| First Author | Vetrini F | Year | 2004 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 15 | Pages | 6550-9 |
| PubMed ID | 15254223 | Mgi Jnum | J:92281 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3052295 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.24.15.6550-6559.2004 |
| Citation | Vetrini F, et al. (2004) The microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf) controls expression of the ocular albinism type 1 gene: link between melanin synthesis and melanosome biogenesis. Mol Cell Biol 24(15):6550-9 |
| abstractText | Melanogenesis is the process that regulates skin and eye pigmentation. Albinism, a genetic disease causing pigmentation defects and visual disorders, is caused by mutations in genes controlling either melanin synthesis or melanosome biogenesis. Here we show that a common transcriptional control regulates both of these processes. We performed an analysis of the regulatory region of Oa1, the murine homolog of the gene that is mutated in the X-linked form of ocular albinism, as Oa1's function affects melanosome biogenesis. We demonstrated that Oa1 is a target of Mitf and that this regulatory mechanism is conserved in the human gene. Tissue-specific control of Oa1 transcription lies within a region of 617 bp that contains the E-box bound by Mitf. Finally, we took advantage of a virus-based system to assess tissue specificity in vivo. To this end, a small fragment of the Oa1 promoter was cloned in front of a reporter gene in an adeno-associated virus. After we injected this virus into the subretinal space, we observed reporter gene expression specifically in the retinal pigment epithelium, confirming the cell-specific expression of the Oa1 promoter in the eye. The results obtained with this viral system are a preamble to the development of new gene delivery approaches for the treatment of retinal pigment epithelium defects. |
