Characterization of the promoter region of the human MDR3 P-glycoprotein gene

Abstract

The human MDR3 (or MDR2) P-glycoprotein is probably involved in the transport of phospholipids from liver hepatocytes into bile (Smit et al. (1993) Cell 75, 451–462). In accordance with this function, MDR3 is highly expressed in human liver, but lower mRNA levels were also found in adrenal, heart, muscle and cells of the B-cell compartment. We have cloned and analyzed the MDR3 promoter region. It is GC-rich, and contains neither a TATA nor a CART box, but it does contain multiple putative SP1 binding sites, features also found in so-called housekeeping genes. RNase protection and primer extension analyses indicate that the MDR3 gene has multiple transcription start sites in a GC-rich region with considerable homology to the putative mouse mdr2 promoter. A 3 kb genomic fragment containing the MDR3 start sites directs transcription of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene upon transient transfection in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. This transcription is orientation dependent, and stimulated by a SV40 enhancer, indicating that the 3 kb insert contains the core promoter elements of the MDR3 gene. The promoter region contains several consensus sequences where known or putative liver-specific (C/EBP, HNF5) or lymphoid specific (Pu.1, ets-1) transcription factors may bind.