Isolation of a functional human gene for brain creatine kinase.

There is evidence that the gene for the B isozyme of creatine kinase is regulated during cell differentiation, is under hormonal control, and is activated in a small cell lung carcinoma. In order to investigate further the mechanisms of these processes, the human gene was isolated and the structure of the promoter region was determined. A human DNA fragment of 8 kilobase pairs was shown to encompass the entire coding region and 850 base pairs (bp) of the 5'-flanking sequence. This fragment was transfected into three cell lines and shown to express functional enzyme. The 5'-end of the gene is split by a 230-bp intron that is located 12 bp upstream of the initiator ATG codon. Transcription initiation occurs at a site that is approximately 69 bp upstream of the 5'-end of this intron. The DNA sequence in the region upstream of the 5'-end of the mRNA is suggestive of two superimposed promoters that contain additional sequence elements that are known to regulate expression of other eukaryote genes. The 5'-region also has a remarkable homology to the overlapping promoters of the adenovirus EIIaE gene. These elements collectively form the basis for initial investigations of how this gene is controlled.

Duke Scholars

Author Rima Fathi Kaddurah-Daouk Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neur ...