Nucleotide sequence of murine PCNA: Interspecies comparison of the cDNA and the 5' flanking region of the gene

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) RNA levels are regulated by transcription as well as changes in stability, in growing cells. We have cloned the murine PCNA cDNA and a fragment of the murine PCNA gene flanking the transcription initiation site. Comparison of the murine deduced amino acid sequence with the PCNA sequence from rat, human, Drosophila, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and higher plants, reveals extensive homology between species. The homology is likely to be related to the fundamental role of PCNA as an auxiliary protein for DNA replication. Consensus sequences for transcriptional regulatory factors identified within 520 bp 5' of the cap site of the murine PCNA gene include: an inverted CCAAT site, an enhancer core element (EBP-1), three cAMP-response elements (CRE-BP), one AP-2 site, three Sp1 sites, and two octamer sequences. The first 20 bp of the transcriptional unit are homologous to an initiator element, which may direct transcription from RNA polymerase II in the absence of a TATAA box. The consensus elements in the murine PCNA gene are similar in sequence and/or location to elements identified in the genes for human, Drosophilia, and yeast PCNA.