A noncanonical E-box enhancer drives mouse Period2 circadian oscillations in vivo

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Feb 15;102(7):2608-13. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0409763102. Epub 2005 Feb 7.

Abstract

The mouse Period2 (mPer2) locus is an essential negative-feedback element of the mammalian circadian-clock mechanism. Recent work has shown that mPer2 circadian gene expression persists in both central and peripheral tissues. Here, we analyze the mouse mPer2 promoter and identify a circadian enhancer (E2) with a noncanonical 5'-CACGTT-3' E-box located 20 bp upstream of the mPer2 transcription start site. The E2 enhancer accounts for most circadian transcriptional drive of the mPer2 locus by CLOCK:BMAL1, is a major site of DNaseI hypersensitivity in this region, and is constitutively bound by a transcriptional complex containing the CLOCK protein. Importantly, the E2 enhancer is sufficient to drive self-sustained circadian rhythms of luciferase activity in central and peripheral tissues from mPer2-E2::Luciferase transgenic mice with tissue-specific phase and period characteristics. Last, genetic analysis with mutations in Clock and Bmal1 shows that the E2 enhancer is a target of CLOCK and BMAL1 in vivo.

MeSH terms

  • ARNTL Transcription Factors
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • CLOCK Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cell Line
  • Circadian Rhythm / genetics*
  • E-Box Elements*
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Period Circadian Proteins
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • ARNTL Transcription Factors
  • BMAL1 protein, human
  • Bmal1 protein, mouse
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • PER2 protein, human
  • Per2 protein, mouse
  • Period Circadian Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Luciferases
  • CLOCK Proteins
  • CLOCK protein, human
  • Clock protein, mouse