The molecular mechanisms which are responsible for restricting skeletal muscle gene expression to specific fiber types, either slow or fast twitch, are unknown. As a first step toward defining the components which direct slow-fiber-specific gene expression, we identified the sequence elements of the human troponin I slow upstream enhancer (USE) that bind muscle nuclear proteins. These include an E-box, a MEF2 element, and two other elements, USE B1 and USE C1. In vivo analysis of a mutation that disrupts USE B1 binding activity suggested that the USE B1 element is essential for high-level expression in slow-twitch muscles. This mutation does not, however, abolish slow-fiber specificity. A similar analysis indicated that the USE C1 element may play only a minor role. We report the cloning of a novel human USE B1 binding protein, MusTRD1 (muscle TFII-I repeat domain-containing protein 1), which is expressed predominantly in skeletal muscle. Significantly, MusTRD1 contains two repeat domains which show remarkable homology to the six repeat domains of the recently cloned transcription factor TFII-I. Furthermore, both TFII-I and MusTRD1 bind to similar but distinct sequences, which happen to conform with the initiator (Inr) consensus sequence. Given the roles of MEF2 and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins in muscle gene expression, the similarity of TFII-I and MusTRD1 is intriguing, as TFII-I is believed to coordinate the interaction of MADS-box proteins, bHLH proteins, and the general transcription machinery.
We describe a highly efficient calcium phosphate transfection protocol capable of achieving 100% transfection efficiency of reporter genes transiently expressed in the human hepatoma cell lines HuH7 and HepG2. This procedure, a modification of that described by Chen and Okayama, is reliable, reproducible, and eliminates the requirement for the inclusion of cotransfected internal control plasmids. While Chen and Okayama described the pH of the 2x BBS (N,N-bis[2-hydroxyethyl]-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid-buffered saline) and DNA concentration as being critical factors for optimal transfection efficiency, we show that a reduced and strictly monitored standing time of the DNA/CaCl2/2x BBS cocktail prior to addition to cultured cells is essential for a particular combination of pH and DNA concentration. We also show that the inclusion of internal control plasmids can inhibit reporter gene activity in a promoter- and dose-dependent manner. The method so described is also applicable for the transfection of other mammalian cell lines including COS and HeLa, and conceivably for the generation of stable transfectants at high frequency.
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