AT-Rich Interactive Domain Containing Protein 5A (ARID5A)

Members of the ARID protein family, including ARID5A, have diverse functions but all appear to play important roles in development, tissue-specific gene expression, and regulation of cell growth. Gel mobility shift assays with nuclear extracts from undifferentiated and retinoic acid-treated human embryonal carcinoma and monocytic leukemia cells demonstrated that MRF1 binding was reduced in differentiated cells compared to untreated cells. Transient transfection assays showed that MRF1 repressed transcription of the human CMV major immediate-early gene; however, enhancer activity was restored by either deletion or mutation of MRF1 binding sites. Competitive DNA binding assays showed that MRF1 requires multiple AT stretches for DNA binding, rather than a specific DNA sequence.