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Secretory clusterin (sCLU) is found as an 80-kDa glycoprotein in virtually all body fluids, in serum it is associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Here, we discuss demonstrated and proposed mechanisms of the cytoprotective functions of sCLU in instances of apoptosis, necrosis, and disease. These include prevention from cell damage by lipid oxidation in blood vessels, removal of dead cell remnants in tissues undergoing various forms of cell death, and clearance of harmful extracellular molecules such as amyloid beta (Abeta) by endocytosis or transcytosis. All these functions may reflect the propensity of sCLU to bind to a wide spectrum of hydrophobic molecules on one hand and to specific cell-surface receptors on the other hand. Identified and proposed sCLU receptors are members of the LDL receptor family of endocytosis receptors. Since these receptors recently have proved to modulate cell signaling we will discuss whether sCLU due to this interaction not only targets its ligands for clearance, but may also be involved in triggering signal transduction.

The regulation of expression of the Tn1721-encoded tetracycline-resistance determinant is described at the molecular level. The transcriptional control element consists of overlapping divergent promoters, which are negatively regulated by two operators with nearly identical sequence. The mRNA for the regulatory gene tetR is translated without a ribosome-binding site. This result is confirmed by S1 nuclease mapping and RNA sequencing of the tetR mRNA. The start nucleotide for transcription of this mRNA is the adenosine residue of the sequence 5'-AUG. Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified Tet repressor proves that this AUG is the initiation codon for translation. The Tet repressor protein is further used to map the two tet operators by DNase I footprinting. Tight contacts of the protein to the N-7 positions of two guanosine residues in each operator are determined from methylation protection experiments with dimethylsulfate. The differential regulation and positive control of transcription of the tetR gene that is possible with this arrangement of promoters and operators is discussed.

The 7905 bp genomic DNA of the human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV-16), which is associated with invasive cervical neoplasia, contains a 832 bp upstream regulatory region (URR) supposed to contain most of its cis-acting promoter elements. A search for DNA sequences known to bind transcription factors has resulted in the recognition of numerous consensus sequences. A functional analysis of a segment of this URR containing some of these consensus sequences has resulted in the recognition of an enhancer element, that is functional only in human HeLa, but not in human MCF7 cells. The same region contains an element that confers regulatibility by glucocorticoid hormones, but not by sex steroids, to a linked promoter.