Sequence analyses of the IL-6–responsive regions of fibrinogen genes.

(A) Competing for DNA base contact on rat γ fibrinogen gene site II region by STAT3 and NF-κB. The contacting bases for STAT3 (open triangle) and NF-κB (closed triangle) within the site II probe are shown, based on the 3-dimensional structure of STAT3β homodimer34 or the NF-κB p50 homodimer36binding to its own consensus binding site. The directly competed bases were highlighted. (B) Conservation of the IL-6 responsive regions between human and rat fibrinogen genes. The identified IL-6 responsive regions of human Aα (−130 bp to −117 bp) and rat Aα (−131 bp to −118 bp) fibrinogen gene, human Bβ (−145 bp to −137 bp) and rat Bβ (−153 bp to −140 bp) fibrinogen gene, the putative human γ IL-6 responsive region (−160 bp to −147 bp), and the identified rat γ fibrinogen gene IL-6 responsive element site II (−154 bp to −141 bp) were aligned, using the Gendoc program. Identical bases were shaded as black.