Transcriptional regulation and autoregulation of the human gene for ADP-ribosyltransferase.

Human nuclear poly(ADP-ribosyl)transferase (ADPRT) modifies proteins with branched ADP-ribose-polymers. Various proteins, including ADPRT itself, serve as acceptors for polyADP-ribose. Target proteins include those controlling basic cellular processes such as DNA repair, differentiation and proliferation. Because of the outstanding features of this enzyme: automodification, several functional domains and central role in physiology of the cell, the molecular biology of ADPRT gained wide interest. The promoter structure contains several CCAAT/TATA boxes and SP1 sites. However, there is no CCAAT/TATA box in the neighbourhood of an SP1 site and, thus no obvious site for initiation of transcription. Within this region there are several noteworthy inverted repeats, which by internal basepairing could form two types of cruciform structures. Deletion analysis revealed that these cruciform structures have functional significance. Removal of one type increases the promoter activity, whereas removal of the other diminishes the promoter function. Overexpression of ADPRT from heterologous promoters (MMTV, SV40) leads to repression of the activity of the ADPRT promoter. Indeed, ADPRT was shown to bind specifically to one type of cruciform structure. This specific interaction indicates autorepression of the ADPRT gene: the enzyme ADPRT acts directly as a negative modulator of the activity of its own promoter.