ISSN:
0192-253X
Keywords:
C/EBP
;
thyroid hormone
;
metamorphosis
;
gene expression
;
Rana cafesbeiana
;
bZlP proteins
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Genetics
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Tissue-specific changes in gene expression occur in the liver of Rana cafesbeiana tadpoles undergoing metamorphosis. Many of these changes can be induced precociously by administration of thyroid hormone (TH) to a tadpole or to cultured tadpole liver. While the precise molecular means by which TH exerts a tissue-specific response is unknown, recent studies suggest that the expression of genes which are liver-specific and characteristic of the adult liver phenotype may rely on TH-induction of tissue-specific transcription factors, as well as the thyroid hormone receptor proteins. Guided by this notion, we screened our Rana catesbeiana liver cDNA library and isolated clones, RcC/EBP-1 and -2, encoding Rana homologues of a mammalian transcription factor, C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer core binding protein), implicated in the expression of liver-specific genes and terminal differentiation of hepatocytes. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that the proteins synthesized from these cDNAs bind specifically to the consensus binding site for C/EBP-related proteins. Characterization of the amino acid sequence in the bZlP DNA-binding domains of these proteins suggests that RcC/EBP-1 and -2 encode Rana homologues of C/EBPα and δ, respectively. Hybridization analyses demonstrate that the amount of RcC/EBP-2 mRNAs in tadpole liver remains constant throughout metamorphosis, whereas RcC/EBP-1 mRNAs are up-regulated during both spontaneous and TH-induced metamorphosis. The TH-induced up-regulation of RcC/ EBP-1 mRNAs precedes the up-regulation of liver-specific urea cycle enzyme mRNAs by 6 to 12 hours. These results, coupled with in situ hybridization studies, suggest that RcC/EBP-1 mRNAs encode a transcription factor which may play an early role(s) in the terminal differentiation and/or reprogramming of gene expression in this tadpole's liver cells during both spontaneous and TH-induced metamorphosis. ©1994 WiIey-Liss, Inc.
Additional Material:
8 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dvg.1020150408
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