scholarly journals Gfi-1 encodes a nuclear zinc finger protein that binds DNA and functions as a transcriptional repressor.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 4024-4034 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Zweidler-Mckay ◽  
H L Grimes ◽  
M M Flubacher ◽  
P N Tsichlis

The Gfi-1 proto-oncogene encodes a zinc finger protein with six C2H2-type, C-terminal zinc finger motifs and is activated by provirus integration in T-cell lymphoma lines selected for interleukin-2 independence in culture and in primary retrovirus-induced thymomas. Gfi-1 expression in adult animals is restricted to the thymus, spleen, and testis and is enhanced in mitogen-stimulated splenocytes. In this report, we show that Gfi-1 is a 55-kDa nuclear protein that binds DNA in a sequence-specific manner. The Gfi-1 binding site, TAAATCAC(A/T)GCA, was defined via random oligonucleotide selection utilizing a bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase-Gfi-1 fusion protein. Binding to this site was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting. Methylation interference analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays with mutant oliginucleotides defined the relative importance of specific bases at the consensus binding site. Deletion of individual zinc fingers demonstrated that only zinc fingers 3, 4, and 5 are required for sequence-specific DNA binding. Potential Gfi-1 binding sites were detected in a large number of eukaryotic promoter-enhancers, including the enhancers of several proto-oncogenes and cytokine genes and the enhancer of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major immediate-early promoter, which contains two such sites. HCMV major immediate-early-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter constructs, transfected into NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, were repressed by Gfi-1, and the repression was abrogated by mutation of critical residues in the two Gfi-1 binding sites. These results suggest that Gfi-1 may play a role in HCMV biology and may contribute to oncogenesis and T-cell activation by repressing the expression of genes that inhibit these processes.

Author(s):  
Lu Xue ◽  
Hongling Qiu ◽  
Jian Ma ◽  
Mingxiong Guo ◽  
Wenxin Li

AbstractZNF300 was recently identified as a member of the human KRAB/C2H2 zinc finger protein family. Little is known about the role of ZNF300 in human gene regulation networks. In this study, the DNA-binding property of ZNF300 was further analyzed. We found that the recombinant ZNF300 could bind to the binding site 5′-GCGGGGGCG-3′ of Egr1, another member of the KRAB/C2H2 zinc finger protein family. Similarly, recombinant Egr1 also showed a similar binding affinity to the ZNF300 binding site 5′-CTGGGGGCG-3′. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that there is an overlapping ZNF300/Egr1 binding site in the human IL-2Rβ promoter region, which was previously known to be recognized by endogenous Egr1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that endogenous ZNF300 could also bind to this site. A transient transfection assay revealed that both ZNF300 and Egr1 could transactivate the IL-2Rβ promoter, and that the activation was abrogated by a mutation of residues in the overlapping ZNF300/Egr1 binding site. Co-expression of ZNF300 and Egr1 led to enhanced IL-2Rβ promoter activity. Thus, ZNF300 is likely to be another regulator of the human IL-2Rβ promoter.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 3370-3381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Saba ◽  
Christian Kosan ◽  
Lothar Vassen ◽  
Tarik Möröy

Abstract T cells originate from early T lineage precursors that have entered the thymus and differentiate through well-defined steps. Mice deficient for the BTB/POZ domain of zinc finger protein-1 (Miz-1) almost entirely lack early T lineage precursors and have a CD4−CD8− to CD4+CD8+ block causing a strong reduction in thymic cellularity. Miz-1ΔPOZ pro-T cells cannot differentiate in vitro and are unable to relay signals from the interleukin-7R (IL-7R). Both STAT5 phosphorylation and Bcl-2 up-regulation are perturbed. The high expression levels of SOCS1 found in Miz-1ΔPOZ cells probably cause these alterations. Moreover, Miz-1 can bind to the SOCS1 promoter, suggesting that Miz-1 deficiency causes a deregulation of SOCS1. Transgenic overexpression of Bcl-2 or inhibition of SOCS1 restored pro-T cell numbers and their ability to differentiate, supporting the hypothesis that Miz-1 is required for the regulation of the IL-7/IL-7R/STAT5/Bcl-2 signaling pathway by monitoring the expression levels of SOCS1.


2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangping Sun ◽  
Xiaolong Liu ◽  
Peter Mercado ◽  
S Rhiannon Jenkinson ◽  
Magdalini Kypriotou ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasa Kovacevic-Grujicic ◽  
Kazunari Yokoyama ◽  
Milena Stevanovic

In this study, we examine the role of three highly conserved putative binding sites for Myc-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ) in regulation of the human SOX3 gene expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays indicate that complexes formed at two out of three MAZ sites of the human SOX3 promoter involve ubiquitously expressed MAZ protein. Furthermore, in cotransfection experiments we demonstrate that MAZ acts as a positive regulator of SOX3 gene transcription in both undifferentiated and RA-differentiated NT2/D1 cells. Although MAZ increased both basal and RA-induced promoter activity, our results suggest that MAZ does not contribute to RA inducibility of the SOX3 promoter during neuronal differentiation of NT2/D1 cells.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3120-3129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngsook Lee ◽  
Tetsuo Shioi ◽  
Hideko Kasahara ◽  
Shawn M. Jobe ◽  
Russell J. Wiese ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Specification and differentiation of the cardiac muscle lineage appear to require a combinatorial network of many factors. The cardiac muscle-restricted homeobox protein Csx/Nkx2.5 (Csx) is expressed in the precardiac mesoderm as well as the embryonic and adult heart. Targeted disruption of Csx causes embryonic lethality due to abnormal heart morphogenesis. The zinc finger transcription factor GATA4 is also expressed in the heart and has been shown to be essential for heart tube formation. GATA4 is known to activate many cardiac tissue-restricted genes. In this study, we tested whether Csx and GATA4 physically associate and cooperatively activate transcription of a target gene. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Csx and GATA4 associate intracellularly. Interestingly, in vitro protein-protein interaction studies indicate that helix III of the homeodomain of Csx is required to interact with GATA4 and that the carboxy-terminal zinc finger of GATA4 is necessary to associate with Csx. Both regions are known to directly contact the cognate DNA sequences. The promoter-enhancer region of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) contains several putative Csx binding sites and consensus GATA4 binding sites. Transient-transfection assays indicate that Csx can activate ANF reporter gene expression to the same extent that GATA4 does in a DNA binding site-dependent manner. Coexpression of Csx and GATA4 synergistically activates ANF reporter gene expression. Mutational analyses suggest that this synergy requires both factors to fully retain their transcriptional activities, including the cofactor binding activity. These results demonstrate the first example of homeoprotein and zinc finger protein interaction in vertebrates to cooperatively regulate target gene expression. Such synergistic interaction among tissue-restricted transcription factors may be an important mechanism to reinforce tissue-specific developmental pathways.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5975-5985 ◽  
Author(s):  
K M Sakamoto ◽  
J K Fraser ◽  
H J Lee ◽  
E Lehman ◽  
J C Gasson

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates myeloid progenitor cell proliferation and enhances the function of terminally differentiated effector cells. Interleukin-3 (IL-3) stimulation results in the proliferation and maturation of early bone marrow progenitor cells. These activities are mediated by non-tyrosine kinase-containing receptors which consist of ligand-specific alpha subunits that complex with a common beta subunit required for signal transduction. Both GM-CSF and IL-3 rapidly and transiently induce expression of early growth response gene 1 (egr-1) in the human factor-dependent cell line TF-1. To define the mechanism of early response gene induction by GM-CSF and IL-3, growth factor- and serum-starved TF-1 cells transfected with recombinant constructs containing sequences of the human egr-1 promoter were stimulated with GM-CSF or IL-3. A 116-nucleotide (nt) region of the egr-1 promoter which contains sequences inducible by GM-CSF and IL-3 was defined. DNase I footprint analysis identified a 20-nt region, including nt -57 to -76, which contains a potential cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element (CRE). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays performed with CREB antibody confirmed the presence of CREB in the DNA-binding complex. Mutational analysis of the cytokine-responsive region of the egr-1 promoter revealed that both the cAMP response and serum response elements are required for induction by GM-CSF and IL-3. Nuclear extracts from GM-CSF- or IL-3-stimulated but not unstimulated TF-1 cells contain factors which specifically bind to the Egr-1-binding site in the nt -600 to -480 region of the promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed with antibodies against the Egr-1 protein to demonstrate the presence of the protein product in the shifted complex. Our studies suggest that the Egr-1 protein may further stimulate transcription of the egr-1 gene in response to GM-CSF as a secondary event.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 1448-1448
Author(s):  
Huiyu Li ◽  
Xiaomei Chen ◽  
Wei Xiong ◽  
Fang Liu ◽  
Shiang Huang

Abstract Abstract 1448 Microvesicles (MVs) are submicrometric membrane fragments and they can “hijack” membrane components and engulf cytoplasmic contents from their cellular origin. MVs are enriched in various bioactive molecules of their parental cells, such as proteins, DNA, mRNA and miRNAs. Microvesicles (MVs) released by leukemia cells constitute an important part of the leukemia microenvironment. As a cell-to-cell communication tool, MVs transfer microRNA (miRNA) between cells. MVs miRNAs may also provide an insight in the role of miRNAs playing in the underlying of pathophysiologic processes of various leukemia. We determined the miRNA expression profiles of ALL-derived MVs using Agilent miRNA microarray analysis. The five miRNAs obtained by microarray profiling were validated using real-time PCR. The putative target genes were predicted by bioformation software. We identified 182 and 166 dysregulated miRNAs in MVs derived from Nalm 6 cells and from Jurkat cells, respectively. Both up regulated (123/182 in Nalm 6-MVs and 114/166 in Jurkat- MVs) and down regulated (59/182 in Nalm 6-MVs and 52/166 in Jurkat- MVs) expressions were observed compared with MVs from normal peripheral blood the MVs normal control. When we analyzed those miRNA with bioinformatic tools (TargetScan), we found an interesting phenomenon that presence of 111 zinc fingers genes were regulated by 52 miRNAs, indicating that the ALL-microvesicles were enriched with miRNAs regulating zinc finger proteins. They encompassed zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2, zinc finger, ZZ-type containing 3, zinc finger, SWIM-type containing 1, zinc finger, RAN-binding domain containing 3, zinc finger, NFX1-type containing 1, zinc finger, MYM-type 4, zinc finger, FYVE domain containing 1 and their 5 subtypes; zinc finger, DHHC-type containing16, and other subtypes; zinc finger, CCHC domain containing 14 and 7A, zinc finger, BED-type containing 4; zinc finger protein, X-linked; zinc finger protein, multitype 2; zinc finger protein 81, and their 55 subtypes; zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 18, zinc finger and BTB domain containing 9. ALL-microvesicles were enriched with expression changes of distinct sets of miRNAs regulating zinc finger proteins. This provides clues that genes commonly function together. It is worth noting that 52 miRNA regulating above zinc finger protein genes were up-expressed, suggeting that miRNA regulating zinc fingers were active in ALL-MVs. Zinc finger proteins are important transcriptions in eukaryotes and play roles in regulating gene. Some members of the Zinc finger family have close relationaship with tumour. Zinc finger X-chromosomal protein (Zfx) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ZFX gene. The level of Zfx expression correlates with aggressiveness and severity in many cancer types, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, gastric tumoural tissues, and leukemia. [1,2]. Zinc finger and homeoboxes 2 (ZHX2) was target gene of miRNA-1260. The role of miRNA are negatively regulated host gene expressions. ZHX2 inhibits HCC cell proliferation by preventing expression of Cyclins A and E, and reduces growth of xenograft tumors. Loss of nuclear ZHX2 might be an early step in the development of HCC[3]. In our study, the miRNA-1260 were 9 fold higher in ALL MVs. In leukeima microenvironment, ALL-MVs may transfer aberantly expressed miRNAs to their target cell lead to abnormally regulated the zinc finger proteins that may play roles in ALL. In this study, we demonstrated that ALL-microvesicles were enriched with expression changes of distinct sets of miRNAs regulating zinc finger proteins. Futhermore, Zinc fingers were active in ALL-MVs and commonly function together. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (22) ◽  
pp. 10603-10611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Bashaw ◽  
John L. Yates

ABSTRACT oriP is a 1.7-kb region of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) chromosome that supports replication and stable maintenance of plasmids in human cells that contain EBV-encoded protein EBNA1. Plasmids that depend on oriP are replicated once per cell cycle by cellular factors. The replicator of oriPis an ∼120-bp region called DS which depends on either of two pairs of closely spaced EBNA1 binding sites. Here we report that changing the distance between the EBNA1 sites of a functional pair by inserting or deleting 1 or 2 bp abolished replication activity. The results indicated that, while the distance separating the binding sites is critical, the specific nucleotide sequence between them is unlikely to be important. The use of electrophoretic mobility shift assays to investigate binding by EBNA1 to the sites with normal or altered spacing revealed that EBNA1 induces DNA to bend significantly when it binds, with the center of bending coinciding with the center of binding. EBNA1 binding to a functional pair of sites which are spaced 21 bp apart center to center and which thus are in helical phase induces a larger symmetrical bend, which based on electrophoretic mobility approximates the sum of two separate EBNA1-induced DNA bends. The results imply that replication from oriP requires a precise structure in which DNA forms a large bend around two EBNA1 dimers.


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