Endothelial-specific Enhancer as a Cis Element of PLAUR Regulation by TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and VEGF

The expression of human PLAUR gene, which encodes the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), is cell- and process-specific and elevated in inflammation, cancer and senescence. Its tight regulation is achieved by regulatory elements in the gene locus, such as the promoter and several enhancers. The promoter activity is not specific to a particular cell type and has been described earlier. The proximal enhancer is endothelial-specific and responsible for the PLAUR expression pattern in endothelial cells. In this study we described the enhancer activity and its cis-regulatory elements based on the published data. We showed a possible connection of the enhancer activity with known cellular phenotypes.