# BIOCHEMISTRY AND MORPHOLOGY OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

> **NIH NIH R01** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 1991 · $191,590

## Abstract

This continuation project proposes extensive further studies on elastin
biology and biochemistry.  These studies are designed to delineate the
molecular events of elastogenesis in physiologic situations concentrating
on regulation of elastin gene expression both at transcriptional and post-
transcriptional levels.  This proposal is based on our significant progress
made on molecular biology of elastin during the previous project period.
The progress made includes (a) development and sequencing of full-length
human elastin cDNAs; (b) characterization of the entire elastin gene
structure with respect to exon/intron organization; (c) elucidation of
alternative splicing occuring during post-transcriptional processing of
elastin primary RNA transcripts; (d) characterization of structural
features, including the precise nucleotide sequence, of ~ 2.2 kb of 5'-
flanking region of the elastin gene containing the putative promoter
elements; (e) development of functional elastin promoter/CAT gene
constructs, and demonstration of functional promoter activity in a variety
of human and rodent cell lines, including human skin fibroblasts; (f)
construction of 5'-3' and 3'-5' deletion libraries that have delineated the
basic promoter element and identified several positive (enhancer-like) and
negative (down-regulatory/silencer) upstream elements.  The specific
technologies that the proposed research will utilize include (a) Northern
and slot-blot hybridizations with sequence-specific cDNAs and synthetic
oligomers; (b) polymerase chain reaction amplification for identification
of human elastin cDNA and mRNA sequences; (c) transient cell transient cell
transfection assays utilizing promoter/CAT gene constructs for elucidation
of cis-and trans-acting control elements in human cells.  We expect that
the approaches utilizing these highly sophisticated techniques of molecular
biology will allow us to pinpoint the key regulatory elements controlling
elastogenesis in tissues under physiologic conditions.  Elucidation of
normal biochemistry and molecular biology of elastin provides a basis to
explore elastin aberrations in clinical situations in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155662
- **Project number:** 5R01AR028450-09
- **Recipient organization:** THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** R8JEVL4ULGB7
- **Principal Investigator:** JOUNI UITTO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $191,590
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-01-01 → 1995-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155662

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155662, BIOCHEMISTRY AND MORPHOLOGY OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE (5R01AR028450-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155662. Licensed CC0.

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