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Promoters based on glucocorticoid receptor (GR)

One of the best characterized steroid-responsive promoter systems is the GR. It has been used widely in transgenic animal cells, in particular mammalian cells. Granted patents claiming the basic principle of the glucocorticoid-responsive transcriptional factors were not found. Neither were patents or patent applications claiming a GR-based system for plants.

The system for expression in animal cells is part of an invention disclosed in a U.S. patent granted to McGill University.

The invention comprises an animal expression vector containing a synthetic promoter:

  • having at least 5 glucocorticoid response elements (GREs)
  • GREs are placed upstream of a viral or mammalian TATA box.
  • The vector also contains a transcriptional initiator site 20 to 50 bases from the TATA box
  • a restriction endonuclease site for the insertion of a gene to be expressed from the promoter and
  • lacks elements which bind to nuclear factor 1.

The promoter itself, which is also claimed, is responsive to several steroid receptors including glucocorticoid, progesterone, androgen and mineralocorticoid receptor. There is no limit on the types of cells into which the promoter is transfected.

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number

Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims

 Assignee
US 5512483

  • Earliest priority – 21 May 1993
  • Filed – 21 May 1993
  • Granted – 30 April 1996
  • Expected expiry – 20 May 2013
 Title – Expression responsive to steroid hormones

Claim 1
An expression vector adapted for replication in an animal cell comprising a glucocorticoid responsive promoter, said promoter comprising a plurality of at least 5 glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), a viral or mammalian TATA box, and a viral or mammalian initiator element with a transcriptional initiator site located from 20 to 50 bases from said TATA box, said promoter lacking upstream elements which bind nuclear factor I, and said vector further comprising a restriction endonuclease site downstream from said promoter for insertion of DNA to be expressed from said promoter; wherein said DNA is expressed from said vector in an animal cell.
Claim 10
A promoter consisting of a plurality of at least five glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), a TATA box, and an initiator site containing a transcriptional initiator site located from 20 to 50 bases from said TATA box, said promoter lacking upstream elements which bind nuclear factor I, wherein said promoter is responsive to ligand-bound glucocorticoid, progesterone, androgen or mineralocorticoid receptor when transiently transfected into cells, when stably integrated within a genome, or when stably propagated in an episomal vector.

McGill University

Remarks

 The related PCT application WO 94/28150 and the Australian application AU 67918/94 were withdrawn in 1996.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 21 April 2006.