9, the presumptive autonomous regulatory element, is transcriptionally silent and its copy number decreases in successive crosses to non-Mutator lines. Spontaneous reactivation, scored as restoration of somatic instability of potentially mutable alleles of Bronze-2, of such cryptic Mutator lines is rare, occurring with a frequency of about 10(-4). Irradiation of pollen with 254 nm ultraviolet light increases reactivation rate in the progeny kernels by up to 40-fold. Accompanying reactivation, the copy number of Mu9 elements increased, two-fold in one line and 20 to 40-fold in a second line. Reactivation may involve direct DNA damage or immediate physiological stress in the treated pollen.

DNA