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Endocrinology Vol. 142, No. 5 1923-1934
Copyright © 2001 by The Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

Organization and Evolution of the Human Growth Hormone Receptor Gene 5'-Flanking Region1

C. G. Goodyer2, G. Zogopoulos3, G. Schwartzbauer3, H. Zheng, G. N. Hendy2 and R. K. Menon

Departments of Pediatrics (C.G.G., G.Z., H.Z., G.N.H.), Medicine (C.G.G., G.Z., H.Z., G.N.H.), Human Genetics (G.N.H.), and Physiology (G.N.H.), McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3Z 2Z3; and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (G.S., R.K.M.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-2583

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Cynthia G. Goodyer, McGill University-Montreal Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 4th Floor, Place Toulon, Room 415/1, 4060 St. Catherine Street West, Westmount, Québec, Canada H3Z 2Z3. E-mail: cindy.goodyer{at}muhc.mcgill.ca


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Previous studies have identified eight variant human GH receptor (hGHR) messenger RNA (mRNAs; V1–V8), that differ in their 5'-untranslated regions (5'UTRs) but splice into the same site just upstream of the translation start site in exon 2; thus, they encode the same protein. Here we report a novel variant, V9, and describe the mapping of all nine 5'UTR sequences within 40 kb upstream of exon 2. A cluster of three sequences, V2-V9-V3 (termed module A), lies furthest 5', and approximately 16 kb downstream is a second cluster of four exons, V7-V1-V4-V8 (module B). V6 is midway between modules A and B. Module B is about 18 kb upstream of V5, which lies adjacent to exon 2. hGHR expression is under developmental- and tissue-specific regulation, and expression of the variant mRNAs is related to their position within the 5'-flanking region; whereas module A (V2,V9,V3) and V5 variants are widely expressed, module B (V7,V1,V4,V8) and V6 variant mRNAs are detectable only in postnatal liver. Transcriptional start sites for V1 and V9 (representing the two different modules) were identified, showing that postnatal liver-specific expression of V1 is driven from two TATA boxes, whereas the ubiquitous V9 transcript has a single start site and a TATA-less promoter. V9 promoter activity was shown by in vivo and in vitro transfection assays, and an NF-Y binding site was demonstrated by electromobility shift assay. Thus, the regulatory regions of the hGHR gene are complex, and the clustering of seven 5'UTR exons within two modules with distinctly different mRNA expression patterns is the most striking feature.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
THE HUMAN GH receptor (hGHR) is encoded by exons 2–10 of the hGHR gene on chromosome 5p13.1-p12 (1, 2, 3). Eight different hGHR messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that vary in their 5'-untranslated (5'UTR) regions and are numbered V1–V8 according to their relative abundance have been cloned from adult human liver (4). All of the 5'UTR sequences splice into exon 2, -12 bp upstream of the translational start site, and thus, all of these variant mRNAs code for the same protein. Differential regulation of the 5'UTR variants may markedly affect the level of hGHR protein expression and, hence, activity. Indeed, we have demonstrated that V1 transcripts are under tissue-, fetal-, and tumor-specific control, being well expressed in postnatal liver (and no other tissue) and absent or of reduced expression in fetal liver and hepatic tumors (5). In contrast, V3 transcripts were detected in all fetal and postnatal tissues examined (5). These observations suggest that more than one promoter regulates tissue hGHR expression.

In the present study we have identified a novel 5'UTR variant, V9, cloned approximately 40 kb of the 5'-flanking region of the hGHR gene and have precisely mapped all of the known variant sequences within this region. We demonstrate that seven of the 5'UTR exons are clustered within two modules. Transcriptional start sites have been established for one variant exon (V1 and V9) within each module, and promoter analyses were carried out for V9. In addition, we analyzed expression patterns of all variants in a panel of human fetal and postnatal tissues, which confirmed the complex regulation of the hGHR gene.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Tissue collection and RNA and DNA isolation
Human fetal tissues were obtained after therapeutic abortion [10–20 weeks fetal age; fetal age was determined by foot length (6)]. Postnatal specimens were collected at surgery (6 months to 84 yr) or within 4–10 h after removal of organs for transplantation (11–62 yr). Tissues were flash-frozen and stored at -70 C until RNA isolation as previously described (7). Genomic leukocyte DNA was prepared as previously described (8). Human tissue and blood collections were approved by local ethics committees, and informed consent was obtained in each case.

Genomic cloning
A human lymphocyte genomic {lambda}DASH library (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA) was screened with V1- and V3-screening oligonucleotide probes (Table 1Go), and specific clones containing approximately 16-kb inserts were isolated, as previously described (9). Specific primers (V7[S]-V1[AS] and V3[S]-V3 intronic[AS]; Table 1Go) and PCR protocols (10) were used to isolate an approximately 120-kb BAC clone positive for both V1 and V3 and an approximately 110-kb PAC clone positive for V3 from libraries at the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research (Cambridge, MA). Additional clones were obtained after Down-to-the-Well PCR (Genome Systems, Inc., St. Louis, MO) screening of a human PAC library. Three overlapping clones (V267, V268, and V269) contained V2, V9, and V3 sequences, but not V1, were found. One (V268) was used for subcloning and mapping.


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Table 1. Oligonucleotide probes and PCR primers used

 
Rapid amplification of 5'-complementary DNA (5'-cDNA) ends (5'RACE) of human heart RNA
5'RACE was performed using an exon 2-derived oligonucleotide (exon 2RT[AS]; Table 1Go) and pooled RNA from eight male and female human hearts (aged 25–59 yr; Marathon-Ready cDNA, CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc., Palo Alto, CA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. PCR products were cloned into pCRIITOPO (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) and sequenced using either SP6 or T7 primers and the Sequenase 2.0 kit (U.S. Biochemical Corp., Cleveland, OH).

Restriction enzyme mapping
Southern blots of phage, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), P1 artificial chromosome (PAC), and lymphocyte genomic DNA, digested with SalI, XbaI, HindIII, EcoRI, and BamHI, were probed with 32P end-labeled V1, V2, and V3 oligonucleotides (Table 1Go), variant-specific 32P-labeled probes (for V1, 0.58-kb EcoRI-BamHI genomic fragment), and riboprobes (for V3, 0.39-kb V3[S]-V3 intronic[AS] PCR fragment) to generate the structural map of the 5'-flanking region. A 4.4-kb XbaI/XbaI V1-containing genomic DNA fragment, a 4.3-kb HindIII/XbaI V3-containing {lambda} phage DNA fragment, and an 8-kb BamHI-BamHI V9-containing PAC DNA fragment were subcloned into Bluescript II (SK) (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA) and sequenced.

RT-PCR and long range PCR assays
One to 5 µg total RNA were reverse transcribed using AMV-RT (Life Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD). Reverse transcriptase products or genomic DNA were amplified for 23–30 cycles with Taq polymerase (Life Technologies, Inc.) and primer pairs for V3 (V3[S]-Exon 2[AS]) and V4 mRNA (V4[S]-exon 5B[AS]; Table 1Go), as previously described (11). The internal standard for V4 mRNA assays was generated using PCR, as previously described (5, 12), using a hybrid V4/exon2 sense primer and an exon 7 antisense primer (Table 1Go). CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc., Multiple Tissue cDNA (MTC) Panels were amplified for 32–36 cycles using AdvanTaq DNA polymerase (CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc.) and V1–V9-specific primer pairs (Table 1Go) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fragments of DNA more than 2.0 kb were amplified using the Expand Long Template PCR System (Roche, Laval, Canada) and variant-specific primer pairs (Table 1Go), according to the manufacturer’s instructions. PCR products were resolved on 0.7–2% agarose gels and transferred to either Nytran+ (Xymotech, Schleicher & Schuell, Inc., Montréal, Canada) or GeneScreen Plus (NEN Life Science Products, Boston, MA) membranes. Blots were hybridized with the appropriate nested {gamma}-32P end-labeled oligonucleotide probes, and hGHR bands were revealed by autoradiography, as previously described (11, 13, 14).

Transcription start site assays
Primer extension (PE) and ribonuclease protection assays (RPA) were performed as described previously (13, 14, 15), using human adult liver RNA, yeast transfer RNA as control, and specific PE primers and RPA probes (see Figs. 3Go, 4Go, and 6Go–8 for details). RPA probe templates were generated from liver DNA and cloned into Bluescript II (SK); antisense RNA probes were generated with T7 or T3 RNA polymerase and gel-purified.



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Figure 3. V9 transcription start site. Autoradiograph of size-fractionated products of a primer extension assay using 50 µg transfer RNA (lane 1) or 50 µg (lanes 2 and 3) or 20 µg human adult liver RNA (lanes 4 and 5). The size of the major product (*) was determined by {gamma}-32P-labeled {phi}X174 HinfI DNA markers (M) and sequencing reactions (not shown).

 


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Figure 4. Sequence of V2-V9-V3 (module A). Includes the V9 start site (curved arrow +1), the position of the primer extension primer (PE; underlined), the CCAAT-containing sequence used in EMSAs, and the V3 TATA box (bold, italic, underlined). Splice donor GT sites for V2, V9, and V3 are bold and underlined. Previously identified 5'-ends of placental 5'UTR, V2, and V3 sequences (11 30 ) are indicated with a cross and a bold, italicized nucleotide.

 


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Figure 6. Transcription start sites for V1. RPAs using 100 µg human postnatal liver (HPL) total RNA (11–62 yr) or yeast transfer RNA. The initial 583-nt riboprobe was antisense to the EcoRI (E) and BamHI (B) region [left panel; 534 nt of genomic sequence (solid line) plus 49nt of vector (broken line)]. In the corresponding autoradiograph, the undigested as well as the digested (T2 RNase) probes and two major protected fragments (325 and 172 nt) are indicated (arrows) as well as several minor fragments (arrowheads; lanes 2 and 3). The second 447-nt riboprobe was antisense to the StyI (S)-DraI (D) region (right panel; 347-nt genomic sequence plus 100 nt of vector). In the corresponding autoradiograph, the major protected fragment of 140 nt (arrows) and several minor bands (arrowheads) are depicted (lanes 2 and 3). {gamma}-32P-Labeled 100-bp and HpaII-cut BS ladders (lane 1) as well as sequencing reactions (not shown) served as mol wt markers. NB, RNA migrates about 5% slower than double stranded DNA markers on a 5% acrylamide/7% urea gel.

 
Luciferase reporter gene constructs
Luciferase reporter gene constructs were prepared with progressive deletions of the hGHR V9 5'-proximal region. The deletions, removing one or more predicted transcription factor-binding sites determined by MatInspector V2.2 (transfac.dbf.de), were created using a common antisense oligonucleotide (V9PEHDIII) in combination with -585V9, -306V9, -214V9, -165V9, or -39V9 (Table 1Go). PCR fragments were digested with XhoI and HindIII and ligated into pGL3-Basic (Promega Corp., Madison, WI). Direction and nucleotide fidelity of the inserts were verified by sequencing.

Transient transfections
H9C2.2 cells (rat muscle; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA) were maintained in DMEM with 10% FBS, penicillin (100 U/ml) and streptomycin (100 µg/ml; Life Technologies, Inc.). Cells (5 x 105) were seeded into six-well plates 24 h before transfection. Cells were exposed to 3 µg reporter plasmid DNA/well complexed with Lipofectamine (Life Technologies, Inc.) in serum-free OptiMEM for 5 h, washed, and then grown for 40 h in FBS-supplemented medium. Transfections were performed in duplicate, and efficiency was monitored by cotransfection of 100 ng pRL-CMV (Promega Corp.) expressing Renilla luciferase. For the luciferase assays, cells were rinsed twice in PBS, and 200 µl lysis buffer were added (Dual Luciferase Assay System, Promega Corp.) followed by a freeze-thaw cycle and centrifugation at 4 C for 2–3 min at 12,000 x g. Supernatants were sequentially assayed for firefly and Renilla luciferase activity, and results are expressed as normalized light units relative to pGL3-Basic activity.

In vivo V9 promoter activity
Female adult CD-1 mice (>30 g) were anesthetized with chloral hydrate (0.4 g/kg). After left lateral thoracotomy, the heart was partially removed from the thorax, and 10 µl of a 500 ng/ml DNA solution in normal saline were injected into the left ventricle; the heart was replaced, and the wound was sutured (16). Mice were killed 6 days later by CO2 asphyxiation, and the hearts were removed and washed in ice-cold PBS. The lower thirds of both ventricles were weighed, homogenized, lysed in 4 vol/wet wt in 1x lysis buffer, and assayed for firefly and Renilla luciferase activity as described above. Activities are reported as relative light units, with firefly luciferase reporter activity normalized to the Renilla luciferase activity (100 ng coinjected internal control plasmid pRL-CMV).

Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA)
Nuclear extracts were prepared from Hep3B cells (American Type Culture Collection) as previously described (13). Double stranded oligomer DNA probes were end-labeled on the sense strand with [{gamma}-32P]ATP and T4 polynucleotide kinase before annealing of the complementary strand. Ten femtomoles of labeled probe were incubated with 2 µg nuclear extract in 20 µl containing 1 mg poly(dA-dT), 20 mM Tris (pH 8.0), 50 mM NaCl, 50 µg/ml BSA, 10% glycerol, 1% Nonidet P-40, 1 mM EDTA, and 1 mM dithiothreitol at room temperature for 30 min. DNA-protein complexes were resolved by electrophoresis through a 6% polyacrylamide gel with 90 mM Tris borate (pH 8.5) and 2 mM EDTA buffer at room temperature. Gels were dried and subjected to autoradiography with intensifying screens (NEN Life Science Products) at -80 C. Competition experiments included the addition of a 200-fold excess of unlabeled, double stranded oligonucleotide. For the supershift assay, nuclear extracts were incubated with 2 µg polyclonal antibodies against NFY-A or NFY-B subunits (gift from Dr. D. Mathis) for 1 h at 4 C before EMSA.

Statistical analyses
Data were analyzed by Student’s t test or ANOVA, followed by the Tukey-Kramer multiple comparisons test.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
A novel hGHR 5'UTR variant (V9)
GHR mRNA can be increased during tissue remodeling, such as in regenerating skeletal muscle (17) or after cardiac distress (18). Given the complexity of the known hGHR mRNA variants in other tissues, we sought to characterize the hGHR transcripts in human heart. Using 5'RACE, we identified a novel hGHR mRNA variant (V9) that appeared with V2 and V3 as the most frequent clones obtained from adult human heart RNA. Confirmation of V9 as a bonafide hGHR 5'UTR was achieved by direct sequencing of genomic DNA, placement of V9 within the 5'-flanking region of the hGHR gene, mapping the V9 transcription start site, and showing that the putative promoter region of V9 has transcriptional activity (see below).

Cloning and structure of the hGHR 5'- flanking region
Screening of BAC, PAC, and phage libraries using V1-, V2-, and V3-specific primers and probes resulted in isolation of several positive clones (Fig. 1AGo). Restriction enzyme mapping and Southern blotting, followed by subcloning and sequencing of smaller fragments as well as long range PCR, localized the nine hGHR 5'UTR variant sequences within a 40-kb region upstream of exon 2 (Fig. 1Go, B–D). Three of the sequences (V2-V9-V3) are located in a 1.6-kb module (module A) 36 kb upstream of exon 2 (Fig. 1Go, C and D). The placental 5'UTR reported by Urbanek et al. (19) was also placed on the map, beginning 306 bp upstream of the 5'-end of the V2 sequence reported by Pekhletsky et al. (4) and overlapping the 3'-end of V2. Another four of the variants (V7-V1-V4-V8) are clustered in a second module of 2 kb (module B), 18 kb upstream of exon 2 (Fig. 1Go, C and D). V6 is located midway between modules A and B, whereas V5 is contiguous with exon 2 (Fig. 1Go, C and D).



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Figure 1. Mapping the relative positions of hGHR 5'UTRs. Analysis of BAC, PAC, phage (A), and subcloned DNA (B), using standard and long range PCR (->, primers), restriction enzyme mapping [XbaI (X), HindIII (H), EcoRI (E), and BamHI (B); {blacktriangledown}, arrowheads], Southern blotting ({blacksquare}, genomic probes), and sequencing (C). D, Long range (i–iii) and standard (iv) PCR Southern blots, using BAC and genomic (Gen1–4; 25–57 yr) DNA, showing that module B is located about 18 kb downstream from module A and about 18 kb upstream from exon 2 (D, i–iii). Approximately halfway between the two modules lies V6 (D, i and ii). V5 lies just upstream from and is contiguous with exon 2 (D, iv). The DNA size markers (in kilobases or base pairs) are indicated.

 
Developmental- and tissue-specific expression of V1-V9 hGHR mRNAs
We previously showed that V1 expression was limited to normal postnatal liver, whereas V3 was detectable in all fetal and postnatal tissues examined, including several tumors (5). We now demonstrate that V4 expression parallels that of V1, being only detectable in normal postnatal liver (n = 4; 6 months to 63 yr; Fig. 2AGo and data not shown). V4 RNA was not expressed in fetal liver (n = 6; 11–20 weeks fetal age), hepatoblastomas (n = 12; 6–36 months), or hepatocarcinomas (n = 4; 50–75 yr; Fig. 2AGo and data not shown). In addition, V4 mRNA was not detected in a large series of normal fetal and postnatal tissues (lung, kidney, small intestine, skeletal muscle, adrenal, and related tumors), although the same RT products were positive for V3 (data not shown). Assays of the MTC Panels confirmed the results with V1 and V4 and showed that V7 and V8 are also expressed only in postnatal liver (data not shown). Thus, the four hGHR variant exons clustered in module B appear to be under similar control, being induced only after birth.



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Figure 2. Expression of hGHR variant mRNAs. A, Southern blots illustrating V4 hGHR expression in individual fetal (F) and postnatal (PN), postnatal normal tissues. Donor age of fetal (w, weeks) and postnatal (m, months; y, years) tissues is given above each lane. The sizes (base pairs) of expected PCR fragments as well as the V4 standard (STD) are indicated. In the bottom panel, V4 bands reflect variable expression of exon 3-retaining (518 bp), exon 3-deficient (452 bp), or both isoforms. Thus, like V1 (5 ), V4 hGHR expression is limited to postnatal liver. HB, hepatoblastomas; HCC, hepatocarcinomas. B, Relative V2, V3, V5, and V9 expression in fetal and adult human tissues, analyzed as a percentage of adult liver expression ({blacksquare}) for each variant hGHR mRNA, using the mean value obtained from two sets of cDNA panels (CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc.).

 
In contrast, V2, V3, V5, and V9 mRNAs are expressed in almost all fetal and postnatal tissues (Fig. 2BGo and data not shown for fetal spleen, thymus, placenta, and adult pancreas); the one exception was fetal brain, which did not have detectable levels of V9. We also noted two variants of V5. One corresponds to an intronic 5'-extension of exon 2, described previously (4), and the second is a novel smaller variant, splicing out at position 152 of the previously described sequence (GenBank Z11850; Fig. 1DGo). The larger V5 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed and always at a higher level than the smaller transcript (data not shown). V6 was detectable in individual adult liver RNA samples, but at low levels relative to the other variants (data not shown). There was a consistent increase in all variant mRNAs in postnatal liver, whereas the other tissues showed variable changes during development (Fig. 2BGo and data not shown).

Start site of transcription and promoter region of V9
Primer extension assays revealed a predominant start site of transcription 302 bp upstream of the 3'-end of exon V9 (Figs. 3Go and 4Go). The region 5' to this start site has several potential transcription factor-binding sites, including those for Sp1 family members (-62 bp relative to the start site), a CCAAT core (-132), NKX2 (-212), and GATA factors (-214), but no canonical TATA motif (Fig. 4Go).

V9 promoter activity was shown in vivo. After intracardiac injection of promoter/reporter constructs, the V9 promoter construct demonstrated 7-fold greater luciferase activity than the control (Fig. 5AGo). Information on potential regulatory elements was obtained by transiently transfecting H9C2 cells with luciferase reporter constructs with progressive 5'-deletions of the V9 promoter. Sequences between -585 and -306 bp from the start site of transcription contribute approximately 40% of the activity (Fig. 5BGo). This region contains the V2 5'UTR, a GC-rich exon with several putative Sp1-binding sites. However, no significant drop in promoter activity was observed until removal of the sequence from -165 to -39 bp from the start site (Fig. 5BGo). Although this region contains a potential Sp1-binding motif, no consistent binding to this site could be detected by EMSA (data not shown). In contrast, specific binding of NF-Y to the CCAAT box at -132 was demonstrated by antibody supershift of the bound protein complex in another EMSA, and no binding was observed when the CCAAT core was mutated to CACAT (Fig. 5CGo). As shown previously, the NFY-B antibody resulted in a more marked supershift than the NFY-A antibody (13).



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Figure 5. V9 promoter analyses. A, In vivo expression of V9 promoter [pGL3B(-165)V9] vector in three adult mouse hearts. The average relative light units (RLU) for the empty and V9 promoter vectors were 2,400 and 16,400, respectively. B, Expression of V9 promoter deletion constructs transfected into H9C2 cells. Data are the mean ± SE of three or four experiments performed in duplicate, expressed as normalized luciferase activity relative to pGL3-Basic activity. C, EMSA autoradiograph showing Hep3B nuclear extract binding to the V9 promoter CCAAT site, using {gamma}-32P-labeled V9(CCAAT) (lanes 1–6) or V9(mCCAAT) (CACAT mutation; lanes 7 and 8) and including competition between {gamma}-32P-labeled V9(CCAAT) and unlabeled self (lane 3) or mCCAAT (lane 8) at a 200-fold molar excess. {gamma}-32P-Labeled V9(CCAAT) was also incubated with Hep3B nuclear extracts in the presence of antibodies against the B (lane 5) or A (lane 6) subunit of the transcription factor, NF-Y. Bands representing the supershifted complex (SS) and the unbound probe are indicated by arrows. NE, Nuclear extract.

 
Start sites of V1 transcription
Within module B, there are two putative TATA boxes immediately downstream of the V7 GT splice donor site at -308 (TTTATTATA) and -248 (TTTATATA) relative to the 3'-end of the V1 exon (Fig. 8Go). The start sites of transcription for V1 associated with both of these elements were determined by RPA and primer extension assay. A riboprobe antisense to the genomic sequence between EcoRI and BamHI (see Figs. 6Go and 8Go) was hybridized with human postnatal liver RNA; two major [325 and 172 nucleotides (nt)] and several minor protected fragments were identified (Fig. 6Go). In a parallel primer extension assay (PE#1; Figs. 7Go and 8Go), three major extended products resulted, one of which (155 nt) matched the start site of transcription corresponding to the 172-nt ribonuclease-protected fragment. These data suggest that the major start site of transcription for the first (-308) V1 TATA-like element lies 19 bp downstream of it (numbering relative to the last A; Fig. 8Go). A second riboprobe, antisense for the StyI-DraI genomic sequence (see Figs. 6Go and 8Go), protected a fragment of 140 nt and several minor fragments. This start site was confirmed by the 169-nt product of a second primer extension assay (PE#2; Figs. 7Go and 8Go) as being 25 bp downstream of the second (-248) TATA box.



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Figure 8. Sequence of V7-V1-V4-V8 genomic DNA (module B). Includes the two (V1[1] and V1[2]) putative TATA boxes (bold, italic, underlined), the two major (curved arrows +1) and several minor [asterisks (RPA data) or {blacktriangledown} (PE data)] start sites for V1, and positions of the two RPA probes (RPA#1, RPA#2) and the two PE primers (PE#1, PE#2; underlined). Splice donor dinucleotide GT sites at the 3'-ends of V7, V1, V4, and V8 genomic sequences are bold and underlined. Previously identified 5'-ends of V7, V4, and V8 (4 ) are indicated with a cross and a bold, italicized nucleotide.

 


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Figure 7. Transcription start sites for V1. Autoradiographs of primer extension experiments using 50 µg HPL total RNA (donor ages, 37–62 yr) or yeast transfer RNA. The 155-nt (*) extended product of the PE#1 primer (Fig. 8Go) matched the transcription start site predicted by the 172-nt protected fragment from the first RPA (Fig. 6Go, left panel). The 169-nt (*) extended product of the PE#2 primer (Fig. 8Go) identified the same transcription start site as the 140-nt protected fragment of the second RPA (Fig. 6Go, right panel). Products were sized using sequencing reactions (CATG) run in parallel.

 
Comparative BLAST and alignment analyses
Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analyses showed that the V2 sequence of the present study and those reported by Yakovenko et al. (20) and Pekhletsky et al. (4) are more than 99% homologous. There are significant homologies with the ovine and bovine 1B exon and 5'-promoter regions (>82%) (21, 22), the mouse L2 exon and promoter region (>84%) (14, 23), and the rat GHR2 exon (>80%; Fig. 9AGo) (24, 25); the comparable promoter regions are all TATA-less and highly GC rich, with a putative CCAAT box and numerous Sp1 elements.



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Figure 9. Comparison of V2, V9, V3, and V6 (A) and of V7, V1, V4, V8, and V5 (B) sequences of the human GHR gene (GenBank AJ002175 and AJ131868) (present data and Refs. 1 4 19 20 42 , and 29 ) with counterparts in the ovine (21 30 ), bovine (27 31 ), rabbit (1 ), mouse (13 14 23 26 32 36 ), and rat (24 25 33 ) GHR genes. hGHR 5'UTR regions appear to be a composite of sequences homologous to certain subprimate GHR 5'UTRs (V1, V2, V4, V5, V7, V8, V9) as well as sequences possibly unique to the primate (V3, V6). Regions showing high (>85%) homology with human GHR 5'UTR sequences are labeled H when no comparable 5'UTR mRNAs have been reported in subprimates.

 
There are no human genomic sequences equivalent to V9 or V3 that have been published or are in GenBank. However, 5'UTR exons located in the same genomic region have been described for the mouse (mL3–5) (26) and bovine (b1C) (27) GHR. We aligned the three sequences, from the common GT splice site at the 3'-end of hV2, mL2, and b1B to the 3'-end of mL5 (bibiserve.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de; data not shown). There is more than 62% sequence homology between V9 and mL3 exons, alignment of their GT splice sites, and less than 100 bp of difference in the locations of their respective transcriptional start sites. There is also significant (>74%) sequence homology between mL4 and b1C1 exons. The comparable regions between V2 and V9 and downstream of mL4 show little similarity.

There is more than 99% agreement between the V7-V8 module B sequence of the present study and human genomic sequences in GenBank (4, 28, 29) (AJ131868). In addition, there is high homology (64–83%) between the V1 sequence after the downstream consensus TATA box and the ovine/bovine 1A exons (30, 31), a rabbit GHR mRNA 5'UTR sequence (1), the mouse L1 exon (23, 32), and the rat GHR1 exon (33) (Fig. 9BGo). All known postnatal liver-dominant 5'UTR mRNA sequences in these subprimate species match V1. However, the BLAST analysis of the ovine and bovine GHR genomic sequences both upstream and downstream of the 1A exon revealed regions that were 74–83% homologous with V7, V4, and V8, suggesting that equivalent exons may be present in subprimate GHR genes.


    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Within the mammalian genome, several genes have multiple 5'UTR exons that regulate tissue- and developmental-specific expression of their protein products. However, the level of complexity of the hGHR gene, with nine 5'UTR exons, is a distinctive feature. This has been a deterrent to characterization of its 5'-flanking region and, hence, an understanding of its transcriptional regulation. Precise placement of the 5'UTR variant exons within 40 kb of cloned genomic DNA constitutes an important step, allowing comparison with the corresponding region in other mammalian species and laying the groundwork for detailed functional studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling hGHR gene transcription as well as revision of the complex nomenclature.

The most striking aspect of the hGHR 5'-flanking region is the arrangement of seven of the exons in two modules, each comprising about 2 kb of genomic sequence. We have designated the cluster of V2, V9, and V3 exons as module A, and that of V7, V1, V4, and V8 as module B. These exons are not only physically clustered, but their expression patterns are quite distinct. Although module A-derived mRNAs are widely expressed at almost every stage in development, those derived from module B are detectable only in normal postnatal liver.

Emerging knowledge of the GHR regulatory region in several subprimates points to a high level of complexity in other mammalian species as well. V2-like exons, regulating ubiquitous expression of GHR mRNAs, have been demonstrated for the ovine (o1B) (21, 34), the bovine (b1B) (22, 35), the mouse (mL2) (13, 23), and the rat (GHR2) (25, 33). More recently, V9-like exons have been reported for the mouse (mL3–5) (26) and the bovine (b1C) (27) GHR, and a V5-like exon has been found in the mouse (mL5) (36). All of these exons are located in homologous positions within the GHR 5'-flanking regions (Fig. 9, A and B). In addition, although only a single liver-specific (V1-like) 5'UTR exon has been described for the ovine (o1A), bovine (b1A), mouse (mL1), and rat (GHR1), comparative sequence analyses revealed that in the ovine and bovine GHR, there are regions highly homologous to V7, V4, and V8 (Fig. 9B). We have also shown that V3-like mRNAs can be detected in bovine, rabbit, mouse, and rat tissues (unpublished data), although no equivalent genomic sequences have been reported to date. Thus, all of the human 5'UTR exons, except V6 and V3, have highly homologous sequences in the GHR gene of several subprimate species, suggesting that the complex arrangement of these exons may be a common feature in mammals.

The newly discovered V9 exon overlaps with the GHR genomic sequences reported for bovine and mouse; however, there are significant structural and expression differences. V9 consists of a single exon that yields one mRNA transcript that is widely expressed (present study). The bovine has been reported to also have a single exon (b1C), but three transcripts with the same 3'-GT splice site (b1C1–3). Although the shortest transcript, b1C1, is undetectable by RT-PCR, the other two are ubiquitously expressed, representing 10–40% of the total GHR mRNAs in the tissues examined (27). The mouse GHR, in contrast, has three separate exons, each transcribing its own unique mRNA, but all at very low levels relative to total GHR transcripts (26). The alignment analysis of the present study revealed a significant amount of variance among species, especially between the end of V2 and the start site of transcription for V9. This degree of variance is not surprising given that the mRNA transcription mechanisms within this genomic region are so different among the three species.

Promoter analysis of transcription of V9-containing sequences was carried out as an example of the widely expressed module A mRNAs. Deletion analysis of the 5'-sequence flanking V9 suggests coordinated as well as separate regulation of V2 and V9 expression. Although a 585-bp promoter fragment, including part of the V2 exon as well as the V9 promoter, had the highest in vitro activity in H9C2 cells, a smaller region spanning -165 to -39bp upstream of the V9 transcription start site also displayed promoter activity. Similar regulatory mechanisms may operate in the bGHR gene; a 2.3-kb fragment that includes both b1B and b1C promoters has high activity, while a 1-kb fragment that includes only the b1C promoter has significant activity in several cell lines (27). Within the proximal promoter sequence for V9, we have identified a binding site for the nuclear transcription factor NF-Y. NF-Y can act on tissue-restricted promoters such as phospholamban (37) and the Na,K-adenosine triphosphatase {alpha}3-subunit (38), even though binding sites for NF-Y (CCAAT-boxes) exist in many mammalian promoters, and NF-Y itself may be ubiquitously expressed (39). Clearly, promoter context is important in determining the specificity of gene expression (40). Numerous binding sites for Sp1 are present in the proximal V9 promoter region, and members of this family are responsible for regulation of the murine V2-like transcript, L2 (14) and the homologous ovine as well as bovine 1B transcripts (22, 34). Interestingly, NF-Y has been shown to act synergistically with Sp1 to direct gene expression (38, 41). Although the V9 transcript is widely expressed in human fetal and postnatal tissues, it is most abundant in skeletal muscle. Future studies will need to address the factor(s) responsible for directing high level muscle expression of the V9 transcript.

We studied the V1 exon as an example of liver-specific expression of module B exons, A transcriptional start site for the upstream nonconsensus TATA box was defined by RPA and primer extension assay close to the site suggested previously by 5'RACE (29). In addition, we determined a second start site, for the downstream consensus TATA box. The presence of two functional TATA boxes for this exon is similar in the human and mouse GHR genes, whereas the ovine and bovine GHR V1-like exons have a single functional consensus TATA box in a position similar to that of the downstream V1 TATA element (Fig. 9B). The question of why, in addition to having four different exons that code for expression of hGHR mRNAs only in postnatal liver, one of the exons produces two mRNAs remains to be answered.

Preliminary V1 promoter analyses have been carried out by two groups. Zou et al. (28) reported that a 2-kb region upstream of the consensus V1 TATA box had promoter activity in HepG2 human hepatoma cells. Rivers and Norman (29) used the same cells to define a minimal (-0.16 kb) promoter as well as negative elements more than 0.65 kb upstream of the nonconsensus TATA box. Nuclear extracts from the hepatoma cells were used in a footprint assay to identify four putative regulatory sites, -0.58 to -0.27 kb upstream of the same TATA element. Because there are low or undetectable levels of V1 mRNA in liver tumor cells (5, 42), these sites may be primarily for repressive elements. In addition, all of the V1 promoter constructs used to date also contain V7 exon and putative promoter sequences. Thus, the question of whether clustered hGHR regulatory exons in each module are under separate or coordinated control mechanisms remains to be explored.

In summary, we have significantly advanced our understanding of the hGHR gene, cloning a new 5'UTR exon and mapping the relative locations of nine 5'UTR exons. Seven of these exons are clustered within two modules that exhibit marked structural as well as functional differences.


    Acknowledgments
 
The authors thank the surgical staff at the Montréal Children’s and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospitals; Drs. L. Alpert, S. Albrecht, T. Pietsch, and D. von Schweinitz; and the Cooperative Human Tissue Network for providing tissues. We thank Dr. T. J. Hudson and his research group (Montréal General Hospital and Whitehead Institute) for help in isolating the BAC and PAC clones, Ms. S. Lerner and Dr. R. Figueiredo for technical services, and Dr. D. Mathis for the NFY antibodies.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada (to C.G.G. and G.N.H.), McGill University-Montreal Children’s Hospital Research Institute (to C.G.G.), the Claude J. P. Giroud Memorial Fund (to C.G.G. and G.Z.), Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide à la Recherche (to G.Z.), NIH Grant DK-49845 (to R.K.M.), Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (to R.K.M.), and the Vira I. Heinz Endowment (to R.K.M.). Sequence data from this article have been deposited with the GenBank/EMBL data libraries (Accession Nos. 370451 and 370456). Back

2 C.G.G., G.N.H., and R.K.M. contributed equally to this study. Back

3 G.Z. and G.S. contributed equally to this study. Back

Received November 7, 2000.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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