scholarly journals Anti-inflammatory functions of the glucocorticoid receptor require DNA binding

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (15) ◽  
pp. 8393-8407
Author(s):  
Laura Escoter-Torres ◽  
Franziska Greulich ◽  
Fabiana Quagliarini ◽  
Michael Wierer ◽  
Nina Henriette Uhlenhaut

Abstract The glucocorticoid receptor is an important immunosuppressive drug target and metabolic regulator that acts as a ligand-gated transcription factor. Generally, GR’s anti-inflammatory effects are attributed to the silencing of inflammatory genes, while its adverse effects are ascribed to the upregulation of metabolic targets. GR binding directly to DNA is proposed to activate, whereas GR tethering to pro-inflammatory transcription factors is thought to repress transcription. Using mice with a point mutation in GR’s zinc finger, that still tether via protein–protein interactions while being unable to recognize DNA, we demonstrate that DNA binding is essential for both transcriptional activation and repression. Performing ChIP-Seq, RNA-Seq and proteomics under inflammatory conditions, we show that DNA recognition is required for the assembly of a functional co-regulator complex to mediate glucocorticoid responses. Our findings may contribute to the development of safer immunomodulators with fewer side effects.

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 8879-8888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuqin Nie ◽  
Yutong Xue ◽  
Dafeng Yang ◽  
Sharleen Zhou ◽  
Bonnie J. Deroo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The SWI/SNF family of chromatin-remodeling complexes facilitates gene activation by assisting transcription machinery to gain access to targets in chromatin. This family includes BAF (also called hSWI/SNF-A) and PBAF (hSWI/SNF-B) from humans and SWI/SNF and Rsc fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the relationship between the human and yeast complexes is unclear because all human subunits published to date are similar to those of both yeast SWI/SNF and Rsc. Also, the two human complexes have many identical subunits, making it difficult to distinguish their structures or functions. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of BAF250, a subunit present in human BAF but not PBAF. BAF250 contains structural motifs conserved in yeast SWI1 but not in any Rsc components, suggesting that BAF is related to SWI/SNF. BAF250 is also a homolog of the Drosophila melanogaster Osa protein, which has been shown to interact with a SWI/SNF-like complex in flies. BAF250 possesses at least two conserved domains that could be important for its function. First, it has an AT-rich DNA interaction-type DNA-binding domain, which can specifically bind a DNA sequence known to be recognized by a SWI/SNF family-related complex at the β-globin locus. Second, BAF250 stimulates glucocorticoid receptor-dependent transcriptional activation, and the stimulation is sharply reduced when the C-terminal region of BAF250 is deleted. This region of BAF250 is capable of interacting directly with the glucocorticoid receptor in vitro. Our data suggest that BAF250 confers specificity to the human BAF complex and may recruit the complex to its targets through either protein-DNA or protein-protein interactions.


1990 ◽  
Vol 265 (23) ◽  
pp. 14030-14035
Author(s):  
K. Dahlman-Wright ◽  
H. Siltala-Roos ◽  
J. Carlstedt-Duke ◽  
J.A. Gustafsson

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanna Petta ◽  
Lien Dejager ◽  
Marlies Ballegeer ◽  
Sam Lievens ◽  
Jan Tavernier ◽  
...  

SUMMARYGlucocorticoids (GCs) have been widely used for decades as a first-line treatment for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, their use is often hampered by the onset of adverse effects or resistance. GCs mediate their effects via binding to glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a transcription factor belonging to the family of nuclear receptors. An important aspect of GR's actions, including its anti-inflammatory capacity, involves its interactions with various proteins, such as transcription factors, cofactors, and modifying enzymes, which codetermine receptor functionality. In this review, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of GR that positively or negatively affect its anti-inflammatory properties, along with mechanistic insights, if known. Emphasis is placed on the interactions that affect its anti-inflammatory effects in the presence of inflammatory and microbial diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Horne ◽  
Hariprasad Venugopal ◽  
Santosh Panjikar ◽  
David M. Wood ◽  
Amy Henrickson ◽  
...  

AbstractBacteria respond to environmental changes by inducing transcription of some genes and repressing others. Sialic acids, which coat human cell surfaces, are a nutrient source for pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The Escherichia coli GntR-type transcriptional repressor, NanR, regulates sialic acid metabolism, but the mechanism is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that three NanR dimers bind a (GGTATA)3-repeat operator cooperatively and with high affinity. Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structures reveal the DNA-binding domain is reorganized to engage DNA, while three dimers assemble in close proximity across the (GGTATA)3-repeat operator. Such an interaction allows cooperative protein-protein interactions between NanR dimers via their N-terminal extensions. The effector, N-acetylneuraminate, binds NanR and attenuates the NanR-DNA interaction. The crystal structure of NanR in complex with N-acetylneuraminate reveals a domain rearrangement upon N-acetylneuraminate binding to lock NanR in a conformation that weakens DNA binding. Our data provide a molecular basis for the regulation of bacterial sialic acid metabolism.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Kumar ◽  
E. Brad Thompson

Abstract The N-terminal domains (NTDs) of many members of the nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) family contain potent transcription-activating functions (AFs). Knowledge of the mechanisms of action of the NTD AFs has lagged, compared with that concerning other important domains of the NHRs. In part, this is because the NTD AFs appear to be unfolded when expressed as recombinant proteins. Recent studies have begun to shed light on the structure and function of the NTD AFs. Recombinant NTD AFs can be made to fold by application of certain osmolytes or when expressed in conjunction with a DNA-binding domain by binding that DNA-binding domain to a DNA response element. The sequence of the DNA binding site may affect the functional state of the AFs domain. If properly folded, NTD AFs can bind certain cofactors and primary transcription factors. Through these, and/or by direct interactions, the NTD AFs may interact with the AF2 domain in the ligand binding, carboxy-terminal portion of the NHRs. We propose models for the folding of the NTD AFs and their protein-protein interactions.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 6021-6029
Author(s):  
R Metz ◽  
A J Bannister ◽  
J A Sutherland ◽  
C Hagemeier ◽  
E C O'Rourke ◽  
...  

Transcriptional activation in eukaryotes involves protein-protein interactions between regulatory transcription factors and components of the basal transcription machinery. Here we show that c-Fos, but not a related protein, Fra-1, can bind the TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) both in vitro and in vivo and that c-Fos can also interact with the transcription factor IID complex. High-affinity binding to TBP requires c-Fos activation modules which cooperate to activate transcription. One of these activation modules contains a TBP-binding motif (TBM) which was identified through its homology to TBP-binding viral activators. This motif is required for transcriptional activation, as well as TBP binding. Domain swap experiments indicate that a domain containing the TBM can confer TBP binding on Fra-1 both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo activation experiments indicate that a GAL4-Fos fusion can activate a promoter bearing a GAL4 site linked to a TATA box but that this activity does not occur at high concentrations of GAL4-Fos. This inhibition (squelching) of c-Fos activity is relieved by the presence of excess TBP, indicating that TBP is a direct functional target of c-Fos. Removing the TBM from c-Fos severely abrogates activation of a promoter containing a TATA box but does not affect activation of a promoter driven only by an initiator element. Collectively, these results suggest that c-Fos is able to activate via two distinct mechanisms, only one of which requires contact with TBP. Since TBP binding is not exhibited by Fra-1, TBP-mediated activation may be one characteristic that discriminates the function of Fos-related proteins.


1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Gugneja ◽  
J V Virbasius ◽  
R C Scarpulla

Nuclear respiratory factor 2 (NRF-2) was previously purified to near homogeneity from HeLa cells on the basis of its ability to bind tandem recognition sites in the rat cytochrome oxidase subunit IV (RCO4) promoter. It consisted of five subunits, alpha, beta 1, beta 2, gamma 1, and gamma 2. Sequencing of tryptic peptides from alpha and from mixtures of the two beta or two gamma subunits revealed sequence identities with subunits of the mouse GA-binding protein (GABP), a ubiquitously expressed ETS domain activator composed of three subunits, alpha, beta 1, and beta 2. To understand the precise relationship between NRF-2 and GABP, cDNAs for all five NRF-2 subunits have now been cloned and their products have been overexpressed. The results establish that the two additional NRF-2 subunits are molecular variants that differ from GABP beta 1 and beta 2 by having a 12-amino-acid insertion containing two serine doublets. PCR and RNase protection assays show that mRNAs for these variants are expressed in the human but not the rodent cells and tissues examined. The insertion did not alter the ability of the beta and gamma subunits to associate with alpha, the DNA-binding subunit, nor did it affect the ability of NRF-2 beta 1 or beta 2 to direct high-affinity binding of alpha to tandem sites in the RCO4 promoter. In addition, the four NRF-2 beta and gamma subunits were equally proficient in activating transcription in transfected cells when fused to a GAL4 DNA-binding domain. The domain responsible for this transcriptional activation was localized by deletion mapping to a region of approximately 70 amino acids that is conserved in all four NRF-2 beta and gamma subunits. The repeated glutamine-containing hydrophobic clusters within this region bear a strong resemblance to those recently implicated in protein-protein interactions within the transcriptional apparatus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjiang Zheng ◽  
Xiufang Huang ◽  
Yanni Lai ◽  
Xiaohong Liu ◽  
Yong Jiang ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a worldwide public health crisis. The causative pathogen is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Novel therapeutic agents are desperately needed. Because of the frequent mutations in the virus and its ability to cause cytokine storms, targeting the viral proteins has some drawbacks. Targeting cellular factors or pivotal inflammatory pathways triggered by SARS-CoV-2 may produce a broader range of therapies. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) might be beneficial against SARS-CoV-2 because of its anti-inflammatory and antiviral characteristics and possible ability to regulate crucial host factors. However, the mechanism underlying how GA regulates host factors remains to be determined.Methods: In our report, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis to identify possible GA targets, biological functions, protein-protein interactions, transcription-factor-gene interactions, transcription-factor-miRNA coregulatory networks, and the signaling pathways of GA against COVID-19.Results: Protein-protein interactions and network analysis showed that ICAM1, MMP9, TLR2, and SOCS3 had higher degree values, which may be key targets of GA for COVID-19. GO analysis indicated that the response to reactive oxygen species was significantly enriched. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN signals, complement system, and growth factor receptor signaling are the main pathways. The interactions of TF genes and miRNA with common targets and the activity of TFs were also recognized.Conclusions: GA may inhibit COVID-19 through its anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory effects, and its ability to activate the immune system, and targeted therapy for those pathways is a predominant strategy to inhibit the cytokine storms triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection.


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