Two distinct osteoblast-specific cis-acting elements control expression of a mouse osteocalcin gene.

Osteoblasts are cells of mesodermal origin that play a pivotal role during bone growth and mineralization. The mechanisms governing osteoblast-specific gene expression are still unknown. To understand these mechanisms, we analyzed the cis-acting elements of mouse osteocalcin gene 2 (mOG2), the best-characterized osteoblast-specific gene, by DNA transfection experiments in osteoblastic and nonosteoblastic cell lines and by DNA-binding assays. 5' deletion analysis of an mOG2 promoter-luciferase chimeric gene showed that a region located between -147 and -34 contained most if not all of the regulatory elements required for osteoblast-specific expression. Three different binding sites, called A, B, and C, for factors present in nuclear extracts of osteoblasts were identified in this short promoter by DNase I footprint assays. In gel retardation assays, the A element, located between bp -64 and -47, bound a factor present only in nuclear extracts of osteoblastic cell lines and nonmineralizing primary osteoblasts. The B element, located between bp -110 and -83, bound a ubiquitously expressed factor. The C element, located between bp -146 and -132, bound a factor present only in nuclear extracts of osteoblastic cell lines and nonmineralizing and mineralizing primary osteoblasts. When cloned upstream of a minimum osteocalcin promoter or a heterologous promoter, multimers of the A element strongly increased the activities of these promoters in osteoblastic cell lines at two different stages of differentiation but in no other cell line; we named this element osteocalcin-specific element 1 (OSE1). Multimers of the C element increased the activities of these promoters predominantly in a differentiated osteoblastic cell line; we named this element OSE2. This study demonstrates that two distinct cis-acting elements are responsible for osteoblast expression of mOG2 and provides for the first time a functional characterization of osteoblast-specific cis-acting elements. We speculate that these two elements may be important at several stages of osteoblast differentiation.     

骨形成蛋白诱导型真核载体的构建及其表达

成骨分化相关基因骨钙素 (OC)等的启动子内均含有成骨特异性转录因子Cbfa1特异性作用元件 ,而骨形成蛋白 (bonemorphogeneticprotein ,BMP)的促成骨分化作用正是通过其首先引起Cbfa1的升高 ,而后Cbfa1激活这些基因的表达 ,最终出现成骨分化表型 .为解决BMP没有理想的活性测定方法的问题 ,在RT PCR结果证实BMP 2可促进NIH3T3和C2C12细胞Cbfa1表达后 ,构建了串联6个Cbfa1作用元件的小鼠OC部分启动子 (6OCP)控制萤光素酶 (luciferase)报告基因的真核表达质粒 ,以期来放大BMP诱导报告基因表达的作用效果 .即通过细胞转染、rhBMP 2刺激后检测萤光素酶活性变化 ,从而间接定量测定rhBMP 2的生物学活性 .结果表明 ,pcDNA3 6OCP Luc转染细胞后其报告基因的基础活性较pcDNA3 Luc大为降低 ;而且在一定剂量范围内 ,转染细胞的萤光素酶活性 (荧光值 )随rhBMP 2剂量增加而升高 ,并呈线性正相关 ,为建立BMP活性定量测定的方法打下基础