Transcriptional Regulation of Acetylcholinesterase-associated Collagen ColQ

Abstract

The presence of a collagenous protein (ColQ) characterizes the collagen-tailed forms of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase at vertebrate neuromuscular junctions which is tethered in the synaptic basal lamina. ColQ subunits, differing mostly by their signal sequences, are encoded by transcripts ColQ-1 and ColQ-1a, which are differentially expressed in slow and fast twitch muscles in mammals. Two distinct promoters, pColQ-1 and pColQ-1a, were isolated from the upstream sequences of human COLQ gene; they showed musclespecific expression and were activated by myogenic transcriptional elements in cultured myotubes. After in vivo DNA transfection, pColQ-1 showed strong activity in slow twitch muscle (e.g. soleus), whereas pColQ-1a was preferably expressed in fast twitch muscle (e.g. tibialis). Mutation analysis of the ColQ promoters suggested that the muscle fiber type-specific expression pattern of ColQ transcripts were regulated by a slow upsteam regulatory element (SURE) and a fast intronic regulatory element (FIRE). These regulatory elements were responsive to a calcium ionophore and to calcineurin inhibition by cyclosporine A. The slow fiber type-specific expression of ColQ-1 was abolished by the mutation of an NFAT element in pColQ-1. Moreover, both the ColQ promoters contained N-box element that was responsible for the synapse-specific expression of ColQ transcripts. These results explain the specific expression patterns of collagen-tailed acetylcholinesterase in slow and fast muscle fibers.

HnRNP C, YB-1 and hnRNP L coordinately enhance skipping of human MUSK exon 10 to generate a Wnt-insensitive MuSK isoform

“…Similarly, Colq encoding collagen Q has two promoters that are activated in slow- and fast-twitch muscles, respectively. In fast-twitch muscles, the Colq-1a promoter is activated only at NMJ 53 . Differentiation-induced inclusion of MUSK exon 10, as well as NMJ-specific expression of CHRNE and COLQ , suggest that human might have acquired NMJ-specific expression of a Wnt-responsive exon 10-included MUSK isoform to suppress extra-synaptic formation of AChR clusters.…”

Flavonoids Induce the Synthesis and Secretion of Neurotrophic Factors in Cultured Rat Astrocytes: A Signaling Response Mediated by Estrogen Receptor

“…The SYBR green signal was detected by Mx3000P multiplex quantitative PCR machine. The primers used for PCR were 5′-CAC TCT GAG GTG CAT AGC GTA ATG TC-3′ and 5′-CTG TGA GTC CTG TTG AAG GAG ATT GTA C-3′ for NGF (XP_001067130.2, 374 bp); 5′-GAG CTG AGC GTG TGT GAC AGT ATT AG-3′ and 5′-ATT GGG TAGT TCG GCA TTG CGA GTT C-3′ for BDNF (BC087634, 229 bp); 5′-GCG CTG ACC AGT GAC TCC AAT ATG-3′ and 5′-CGC TTC ACA GGA ACC GCT ACA ATAT C-3′ for GDNF (AF497634, 318 bp); 5′-AAC GGA TTT GGC CGT ATT GG-3′ and 5′-CTT CCC GTT CAG CTC TGG G-3′ for GAPDH ([20], 516 bp).…”

Regulation of a Transcript Encoding the Proline-rich Membrane Anchor of Globular Muscle Acetylcholinesterase

“…human PRiMA 4 and COLQ (20) genes contain several putative E-box sites, and therefore MRFs might regulate the gene transcriptions in opposite manners.…”