Human IL-1 receptor antagonist promoter. Cell type-specific activity and identification of regulatory regions.

To study the molecular mechanisms involved in transcriptional regulation of the human IL-1R antagonist (IL-1ra) we have isolated 1680-bp of 5'-flanking region DNA from the IL-1ra gene. This region of DNA was sequenced and cloned into the luciferase expression vector pA3Luc (pRA-1680.Luc) for use in gene transfer studies aimed at determining the cis-acting DNA elements required for IL-1ra expression. Sequence analysis of the IL-1ra promoter revealed a TATAA box at -26, with consensus sequences for possible NF-kB-, NFIL-1 beta A-, AP-1-, and CRE-binding sites located further upstream. When transfected into a variety of human and murine cell lines, the cloned IL-1ra promoter was preferentially active in those cell lines in which expression of the endogenous IL-1ra gene could be detected. The cloned promoter and the endogenous IL-1ra promoter utilized the same transcriptional start site. This promoter activity was LPS-inducible in the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. In the human monocytic cell line U937, IL-1ra promoter activity was inducible by LPS or PMA treatment, but the combination of LPS and PMA led to the greatest increase in promoter activity, identical to the pattern of expression of endogenous IL-1ra mRNA as detected by polymerase chain reaction analysis. A series of 5'-truncated promoter constructs having a common 3'-end at +27 were created to map potential cis-acting transcriptional elements important for full IL-1ra promoter activity. Removal of sequences between -294 and -148 led to a greater than 90% decrease in both unstimulated and LPS-induced promoter activity; further deletion to -85 led to an almost complete abrogation of promoter activity. These studies demonstrate that the cloned IL-1ra promoter behaves in a manner consistent with that of the endogenous gene. Two regions within the IL-1ra promoter are identified which are required for full promoter activity.