Genomic Organization and Expression of a Human Gene for Myc-associated Zinc Finger Protein (MAZ)

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 273; no. 32; pp. 20603 - 20614
• Main Authors: Song, Jun, Murakami, Hiroo, Tsutsui, Hatsumi, Tang, Xiaoren, Matsumura, Masatoshi, Itakura, Keiichi, Kanazawa, Ichirou, Sun, Kailai, Yokoyama, Kazunari K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 07-08-1998; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Cell Cycle - genetics; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 - genetics; Cloning, Molecular; DNA-Binding Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation - genetics; HeLa Cells; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; Molecular Sequence Data; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc - chemistry; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases - metabolism; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription, Genetic - genetics; Transfection - genetics; Zinc Fingers - genetics
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.32.20603

We have cloned and characterized the genomic structure of the human gene for Myc-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ), which is located on chromosome 16p11.2. This gene is transcribed as an mRNA of 2.7 kilobases (kb) that encodes a 60-kDa MAZ protein. A 40-kb cosmid clone was isolated that includes the promoter, five exons, four introns, and one 3′-untranslated region. All exon-intron junction sequences conform to the GT/AG rule. The promoter region has features typical of a housekeeping gene: a high G + C content (88.4%); a high frequency of CpG dinucleotides, in particular within the region 0.5 kb upstream of the site of initiation of translation; and the absence of canonical TATA and CAAT boxes. An S1 nuclease protection assay demonstrated the presence of multiple sites for initiation of transcription around a site 174 nucleotides (nt) upstream of the ATG codon and such expression was reflected by the promoter activity of a MAZ promoter/CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) reporter gene. Cis-acting positive and negative elements controlling basal transcription of the human MAZ gene were found from nucleotides (nt) −383 to −248 and nt −2500 to −948. Moreover, positive and negative autoregulatory elements were also identified in the regions from nt −248 to −189 and from nt −383 to −248 after co-transfection of HeLa cells with plasmids that carried theMAZ promoter/CAT construct and the MAZ-expression vector. Our results indicate that the 5′-end flanking sequences are responsible for the promoter activities of the MAZ gene.