scholarly journals Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Binds to TFII-I and Regulates Its Activation of the c-fosPromoter

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1140-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dae-Won Kim ◽  
Brent H. Cochran

ABSTRACT We have previously shown that TFII-I enhances transcriptional activation of the c-fos promoter through interactions with upstream elements in a signal-dependent manner. Here we demonstrate that activated Ras and RhoA synergize with TFII-I for c-fospromoter activation, whereas dominant-negative Ras and RhoA inhibit these effects of TFII-I. The Mek1 inhibitor, PD98059 abrogates the enhancement of the c-fos promoter by TFII-I, indicating that TFII-I function is dependent on an active mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Analysis of the TFII-I protein sequence revealed that TFII-I contains a consensus MAP kinase interaction domain (D box). Consistent with this, we have found that TFII-I forms an in vivo complex with extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK). Point mutations within the consensus MAP kinase binding motif of TFII-I inhibit its ability to bind ERK and its ability to enhance the c-fos promoter. Therefore, the D box of TFII-I is required for its activity on the c-fos promoter. Moreover, the interaction between TFII-I and ERK can be regulated. Serum stimulation enhances complex formation between TFII-I and ERK, and dominant-negative Ras abrogates this interaction. In addition, TFII-I can be phosphorylated in vitro by ERK and mutation of consensus MAP kinase substrate sites at serines 627 and 633 impairs the phosphorylation of TFII-I by ERK and its activity on the c-fos promoter. These results suggest that ERK regulates the activity of TFII-I by direct phosphorylation.

2000 ◽  
Vol 349 (3) ◽  
pp. 885-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanna M. HULKKO ◽  
Hideki WAKUI ◽  
Johanna ZILLIACUS

The yeast two-hybrid system was used to isolate cDNAs encoding proteins that interact with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand-binding domain in a ligand-dependent manner. One isolated cDNA encoded a fragment of death-associated protein 3 (DAP3), which has been implicated as a positive mediator of apoptosis. In vitro experiments showed that the full-length DAP3 also interacted with GR. The main interaction domain was mapped to the N-terminal region of DAP3 that had previously been shown to function in a dominant-negative fashion, protecting cells from apoptosis. Co-transfection experiments in COS-7 cells showed that DAP3 had a stimulatory effect on the ligand-induced transcriptional activation by GR and also increased the steroid-sensitivity. Furthermore, DAP3 formed a complex with several other nuclear receptors and some basic helix–loop–helix/Per–Arnt–Sim proteins, as well as with heat-shock protein 90 (hsp90) (Arnt is the aryl-hydrocarbon-receptor nuclear translocator, and Per and Sim are the Drosophila proteins Period and Single-minded). The results suggest that DAP3 could have an important role in GR action, possibly by modulating the cytoplasmic GR–hsp90 complex. Since glucocorticoids can induce apoptosis, the pro-apoptotic DAP3 protein may be involved in this function of GR.


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 4207-4216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smarajit Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Mohammad Z. Ashraf ◽  
Pamela Daher ◽  
Philip H. Howe ◽  
Paul E. DiCorleto

ABSTRACT The homeobox gene HOXA9 has recently been shown to be an important regulator of endothelial cell (EC) differentiation and activation in addition to its role in embryonic development and hematopoiesis. In this report, we have determined that the EC-leukocyte adhesion molecule E-selectin is a key target for HOXA9. The depletion of HOXA9 protein in ECs resulted in a significant and specific decrease in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced E-selectin gene expression. In addition, HOXA9 specifically activated the E-selectin gene promoter in ECs. Progressive deletional analyses together with site-specific mutagenesis of the E-selectin promoter indicated that the Abd-B-like HOX DNA-binding motif, CAATTTTATTAA, located in the proximal region spanning bp −210 to −221 upstream of the transcription start site was crucial for the promoter induction by HOXA9. Both HOXA9 in EC nuclear extract and recombinant HOXA9 protein bound to this sequence in vitro. Moreover, we showed that HOXA9 binds temporally, in a TNF-α-dependent manner, to the region containing this Abd-B-like element in vivo. We have thus identified a novel and functionally critical cis-regulatory element for TNF-α-mediated transient expression of the E-selectin gene. Further, we provide evidence that HOXA9 acts as an obligate proinflammatory factor by mediating cytokine induction of E-selectin.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 4028-4038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shen-Hsi Yang ◽  
Alex Galanis ◽  
Andrew D. Sharrocks

ABSTRACT Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-mediated signalling to the nucleus is an important event in the conversion of extracellular signals into a cellular response. However, the existence of multiple MAP kinases which phosphorylate similar phosphoacceptor motifs poses a problem in maintaining substrate specificity and hence the correct biological response. Both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) subfamilies of MAP kinases use a second specificity determinant and require docking to their transcription factor substrates to achieve maximal substrate activation. In this study, we demonstrate that among the different MAP kinases, the MADS-box transcription factors MEF2A and MEF2C are preferentially phosphorylated and activated by the p38 subfamily members p38α and p38β2. The efficiency of phosphorylation in vitro and transcriptional activation in vivo of MEF2A and MEF2C by these p38 subtypes requires the presence of a kinase docking domain (D-domain). Furthermore, the D-domain from MEF2A is sufficient to confer p38 responsiveness on different transcription factors, and reciprocal effects are observed upon the introduction of alternative D-domains into MEF2A. These results therefore contribute to our understanding of signalling to MEF2 transcription factors and demonstrate that the requirement for substrate binding by MAP kinases is an important facet of three different subclasses of MAP kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38).


2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Hwa Goo ◽  
Young Chang Sohn ◽  
Dae-Hwan Kim ◽  
Seung-Whan Kim ◽  
Min-Jung Kang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Many transcription coactivators interact with nuclear receptors in a ligand- and C-terminal transactivation function (AF2)-dependent manner. These include activating signal cointegrator 2 (ASC-2), a recently isolated transcriptional coactivator molecule, which is amplified in human cancers and stimulates transactivation by nuclear receptors and numerous other transcription factors. In this report, we show that ASC-2 belongs to a steady-state complex of approximately 2 MDa (ASC-2 complex [ASCOM]) in HeLa nuclei. ASCOM contains retinoblastoma-binding protein RBQ-3, α/β-tubulins, and trithorax group proteins ALR-1, ALR-2, HALR, and ASH2. In particular, ALR-1/2 and HALR contain a highly conserved 130- to 140-amino-acid motif termed the SET domain, which was recently implicated in histone H3 lysine-specific methylation activities. Indeed, recombinant ALR-1, HALR, and immunopurified ASCOM exhibit very weak but specific H3-lysine 4 methylation activities in vitro, and transactivation by retinoic acid receptor appears to involve ligand-dependent recruitment of ASCOM and subsequent transient H3-lysine 4 methylation of the promoter region in vivo. Thus, ASCOM may represent a distinct coactivator complex of nuclear receptors. Further characterization of ASCOM will lead to a better understanding of how nuclear receptors and other transcription factors mediate transcriptional activation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (4) ◽  
pp. 1118-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niilo Kaldalu ◽  
Urve Toots ◽  
Victor de Lorenzo ◽  
Mart Ustav

ABSTRACT The alkylbenzoate degradation genes of Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid are positively regulated by XylS, an AraC family protein, in a benzoate-dependent manner. In this study, we used deletion mutants and hybrid proteins to identify which parts of XylS are responsible for the DNA binding, transcriptional activation, and benzoate inducibility. We found that a 112-residue C-terminal fragment of XylS binds specifically to the Pm operator in vitro, protects this sequence from DNase I digestion identically to the wild-type (wt) protein, and activates the Pm promoter in vivo. When overexpressed, that C-terminal fragment could activate transcription as efficiently as wt XylS. All the truncations, which incorporated these 112 C-terminal residues, were able to activate transcription at least to some extent when overproduced. Intactness of the 210-residue N-terminal portion was found to be necessary for benzoate responsiveness of XylS. Deletions in the N-terminal and central regions seriously reduced the activity of XylS and caused the loss of effector control, whereas insertions into the putative interdomain region did not change the basic features of the XylS protein. Our results confirm that XylS consists of two parts which probably interact with each other. The C-terminal domain carries DNA-binding and transcriptional activation abilities, while the N-terminal region carries effector-binding and regulatory functions.


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.


2007 ◽  
Vol 176 (5) ◽  
pp. 709-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunxi Ge ◽  
Guozhi Xiao ◽  
Di Jiang ◽  
Renny T. Franceschi

The extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK)–mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway provides a major link between the cell surface and nucleus to control proliferation and differentiation. However, its in vivo role in skeletal development is unknown. A transgenic approach was used to establish a role for this pathway in bone. MAPK stimulation achieved by selective expression of constitutively active MAPK/ERK1 (MEK-SP) in osteoblasts accelerated in vitro differentiation of calvarial cells, as well as in vivo bone development, whereas dominant-negative MEK1 was inhibitory. The involvement of the RUNX2 transcription factor in this response was established in two ways: (a) RUNX2 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity were elevated in calvarial osteoblasts from TgMek-sp mice and reduced in cells from TgMek-dn mice, and (b) crossing TgMek-sp mice with Runx2+/− animals partially rescued the hypomorphic clavicles and undemineralized calvaria associated with Runx2 haploinsufficiency, whereas TgMek-dn; Runx2+/− mice had a more severe skeletal phenotype. This work establishes an important in vivo function for the ERK–MAPK pathway in bone that involves stimulation of RUNX2 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 854-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Marchetti ◽  
Clotilde Gimond ◽  
Jean-Claude Chambard ◽  
Thomas Touboul ◽  
Danièle Roux ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatases (MKPs) are dual-specificity phosphatases that dephosphorylate phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues within MAP kinases. Here, we describe a novel posttranslational mechanism for regulating MKP-3/Pyst1/DUSP6, a member of the MKP family that is highly specific for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inactivation. Using a fibroblast model in which the expression of either MKP-3 or a more stable MKP-3-green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera was induced by tetracycline, we found that serum induces the phosphorylation of MKP-3 and its subsequent degradation by the proteasome in a MEK1 and MEK2 (MEK1/2)-ERK1/2-dependent manner. In vitro phosphorylation assays using glutathione S-transferase (GST)-MKP-3 fusion proteins indicated that ERK2 could phosphorylate MKP-3 on serines 159 and 197. Tetracycline-inducible cell clones expressing either single or double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP confirmed that these two sites are targeted by the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 module in vivo. Double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP were more efficiently protected from degradation than single mutants or wild-type MKP-3, indicating that phosphorylation of either serine by ERK1/2 enhances proteasomal degradation of MKP-3. Hence, double mutation caused a threefold increase in the half-life of MKP-3. Finally, we show that the phosphorylation of MKP-3 has no effect on its catalytic activity. Thus, ERK1/2 exert a positive feedback loop on their own activity by promoting the degradation of MKP-3, one of their major inactivators in the cytosol, a situation opposite to that described for the nuclear phosphatase MKP-1.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1616-1625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Chen ◽  
R. H. Goodman ◽  
Sarah M. Smolik

ABSTRACT CREB-binding protein (CBP) serves as a transcriptional coactivator in multiple signal transduction pathways. The Drosophilahomologue of CBP, dCBP, interacts with the transcription factors Cubitus interruptus (CI), MAD, and Dorsal (DL) and functions as a coactivator in several signaling pathways during Drosophiladevelopment, including the hedgehog (hh),decapentaplegic (dpp), and Tollpathways. Although dCBP is required for the expression of thehh target genes, wingless (wg) andpatched (ptc) in vivo, and potentiatesci-mediated transcriptional activation in vitro, it is not known that ci absolutely requires dCBP for its activity. We used a yeast genetic screen to identify several ci point mutations that disrupt CI-dCBP interactions. These mutant proteins are unable to transactivate a reporter gene regulated by cibinding sites and have a lower dCBP-stimulated activity than wild-type CI. When expressed exogenously in embryos, the CI point mutants cannot activate endogenous wg expression. Furthermore, a CI mutant protein that lacks the entire dCBP interaction domain functions as a negative competitor for wild-type CI activity, and the expression of dCBP antisense RNAs can suppress CI transactivation in Kc cells. Taken together, our data suggest that dCBP function is necessary forci-mediated transactivation of wg duringDrosophila embryogenesis.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Dupasquier ◽  
Philippe Blache ◽  
Laurence Picque Lasorsa ◽  
Han Zhao ◽  
Jean-Daniel Abraham ◽  
...  

Inactivating mutations of the tumor suppressor Adenomatosis Polyposis Coli (APC), which are found in familial adenomatosis polyposis and in 80% of sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC), result in constitutive activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and tumor development in the intestine. These mutations disconnect the Wnt/β-catenin pathway from its Wnt extracellular signal by inactivating the APC/GSK3-β/axin destruction complex of β-catenin. This results in sustained nuclear accumulation of β-catenin, followed by β-catenin-dependent co-transcriptional activation of Wnt/β-catenin target genes. Thus, mechanisms acting downstream of APC, such as those controlling β-catenin stability and/or co-transcriptional activity, are attractive targets for CRC treatment. Protein Kinase C-α (PKCα) phosphorylates the orphan receptor RORα that then inhibits β-catenin co-transcriptional activity. PKCα also phosphorylates β-catenin, leading to its degradation by the proteasome. Here, using both in vitro (DLD-1 cells) and in vivo (C57BL/6J mice) PKCα knock-in models, we investigated whether enhancing PKCα function could be beneficial in CRC treatment. We found that PKCα is infrequently mutated in CRC samples, and that inducing PKCα function is not deleterious for the normal intestinal epithelium. Conversely, di-terpene ester-induced PKCα activity triggers CRC cell death. Together, these data indicate that PKCα is a relevant drug target for CRC treatment.


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