Characterization of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene promoter: human zinc-finger proteins (ZNF140 and ZNF91) that bind to different regions function as transcription repressors.

Expression of the human low-affinity Fc receptors for IgG (human Fc gamma RII) is differentially regulated. We report here the characterization of the promoter structure of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene and the isolation of the promoter region-binding proteins by a yeast one-hybrid assay. The minimal 154-bp region upstream from the transcription start site of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene was shown to possess promoter activity in a variety of cells. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that multiple nuclear factors in cell extracts bind to the two regions [F2-3 (-110 to -93) and F4-3 (-47 to -31)] of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene promoter. Mutation analysis indicated that GGGAGGAGC (-105 to -97) and AATTTGTTTGCC (-47 to -36) sequences are responsible for binding to nuclear factors respectively. By using GGGAGGAGC and AATTTGTTTGCC as bait sequences, we cloned two zinc-finger proteins (ZNF140 and ZNF91) that bind to the F2-3 and F4-3 regions within the promoter of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene respectively. When the ZNF140 and ZNF91 were transfected with reporter plasmid, both showed repressor activity with additive effects. Thus, these results indicate that these cloned ZNF140 and ZNF91 proteins function as repressors for the human Fc gamma RIIB transcription.