Full Promoter Sequence of Human Early Growth Response Factor-1 (Egr-1): Demonstration of a Fifth Functional Serum Response Element

Abstract

The early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1) gene encodes a zinc finger transcription factor which is critical for cell proliferation and differentiation. The human Egr-1 promoter comprises regulatory elements including two Sp1 sites, an API site, two cAMP response elements and an Egr-1 binding site. In addition to these transcription factor binding sites, the promoter harbours five serum response elements (SREs) and associated binding sites for the Ets transcription factor family, previously identified from partial sequence data (Sakamoto et al, Oncogene 6; 867–871, 1991). We now report the full sequence of the human Egr-1 promoter and confirm the presence of a fifth serum response element. This element is functionally active in a minimal promoter vector in response to the MAP kinase kinase MEK1.