Structure of the chicken myelomonocytic growth factor gene and specific activation of its promoter in avian myelomonocytic cells by protein kinases

Abstract

In chicken myeloid cells but not in erythroid cells, kinase-type oncogenes activate expression of the chicken myelomonocytic growth factor (cMGF). The autocrine loop established this way plays a key role in lineage-specific cooperation of nuclear and kinase-type oncogenes in retrovirally induced myeloid leukemia. In this report, we describe the cloning of the cMGF gene, including its promoter. The structure of the cMGF gene is homologous to those of the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-6 genes. Expression from reporter constructs containing the cMGF promoter is specific to myelomonocytic cells. Kinases activate cMGF at the transcriptional level in macrophages and strongly induce reporter expression in myelomonocytic cells.