Elsevier

Genomics

Volume 50, Issue 1, 15 May 1998, Pages 23-33
Genomics

Regular Article
The Structures of the Mouse and Human Urocortin Genes (Ucn and UCN)

https://doi.org/10.1006/geno.1998.5292Get rights and content

Abstract

The mouse and human urocortin genes (Ucn and UCN, respectively) have been isolated, characterized, and found to have very similar structures. Each has two exons, and the entire coding region is located in the second exon, as is the case for the gene of the related peptide, corticotropin-releasing factor. Several putative transcription factor-binding sites were identified in each of the urocortin promoters, including a TATA box, a cyclic AMP response element (CRE), GATA-binding sites, and a C/EBP-binding site as well as a Brn-2-binding site(s). Sequence analyses of the mouse and human genes also revealed the presence of a previously identified gene, Mpv17, in the 5′ region upstream of the urocortin gene. Functional studies following transient transfection of urocortin reporter plasmids in PC12 cells revealed that the urocortin promoter is controlled by both positive and negative elements; the CRE is important for basal activity as well as responsiveness to forskolin stimulation.

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    Mouse Ucn and human UCN gene sequences have been deposited with the EMBL/GenBank Data Libraries under Accession Nos. AF038632 and AF038633, respectively.

    1

    Current address: Animal Science Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1225.

    2

    To whom correspondence should be addressed at The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037. Telephone: (619) 453-4100. Fax: (619) 552-1546.

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