Dataset Information

Identification of transcription start sites and preferential expression of select CB2 transcripts in mouse and human B lymphocytes.

ABSTRACT: Marijuana cannabinoids, the endocannabinoids, and cannabinoid cell receptors have been shown to play important roles in immune regulation particularly as potent modulators of anti-inflammatory cytokines. The predominant cannabinoid receptor involved in this immune regulation is cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB(2)), which is predominantly expressed in B lymphocytes. However, the promoter region and mechanisms of CB(2) gene regulation are unknown in this immune cell type. Utilizing a combination of bioinformatics, 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RACE), real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing, and luciferase reporter assays, we show that human B cells express one CB(2) transcript while mouse B cells express three CB(2) transcripts, with specific transcript selection occurring during B cell activation by lipopolysaccharide. Alignment of our sequenced RACE products to either the mouse or human genome, along with the GenBank submitted mRNA sequences, revealed that the transcripts we isolated contained previously unidentified transcriptional start sites (TSS). In addition, expression construct testing of the genomic region containing the TSSs of the mouse CB(2) exon 1 transcripts showed an eightfold increase of promoter activity over baseline. These data show for the first time that human B cells use only one TSS for CB(2) while mouse B cells use multiple TSSs and that the mouse TSSs are in a genomic area with promoter activity, thus suggesting the location of the gene promoter region. Defining these TSSs also provides clues to the various gene regulatory factors involved in the expression of CB(2) during B cell activation.

SUBMITTER: Sherwood TA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2843092 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification of transcription start sites and preferential expression of select CB2 transcripts in mouse and human B lymphocytes.

Sherwood Tracy A TA Nong Liang L Agudelo Marisela M Newton Cathy C Widen Ray R Klein Thomas W TW

Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology 20090916 4

Marijuana cannabinoids, the endocannabinoids, and cannabinoid cell receptors have been shown to play important roles in immune regulation particularly as potent modulators of anti-inflammatory cytokines. The predominant cannabinoid receptor involved in this immune regulation is cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB(2)), which is predominantly expressed in B lymphocytes. However, the promoter region and mechanisms of CB(2) gene regulation are unknown in this immune cell type. Utilizing a combination of bioi ...[more]

PMID: 19757078

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Project description:Despite almost 40 years of molecular genetics research in Escherichia coli a major fraction of its Transcription Start Sites (TSSs) are still unknown, limiting therefore our understanding of the regulatory circuits that control gene expression in this model organism. RegulonDB (http://regulondb.ccg.unam.mx/) is aimed at integrating the genetic regulatory network of E. coli K12 as an entirely bioinformatic project up till now. In this work, we extended its aims by generating experimental data at a genome scale on TSSs, promoters and regulatory regions. We implemented a modified 5' RACE protocol and an unbiased High Throughput Pyrosequencing Strategy (HTPS) that allowed us to map more than 1700 TSSs with high precision. From this collection, about 230 corresponded to previously reported TSSs, which helped us to benchmark both our methodologies and the accuracy of the previous mapping experiments. The other ca 1500 TSSs mapped belong to about 1000 different genes, many of them with no assigned function. We identified promoter sequences and type of sigma factors that control the expression of about 80% of these genes. As expected, the housekeeping sigma(70) was the most common type of promoter, followed by sigma(38). The majority of the putative TSSs were located between 20 to 40 nucleotides from the translational start site. Putative regulatory binding sites for transcription factors were detected upstream of many TSSs. For a few transcripts, riboswitches and small RNAs were found. Several genes also had additional TSSs within the coding region. Unexpectedly, the HTPS experiments revealed extensive antisense transcription, probably for regulatory functions. The new information in RegulonDB, now with more than 2400 experimentally determined TSSs, strengthens the accuracy of promoter prediction, operon structure, and regulatory networks and provides valuable new information that will facilitate the understanding from a global perspective the complex and intricate regulatory network that operates in E. coli.

Dataset Information

Identification of transcription start sites and preferential expression of select CB2 transcripts in mouse and human B lymphocytes.

Publications

Identification of transcription start sites and preferential expression of select CB2 transcripts in mouse and human B lymphocytes.

Similar Datasets

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