Gene expression of neuro-specific genes and their regulation by drugs-identification of transcriptional factors which are involved in neral differentiation and memory.

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The aim of this project is to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of neuron-specific genes by drugs and identification of transcriptional factors which are involved in the regulation. For this purpose, we used the cloned neuropeptide Y and enkephalin A genes by molecular biologial techniques. The results are as follows ;(1) The positive regulation of NPY gene by membrane depolarization occurs at the transcriptional level.(2) Three enhancer elements such as NGF responsive element, depolarization responsive element, and glucocorticoide responsive element are identified in the promoter regon of NPY gene.(3) Several DNA-binding factors are found to bind to NGF responsive element.(4) One of these factors, NDF1 was increased in binding activity with NGF treatment.(5) The future goal is to clarify whether these transcriptional factors are important for gene regulation by drugs and neural differentiation, and the coning study is now going on.