Mouse retinoic acid receptor alpha 2 isoform is transcribed from a promoter that contains a retinoic acid response element.

We have characterized the promoter of the mouse retinoic acid receptor alpha 2 (mRAR-alpha 2) isoform. This promoter contains a retinoic acid response element (RARE) that closely resembles the RARE that is present in the RAR-beta 2 promoter. Moreover, RAR-alpha 2 and RAR-beta 2 proximal promoter sequences are similar to each other and generate transcripts whose respective start sites are located at similar positions. The RAR-alpha 2 RARE consists of two directly repeated 5'-GTTCA-3' motifs to which all three RARs (alpha, beta, and gamma) bind in vitro.