Regulatory Elements in the 5′-Flanking Region and the First Intron Contribute to Transcriptional Control of the Mouse Alpha 1 Type I Collagen Gene

We have identified two blocks of regulatory sequences located in the 5'-flanking region and the first intron of the mouse alpha 1 type I collagen (COL1A1) gene. Both blocks were found to contain positive as well as negative regulatory elements. Sequences located within 222 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site showed a strong stimulatory effect on the COL1A1 promoter and were sufficient for tissue-specific regulation of the COL1A1 gene. The combined upstream and intron regulatory sequences showed a marked inhibition of COL1A1 promoter activity in fibroblasts. This finding suggests that additional, more remote regulatory sequences may be required for establishing the high level of activity of the endogenous COL1A1 gene in fibroblastoid cells.