Characterization and functional analysis of the Paralichthys olivaceus prdm1 gene promoter

PR domain containing protein 1 (Prdm1) is a transcriptional repressor identified in various species and plays multiple important roles in immune response and embryonic development. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the prdm1 gene. This study aims to characterize the promoter of Paralichthys olivaceus prdm1 (Po-prdm1) gene and determine the regulatory mechanism of Po-prdm1 expression. A 2000 bp-long 5′-flanking region (translation initiation site designated as + 1) of the Po-prdm1 gene was isolated and characterized. The regulatory elements in this fragment were then investigated and many putative transcription factor (TF) binding sites involved in immunity and multiple tissue development were identified. A 5′-deletion analysis was then conducted, and the ability of the deletion mutants to promote luciferase and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in a flounder gill cell line was examined. The results revealed that the minimal promoter is located in the region between − 446 and − 13 bp, and the region between − 1415 and − 13 bp enhanced the promoter activity. Site-directed mutation analysis was subsequently performed on the putative regulatory elements sites, and the results indicated that FOXP1, MSX and BCL6 binding sites play negative functional roles in the regulation of the Po-prdm1 expression in FG cells. In vivo analysis demonstrated that a GFP reporter gene containing 1.4 kb-long promoter fragment (− 1415/−13) was expressed in the head and trunk muscle fibres of transient transgenic zebrafish embryos. Our study provided the basic information for the exploration of Po-prdm1 regulation and expression.