TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF THE ALPHA-1(I) COLLAGEN GENE INVOLVES ORIENTATION-SPECIFIC AND POSITION-SPECIFIC INTRONIC SEQUENCES

The 3' half of the first intron of the human α1(I) collagen gene interacts with the promoter to regulate transcription. We questioned whether this intronic sequence also exerted its effect when placed 5' to the promoter. In transient transfection assays using several cell lines, little or no stimulation of α1(I)-driven chloroamphenicol acetyltransferase transcription was observed. We conclude that transcriptional control of the α1(I) gene is dependent on a complex series of interactions that require both orientation and position specificity of the intronic segment.