Myocyte-specific M-CAT and MEF-1 elements regulate G-protein gamma 3 gene (gamma3) expression in cardiac myocytes.

Little is known regarding the mechanisms that control the expression of G-protein alpha, beta, and gamma subtypes. We have previously shown that the G-protein gamma(3) gene is expressed in the heart, brain, lung, spleen, kidney, muscle, and testis in mice. We have also reported that the G-protein gamma(3) subunit is expressed in rat cardiac myocytes, but not in cardiac fibroblasts. Other studies have shown that the gamma(3) subunit couples to the angiotensin A1A receptor in portal vein myocytes, and has been shown to mediate beta-adrenergic desensitization in cardiac myocytes treated with atorvastatin. In the present study, we evaluated G-protein gamma(3) promoter-luciferase reporter constructs in primary myocytes to identify key regulatory promoter regions. We identified two important regions of the promoter (upstream promoter region [UPR] and downstream promoter region [DPR]), which are required for expression in cardiac myocytes. We observed that removal of 48 bp in the UPR diminished gene transcription by 75%, and that the UPR contains consensus elements for myocyte-specific M-CAT and myocyte enhancer factor 1 (MEF-1) elements. The UPR and DPR share transcription factor elements for myocyte-specific M-CAT element. We observed that cardiac myocyte proteins bind to gamma(3) oligonucleotides containing transcription factor elements for myocyte-specific M-CAT and MEF-1. Myocyte-specific M-CAT proteins were supershifted with transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1) antibodies binding to the gamma(3) M-CAT element, which is in agreement with reports showing that the M-CAT element binds the TEF-1 family of transcription factors. The 150 bp DPR contains three M-CAT elements, an INR element, an upstream stimulatory factor 1 element, and the transcription start site. We have shown that myocyte gamma(3) gene expression is regulated by myocyte-specific M-CAT and MEF-1 elements.