Upstream Stimulatory Factors Are Mediators of Ca2+-Responsive Transcription in Neurons

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-07-02572.2003
• Publication Date: 2018-04-13T22:30:51Z
• Authors: Wen G. Chen; Anne E. West; Xu Tao; Gabriel Corfas; Marilyn N. Szenti...; Michèle Sawadogo; Charles Vinson; Michael E. Greenberg
• Keywords: Central Nervous System; Neurons; Transcriptional Activation; 0301 basic medicine; Binding Sites; Base Sequence; Calcium Channels, L-Type; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Exons; Response Elements; Rats; DNA-Binding Proteins; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Animals; Upstream Stimulatory Factors; Rats, Long-Evans; Calcium Signaling; Cloning, Molecular; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Cells, Cultured; Transcription Factors

To identify molecular mechanisms that control activity-dependent gene expression in the CNS, we have characterized the factors that mediate activity-dependent transcription ofBDNFpromoter III. We report the identification of a Ca2+-responsive E-box element, CaRE2, withinBDNFpromoter III that binds upstream stimulatory factors 1 and 2 (USF1/2) and show that USFs are required for the activation of CaRE2-dependent transcription fromBDNFpromoter III. We find that the transcriptional activity of the USFs is regulated by Ca2+-activated signaling pathways in neurons and that the USFs bind to the promoters of a number of neuronal activity-regulated genesin vivo. These results suggest a new function for the USFs in the regulation of activity-dependent transcription in neurons.