Enhancer–promoter specificity mediated by DPE or TATA core promoter motifs (original) (raw)

1. Jennifer E.F. Butler and
2. James T. Kadonaga1
3. Section of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0347, USA

Abstract

To investigate the basis for enhancer–promoter specificity, we compared the ability of enhancers to activate transcription in vivo from core promoters containing either downstream promoter element (DPE) or TATA box motifs. To eliminate position effects, we generated and analyzed pairs of sister Drosophila lines that contain a DPE- or TATA-dependent reporter gene at precisely the same genomic position relative to each enhancer. These studies revealed transcriptional enhancers that are specific for promoters that contain either DPE or TATA box elements. Thus, the core promoter not only mediates the initiation of transcription, but also functions as a regulatory element.

• Enhancer
• transcription
• RNA polymerase II
• DPE
• TATA
• core promoter

Footnotes

• ↵1 Corresponding author.

• E-MAIL jkadonaga{at}ucsd.edu; FAX (858) 534-0555.

• Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.924301.

• • Received July 2, 2001.
  • Accepted July 25, 2001.

• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

•