Sp1 Transcription Factor and GATA1 cis-Acting Elements Modulate Testis-Specific Expression of Mouse Cyclin A1

Cyclin A1 is a male germ cell-specific cell cycle regulator that is essential for spermatogenesis. It is unique among the cyclins by virtue of its highly restricted expression in vivo, being present in pachytene and diplotene spermatocytes and not in earlier or later stages of spermatogenesis. To begin to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for this narrow window of expression of the mouse cyclin A1 (Ccna1) gene, we carried out a detailed analysis of its promoter. We defined a 170-bp region within the promoter and showed that it is involved in repression of Ccna1 in cultured cells. Within this region we identified known cis-acting transcription factor binding sequences, including an Sp1-binding site and two GATA1-binding sites. Neither Sp1 nor GATA1 is expressed in pachytene spermatocytes and later stages of germ cell differentiation. Sp1 is readily detected at earlier stages of spermatogenesis. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that neither factor alone was sufficient to significantly repress expression driven by the Ccna1 promoter, while concurrent binding of Sp1, and most likely GATA1 and possibly additional factors was inhibitory. Occupancy of Sp1 on the Ccna1 promoter and influence of GATA1-dependent cis-acting elements was confirmed by ChIP analysis in cell lines and most importantly, in spermatogonia. In contrast with many other testis-specific genes, the CpG island methylation status of the Ccna1 promoter was similar among various tissues examined, irrespective of whether Ccna1 was transcriptionally active, suggesting that this regulatory mechanism is not involved in the restricted expression of Ccna1.