The murine AE4 promoter predominantly drives type B intercalated cell specific transcription

• Published in: Histochemistry and cell biology Vol. 132; no. 4; pp. 405 - 412
• Main Authors: Hentschke, Moritz, Hentschke, Suna, Borgmeyer, Uwe, Hübner, Christian Andreas, Kurth, Ingo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-10-2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; beta-Galactosidase - genetics; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Cell Line; Cellular biology; Chloride-Bicarbonate Antiporters - genetics; Developmental Biology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genomics; Humans; Kidney - cytology; Kidney - enzymology; Kidney - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Original Paper; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Rodents; Transcription, Genetic - physiology; Transfection; Transgenic animals; AE4; Intercalated cells; Anion-exchanger; Slc4a9; Kidney
• ISSN: 0948-6143; 1432-119X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00418-009-0614-0

AE4 is an anion exchanger almost exclusively expressed in the collecting ducts of the kidney. This very restricted expression prompted us to analyze its transcription in more detail. 5′ RACE yielded alternative transcriptional start sites that are predicted to code for N-terminal protein variants. Comparison of the 5′ genomic sequence between species identified a transcriptionally active region with three conserved spans. In transgenic mice β-galactosidase expression driven by this fragment resembled endogenous AE4 expression and was predominantly restricted to type B intercalated cells. Hence this promoter could prove useful to target type B intercalated cells by genetic approaches.