DNase I-hypersensitive sites in the chromatin structure of the lysozyme gene in steroid hormone target and non-target cells.

The pattern of DNase I-hypersensitive sites in the chromatin domain of the lysozyme gene was investigated in several organs and cell-types of the chicken. In the cluster of hypersensitive chromatin sites framing the gene, different classes of sites could be discerned: A subset was common to essentially all cells examined except for erythrocytes. Thus several highly nuclease susceptible structures exist around the gene even in its repressed state. Beside the promoter region a second site 6.1 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site of the gene strictly correlates with the transcriptionally active or potentially active state of the gene in both, oviduct cells and macrophages. A final class of sites is specific for the particular lysozyme expressing tissue and the presence of its members distinguish whether the gene is steroid regulated or in a steroid independent active mode.

Comparison of the whey acidic protein genes of the rat and mouse.

Whey acidic protein (WAP), a hormonally-regulated 14,000 dalton cysteine-rich protein, is the principal whey protein found in rodent milk. Genomic clones encompassing both the 2.8 Kb rat and 3.3 Kb mouse WAP genes have been characterized. The genes consist of four exons and three introns. The middle two exons encode the two cysteine-rich regions which probably form separate protein domains. Homology in the 5' flanking DNA of the mouse and rat extends at least 325 bp upstream of the putative CAP site, including a precisely conserved stretch of 50 bp around the unusual TATA and CAAT sites. The homology previously observed between the 3' noncoding sequences of the rat and mouse mRNAs extends at least 20 bp into the 3' flanking region. Several potential glucocorticoid receptor binding sites have been found in the 5' flanking region of the WAP gene. The conservation of the 5' flanking region of the WAP genes may be related to regulation of expression of WAP by peptide and/or steroid hormones.

Alternative sets of DNase I-hypersensitive sites characterize the various functional states of the chicken lysozyme gene.

The structural organization of chromatin is thought to determine the state of differentiation and activity of eukaryotic genes. Local interruptions of the regular nucleosomal array, the so-called DNase-hypersensitive sites, may indicate regions of the genome which play a critical part in regulation of differential gene activity. We present here two new observations on the chromatin structure of the chicken lysozyme gene, which strongly support a regulatory function for these sites. First, different sets of DNase I-hypersensitive sites have been found upstream from the promoter, depending on whether the gene is constitutively expressed (cultured macrophages) or in the steroid hormone-controlled state (oviduct). It seems, therefore, that diverse modes of regulation of the same gene are associated with discrete patterns of DNase I hypersensitivity. Second, one of the DNase I-hypersensitive sites in the oviduct chromatin disappears and reappears on steroid hormone withdrawal and secondary induction. These reversible changes in a narrow chromatin region reflect the transition from the potentially active to the active state of the lysozyme gene.