Structure and regulation of the luteinizing hormone receptor gene.

Studies of the mechanisms controlling the expression of the rat luteinizing hormone receptor gene were pursued by characterization of the gene structure and identification of regulatory protein binding domains in the 5'-non-coding region of the gene and of 3' non-coding functional domains responsible for generation of the major mRNA forms. The coding region of the rat LHR gene contains 10 introns and 11 exons, of which the first 10 exons comprise the hormone binding extracellular domain and exon 11, the seven transmembrane/G protein coupling module. Several alternative spliced variants of the LHR were identified that conform to deletions of complete and/or partial exons. Within the 6.2 kb of the 3'-non-coding region, two functional LHR pA domains (H1) and (H2) produce two sets of major mRNA transcripts, each coding for both holoreceptor and the form B splice variant. The H1 pA domain is unique to LHR and may represent a recombinant insertion domain. The functional efficiency of each pA domain is related to the specific pA signals, distal downstream elements, and tissue-specific factors. A TATA-less promoter region is present within the 173 bp 5'flanking region of the gene, with Initiator (Inr) elements at transcriptional start sites. Transcription is dependent on the binding of the Sp1 protein at two Sp1 domains that each contribute equally to transcript initiation. Promoter activity is regulated by at least three additional DNA domains, R (-1266 to -1307 bp), C-box (-42 to -73 bp) and M1 (-24 to -42 bp) that bind multiple trans-factors in a tissue-specific manner. Basal promoter activity is enhanced by a functional M1 domain in LHR-expressing mouse Leydig tumor cells (MLTC) but not in non-expressing CHO cells. C-box binding factors either inhibit promoter activity or block inhibition through overlapping but not identical DNA binding domains that carry AP-2 and NF-1 elements. Removal of the AP-2 element within the C-box results in MLTC-specific transcriptional activation that may involve an MTLC M1/C-box interaction. In addition, competition for C-box factors by an upstream regulatory element (R) that is only inhibitory in CHO cells, indicates that both C-box binding factors compete for this upstream (R) domain in a tissue-specific manner. Competition between the inhibitory and neutral DNA binding factors within both upstream (R) and promoter domains (C-box) could provide a mechanism for the control of LH receptor gene expression in gonadal cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)