Characterization of the p150,95 leukocyte integrin alpha subunit (CD11c) gene promoter. Identification of cis-acting elements.

The leukocyte integrin p150,95 (CD11c/CD18) is involved in a number of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and mediates signal transduction into the cytoplasm. p150,95 is expressed on cells of the myeloid lineage as well as on certain activated T and B lymphocytes, and its expression is regulated during cell activation and differentiation. Since CD18 is expressed on all leukocyte lineages, the restricted expression of p150,95 must be controlled at the level of CD11c gene transcription. To understand the mechanisms that direct the constitutive and regulated leukocyte expression of p150,95 we have structurally characterized the CD11c promoter region and initiated its functional dissection. The CD11c promoter lacks TATA- and CCAAT-boxes, directs the synthesis of transcripts with heterogeneous 5'-ends, and contains an initiator-like sequence at the major transcription initiation site. Several putative binding sequences for ubiquitous (Sp1, AP-1, AP-2, and NF-kB) and leukocyte-specific (PU.1) transcription factors have been identified in the proximal region of the CD11c promoter which may participate in the regulation of the expression of p150,95. Transient expression of CD11c-based reporter gene constructs indicates that the CD11c promoter dictates the tissue-specific expression of p150,95 and that sequences contained within 160 base pairs 5' from the major transcriptional start site are involved in the tissue-specific and regulated expression of p150,95. DNase I protection analysis on the promoter region spanning from -160 to +40 revealed four regions of DNA-protein interactions (FPI-FPIV), two of which (FPII and FPIV) correlate with the cell type-specific and regulated expression of the CD11c gene.