First Author | Zubair M | Year | 2006 |
Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 26 |
Issue | 11 | Pages | 4111-21 |
PubMed ID | 16705164 | Mgi Jnum | J:334340 |
Mgi Id | MGI:7448685 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.00222-06 |
Citation | Zubair M, et al. (2006) Two-step regulation of Ad4BP/SF-1 gene transcription during fetal adrenal development: initiation by a Hox-Pbx1-Prep1 complex and maintenance via autoregulation by Ad4BP/SF-1. Mol Cell Biol 26(11):4111-21 |
abstractText | The orphan nuclear receptor Ad4BP/SF-1 (adrenal 4 binding protein/steroidogenic factor 1) is essential for the proper development and function of reproductive and steroidogenic tissues. Although the expression of Ad4BP/SF-1 is specific for those tissues, the mechanisms underlying this tissue-specific expression remain unknown. In this study, we used transgenic mouse assays to examine the regulation of the tissue-specific expression of Ad4BP/SF-1. An investigation of the entire Ad4BP/SF-1 gene locus revealed a fetal adrenal enhancer (FAdE) in intron 4 containing highly conserved binding sites for Pbx-Prep, Pbx-Hox, and Ad4BP/SF-1. Transgenic assays revealed that the Ad4 sites, together with Ad4BP/SF-1, develop an autoregulatory loop and thereby maintain transcription, while the Pbx/Prep and Pbx/Hox sites initiate transcription prior to the establishment of the autoregulatory loop. Indeed, a limited number of Hox family members were found to be expressed in the adrenal primordia. Whether a true fetal-type adrenal cortex is present in mice remained controversial, and this argument was complicated by the postnatal development of the so-called X zone. Using transgenic mice with lacZ driven by the FAdE, we clearly identified a fetal adrenal cortex in mice, and the X zone is the fetal adrenal cells accumulated at the juxtamedullary region after birth. |