scholarly journals Deletion of the carboxyl-terminal transactivation domain of MGF-Stat5 results in sustained DNA binding and a dominant negative phenotype.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 5691-5700 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Moriggl ◽  
V Gouilleux-Gruart ◽  
R Jähne ◽  
S Berchtold ◽  
C Gartmann ◽  
...  

The Stat (signal transducer and activator of transcription) factors transmit cytokine, growth factor, and hormone responses. Seven members of the Stat gene family are known. MGF-Stat5a has been discovered as a mediator of the prolactin response in mammary epithelial cells. Two closely related variants of Stat5, Stat5a and Stat5b, are encoded by distinct genes. We examined the functional properties of the carboxyl termini of these molecules. Wild-type Stat5a (794 amino acids) and the carboxyl-terminal deletion mutant Stat5a delta 772 supported prolactin-induced transcription of a beta-casein promoter-reporter construct in COS7 cells; Stat5a delta 750 did not. Upon prolactin activation, tyrosine phosphorylation and the specificity of DNA binding were indistinguishable among the three Stat5a variants. Tyrosine dephosphorylation and the downregulation of the DNA-binding activity were delayed in the Stat5a delta 750 mutant. The carboxyl-terminal transactivation domain of Stat5a, amino acids 722 to 794, can be conferred to the DNA-binding domain of the yeast transcription factor GAL4. Coexpression of Stat5a or Stat5b and of the carboxyl-terminal deletion mutants resulted in the suppression of transcriptional induction in COS or Ba/F3 cells. We propose that Stat5a delta 750 and Stat5b delta 754 are lacking functional transactivation domains and exert their dominant negative effects by blocking the DNA-binding site in Stat5-responsive gene promoters.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Hao Liou ◽  
Sameer K. Singh ◽  
Robert H. Singer ◽  
Robert A. Coleman ◽  
Wei-Li Liu

AbstractThe tumor suppressor p53 protein activates expression of a vast gene network in response to stress stimuli for cellular integrity. The molecular mechanism underlying how p53 targets RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to regulate transcription remains unclear. To elucidate the p53/Pol II interaction, we have determined a 4.6 Å resolution structure of the human p53/Pol II assembly via single particle cryo-electron microscopy. Our structure reveals that p53’s DNA binding domain targets the upstream DNA binding site within Pol II. This association introduces conformational changes of the Pol II clamp into a further-closed state. A cavity was identified between p53 and Pol II that could possibly host DNA. The transactivation domain of p53 binds the surface of Pol II’s jaw that contacts downstream DNA. These findings suggest that p53’s functional domains directly regulate DNA binding activity of Pol II to mediate transcription, thereby providing insights into p53-regulated gene expression.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 2761-2772
Author(s):  
Ann K. Corsi ◽  
Thomas M. Brodigan ◽  
Erik M. Jorgensen ◽  
Michael Krause

Twist is a transcription factor that is required for mesodermal cell fates in all animals studied to date. Mutations of this locus in humans have been identified as the cause of the craniofacial disorder Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The Caenorhabditis elegans Twist homolog is required for the development of a subset of the mesoderm. A semidominant allele of the gene that codes for CeTwist, hlh-8, has defects that occur earlier in the mesodermal lineage than a previously studied null allele of the gene. The semidominant allele has a charge change (E29K) in the basic DNA-binding domain of CeTwist. Surprisingly, the mutant protein retains DNA-binding activity as both a homodimer and a heterodimer with its partner E/Daughterless (CeE/DA). However, the mutant protein blocks the activation of the promoter of a target gene. Therefore, the mutant CeTwist may cause cellular defects as a dominant negative protein by binding to target promoters as a homo- or heterodimer and then blocking transcription. Similar phenotypes as those caused by the E29K mutation were observed when amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding domain that are associated with the human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome were engineered into the C. elegans protein. These data suggest that Saethre-Chotzen syndrome may be caused, in some cases, by dominant negative proteins, rather than by haploinsufficiency of the locus.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 7429-7438
Author(s):  
R Wisdon ◽  
I M Verma

The Fos family of proteins now includes seven members: the retroviral proteins FBR-v-Fos and FBJ-v-Fos and the cellular proteins c-Fos, FosB, FosB2, Fra1, and Fra2. Four proteins (FBR-v-Fos, FBJ-v-Fos, c-Fos, and FosB) transform established rodent fibroblast cell lines, while three (FosB2, Fra1, and Fra2) do not. As all family members display sequence-specific DNA-binding activity as part of a heterodimeric complex with Jun proteins, other features must account for the differences in transforming potential. We demonstrate here that all transforming members have a C-terminal transactivation domain that is lacking in nontransforming members. The nontransforming proteins Fra1 and Fra2 can be converted to transforming proteins by fusion of a transactivation domain from either FosB or VP16. We also demonstrate that differences in the basic region-leucine zipper domain affecting either the affinity or sequence specificity of DNA binding are not determinants of the difference in transforming potential among members of the Fos family. The results further define the functional requirements for transformation by Fos proteins and suggest that the subunit composition of AP1 complexes is an important determinant of mitogenic signalling capability.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 7303-7310
Author(s):  
S Altiok ◽  
B Groner

Transcription of the beta-casein gene in mammary epithelial cells is regulated by the lactogenic hormones insulin, glucocorticoids, and prolactin. The DNA sequence elements in the promoter which confer the action of the hormones on the transcriptional machinery and the nuclear proteins binding to this region have been investigated. We found that 221 nucleotides of promoter sequence 5' of the RNA start site are sufficient to mediate the induction of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in transfected HC11 mammary epithelial cells. Deletion of 5' sequences to position -183 results in a construct with enhanced basal activity which still retains inducibility. A -170 beta-casein promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct has very low transcriptional activity, which indicates the presence of a negative regulatory in the region between -221 and -183 and a positive regulatory element between -183 and -170. Band shift analysis showed that the promoter region between -194 and -163 specifically binds two nuclear proteins. The proteins are sequence-specific, single-stranded DNA-binding proteins which exclusively recognize the upper DNA strand and most likely play a repressing role in transcription. DNA binding activity of these nuclear proteins was observed only in nuclear extracts from mammary glands of mice in late pregnancy and postlactation, not during lactation. Hormonal control of the DNA binding activity of these proteins was also observed in the mammary epithelial cell line HC11. Mixing experiments showed that extracts from mammary tissue of lactating mice and from lactogenic hormone-treated HC11 cells contain an activity which can suppress the DNA binding of the single-stranded DNA-binding proteins.2+ identical specificity to the single-stranded DNA.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. C216-C226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wei ◽  
Hongmei Yang ◽  
Michael Menconi ◽  
Peirang Cao ◽  
Chester E. Chamberlain ◽  
...  

The role of the proteasome in the regulation of cellular levels of the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that C/EBPβ levels in cultured myotubes are regulated, at least in part, by proteasome activity. Treatment of cultured L6 myotubes, a rat skeletal muscle cell line, with the specific proteasome inhibitor β-lactone resulted in increased nuclear levels of C/EBPβ as determined by Western blotting and immunofluorescent detection. This effect of β-lactone reflected inhibited degradation of C/EBPβ. Surprisingly, the increased C/EBPβ levels in β-lactone-treated myotubes did not result in increased DNA-binding activity. In additional experiments, treatment of the myotubes with β-lactone resulted in increased nuclear levels of growth arrest DNA damage/C/EBP homologous protein (Gadd153/CHOP), a dominant-negative member of the C/EBP family that can form heterodimers with other members of the C/EBP family and block DNA binding. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent detection provided evidence that C/EBPβ and Gadd153/CHOP interacted and colocalized in the nuclei of the β-lactone-treated myotubes. When Gadd153/CHOP expression was downregulated by transfection of myotubes with siRNA targeting Gadd153/CHOP, C/EBPβ DNA-binding activity was restored in β-lactone-treated myotubes. The results suggest that C/EBPβ is degraded by a proteasome-dependent mechanism in skeletal muscle cells and that Gadd153/CHOP can interact with C/EBPβ and block its DNA-binding activity. The observations are important because they increase the understanding of the complex regulation of the expression and activity of C/EBPβ in skeletal muscle.


mBio ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Yin ◽  
Vladimira Dragnea ◽  
George Feldman ◽  
Loubna A. Hammad ◽  
Jonathan A. Karty ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The DNA binding activity of the photosystem-specific repressor PpsR is known to be repressed by the antirepressor AppA. AppA contains a blue-light-absorbing BLUF domain and a heme-binding SCHIC domain that controls the interaction of AppA with PpsR in response to light and heme availability. In this study, we have solved the structure of the SCHIC domain and identified the histidine residue that is critical for heme binding. We also demonstrate that dark-adapted AppA binds heme better than light-excited AppA does and that heme bound to the SCHIC domain significantly reduces the length of the BLUF photocycle. We further show that heme binding to the SCHIC domain is affected by the redox state of a disulfide bridge located in the Cys-rich carboxyl-terminal region. These results demonstrate that light, redox, and heme are integrated inputs that control AppA’s ability to disrupt the DNA binding activity of PpsR. IMPORTANCE Photosynthetic bacteria must coordinate synthesis of the tetrapyrroles cobalamin, heme, and bacteriochlorophyll, as overproduction of the latter two is toxic to cells. A key regulator controlling tetrapyrrole biosynthesis is PpsR, and the activity of PpsR is controlled by the heme-binding and light-regulated antirepressor AppA. We show that AppA binds heme only under dark conditions and that heme binding significantly affects the length of the AppA photocycle. Since AppA interacts with PpsR only in the dark, bound heme thus stimulates the antirepressor activity of PpsR. This causes the redirection of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis away from heme into the bacteriochlorophyll branch.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 6372-6384 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Y Chen ◽  
R J Schwartz

We recently showed that the cardiogenic homeodomain factor Nkx-2.5 served as a positive acting accessory factor for serum response factor (SRF) and that together they provided strong transcriptional activation of the cardiac alpha-actin promoter, depending upon intact serum response elements (SREs) (C. Y. Chen, J. Croissant, M. Majesky, S. Topouz, T. McQuinn, M. J. Frankovsky, and R. J. Schwartz, Dev. Genet. 19:119-130, 1996). As shown here, Nkx-2.5 and SRF collaborated to activate the endogenous murine cardiac alpha-actin gene in 10T1/2 fibroblasts by a mechanism in which SRF recruited Nkx-2.5 to the alpha-actin promoter. Activation of a truncated promoter consisting of the proximal alpha-actin SRE1 occurred even when Nkx-2.5 DNA-binding activity was blocked by a point mutation in the third helix of its homeodomain. Investigation of protein-protein interactions showed that Nkx-2.5 was bound to SRF in the absence of DNA in soluble protein complexes retrieved from cardiac myocyte nuclei but could also be detected in coassociated binding complexes on the proximal SRE1. Recruitment of Nkx-2.5 to an SRE depended upon SRF DNA-binding activity and was blocked by the dominant negative SRFpm1 mutant, which allowed for dimerization of SRF monomers but prevented DNA binding. Interactive regions shared by Nkx-2.5 and SRF were mapped to N-terminal/helix I and helix II/helix III regions of the Nkx-2.5 homeodomain and to the N-terminal extension of the MADS box. Our study suggests that physical association between Nkx-2.5 and SRF is one way that cardiac specified genes are activated in cardiac cell lineages.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (4) ◽  
pp. C903-C911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyang Xu ◽  
Wenzheng Zhang ◽  
Bruce C. Kone

Despite its key role in potassium homeostasis, transcriptional control of the H+-K+-ATPase α2-subunit (HKα2) gene in the collecting duct remains poorly characterized. cAMP increases H+-K+-ATPase activity in the collecting duct, but its role in activating HKα2 transcription has not been explored. Previously, we demonstrated that the proximal 177 bp of the HKα2 promoter confers basal collecting duct-selective expression. This region contains several potential cAMP/Ca2+-responsive elements (CRE). Accordingly, we examined the participation of CRE-binding protein (CREB) in HKα2 transcriptional control in murine inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD)-3 cells. Forskolin and vasopressin induced HKα2 mRNA levels, and CREB overexpression stimulated the activity of HKα2 promoter-luciferase constructs. Serial deletion analysis revealed that CREB inducibility was retained in a construct containing the proximal 100 bp of the HKα2 promoter. In contrast, expression of a dominant negative inhibitor (A-CREB) resulted in 60% lower HKα2 promoter-luciferase activity, suggesting that constitutive CREB participates in basal HKα2 transcriptional activity. A constitutively active CREB mutant (CREB-VP16) strongly induced HKα2 promoter-luciferase activity, whereas overexpression of CREBdLZ-VP16, which lacks the CREB DNA-binding domain, abolished this activation. In vitro DNase I footprinting and gel shift/supershift analysis of the proximal promoter with recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-CREB-1 and mIMCD-3 cell nuclear extracts revealed sequence-specific DNA-CREB-1 complexes at −86/−60. Mutation at three CRE-like sequences within this region abolished CREB-1 DNA-binding activity and abrogated CREB-VP16 trans-activation of the HKα2 promoter. In contrast, mutation of the neighboring −104/−94 κβ element did not alter CREB-VP16 trans-activation of the HKα2 promoter. Thus CREB-1, binding to one or more CRE-like elements in the −86/−60 region, trans-activates the HKα2 gene and may represent an important link between rapid and delayed effects of cAMP on HKα2 activity.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 862-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Shih Chen ◽  
Rainer Claus ◽  
David M. Lucas ◽  
Lianbo Yu ◽  
Jiang Qian ◽  
...  

Abstract Inhibitor of DNA binding protein 4 (ID4) is a member of the dominant-negative basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor family that lacks DNA binding activity and has tumor suppressor function. ID4 promoter methylation has been reported in acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), although the expression, function, and clinical relevance of this gene have not been characterized in either disease. We demonstrate that the promoter of ID4 is consistently methylated to various degrees in CLL cells, and increased promoter methylation in a univariable analysis correlates with shortened patient survival. However, ID4 mRNA and protein expression is uniformly silenced in CLL cells irrespective of the degree of promoter methylation. The crossing of ID4+/− mice with Eμ-TCL1 mice triggers a more aggressive murine CLL as measured by lymphocyte count and inferior survival. Hemizygous loss of ID4 in nontransformed TCL1-positive B cells enhances cell proliferation triggered by CpG oligonucleotides and decreases sensitivity to dexamethasone-mediated apoptosis. Collectively, this study confirms the importance of the silencing of ID4 in murine and human CLL pathogenesis.


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