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B-Myb Acts As A Repressor Of Human Col1a1 Collagen Gene Expression By Interacting With Sp1 And Cbf Factors In Scleroderma Fibroblasts, Lucia Cicchillitti, Sergio A. Jimenez, Arturo Sala, Biaggio Saitta

Selected Works of Sergio Jiménez, MD, MACR

We investigated the role of B-Myb, a cell-cycle-regulated transcription factor, in the expression of the alpha1 (I) pro-collagen gene (COL1A1) in scleroderma fibroblasts. Scleroderma or SSc (systemic sclerosis) is a fibrotic disease characterized by excessive production of extracellular matrix components, especially type I collagen. Northern-blot analysis showed an inverse relationship between COL1A1 mRNA expression and that of B-Myb during exponential cell growth and during quiescence in human SSc fibroblasts. Overexpression of B-Myb in SSc fibroblasts was correlated with decreased COL1A1 mRNA expression. Transient transfections localized the down-regulatory effect of B-Myb to a region containing the proximal 174 bp of the …