Sequence-ready 1-Mb YAC, BAC and cosmid contigs covering the distal imprinted region of mouse chromosome 7.

We have constructed approximately 1-Mb contigs of yeast artificial chromosome (YAC), bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and cosmid clones covering the imprinted region in mouse chromosome band 7F4/F5. This region is syntenic to human chromosome 11p15.5, which is associated with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and certain childhood and adult tumors.

Norbin, a neurite-outgrowth-related protein, is a cytosolic protein localized in the somatodendritic region of neurons and distributed prominently in dendritic outgrowth in Purkinje cells.

Distribution of norbin protein in rats was characterized by immunohistochemical study. It was distributed not only in whole brain but also in peripheral nervous system. The protein was localized in the somata, except for nuclei, and dendrites of neurons.

Transcriptional regulatory elements in the upstream and intron of the fibroin gene bind three specific factors POU-M1, Bm Fkh and FMBP-1.

The transcriptional modulator in the fibroin gene intron is composed of multiple octamer-like AT-rich elements, to which several specific DNA-binding proteins named fibroin-modulator-binding proteins (FMBPs) bind. Three major FMBPs in the silk gland were characterized. Two of them (FMBP-2 and -3) were identified as a Fork head homologue (Bm Fkh) and a POU-domain protein (POU-M1) respectively.

Role of the Core Promoter for the Preferential Transcription of Fibroin Gene in the Posterior Silk Gland Extract: (transcription/core promoter/fibroin gene/initiator/DNase I footprint).

Preferential transcription of the fibroin gene in homologous cell-free transcription systems prepared from the posterior silk gland (psg) of Bombyx mori is supported by the modulators upstream and downstream of the core promoter. However, we found that the cognate fibroin core promoter composed of the TATA box and transcription initiation region was indispensable for this preferential transcription in the psg extract. Studies on the transcriptional efficiencies of reconstituted fibroin promoters indicated that the fibroin core promoter functions synergistically with the modulators.