CTF/NF-1 binds the stage selector element of the human γ-globin gene promoter

The human γ-globin gene undergoesto a transcriptional switch during development, being expressed in the fetus and silenced at birth. It has been proposed that the sequence centeredat −50 of the γ-globin promoter containsa stage selector element (SSE) involved in the γ- to β-globin switching. The presence ofthe SSE confers preferential functional interactions of the promoter with the locus control region(LCR) in the fetal liver. It has been shown that two factors bind the γ-globin SSE: Sp1 andthe stage selector protein (SSP). Here we show that also the ubiquitous transcription factor CTF/NF-1 binds to the −53 to −35 element of the human γ-globin promoter and its specificity is not influenced by flanking sequences.