RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A novel core promoter element induces bidirectional transcription in CpG island
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 202622
DO 10.1101/202622
A1 Amin Mahpour
A1 Dominic Smiraglia
A1 Benjamin S. Scruggs
A1 Irwin H. Gelman
A1 Toru Ouchi
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/10/13/202622.abstract
AB How TATA-less promoters such as those within CpG islands (CGI) control gene expression is still a subject of active research. Here, we have identified the “CGCG element”, a ten-base pair motif with a consensus sequence of TCTCGCGAGA present in a group of promoter-associated CGIs of ribosomal protein and housekeeping genes. This element is evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates, found in DNase-accessible regions and employs RNA polymerase 2 to activate gene expression. Through extensive analysis of several endogenous promoters, we demonstrate that this element activates bidirectional transcription through divergent start sites. Methylation of this element abrogates the associated promoter activity. When coincident with a TATA-box directional transcription remains CGCG-dependent. Because the CGCG element is sufficient to drive transcription, we propose that its unmethylated form functions as a core promoter of TATA-less CGI-associated promoters.