Identification of cis-regulatory variations in the IL6R gene through the inheritance assessment of allelic transcription.

Background: The level of circulating interleukin-6 receptor in human blood varies depending on the genetic and/or physiological causes, and has been implicated in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Method: The cis-regulatory effects of genetic variations on the transcription of interleukin-6 receptor gene, IL6R,were studied by assessing allelic transcriptions in the immortalized lymphocytes derived from unrelated and familial samples.

Results: The assays for allelic transcription in the cells from unrelated subjects demonstrated an extensive and variable range of allelic transcriptional imbalances, suggesting an operation of multiple cis-regulations with varying degrees on the locus.

The transcriptional repressor activity of ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 is inhibited by direct interaction with calmodulin in Arabidopsis.

Calmodulin (CaM), a key Ca2+ sensor, regulates diverse cellular processes by modulating the activity of a variety of enzymes and proteins. However, little is known about the biological function of CaM in plant development. In this study, an ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 (AS1) transcription factor was isolated as a CaM-binding protein.

An S-locus receptor-like kinase plays a role as a negative regulator in plant defense responses.

Plant cells often use cell surface receptors to sense environmental changes and then transduce external signals via activated signaling pathways to trigger adaptive responses. In Arabidopsis, the receptor-like protein kinase (RLK) gene family contains more than 600 members, and some of these are induced by pathogen infection, suggesting a possible role in plant defense responses. We previously characterized an S-locus RLK (CBRLK1) at the biochemical level.