Structure of the human 5-HT7 receptor gene and characterization of its promoter region

By gel shift and supershift analyses, targeting the Sp1 consensus sequence and the GC-rich region just upstream of the transcription initiation sites, binding of Sp1 and Sp3 was demonstrated. Both in vitro as well as in vivo experiments, using a cell line which endogenously expresses the 5-HT7 receptor, indicated that mithramycin A, an inhibitor of Sp1/3 transcription factor binding, was able to inhibit 5-HT7 promoter activity. Taken together these results support the essential role of Sp factors in regulating 5-HT7 promoter activity.