EGR1 and EGR2 involvement in vertebrate tendon differentiation.

The molecules involved in vertebrate tendon formation during development remain largely unknown. To date, only two DNA-binding proteins have been identified as being involved in vertebrate tendon formation, the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Scleraxis and, recently, the Mohawk homeobox gene. We investigated the involvement of the early growth response transcription factors Egr1 and Egr2 in vertebrate tendon formation.

Scleraxis and NFATc regulate the expression of the pro-alpha1(I) collagen gene in tendon fibroblasts.

The combinatorial action of separate cis-acting elements controls the cell-specific expression of type I collagen genes. In particular, we have shown that two short elements located between -3.2 and -2.