5' hypersensitive sites 3' hypersensitive site
HS4 HS1 Globin
genes
60 80
FI*IJRE i9.54
A
gtobin
domain is marked by
hypersen-
sitive sites at either end. The
group
of sites at the 5' side
constitutes the LCR and is essentiaI for the function of atl
oenes in the cluster.
properly
expressed
when
introduced into an
animal
as a transgene.
The best characterized example of a regu-
Iated
gene
cluster is
provided
by the mammalian
B-globin
genes.
Recall from Figure 6.1 that the
o- and
B-globin
genes
in mammals
each exist
as clusters of related
genes
that are expressed at
different times during embryonic and adult
development. These
genes
are
provided
with a
large number
of
regulatory
elements, which
have
been analyzed
in
detail.
In
the case of
the
adult human
B-globin
gene,
regulatory
sequences are located both 5'and 3'to the
gene.The
regulatory
sequences include both
positive
and negative elements in the
promoter
region,
as well as additional
positive
elements
within
and downstream of the
gene.
A human
B-globin
gene
containing all of
these
control
regions,
however, is never
expressed in a transgenic mouse
within an order
of magnitude
of
wild-type levels.
Some further
regulatory
sequence
is required.
Regions that
provide
the additional regulatory function are
identified
by DNAase I hypersensitive sites that
are
found
at the ends
of
the
cluster.
The map
of
FI**qr
f *.54
shows that the
20
kb upstream of
the
e
gene
contains a
group
of five
sites,
and
that there is
a single site 30 kb downstream of
the
p
gene.
Ttansfecting
various constructs into
mouse
erythroleukemia
cells shows that
sequences
between the individual hypersensi-
tive
sites in the 5'region
can be removed with-
out much effect, but
that
removal
of any of the
sites
reduces
the overall level
of expression.
The
5'regulatory
sites are the
primary
reg-
ulators, and the
cluster of hypersensitive sites
is called
the locus control region
(LCR).
We
do not know if
the 3'site has any function. The
LCR is
absolutely required
for expression of
each of the
globin genes
in the cluster. Each
gene
is
then further regulated
by its own spe-
cific controls. Some of these controls
are
autonomous:
Expression oI the e and
y
genes
appears
intrinsic to those loci in conjunction
with
the LCR. Other controls appear to rely
upon
position
in the cluster, which
provides
a
suggestion IhaI
gene
order in a cluster is impor-
tant for regulation.
The entire region containing the
globin
genes,
and extending
well beyond them, con-
stitutes a chromosomal
domain. It shows
increased sensitivity to digestion by
DNAase I
(see
Figure 29.52\. Deletion of the 5'LCR
restores
normal resistance to DNAase over the
whole
region. TWo
models for how
an LCR
works
propose
that its action is required in
order to activate the
promoter,
or alternatively,
is required to increase the rate of transcrip-
tion from the
promoter.
The exact nature of
the
interactions between the LCR and the indi-
vidual
promoters
has not
yet
been fully
defined.
Does this model apply to other
gene
clus-
ters? The cr-globin
locus has
a similar organi-
zation of
genes
that are expressed at different
times,
with
a
group
of hypersensitive sites at
one end of
the cluster, and increased
sensitiv-
ity to DNAase I throughout the region. Only a
small
number
of
other cases are known in
which
an LCR controls a
group
of
genes.
One of
these cases involves
an
LCR
that
controls
genes
on
more
than one chromosome.
The Ts2 LCR coordinately regulates a
group
of
genes
that are spread out over
I20
kb on chro-
mosome I I by interacting with their
promot-
ers.
It
also
interacts
with
the
promoter
of the
IFNygene on chromosome
10.
The two types of
interaction are alternatives that comprise
two
different cell fates, that is, in one
group
of cells
the LCR causes expression
of the
genes
on chro-
mosome
I
l,
whereas
in
the other
group
it
causes
the
gene
on chromosome l0 to
be expressed.
What Constitutes
a Regulatory Domain?
r
A domain may have an
insutator,
an LCR,
a
matrix
attachment
site, and transcription unit(s).
If we
put
together the
various types of
struc-
tures that have been found in
different sys-
tems,
we can think about the
possible
nature
of a chromosomal domain. The
basic feature
of a regulatory
domain is that regulatory
ele-
CHAPTER 29 Nucleosomes