Cloning of the human claudin-2 5′-flanking region revealed a TATA-less promoter with conserved binding sites in mouse and human for caudal-related homeodomain proteins and hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α

Claudin-2 is a structural component of tight junctions in the kidneys, liver, and intestine, but the mechanisms regulating its expression have not been defined. The 5′-flanking region of the claudin-2 gene contains binding sites for intestine-specific Cdx homeodomain proteins and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1, which are conserved in human and mouse. Both Cdx1 and Cdx2 activated the claudin-2 promoter in the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2. HNF-1α augmented the Cdx2-induced but not Cdx1-induced transcriptional activation of the human claudin-2 promoter. In mice, HNF-1α was required for claudin-2 expression in the villus epithelium of the ileum and within the liver but not in the kidneys, indicating an organ-specific function of HNF-1α in the regulation of claudin-2 gene expression. Tight junction structural components, which determine epithelial polarization and intestinal barrier function, can be regulated by homeodomain proteins that control the differentiation of the intestinal epithelium.