1: Gene. 1997 Nov 20;202(1-2):177-86. 

Analysis of the structure and expression of the chicken gene encoding a homolog
of the human RREB-1 transcription factor.

Miyake JH, Szeto DP, Stumph WE.

Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology Institute, San Diego State
University, CA 92182, USA.

Ras proteins are involved in a number of signal transduction pathways including
the mitogen-activated kinase cascade. Activated MAPKs translocate to the nucleus
and phosphorylate transcription factors such as c-myc, TCF and AP-1. Recently, a
Ras-responsive element binding transcription factor, RREB-1, was cloned from a
human medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line. RREB-1 is a zinc finger protein
that binds to a Ras-responsive element in the promoter of the human calcitonin
gene. We report the cloning of the chicken homologue to human RREB-1. Amino-acid
alignment demonstrates that chicken and human RREB-1 are 53% identical and 69%
similar. Genomic southern analysis indicates that chicken rreb-1 is a
single-copy gene in the chicken genome. We demonstrate that chicken and human
rreb-1 display the same tissue distribution, being expressed in all tissues
examined except the brain. Interestingly, chicken RREB-1 has an extended
N-terminus and contains 16 zinc fingers of the TFIIIA subclass, in comparison to
human RREB-1 which was reported to contain only four zinc fingers. The size
discrepancy between the two predicted gene products is further discussed. An
unusual structural feature of RREB-1 is the widely spaced arrangement of the
zinc fingers.

PMID: 9427563 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


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