Analysis of the Max-binding protein MNT in human medulloblastomas

Medulloblastomas (MBs) are the most frequent malignant brain tumors in children. The molecular pathogenesis of these tumors is still poorly understood. Microsatellite and restriction-fragment-length polymorphism studies have revealed allelic loss of genetic material on the short arm of chromosome 17 in the region 17p13 in approximately 50% of MBs, suggesting the presence of a tumor-suppressor gene in this region. A candidate for this putative tumor-suppressor is the MNT gene, located at 17p13.3 and encoding a Max-interacting nuclear protein with transcriptional-repressor activity. In this study, we analyzed MNT mRNA and protein expression in 44 MB samples, including 32 primary tumors, 3 recurrent tumors and 9 MB cell lines. Allelic loss at 17p13.3 was found in 49% of informative cases. RT-PCR showed MNT mRNA expression in all cases analyzed. Endogenous Mnt protein with an apparent molecular weight of 72 to 74 kDa was detected in lysates from MB cell lines. The presence and functional integrity of Mnt in MBs were tested in electrophoretic mobility-shift assays. These experiments demonstrated that Mnt interacts with Max, and that this heterodimer binds DNA specifically, suggesting a functional bHLHZip domain of MB-derived Mnt. In support, single-strand conformation-polymorphism (SSCP) analyses revealed no mutation in the bHLHZip region. Deletion of the Mnt Sin3 interaction domain was shown to convert Mnt from an inhibitor of myc/ras-co-transformation into a molecule capable of cooperating with Ras in transformation. This region therefore was screened for mutation by SSCP: again, no alterations were found. These findings indicate that the MNT gene located at 17p13.3 is not likely to be involved in the molecular pathogenesis of MBs.

Twist is a potential oncogene that inhibits apoptosis

Oncogene activation increases susceptibility to apoptosis. Thus, tumorigenesis must depend, in part, on compensating mutations that protect from programmed cell death. A functional screen for cDNAs that could counteract the proapoptotic effects of the myc oncogene identified two related bHLH family members, Twist and Dermo1. Both of these proteins inhibited oncogene- and p53-dependent cell death. Twist expression bypassed p53-induced growth arrest. These effects correlated with an ability of Twist to interfere with activation of a p53-dependent reporter and to impair induction of p53 target genes in response to DNA damage. An underlying explanation for this observation may be provided by the ability of Twist to reduce expression of the ARF tumor suppressor. Thus, Twist may affect p53 indirectly through modulation of the ARF/MDM2/p53 pathway. Consistent with a role as a potential oncoprotein, Twist expression promoted colony formation of E1A/ras-transformed mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) in soft agar. Furthermore, Twist was inappropriately expressed in 50% of rhabdomyosarcomas, a tumor that arises from skeletal muscle precursors that fail to differentiate. Twist is known to block myogenic differentiation. Thus, Twist may play multiple roles in the formation of rhabdomyosarcomas, halting terminal differentiation, inhibiting apoptosis, and interfering with the p53 tumor-suppressor pathway.

Id-1 and Id-2 are overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and in dysplastic lesions in chronic pancreatitis

Id proteins antagonize basic helix-loop-helix proteins, inhibit differentiation, and enhance cell proliferation. In this study we compared the expression of Id-1, Id-2, and Id-3 in the normal pancreas, in pancreatic cancer, and in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Northern blot analysis demonstrated that all three Id mRNA species were expressed at high levels in pancreatic cancer samples by comparison with normal or CP samples. Pancreatic cancer cell lines frequently coexpressed all three Ids, exhibiting a good correlation between Id mRNA and protein levels, as determined by immunoblotting with highly specific anti-Id antibodies. Immunohistochemistry using these antibodies demonstrated the presence of faint Id-1 and Id-2 immunostaining in pancreatic ductal cells in the normal pancreas, whereas Id-3 immunoreactivity ranged from weak to strong. In the cancer tissues, many of the cancer cells exhibited abundant Id-1, Id-2, and Id-3 immunoreactivity. Scoring on the basis of percentage of positive cells and intensity of immunostaining indicated that Id-1 and Id-2 were increased significantly in the cancer cells by comparison with the respective controls. Mild to moderate Id immunoreactivity was also seen in the ductal cells in the CP-like areas adjacent to these cells and in the ductal cells of small and interlobular ducts in CP. In contrast, in dysplastic and atypical papillary ducts in CP, Id-1 and Id-2 immunoreactivity was as significantly elevated as in the cancer cells. These findings suggest that increased Id expression may be associated with enhanced proliferative potential of pancreatic cancer cells and of proliferating or dysplastic ductal cells in CP.

Immortalization of primary human keratinocytes by the helix-loop-helix protein, Id-1

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) DNA-binding proteins have been demonstrated to regulate tissue-specific transcription within multiple cell lineages. The Id family of helix-loop-helix proteins does not possess a basic DNA-binding domain and functions as a negative regulator of bHLH proteins. Overexpression of Id proteins within a variety of cell types has been shown to inhibit their ability to differentiate under appropriate conditions. We demonstrate that ectopic expression of Id-1 leads to activation of telomerase activity and immortalization of primary human keratinocytes. These immortalized cells have a decreased capacity to differentiate as well as activate phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein. Additionally, these cells acquire an impaired p53-mediated DNA-damage response as a late event in immortalization. We conclude that bHLH proteins play a pivotal role in regulating normal keratinocyte growth and differentiation, which can be disrupted by the immortalizing functions of Id-1 through activation of telomerase activity and inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein.

Identification of dividing, determined sensory neuron precursors in the mammalian neural crest

Sensory and autonomic neurons of the vertebrate peripheral nervous system are derived from the neural crest. Here we use the expression of lineage-specific transcription factors as a means to identify neuronal subtypes that develop in rat neural crest cultures grown in a defined medium. Sensory neurons, identified by expression of the POU-domain transcription factor Brn-3.0, develop from dividing precursors that differentiate within 2 days following emigration from the neural tube. Most of these precursors generate sensory neurons even when challenged with BMP2, a factor that induces autonomic neurogenesis in many other cells in the explants. Moreover, BMP2 fails to prevent expression of the sensory-specific basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors neurogenin1, neurogenin2 and neuroD, although it induces expression of the autonomic-specific bHLH factor MASH1 and the paired homeodomain factor Phox2a in other cells. These data suggest that there are mitotically active precursors in the mammalian neural crest that can generate sensory neurons even in the presence of a strong autonomic-inducing cue. Further characterization of the neurons generated from such precursors indicates that, under these culture conditions, they exhibit a proprioceptive and/or mechanosensory, but not nociceptive, phenotype. Such precursors may therefore correspond to a lineally (Frank, E. and Sanes, J. (1991) Development 111, 895–908) and genetically (Ma, Q., Fode, C., Guillemot, F. and Anderson, D. J. (1999) Genes Dev. 13, in press) distinct subset of early-differentiating precursors of large-diameter sensory neurons identified in vivo.

Circadian rhythms and light responsiveness of mammalian clock gene, Clock and BMAL1, transcripts in the rat retina

Circadian expression and light-responsiveness of the mammalian clock genes, Clock and BMAL1, in the rat retina were examined by in situ hydbribization under constant darkness. A small but significant daily variation was detected in the Clock transcript level, but not in BMAL1. Light increased the Clock and BMAL1 expressions significantly when examined 60 min after exposure. The light-induced gene expression was phase-dependent for Clock and peaked at ZT2, while rather constant throughout the day for BMAL1. These findings suggest that Clock and BMAL1 play different roles in the generation of circadian rhytm in the retina from those in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Different roles are also suggested between the two genes in the photic signal transduction in the retina.

Synergy of PEBP2/CBF with mi transcription factor (MITF) for transactivation of mouse mast cell protease 6 gene

The mi locus encodes a member of the basic - helix - loop - helix - leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip) protein family of transcription factors (hereafter called MITF). Although the bHLH-Zip family transcription factors generally recognize and bind CANNTG motifs, the expression of mouse mast cell protease 6 (MMCP-6) gene is regulated by MITF through the GACCTG motif in the promoter region. The GACCTG motif was partly overlapped the TGTGGTC sequence, which was bound by polyomavirus enhancer binding protein 2 (PEBP2). In the present study, the effect of PEBP2 on the expression of MMCP-6 gene was examined. PEBP2 that is composed of alpha and beta subunits was expressed by mast cell lines and cultured mast cells derived from spleen. The overexpression of dominant negative PEBP2 cDNA reduced the expression of MMCP-6. Moreover, the simultaneous transfection of the plasmid containing MITF cDNA and the plasmid containing PEBP2 cDNA increased the MMCP-6 promoter activity. For the synergistic action of PEBP2 and MITF, the intact GACCTG and TGTGGTC motifs were prerequisite. The PEBP2alphaB1 mutant which lacked the region downstream from the Runt domain did not bind MITF and lost the synergistic function. These results indicated that PEBP2 and MITF synergistically transactivated the MMCP-6 gene and that the region downstream from the Runt domain of PEBP2alphaB1 was essential for the physical and functional interactions with MITF.

Enhancer of split [E(spl)(D)] is a gro-independent, hypermorphic mutation in Drosophila

Enhancer of split [E(spl)] refers to a gene complex in Drosophila melanogaster, which contains a number of target genes of the Notch signaling pathway. The complex was originally identified by a dominant mutation E(spl)(D) that displays allele-specific interactions with a recessive mutation in the Notch locus called split (N(spl)). The spl phenotype is characterized by smaller eyes with irregularly spaced ommatidia, and it is strongly enhanced by E(spl)(D). This enhancement is correlated with a truncation of one of the E(spl) bHLH genes, m8, causing an increased stability of the mutant transcripts and an altered C-terminus in the mutant M8* protein. Concurrently, an insertion of a middle repetitive element in the adjacent groucho (gro) gene was observed. In this work, three different E(spl)(D) revertants (BE22, BE25, BX37), which have lost the ability to enhance N(spl) completely, were analyzed at the molecular level. In each case, the structure of the mutant M8* protein was affected, suggesting a specific involvement of the aberrant protein in the enhancement of the spl phenotype. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that a perfect phenocopy of spl enhancement can be achieved with hybrid constructs, where the altered C-terminus of M8* was fused to other E(spl) bHLH proteins. Thus, the ability to interact with N(spl) is not restricted to M8* but instead can be induced by an appropriate mutation in other E(spl) bHLH genes within the context of N(spl). In a N(spl) background, E(spl)(D) behaves like a hyperactive M8 mutation. However, the mutant M8* protein has lost the ability of binding to the corepressor Gro, which is an essential feature for normal E(spl) activity. Yet, other protein interactions, notably those with other bHLH proteins of either E(spl) or proneural family, are still observed. These findings suggest that the structural changes associated with the E(spl)(D) mutant protein are the primary cause for the phenotypic interactions with the recessive Notch mutation N(spl).

A repertoire of differentially expressed transcription factors that offers insight into mechanisms of human cytotrophoblast differentiation

During human placental development, specialized cells allocated to the extraembryonic lineage (cytotrophoblasts) invade the uterus, anchoring the conceptus to the decidua and tapping a supply of maternal blood. This unusual behavior requires cytotrophoblasts to assume highly specialized characteristics; some are commonly associated with tumor cells, while others are typical of endothelia. Here we investigated the transcriptional mechanisms that control cytotrophoblast differentiation/invasion. Specifically, we examined the cells' expression of a number of transcription factors, at the RNA level, as they differentiated along the invasive pathway in vitro. Since basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins play important roles in murine trophoblast differentiation, we first examined their expression by cytotrophoblasts. As in murine placental development, expression of the human homologue of Mash-2 was confined to progenitor cells. But expression of Hand-1, which promotes differentiation of murine trophoblast giant cells, was not detected. We also found that cytotrophoblasts upregulated the expression of bHLH/PAS factors that function in adaptive responses to hypoxia, including hEPAS-1, which is expressed primarily in endothelial cells. Quite unexpectedly, we discovered that cytotrophoblasts express high levels of mRNA encoding the human homologue of the Drosophila neuronal fate gene, glial cells missing-1 (gcm-1). We also found evidence of crosstalk between the bHLH and GCM-1 regulatory networks. Together, these results offer insights into the transcriptional mechanisms that govern cytotrophoblast differentiation/invasion. Interestingly, these mechanisms suggest analogies with those that govern differentiation of murine stem cells allocated to both the intra- and extraembryonic lineages.

The helix-loop-helix proteins dAP-4 and daughterless bind both in vitro and in vivo to SEBP3 sites required for transcriptional activation of the Drosophila gene Sgs-4

The expression of Sgs genes in the salivary gland of the third instar larva of Drosophila is a spatially restricted response to signalling by the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. For Sgs-4, we have previously demonstrated that its strictly tissue and stage-specific expression is the result of combined action of the ecdysone receptor and secretion enhancer binding proteins (SEBPs). One of these SEBPs, SEBP2, was shown to be the product of the homeotic gene fork head. Together with SEBP3, SEBP2 appears to be responsible for the spatial restriction of the hormone response of Sgs-4. Here, we show that SEBP3 is a heterogeneous binding activity that consists of different helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins. We cloned the Drosophila homologue of human transcription factor AP-4 (dAP-4) and identified it as one of these HLH proteins. The dAP-4 protein shows great similarity to its human and Caenorhabditis counterparts within the bHLHZip domain, the second leucine zipper dimerization motif, and a third region of unknown function. The expression pattern of dAP-4 indicates that it is a ubiquitously expressed HLH protein in Drosophila. As a second component of SEBP3 we identified the Daughterless (Da) protein, which is also ubiquitously expressed and binds to SEBP3 sites independent of dAP-4. Since both dAP-4 and Da can be detected in situ at transposed Sgs-4 transcriptional control elements in polytene salivary gland chromosomes, we propose that each of the two proteins contributes to the transcriptional control of Sgs-4.

Strep-tag II for one-step affinity purification of active bHLHzip domain of human c-Myc

The c-Myc protein, the product of the c-myc protooncogene, is a nuclear phosphoprotein with DNA-binding properties when heterodimerized with the Max protein. It contains an amino-terminal transcriptional activation domain and a carboxy-terminal basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHzip) domain that directs heterodimerization and promotes DNA binding. Here, we describe the isolation of the bHLHzip domain of human c-Myc with a technique for efficient single-step purification. Using a C-terminal Strep-tag II affinity peptide and a novel Streptactin-Sepharose matrix, elution is performed under mild conditions by competition with the biotin analog desthiobiotin. No significant influence of the affinity tag on the activity of the bHLHzip domain was observed when the fusion protein was subjected to glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays for investigating its in vitro-binding properties with GST-Max. The use of the C-terminal Strep-tag II was shown to be more suitable for obtaining pure product fractions than use of the N-terminal GST affinity tag.

Induction of max by adrenomedullin and calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonizes endothelial apoptosis

Adrenomedullin is a novel vasodilatory peptide originally isolated from pheochromocytoma. Recently, we found that adrenomedullin acts as an autocrine/paracrine apoptosis survival factor for rat endothelial cells. In the present study, we show that adrenomedullin induces the expression of Max, a heterodimeric partner of c-Myc, which may contribute to its ability to rescue endothelial cells from apoptosis. Max is a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper protein that forms heterodimers with its alternative partners, Mad and Mxi-1, to behave as an antagonist for Myc-Max heterodimer through competition for common DNA targets. The expression of Max is reported to be constitutive and more stable than c-Myc, and serum induces immediate c-Myc stimulation followed by modest Max up-regulation. In quiescent rat endothelial cells, adrenomedullin stimulated the expression of Max without affecting c-Myc. Quantitation with real-time quantitative PCR detected on the ABI Prism 7700 Sequence Detection System revealed that adrenomedullin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), as well as serum, up-regulated Max mRNA levels and that down-regulation of Max mRNA after serum deprivation was prevented by adrenomedullin. Neither adrenomedullin nor CGRP affected c-Myc expression. Transfection of a Max-expressing plasmid into endothelial cells rescued the apoptosis induced by serum deprivation. Neutralization with anti-adrenomedullin antiserum or blockade with a CGRP receptor antagonist, CGRP(8-37), reduced Max mRNA levels in growing endothelial cells and enhanced apoptosis after serum starvation. Introduction of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against Max mRNA using transferrin receptor-operated transfer led to inhibition of both adrenomedullin-induced up-regulation of Max transcripts and its cell survival effect, whereas random, sense, or missense oligonucleotides were without effect. The negative regulation of E-box-driven transcription by adrenomedullin was demonstrated by using preproendothelin-1 promoter containing c-Myc-Max binding consensus sequence; the promoter activity of preproendothelin-1 was reduced by cotransfecting Max- and Mad-expressing plasmids as well as addition of adrenomedullin and CGRP. The present results demonstrate that adrenomedullin antagonizes serum deprivation-induced endothelial apoptosis by up-regulation of the max gene in an autocrine/ paracrine manner.

3-methyladenine DNA glycosylases: structure, function, and biological importance

The genome continuously suffers damage due to its reactivity with chemical and physical agents. Finding such damage in genomes (that can be several million to several billion nucleotide base pairs in size) is a seemingly daunting task. 3-Methyladenine DNA glycosylases can initiate the base excision repair (BER) of an extraordinarily wide range of substrate bases. The advantage of such broad substrate recognition is that these enzymes provide resistance to a wide variety of DNA damaging agents; however, under certain circumstances, the eclectic nature of these enzymes can confer some biological disadvantages. Solving the X-ray crystal structures of two 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylases, and creating cells and animals altered for this activity, contributes to our understanding of their enzyme mechanism and how such enzymes influence the biological response of organisms to several different types of DNA damage.

Multiple roles of ligand in transforming the dioxin receptor to an active basic helix-loop-helix/PAS transcription factor complex with the nuclear protein Arnt

The dioxin receptor is a ligand-activated transcription factor belonging to an emerging class of basic helix-loop-helix/PAS proteins which show interaction with the molecular chaperone hsp90 in their latent states and require heterodimerization with a general cofactor, Arnt, to form active DNA binding complexes. Upon binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons typified by dioxin, the dioxin receptor translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus to allow interaction with Arnt. Here we have bypassed the nuclear translocation step by creating a cell line which expresses a constitutively nuclear dioxin receptor, which we find remains in a latent form, demonstrating that ligand has functional roles beyond initiating nuclear import of the receptor. Treatment of the nuclear receptor with dioxin induces dimerization with Arnt to form an active transcription factor complex, while in stark contrast, treatment with the hsp90 ligand geldanamycin results in rapid degradation of the receptor. Inhibition of degradation by a proteasome inhibitor allowed geldanamycin to transform the nuclear dioxin receptor to a heterodimer with Arnt (DR-Arnt). Our results indicate that unchaperoned dioxin receptor is extremely labile and is consistent with a concerted nuclear mechanism for receptor activation whereby hsp90 is released from the ligand-bound dioxin receptor concomitant with Arnt dimerization. Strikingly, artificial transformation of the receptor by geldanamycin provided a DR-Arnt complex capable of binding DNA but incapable of stimulating transcription. Limited proteolysis of DR-Arnt heterodimers indicated different conformations for dioxin versus geldanamycin-transformed receptors. Our studies of intracellular dioxin receptor transformation indicate that ligand plays multiple mechanistic roles during receptor activation, being important for nuclear translocation, transformation to an Arnt heterodimer, and maintenance of a structural integrity key for transcriptional activation.

Sequence motifs determine structure and Ca++-binding by EF-hand proteins

Prediction of protein structural and functional characteristics based on specific motif interactions could serve as a powerful tool in many facets of the biological sciences. Such improvements in protein modeling will be instrumental in the enhancement of drug design. A new approach to a sequence description of EF-hand motifs with more than one EF-hand domain is presented here; this permits precise insight into the structural and functional properties of many members of the EF-hand superfamily of calcium-binding proteins. Three separate regular expressions, or signatures, are used to describe an EF-hand motif, and specific relationships must exist between the two sequence motifs for the two neighboring EF-hands in a given calcium-binding domain. Specifically, each of the sequence motifs has a conserved phenylalanine. These two phenylalanine residues are separated by 57+/-10 amino acid residues but interact closely with each other in the tertiary structure of the calcium-binding domain. Changes in conserved residues in the sequence motifs have been shown experimentally to decrease or eliminate the ability of the protein to bind calcium. This new approach of use of multiple sequence motifs, with motif interrelationships, yields a highly specific and robust tool for the prediction of structural and functional properties of new and novel proteins.

Cloning, gene expression, and characterization of CP27, a novel gene in mouse embryogenesis

We report the full-length sequencing, tissue-specific expression, and immunolocalization of cp27, a novel gene in mouse embryogenesis. The cp27 gene was isolated and cloned from a mouse E11 lambdagt11 library using a peptide antibody that recognized a distinct expression pattern in mouse craniofacial development. The cp27 gene contains an open reading frame of 295 amino acids corresponding to a predicted molecular mass of 33kDa. On Western blots, a polyclonal antibody against CP27 detected a single epitope at 27kDa. The putative CP27 protein has an isoelectric point of 4.75 and features a distinct helix-loop-helix structure according to prediction algorithms. We have cloned the human cp27 gene and mapped it to a locus on the human chromosome 16 which is in proximity to several loci associated with inherited craniofacial diseases such as fanconi anemia type A. Northern blot analysis of RNA from multiple mouse tissues demonstrated high levels of expression in developing mouse teeth, heart, lung, and liver of a single transcript of approx. 1. 8kbp. In situ hybridization using a radioactive RNA probe resulted in distinct signals in the developing neuroepithelium, cerebellum, heart, lung, liver, teeth, salivary glands, and periosteum of developing bones. Immunohistochemical staining of developing mouse tissues detected epitopes specific for CP27 in the mesenchyme surrounding the primary brain vesicles, in basement membranes, in the periosteum, in salivary glands, and in the stellate reticulum of teeth. Thus, CP27 represents a unique gene product involved in mouse embryogenesis.

Characterization of three splice variants and genomic organization of the mouse BMAL1 gene

The BMAL1 gene encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix/PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH/PAS) family of transcription factors. It is a key regulator of circadian rhythms. Using sequence information from human BMAL1 (hBMAL1) cDNAs previously reported by our laboratory, we have isolated and characterized cDNAs encoding three splice variants of the mouse BMAL1 (mBMAL1) gene. Of the three splice variants, mBMAL1b extends for 1878 bp in the coding sequence, which is 91% identical to that of hBMAL1b; its deduced amino acid sequence is 626 residues long and is 98% identical to that of hBMAL1b, and sequence identities in the bHLH, PAS-A, and PAS-B regions are 98, 100, and 100%, respectively. mBMAL1b' arises from alternative usage of exon 2, which results in a 7-amino-acid insertion and alternative splice acceptor usage at the intron 9/exon 10 splice junction, which causes an alanine residue deletion. mBMAL1b' encodes 632 amino acids and contains the bHLH/PAS domains. mBMAL1g' is generated by alternative splice acceptor usage at the intron 6/exon 7 splice junction, which results in a 28-bp deletion adjacent to the 5' end of the PAS domain. Since the 28-bp deletion shifts the reading frame, mBMAL1g' is predicted to encode a product of only 222 amino acids that lacks the PAS domain. The tissue distributions of the three splice variants showed some variation. The variations in the tissue distributions and predicted amino acid sequences suggest that the three splice variants may have different functions. Direct sequencing of the genomic mBMAL1 clones indicated that the coding sequence of mBMAL1 spans 32 kb and includes 17 exons. An unusual exon/intron donor sequence was found in intron 14, which begins with GC at the 5' end. Comparison with the bHLH/PAS family genes revealed that the intron/exon splice pattern of mBMAL1 most closely matches that of the mAhr, which suggests that BMAL1 and Ahr belong to the same subclass and may be derived from a common primordial gene.

Characterization of the AhR-hsp90-XAP2 core complex and the role of the immunophilin-related protein XAP2 in AhR stabilization

The unliganded aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) exists in the cytoplasm in a tetrameric 9S core complex, consisting of the AhR ligand-binding subunit, a dimer of hsp90, and the hepatitis B virus X-associated protein 2 (XAP2), an immunophilin-related protein sharing homologous regions with FKBP12 and FKBP52. Interactions between the recently identified XAP2 subunit and other members of the unliganded AhR complex and its precise role in the AhR signal transduction pathway are presently unknown. Mapping studies indicate that XAP2 requires the PAS, hsp90, and ligand binding domain(s) of the AhR for binding, and that both proteins directly interact in the absence of hsp90. XAP2 is also able to interact with hsp90 complexes in the absence of the AhR, and C-terminal sequences of XAP2 are required for this interaction. XAP2 binds to the C-terminal end of hsp90, which contains a tetratricopeptide repeat domain acceptor site, whereas the AhR binds to a domain in the middle of hsp90. XAP2 was not found to be associated with the AhR-Arnt heterocomplex either in vitro or in nuclear extracts isolated from Hepa 1 cells treated with TCDD. Transient expression of XAP2 in COS-1 cells resulted in enhanced cytosolic AhR levels, suggesting a role for XAP2 in regulating the rate of AhR turnover.

Misexpression of cNSCL1 disrupts retinal development

cNSCL1 is the chick homologue of mammalian NSCL1, a basic helix-loop-helix gene transiently expressed during neurogenesis. To gain insight into its function, we studied the involvement of cNSCL1 in retinal neurogenesis. In situ hybridization showed dynamic, cell-type-specific expression of cNSCL1, first in developing ganglion cells and later in glial cells. This is drastically different from the expression of neuroD in young photoreceptor cells and their precursors, demonstrating that the proposed neurogenin --> neuroD --> NSCL1 cascade might not apply to retinal neurogenesis in the chick. Small eyes were produced when cNSCL1 was misexpressed in the retinal neuroepithelium through viral transduction. Pulse-labeling with BrdU and [(3)H]thymidine revealed a significant decrease in cell proliferation activity with cNSCL1 misexpression. Massive cell death occurred, but only after cell proliferation activity had subsided, resulting in major distortions of retinal structure. Our data demonstrate the importance of regulated expression of cNSCL1 during retinal development.

Upstream stimulatory factor regulates major histocompatibility complex class I gene expression: the U2DeltaE4 splice variant abrogates E-box activity

The tissue-specific expression of major histocompatibility complex class I genes is determined by a series of upstream regulatory elements, many of which remain ill defined. We now report that a distal E-box element, located between bp -309 and -314 upstream of transcription initiation, acts as a cell type-specific enhancer of class I promoter activity. The class I E box is very active in a neuroblastoma cell line, CHP-126, but is relatively inactive in the HeLa epithelial cell line. The basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper proteins upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF1) and USF2 were shown to specifically recognize the class I E box, resulting in the activation of the downstream promoter. Fine mapping of USF1 and USF2 amino-terminal functional domains revealed differences in their abilities to activate the class I E box. Whereas USF1 contained only an extended activation domain, USF2 contained both an activation domain and a negative regulatory region. Surprisingly, the naturally occurring splice variant of USF2 lacking the exon 4 domain, U2DeltaE4, acted as a dominant-negative regulator of USF-mediated activation of the class I promoter. This latter activity is in sharp contrast to the known ability of U2DeltaE4 to activate the adenovirus major late promoter. Class I E-box function is correlated with the relative amount of U2DeltaE4 in a cell, leading to the proposal that U2DeltaE4 modulates class I E-box activity and may represent one mechanism to fine-tune class I expression in various tissues.

Hey genes: a novel subfamily of hairy- and Enhancer of split related genes specifically expressed during mouse embryogenesis

We have identified a novel subfamily of mammalian hairy/Enhancer of split (E(spl))-related basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes together with a putative Drosophila homologue. While hairy/E(spl) proteins are characterized by an invariant proline residue in the basic domain and a carboxyterminal groucho-binding WRPW motif, our genes encode a carboxyterminal KPYRPWG sequence and were thus designated as Hey genes (Hairy/E(spl)-related with YRPW motif). Furthermore, they bear a unique C-terminal TE(I/V)GAF motif and the characteristic proline is changed in all Hey family members to glycine. RNA in situ hybridization analysis revealed specific expression of Hey1 during development of the nervous system, the somites, the heart and the craniofacial region. Hey2 is similarly expressed in the somites whereas it shows a complementary expression in the heart, the craniofacial region and the nervous system. The diversity of expression patterns implies unique functions in neurogenesis, somitogenesis and organogenesis.

Nuclear import of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2, a basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip)-containing transcription factor, occurs through the direct interaction of importin beta with HLH-Zip

The sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) is produced as a large precursor molecule attached to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In response to the sterol depletion, the N-terminal segment of the precursor, which contains a basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper domain, is released by two sequential cleavages and is translocated to the nucleus, where it activates the transcription of target genes. The data herein show that released SREBP-2 uses a distinct nuclear transport pathway, which is mediated by importin beta. The mature form of SREBP-2 is actively transported into the nucleus when injected into the cell cytoplasm. SREBP-2 binds directly to importin beta in the absence of importin alpha. Ran-GTP but not Ran-GDP causes the dissociation of the SREBP-2-importin beta complex. G19VRan-GTP inhibits the nuclear import of SREBP-2 in living cells. In the permeabilized cell in vitro transport system, nuclear import of SREBP-2 is reconstituted only by importin beta in conjunction with Ran and its interacting protein p10/NTF2. We further demonstrate that the helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper motif of SREBP-2 contains a novel type of nuclear localization signal, which binds directly to importin beta.

Expression pattern of notch1, 2 and 3 and Jagged1 and 2 in lymphoid and stromal thymus components: distinct ligand-receptor interactions in intrathymic T cell development

The suggested role of Notch1 or its mutants in thymocyte differentiation and T cell tumorigenesis raises the question of how the different members of the Notch family influence distinct steps in T cell development and the role played by Notch ligands in the thymus. We report here that different Notch receptor-ligand partnerships may occur inside the thymus, as we observed differential expression of Notch1, 2 and 3 receptors, their ligands Jagged1 and 2, and downstream intracellular effectors hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 1 (HES-1) and hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 5 (HES-5), depending on ontogenetic stage and thymic cell populations. Indeed, while Jagged2 is expressed in both stromal cells and thymocytes, Jagged1 expression is restricted to stromal cells. Moreover, a differential distribution of Notch3, with respect to Notch1, was observed in distinct age-related thymocyte subsets. Finally, Notch3 was preferentially up-regulated in thymocytes, following the induction of their differentiation by interaction with thymic epithelial cells expressing the cognate Jagged1 and 2 ligands, suggesting that, besides Notch1, Notch3 may also be involved in distinct steps of thymocyte development. Our results suggest that the Notch signaling pathway is involved in a complex interplay of T cell developmental stages, as a consequence of the heterogeneity and specific expression of members of the Notch receptor family and their cognate ligands, in distinct thymic cell compartments.

Insertion of an RGD motif into the HI loop of adenovirus fiber protein alters the distribution of transgene expression of the systemically administered vector

Adenoviral vectors are attractive gene delivery vehicles, but their in vivo utility is reduced by lack of cell-specific infection. Tropism modification of the virion by genetic manipulation of capsid proteins is an attractive strategy to achieve targeted transduction. However, no genetic targeting strategies have yet been shown to modify the distribution of transgene expression following systemic administration of vector. This is an essential requirement if such approaches are to form a basis for further vector develop- ment. In this report we present data showing that insertion of a RGD motif into the HI loop of the adenoviral fiber knob results in a significant change in transgene expression profile following intravenous administration. The key finding that a motif in the HI loop is available for cellular interaction when administered systemically means that such modifications can be rationally considered as a foundation upon which further genetic modifications can be superimposed for targeted systemic gene therapy.

Target specificities of Drosophila enhancer of split basic helix-loop-helix proteins

Seven Enhancer of split genes in Drosophila melanogaster encode basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factors which are components of the Notch signalling pathway. They are expressed in response to Notch activation and mediate some effects of the pathway by regulating the expression of target genes. Here we have determined that the optimal DNA binding site for the Enhancer of split proteins is a palindromic 12-bp sequence, 5'-TGGCACGTG(C/T)(C/T)A-3', which contains an E-box core (CACGTG). This site is recognized by all of the individual Enhancer of split basic helix-loop-helix proteins, consistent with their ability to regulate similar target genes in vivo. We demonstrate that the 3 bp flanking the E-box core are intrinsic to DNA recognition by these proteins and that the Enhancer of split and proneural proteins can compete for binding on specific DNA sequences. Furthermore, the regulation conferred on a reporter gene in Drosophila by three closely related sequences demonstrates that even subtle sequence changes within an E box or flanking bases have dramatic consequences on the overall repertoire of proteins that can bind in vivo.