Two adjacent promoter elements mediate nerve growth factor activation of the c-fos gene and bind distinct nuclear complexes.

Abstract

Protooncogene fos is rapidly and transiently induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Two adjacent promoter elements have been identified to mediate the NGF response. One element colocalizes with the serum response element (SRE) centered at position -308, previously shown to confer inducibility by serum, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and epidermal growth factor, whereas the other element, termed SRE-2, maps approximately 20 base pairs downstream of the SRE and contains several sequence repeats. This element also confers serum responsiveness. Gel mobility shift assays have demonstrated that there are specific nucleoprotein complexes associated with each elem..