The 19S regulatory particle of the proteasome is required for efficient transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II

Elongation by RNA polymerase II: the short and long of it

Appreciable advances into the process of transcript elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) have identified this stage as a dynamic and highly regulated step of the transcription cycle. Here, we discuss the many factors that regulate the elongation stage of transcription. Our discussion includes the classical elongation factors that modulate the activity of RNAP II, and the more recently identified factors that facilitate elongation on chromatin templates. Additionally, we discuss the factors that associate with RNAP II, but do not modulate its catalytic activity. Elongation is highlighted as a central process that coordinates multiple stages in mRNA biogenesis and maturation.

Toward a general chemical method for rapidly mapping multi-protein complexes

Ru(II)(bpy2)32+Cl2, ammonium persulfate, and visible light irradiation has been shown to rapidly and efficiently cross-link several interacting proteins. However, this methodology has not yet been used to map the architecture of large multi-protein complexes. In this study, this chemistry is applied to the crystallographically characterized yeast proteasome. The data obtained demonstrate both the method's increased generality and fidelity in comparison to traditional bifunctional cross-linking reagents, while also highlighting the future need for developing better analytical techniques to separate cross-linked products.

Ubiquitination of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 tax modulates its activity

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) encodes a 40-kDa Tax phosphoprotein. Tax is a transcriptional activator which modulates expression of the viral long terminal repeat and transcription of many cellular genes. Because Tax is a critical HTLV-1 factor which mediates viral transformation of T cells during the genesis of adult T-cell leukemia, it is important to understand the processes which can activate or inactivate Tax function. Here, we report that ubiquitination of Tax is a posttranscriptional mechanism which regulates Tax function. We show that ubiquitination does not target Tax for degradation by the proteasome. Rather, ubiquitin addition modifies Tax in a proteasome-independent manner from an active to a less-active transcriptional form.

Stable ubiquitination of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 tax is required for proteasome binding

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the retrovirus responsible for adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. Adult T-cell leukemia development is mainly due to the ability of the viral oncoprotein Tax to promote T-cell proliferation, whereas the appearance of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy involves the antigenic properties of Tax. Understanding the events regulating the intracellular level of Tax is therefore an important issue. How Tax is degraded has not been determined, but it is known that Tax binds to proteasomes, the major sites for degradation of intracellular proteins, generally tagged through polyubiquitin conjugation. In this study, we investigated the relationship between Tax, ubiquitin, and proteasomes. We report that mono- and polyubiquitinated Tax proteins can be recovered from both transfected 293T cells and T lymphocytes. We also show that lysine residues located in the carboxy-terminal domain of Tax are the principal targets of this process. Remarkably, we further demonstrate that mutation of lysine residues in the C-terminal part of Tax, which massively reduces Tax ubiquitination, impairs proteasome binding, and conversely, that a Tax mutant that binds poorly to this particle (M22) is faintly ubiquitinated, suggesting that Tax ubiquitination is required for association with cellular proteasomes. Finally, we document that comparable amounts of ubiquitinated species were found whether proteasome activities were inhibited or not, providing evidence that they are not directly addressed to proteasomes for degradation. These findings indicate that although it is ubiquitinated and binds to proteasomes, Tax is not massively degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and therefore reveal that Tax conjugation to ubiquitin mediates a nonproteolytic function.

Molecular biology: what ubiquitin can do for transcription

Ubiquitin, the peptide 'tag' that targets eukaryotic proteins for degradation by the proteasome, has also been implicated in transcriptional activation. The mechanism of gene activation might include recruitment of a transcriptional elongation factor by ubiquitinated activators.

Periodate-triggered cross-linking of DOPA-containing peptide-protein complexes

Chemical cross-linking is a powerful methodology for analyzing proteins-small molecule and protein-protein interactions. We describe the development of a new chemical cross-linking reaction for the study of protein complexes. Specifically, we show that molecules containing an ortho dihydroxyarene unit can be oxidized selectively with sodium periodate in the presence of native proteins, producing an ortho quinone intermediate that can cross-link with suitable nearby protein residues. We demonstrate the efficacy and specificity of this chemistry for a peptide-protein complex and also deduce the binding site of an artificial activation domain on a proteasome subcomplex.

Post-translationally modified S12, absent in transformed breast epithelial cells, is not associated with the 26S proteasome and is induced by proteasome inhibitor

The 26S proteasome, consisting of the 20S core and 19S regulatory complexes, regulates intracellular protein concentration through proteolytic degradation of targeted substrates. Composition of the 19S regulatory complex as well as posttranslational modifications of the 19S subunits can effectively regulate the activity of the 26S proteasome. Aberrant activity of the 26S proteasome affects the cell cycle, apoptosis and other cellular processes related to cancer. Recent data show an additional proteasome-independent role of 19S subunits in transcriptional regulation. S12 (Rpn8), the human homologue of mouse Mov-34, is a non-ATPase 19S regulatory subunit of the 26S proteasome. Previous studies have identified phosphorylated S12. In our study, we identify a modified S12 isoform (S12-M) with distinct biochemical properties. The S12-M isoform was found in 6 normal, but not 4 transformed, breast epithelial cell lines. Modification of S12 protein can be induced in vitro by addition of the proteasome inhibitor PSI. Modified and unmodified S12 have similar mass, but different isoelectric points, consistent with phosphorylation. In normal cells, unmodified S12 associates with the 26S proteasome, while modified S12-M does not. Whereas transformed cell line nuclei contain neither S12 isoform, S12-M is predominantly cytosolic in normal cells, with the unmodified S12 present in both the nuclei and cytosol. Together with the role of 19S subunits in transcriptional regulation, homology between S12 and eIF3 and TFIIH subunits, coelution with immunoproteasome subunits, and differential posttranslational modification and nuclear localization, these data suggest a differential nuclear function of modified and unmodified S12 in cancer.

Ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated local protein degradation and synaptic plasticity

A proteolytic pathway in which attachment of a small protein, ubiquitin, marks the substrates for degradation by a multi-subunit complex called the proteasome has been shown to function in synaptic plasticity and in several other physiological processes of the nervous system. Attachment of ubiquitin to protein substrates occurs through a series of highly specific and regulated steps. Degradation by the proteasome is subject to multiple levels of regulation as well. How does the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway contribute to synaptic plasticity? Long-lasting, protein synthesis-dependent, changes in the synaptic strength occur through activation of molecular cascades in the nucleus in coordination with signaling events in specific synapses. Available evidence indicates that ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation has a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity that operate in the nucleus as well as at the synapse. Since the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway has been shown to be versatile in having roles in addition to proteolysis in several other cellular processes relevant to synaptic plasticity, such as endocytosis and transcription, this pathway is highly suited for a localized role in the neuron. Because of its numerous roles, malfunctioning of this pathway leads to several diseases and disorders of the nervous system. In this review, I examine the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in detail and describe the role of regulated proteolysis in long-term synaptic plasticity. Also, using synaptic tagging theory of synapse-specific plasticity, I provide a model on the possible roles and regulation of local protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Nuclear retinoid receptors and the transcription of retinoid-target genes

The pleiotropic effects of retinoids are mediated by nuclear retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs) which are ligand-activated transcription factors. In response to retinoid binding, RAR/RXR heterodimers undergo major conformational changes and orchestrate the transcription of specific gene networks, through binding to specific DNA response elements and recruiting cofactor complexes that act to modify local chromatin structure and/or engage the basal transcription machinery. Then the degradation of RARs and RXRs by the ubiquitin-proteasome controls the magnitude and the duration of the retinoid response. RARs and RXRs also integrate a variety of signaling pathways through phosphorylation events which cooperate with the ligand for the control of retinoid-target genes transcription. These different modes of regulation reveal unexpected levels of complexity in the dynamics of retinoid-dependent transcription.

VP16 and Ubiquitin

Acidic or type IIB transcriptional activation domains (AADs) increase rates of initiation as well as elongation of transcription. For the former effects, AADs bind general transcription factors and larger coactivator complexes, which position RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) at sites of initiation of transcription. For the latter effects, their ubiquitylation plays an important role. In this study, this posttranslational modification increased the binding between a prototypic AAD and the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), which contains a C-type cyclin (CycT1, CycT2, or CycK) and Cdk9. By phosphorylating negative elongation factors and the C-terminal domain of RNAPII, P-TEFb modifies the transcription complex for efficient elongation and cotranscriptional processing of mRNA. Indeed, the activation domain of VP16 and ubiquitin bound the cyclin boxes and the C terminus in CycT1, respectively. Moreover, the artificial fusion of ubiquitin with VP16 not only increased its activity via DNA and RNA, which was reflected in increased ratios of elongated to initiated transcripts, but rescued the deleterious substitution of alanine for phenylalanine at position 442 in its AAD. Thus, the ubiquitylation of AADs increases their interaction with P-TEFb and augments rates of elongation of transcription.

Physical and functional association of RNA polymerase II and the proteasome

Recent studies from a number of laboratories have revealed a surprising number of connections between RNA polymerase II transcription and the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. We now find yet another intersection of these pathways by showing that the 26S proteasome associates with regions of the GAL1, GAL10, and HSP82 genes, including the 3' ends, in a transcription-dependent fashion. The appearance of the proteasome on these inducible genes correlates with both the accumulation of transcripts and the buildup of RNA polymerase II complexes in the same region. Furthermore, the 26S proteasome and RNA polymerase II coimmunoprecipitate, and inhibition of 26S proteolytic activity leads to increased read through of a transcription termination site. We suggest that the proteasome is generally recruited to the DNA at sites of stalled RNA polymerase and may act to resolve these complexes.

TIP30 interacts with an estrogen receptor alpha-interacting coactivator CIA and regulates c-myc transcription

Deregulation of c-myc expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of many neoplasias. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) can increase the rate of c-myc transcription through the recruitment of a variety of cofactors to the promoter, yet the precise roles of these cofactors in transcription and tumorigenesis are largely unknown. We show here that a putative tumor suppressor TIP30, also called CC3 or Htatip2, interacts with an ERalpha-interacting coactivator CIA. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate that TIP30 and CIA are distinct cofactors that are dynamically associated with the promoter and downstream regions of the c-myc gene in response to estrogen. Both TIP30 and CIA are recruited to the c-myc gene promoter by liganded ERalpha in the second transcription cycle. TIP30 overexpression represses ERalpha-mediated c-myc transcription, whereas TIP30 deficiency enhances c-myc transcription in both the absence and presence of estrogen. Ectopic CIA cooperates with TIP30 to repress ERalpha-mediated c-myc transcription. Moreover, virgin TIP30 knockout mice exhibit increased c-myc expression in mammary glands. Together, these results reveal an important role for TIP30 in the regulation of ERalpha-mediated c-myc transcription and suggest a mechanism for tumorigenesis promoted by TIP30 deficiency.

Proteasomal ATPases link ubiquitylation of histone H2B to methylation of histone H3

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, methylation of histone H3 at active genes is an epigenetic mark that distinguishes active from silent chromatin and functions as a short-term "memory" of recent transcription. Methylation of H3 at lysine residues K4 and K79 depends on ubiquitylation of histone H2B, but the mechanisms linking H2B ubiquitylation to H3 methylation are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that proteasomal ATPases Rpt4 and Rpt6 function to connect these two histone modifications. We show that recruitment of proteasome subunits to chromatin depends on H2B ubiquitylation and that mutations in Rpt4 and Rpt6 disrupt H3 methylation at K4 and K79 but leave H2B ubiquitylation intact. Consistent with their role in H3 methylation, we also find that mutations in Rpt4 and 6-but not components of the 20S proteasome-disrupt telomeric gene silencing. These data reveal that proteasome subunits function in epigenetic gene regulation by linking chromatin modifications that establish the histone code.

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is required for the function of the viral VP16 transcriptional activation domain

The ability of the activation domain of specific protein factors to regulate transcription is intimately connected to their ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Here, we provide evidence that ubiquitin-proteasome function is required for a family of synthetic viral VP16 transcription activators in mammalian cells. Blocking the degradation of VP16 activators, through proteasome inhibitors or by disrupting the ubiquitylation function, severely compromises their transcriptional activity. Overexpression of SUG-1, a subunit of the proteasome, reduces both transactivation and degradation of VP16 activators. The inhibitory effect of SUG-1 overexpression is enhanced when a single non-removable ubiquitin moiety is fused to the amino-terminus of the VP16 activator. The 19S regulatory subunit of the proteasome physically associates with the general transcription factor TFIIH, indicating the direct involvement of the proteasome in transcription. These results support a model in which ubiquitin plays an accessory role, in recruiting the 19S regulatory subunit of the proteasome, for transcriptional activation.

Transcription-dependent degradation controls the stability of the SREBP family of transcription factors

Cholesterol metabolism is tightly controlled by members of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) family of transcription factors. Here we demonstrate that the ubiquitination and degradation of SREBPs depend on their transcriptional activity. Mutations in the transactivation or DNA-binding domains of SREBPs inhibit their transcriptional activity and stabilize the proteins. The transcriptional activity and degradation of these mutants are restored when fused to heterologous transactivation or DNA-binding domains. When SREBP1a was fused to the DBD of Gal4, the ubiquitination and degradation of the fusion protein depended on coexpression of a promoter-reporter gene containing Gal4-binding sites. In addition, disruption of the interaction between WT SREBP and endogenous p300/CBP resulted in inhibition of SREBP-dependent transcription and stabilization of SREBP. Chemical inhibitors of transcription reduced the degradation of transcriptionally active SREBP1a, whereas they had no effect on the stability of transcriptionally inactive mutants, demonstrating that transcriptional activation plays an important role in the degradation of SREBPs. Thus, transcription-dependent degradation of SREBP constitutes a feedback mechanism to regulate the expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism and may represent a general mechanism to regulate the duration of transcriptional responses.

Molecular evidence that the eukaryotic THO/TREX complex is required for efficient transcription elongation

THO/TREX is a conserved eukaryotic complex formed by the core THO complex plus proteins involved in mRNA metabolism and export such as Sub2 and Yra1. Mutations in any of the THO/TREX structural genes cause pleiotropic phenotypes such as transcription impairment, increased transcription-associated recombination, and mRNA export defects. To assay the relevance of THO/TREX complex in transcription, we performed in vitro transcription elongation assays in mutant cell extracts using supercoiled DNA templates containing two G-less cassettes. With these assays, we demonstrate that hpr1delta, tho2delta, and mft1delta mutants of the THO complex and sub2 mutants show significant reductions in the efficiency of transcription elongation. The mRNA expression defect of hpr1delta mutants was not due to an increase in mRNA decay, as determined by mRNA half-life measurements and mRNA time course accumulation experiments in the absence of Rrp6p exoribonuclease. This work demonstrates that THO and Sub2 are required for efficient transcription elongation, providing further evidence for the coupling between transcription and mRNA metabolism and export.

Running with RNA polymerase: eukaryotic transcript elongation

Long recognized as a target of regulation in prokaryotes, transcript elongation has recently become the focus of many investigators interested in eukaryotic gene expression. The growth of this area has been fueled by the availability of new methods and molecular structures, expanding sequence databases and an appreciation for the exquisite coordination required among different processes in the nucleus. Our article collates new information on regulatory accessory factors, as well as their ultimate target, RNA polymerase, in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. How this regulation influences the biology of the organism is quite profound, and from single cell to multicellular eukaryotes significant similarities exist in the molecular responses to extracellular signals during transcript elongation. The most advanced genetic knowledge in this area comes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the biochemistry and cell biology results from other organisms are also highlighted.

Conserved pathways within bacteria and yeast as revealed by global protein network alignment

We implement a strategy for aligning two protein-protein interaction networks that combines interaction topology and protein sequence similarity to identify conserved interaction pathways and complexes. Using this approach we show that the protein-protein interaction networks of two distantly related species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Helicobacter pylori, harbor a large complement of evolutionarily conserved pathways, and that a large number of pathways appears to have duplicated and specialized within yeast. Analysis of these findings reveals many well characterized interaction pathways as well as many unanticipated pathways, the significance of which is reinforced by their presence in the networks of both species.

The transcriptional repressor protein PRH interacts with the proteasome

PRH (proline-rich homeodomain protein)/Hex is important in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation. We have shown previously that PRH contains two domains that can bring about transcriptional repression independently; the PRH homeodomain represses transcription by binding to TATA box sequences, whereas the proline-rich N-terminal domain can repress transcription by interacting with members of the Groucho/TLE (transducin-like enhancer of split) family of co-repressor proteins. The proteasome is a multi-subunit protein complex involved in the processing and degradation of proteins. Some proteasome subunits have been suggested to play a role in the regulation of transcription. In the present study, we show that PRH interacts with the HC8 subunit of the proteasome in the context of both 20 and 26 S proteasomes. Moreover, we show that PRH is associated with the proteasome in haematopoietic cells and that the proline-rich PRH N-terminal domain is responsible for this interaction. Whereas PRH can be cleaved by the proteasome, it does not appear to be degraded rapidly in vitro or in vivo, and the proteolytic activity of the proteasome is not required for transcriptional repression by PRH. However, proteasomal digestion of PRH can liberate truncated PRH proteins that retain the ability to bind to DNA. We discuss these findings in terms of the biological role of PRH in gene regulation and the control of cell proliferation.

Degradation of retinoid X receptor α by TPA through proteasome pathway in gastric cancer cells

AIM: To investigate and determine the mechanism and signal pathway of tetradecanoylphorbol-1, 3-acetate (TPA) in degradation of RXRα.

METHODS: Gastric cancer cell line, BGC-823 was used in the experiments. The expression level of RXRα protein was detected by Western blot. Nuclear and cytoplasmic protein fractions were prepared through lysis of cell and centrifugation. Localization and translocation of RXRα were observed under laser-scanning confocal microscope through labeling specific anti-RXRα antibody and corresponding immunofluorescent antibody as secondary antibody. Different inhibitors were used as required.

RESULTS: In BGC-823 cells, RXRα was expressed in the nucleus. When cells were treated with TPA, expression of RXRα was repressed in a time-dependent and TPA-concentration-dependent manner. Meanwhile, translocation of RXRα from the nucleus to the cytoplasm occurred, also in a time-dependent manner. When cells were pre-incubated with proteasome inhibitor MG132 for 3 hrs, followed by TPA for another 12 hrs, TPA-induced RXRα degradation was inhibited. Further observation of RXRα translocation in the presence of MG132 showed that MG-132 could block TPA-induced RXRα redistribution. Conversely, when RXRα translocation was inhibited by LMB, an inhibitor for blocking protein export from the nucleus, TPA could not repress expression of RXRα.

CONCLUSION: TPA could induce the degradation of RXRα protein in BGC-823 cells, and this degradation is time- and TPA-concentration-dependent. Furthermore, the degradation of RXRα by TPA is via a proteasome pathway and associated with RXRα translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

Use of RNA interference and complementation to study the function of the Drosophila and human 26S proteasome subunit S13

The S13 subunit (also called Pad1, Rpn11, and MPR1) is a component of the 19S complex, a regulatory complex essential for the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic activity of the 26S proteasome. To address the functional role of S13, we combined double-stranded RNA interference (RNAi) against the Drosophila proteasome subunit DmS13 with expression of wild-type and mutant forms of the homologous human gene, HS13. These studies show that DmS13 is essential for 26S function. Loss of the S13 subunit in metazoan cells leads to increased levels of ubiquitin conjugates, cell cycle defects, DNA overreplication, and apoptosis. In vivo assays using short-lived proteasome substrates confirmed that the 26S ubiquitin-dependent degradation pathway is compromised in S13-depleted cells. In complementation experiments using Drosophila cell lines expressing HS13, wild-type HS13 was found to fully rescue the knockdown phenotype after DmS13 RNAi treatment, while an HS13 containing mutations (H113A-H115A) in the proposed isopeptidase active site was unable to rescue. A mutation within the conserved MPN/JAMM domain (C120A) abolished the ability of HS13 to rescue the Drosophila cells from apoptosis or DNA overreplication. However, the C120A mutant was found to partially restore normal levels of ubiquitin conjugates. The S13 subunit may possess multiple functions, including a deubiquitinylating activity and distinct activities essential for cell cycle progression that require the conserved C120 residue.

Functional distinctions between IMP dehydrogenase genes in providing mycophenolate resistance and guanine prototrophy to yeast

IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the de novo synthesis of GTP. Yeast with mutations in the transcription elongation machinery are sensitive to inhibitors of this enzyme such as 6-azauracil and mycophenolic acid, at least partly because of their inability to transcriptionally induce IMPDH. To understand the molecular basis of this drug-sensitive phenotype, we have dissected the expression and function of a four-gene family in yeast called IMD1 through IMD4. We show here that these family members are distinct, despite a high degree of amino acid identity between the proteins they encode. Extrachromosomal copies of IMD1, IMD3, or IMD4 could not rescue the drug-sensitive phenotype of IMD2 deletants. When overexpressed, IMD3 or IMD4 weakly compensated for deletion of IMD2. IMD1 is transcriptionally silent and bears critical amino acid substitutions compared with IMD2 that destroy its function, offering strong evidence that it is a pseudogene. The simultaneous deletion of all four IMD genes was lethal unless growth media were supplemented with guanine. This suggests that there are no other essential functions of the IMPDH homologs aside from IMP dehydrogenase activity. Although neither IMD3 nor IMD4 could confer drug resistance to cells lacking IMD2, either alone was sufficient to confer guanine prototrophy. The special function of IMD2 was provided by its ability to be transcriptionally induced and the probable intrinsic drug resistance of its enzymatic activity.

A non-proteolytic role for ubiquitin in Tat-mediated transactivation of the HIV-1 promoter

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a potent transactivator, Tat, which functions through binding to a short leader RNA, called transactivation responsive element (TAR). Recent studies suggest that Tat activates the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR), mainly by adapting co-activator complexes, such as p300, PCAF and the positive transcription elongation factor P-TEFb, to the promoter. Here, we show that the proto-oncoprotein Hdm2 interacts with Tat and mediates its ubiquitination in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Hdm2 is a positive regulator of Tat-mediated transactivation, indicating that the transcriptional properties of Tat are stimulated by ubiquitination. Fusion of ubiquitin to Tat bypasses the requirement of Hdm2 for efficient transactivation, supporting the notion that ubiquitin has a non-proteolytic function in Tat-mediated transactivation.

Cks1-dependent proteasome recruitment and activation of CDC20 transcription in budding yeast

Cks proteins are small evolutionarily conserved proteins that interact genetically and physically with cyclin-dependent kinases. However, in spite of a large body of genetic, biochemical and structural research, no compelling unifying model of their functions has emerged. Here we show, by investigating the essential role of Cks1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that the protein is primarily involved in promoting mitosis by modulating the transcriptional activation of the APC/C protein-ubiquitin ligase activator Cdc20. Cks1 is required for both the periodic dissociation of Cdc28 kinase from the CDC20 promoter and the periodic association of the proteasome with the promoter. We propose that the essential role of Cks1 is to recruit the proteasome to, and/or dissociate the Cdc28 kinase from, the CDC20 promoter, thus facilitating transcription by remodelling transcriptional complexes or chromatin associated with the CDC20 gene.

A license to kill: transcriptional activation and enhanced turnover of Myc by the SCF(kp2) ubiquitin ligase

Understanding the mechanisms through which the abundance and activity of the Myc oncoprotein is regulated has been a major preoccupation of the cancer and transcription communities. New work, published in the May issue of Molecular Cell, reveals that ubiquitination of Myc by the oncogenic SCF(Skp2) complex not only promotes Myc turnover but is also required for Myc transcriptional activation, suggesting that Myc activity is "licensed" by ubiquitination.

The F-box protein Skp2 participates in c-Myc proteosomal degradation and acts as a cofactor for c-Myc-regulated transcription

The transcription regulatory oncoprotein c-Myc controls genes involved in cell growth, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. c-Myc is turned over very quickly through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. The proteins involved in this process are still unknown. We have found that Skp2 interacts with c-Myc and participates in its ubiquitylation and degradation. The interaction between Skp2 and c-Myc occurs during the G1 to S phase transition of the cell cycle in normal lymphocytes. Surprisingly, Skp2 enhances c-Myc-induced S phase transition and activates c-Myc target genes in a Myc-dependent manner. Further, Myc-induced transcription was shown to be Skp2 dependent, suggesting interdependence between c-Myc and Skp2 in activation of transcription. Moreover, Myc-dependent association of Skp2, ubiquitylated proteins, and subunits of the proteasome to a c-Myc target promoter was demonstrated in vivo. The results suggest that Skp2 is a transcriptional cofactor for c-Myc and indicates a close relationship between transcription activation and transcription factor ubiquitination.

Changing the DNA landscape: putting a SPN on chromatin

In eukaryotic cells, transcription and replication each occur on DNA templates that are incorporated into nucleosomes. Formation of chromatin generally limits accessibility of specific DNA sequences and inhibits progression of polymerases as they copy information from the DNA. The processes that select sites for initiating either transcription or replication are therefore strongly influenced by factors that modulate the properties of chromatin proteins. Further, in order to elongate their products, both DNA and RNA polymerases must be able to overcome the inhibition presented by chromatin (Lipford and Bell 2001; Workman and Kingston 1998). One way to adjust the properties of chromatin proteins is to covalently modify them by adding or removing chemical moieties. Both histone and non-histone chromatin proteins are altered by acetylation, methylation, and other changes, and the 'nucleosome modifying' complexes that perform these reactions are important components of pathways of transcriptional regulation (Cote 2002; Orphanides and Reinberg 2000; Roth et al. 2001; Strahl and Allis 2000; Workman and Kingston 1998). Another way to alter the effects of nucleosomes is to change the position of the histone octamers relative to specific DNA sequences (Orphanides and Reinberg 2000; Verrijzer 2002; Wang 2002; Workman and Kingston 1998). Since the ability of a sequence to be bound by specific proteins can vary significantly whether the sequence is in the linkers between nucleosomes or at various positions within a nucleosome, 'nucleosome remodeling' complexes that rearrange nucleosome positioning are also important regulators of transcription. Since the DNA replication machinery has to encounter many of the same challenges posed by chromatin, it seems likely that modifying and remodeling complexes also act during duplication of the genome, but most of the current information on these factors relates to regulation of transcription. This chapter describes the factor known variously as FACT in humans, where it promotes elongation of RNA polymerase II on nucleosomal templates in vitro (Orphanides et al. 1998, 1999), DUF in frogs, where it is needed for DNA replication in oocyte extracts (Okuhara et al. 1999), and CP or SPN in yeast, where it is linked in vivo to both transcription and replication (Brewster et al. 2001; Formosa et al. 2001). Like the nucleosome modifying and remodeling complexes, it is broadly conserved among eukaryotes, affects a wide range of processes that utilize chromatin, and directly alters the properties of nucleosomes. However, it does not have nucleosome modifying or standard ATP-dependent remodeling activity, and therefore represents a third class of chromatin modulating factors. It is also presently unique in the extensive connections it displays with both transcription and replication: FACT/DUF/CP/SPN appears to modify nucleosomes in a way that is directly important for the efficient functioning of both RNA polymerases and DNA polymerases. While less is known about the mechanisms it uses to promote its functions than for other factors that affect chromatin, it is clearly an essential part of the complex mixture of activities that modulate access to DNA within chromatin. Physical and genetic interactions suggest that FACT/DUF/CP/SPN affects multiple pathways within replication and transcription as a member of several distinct complexes. Some of the interactions are easy to assimilate into models for replication or transcription, such as direct binding to DNA polymerase alpha (Wittmeyer and Formosa 1997; Wittmeyer et al. 1999), association with nucleosome modifying complexes (John et al. 2000), and interaction with factors that participate in elongation of RNA Polymerase II (Gavin et al. 2002; Squazzo et al. 2002). Others are more surprising such as an association with the 19S complex that regulates the function of the 20S proteasome (Ferdous et al. 2001; Xu et al. 1995), and the indication that FACT/DUF/CP/SPN can act as a specificity factor for casein kinase II (Keller et al. 2001). This chapter reviews the varied approaches that have each revealed different aspects of the function of FACT/DUF/CP/SPN, and presents a picture of a factor that can both alter nucleosomes and orchestrate the assembly or activity of a broad range of complexes that act upon chromatin.

Orchestrating nuclear functions: ubiquitin sets the rhythm

The nucleus of the eukaryotic cell must carry out many functions simultaneously. These tasks include ensuring that the cell is continuously supplied with an appropriate, changing set of proteins on its way through cell divisions and differentiation. During these processes, the integrity of the genetic material must be maintained against a constant onslaught of damaging physiological and environmental factors. Fulfilling these complex tasks requires the dynamic integration and synchronization of different nuclear functions. Protein modification by ubiquitin is proving to be a crucial tool for nuclear functioning, and is emerging as a decisive mechanism that enables the concerted regulation of nuclear pathways.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates nuclear association of human progesterone receptors

Breast cancers often have increased MAPK activity; this pathway may drive breast cancer cell growth by targeting steroid hormone receptors. MAPK phosphorylates human progesterone receptors (PRs) on Ser294, thus regulating several aspects of PR activity. To study the role of PR Ser294 phosphorylation on subcellular distribution, we stably expressed wild-type (wt) or S294A (Ser294 to Ala) PR-B in several cell types. PRs phosphorylated on Ser294 were nuclear. Activation of MAPK induced Ser294 phosphorylation and rapid nuclear translocation of wt, but not S294A, PR-B; both receptors concentrated in the nucleus after progestin treatment. The MAPK kinase inhibitor, U0126, blocked epidermal growth factor but not progestin-induced Ser294 phosphorylation and translocation of wt PR, indicating a novel mechanism for nuclear localization. After progestin treatment, wt PR-B underwent ligand-dependent down-regulation, while S294A PR-B persisted in nuclei. Prolonged treatment with U0126 or the nuclear export inhibitor, leptomycin B, promoted nuclear accumulation of wt PR-B and blocked ligand-dependent PR down-regulation, suggesting that PR degradation occurs in the cytoplasm and requires MAPK-dependent nuclear export. Stabilization of PRs by leptomycin B also blocked PR transcriptional activity, indicating a link between nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, receptor stability, and function. These results support a regulatory role for MAPK in nuclear steroid hormone receptor subcellular localization and coupling to multiple PR functions.

The topoisomerase IIbeta circular clamp arrests transcription and signals a 26S proteasome pathway

It has been proposed that the topoisomerase II (TOP2)beta-DNA covalent complex arrests transcription and triggers 26S proteasome-mediated degradation of TOP2beta. It is unclear whether the initial trigger for proteasomal degradation is due to DNA damage or transcriptional arrest. In the current study we show that the TOP2 catalytic inhibitor 4,4-(2,3-butanediyl)-bis(2,6-piperazinedione) (ICRF-193), which traps TOP2 into a circular clamp rather than the TOP2-DNA covalent complex, can also arrest transcription. Arrest of transcription, which is TOP2beta-dependent, is accompanied by proteasomal degradation of TOP2beta. Different from TOP2 poisons and other DNA-damaging agents, ICRF-193 did not induce proteasomal degradation of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. These results suggest that proteasomal degradation of TOP2beta induced by the TOP2-DNA covalent complex or the TOP2 circular clamp is due to transcriptional arrest but not DNA damage. By contrast, degradation of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II is due to a DNA-damage signal.

The structural determinants responsible for c-Fos protein proteasomal degradation differ according to the conditions of expression

c-fos gene is expressed constitutively in a number of tissues as well as in certain tumor cells and is inducible, in general rapidly and transiently, in virtually all other cell types by a variety of stimuli. Its protein product, c-Fos, is a short-lived transcription factor that heterodimerizes with various protein partners within the AP-1 transcription complex via leucine zipper/leucine zipper interactions for binding to specific DNA sequences. It is mostly, if not exclusively, degraded by the proteasome. To localize the determinant(s) responsible for its instability, we have conducted a genetic analysis in which the half-lives of c-Fos mutants and chimeras made with the stable EGFP reporter protein were compared under two experimental conditions taken as example of continous and inducible expression. Those were constitutive expression in asynchronously growing Balb/C 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts and transient induction in the same cells undergoing the G0/G1 phase transition upon stimulation by serum. Our work shows that c-Fos is degraded faster in synchronous- than in asynchronous cells. This difference in turnover is primarily accounted for by several mechanisms. First, in asynchronous cells, a unique C-terminal destabilizer is active whereas, in serum-stimulated cells two destabilizers located at both extremities of the protein are functional. Second, heterodimerization and/or binding to DNA accelerates protein degradation only during the G0/G1 phase transition. Adding another level of complexity to turnover control, phosphorylation at serines 362 and 374, which are c-Fos phosphorylation sites largely modified during the G0/G1 phase transition, stabilizes c-Fos much more efficiently in asynchronous than in serum-stimulated cells. In both cases, the reduced degradation rate is due to inhibition of the activity of the C-terminal destabilizer. However, in serum-stimulated cells, this effect is partially masked by the activation of the N-terminal destabilizer and basic domain/leucine zipper-dependent mechanisms. Taken together, our data show that multiple degradation mechanisms, differing according to the conditions of expression, may operate on c-Fos to ensure a proper level and/or timing of expression. Moreover, they also indicate that the half-life of c-Fos during the G0/G1 phase transition is determined by a delicate balance between opposing stabilizing and destabilizing mechanisms operating at the same time.

How the ubiquitin-proteasome system controls transcription

Gene transcription and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis are two processes that have seemingly nothing in common: transcription is the first step in the life of any protein and proteolysis the last. Despite the disparate nature of these processes, a growing body of evidence indicates that ubiquitin and the proteasome are intimately involved in gene control. Here, we discuss the deep mechanistic connections between transcription and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and highlight how the intersection of these processes tightly controls expression of the genetic information.

Regulating the regulators: lysine modifications make their mark

Decades of research have uncovered much of the molecular machinery responsible for establishing and maintaining proper gene transcription patterns in eukaryotes. Although the composition of this machinery is largely known, mechanisms regulating its activity by covalent modification are just coming into focus. Here, we review several cases of ubiquitination, sumoylation, and acetylation that link specific covalent modification of the transcriptional apparatus to their regulatory function. We propose that potential cascades of modifications serve as molecular rheostats that fine-tune the control of transcription in diverse organisms.

Molecular evidence for a positive role of Spt4 in transcription elongation

We have previously shown that yeast mutants of the THO complex have a defect in gene expression, observed as an impairment of lacZ transcription. Here we analyze the ability of mutants of different transcription elongation factors to transcribe lacZ. We found that spt4Delta, like THO mutants, impaired transcription of lacZ and of long and GC-rich DNA sequences fused to the GAL1 promoter. Using a newly developed in vitro transcription elongation assay, we show that Spt4 is required in elongation. There is a functional interaction between Spt4 and THO, detected by the lethality or strong gene expression defect and hyper-recombination phenotypes of double mutants in the W303 genetic background. Our results indicate that Spt4-Spt5 has a positive role in transcription elongation and suggest that Spt4-Spt5 and THO act at different steps during mRNA biogenesis.

Rescue of arrested RNA polymerase II complexes

In the past few months, several discoveries relating to the mechanism underlying transcription-coupled DNA repair (TCR) have been reported. These results make it timely to propose a hypothesis for how eukaryotic cells might deal with arrested RNA polymerase II (Pol II) complexes. In this model, the transcription-repair coupling factor Cockayne Syndrome B (or the yeast equivalent Rad26) uses DNA translocase activity to remodel the Pol II-DNA interface, possibly to push the polymerase past the obstruction or to remove it from the DNA so that repair can take place if the obstacle is a DNA lesion. However, when this action is not possible and Pol II is left irreversibly trapped on DNA, the polymerase is instead ubiquitylated and eventually removed by proteolysis.

Involvement of proteasome in the dynamic assembly of the androgen receptor transcription complex

We have used the chromatin immunoprecipitation technique to analyze the formation of the androgen receptor (AR) transcription complex onto prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and kallikrein 2 promoters in LNCaP cells. Our results show that loading of holo-AR and recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the promoters occur transiently. The cyclic nature of AR transcription complex assembly is also illustrated by transient association of coactivators GRIP1 and CREB-binding protein and acetylated histone H3 with the PSA promoter. Treatment of cells with the pure antiandrogen bicalutamide also elicits occupancy of the promoter by AR. In contrast to the agonist-liganded AR, bicalutamide-bound receptor is not capable of recruiting polymerase II, GRIP1, or CREB-binding protein, indicating that the conformation of AR bound to anti-androgen is not competent to assemble transcription complexes. Proteasome is involved in the regulation of AR-dependent transcription, as a proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, prevents the release of the receptor from the PSA promoter, and it also blocks the androgen-induced PSA mRNA accumulation. Furthermore, occupancy of the PSA promoter by the 19 S proteasome subcomplex parallels that by AR. Collectively, formation of the AR transcription complex, encompassing AR, polymerase II, and coactivators, on a regulated promoter is a cyclic process involving proteasome function.

Histone deacetylase 6 binds polyubiquitin through its zinc finger (PAZ domain) and copurifies with deubiquitinating enzymes

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are thought to function as critical mediators of transcriptional repression. However, the physiological targets and posttranslational modifications of the class II HDACs are largely unknown. Here we show that the C terminus of HDAC 6 is both necessary and sufficient for specific association with polyubiquitin. This region contains a putative zinc finger but lacks significant similarity to other known ubiquitin binding domains. Thus, we have designated this region as a PAZ domain, for Polyubiquitin Associated Zinc finger. Although the PAZ domain possesses homology with the zinc finger of deubiquitinating enzymes, it is dispensable for the deubiquitinating activity we find associated with HDAC6 following immunopurification. We also show that both HDAC 5 and HDAC 6 are ubiquitinated in vitro and in vivo. However, both of these proteins are stable in vivo and do not appear to be targeted for rapid degradation by the proteasome. Thus, HDAC6 is linked to the ubiquitin system via ubiquitin conjugation, polyubiquitin binding, and copurification with deubiquitinating enzymes.

Mutational analysis reveals a role for the C terminus of the proteasome subunit Rpt4p in spindle pole body duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ubiquitin/proteasome pathway plays a key role in regulating cell cycle progression. Previously, we reported that a conditional mutation in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene RPT4/PCS1, which encodes one of six ATPases in the proteasome 19S cap complex/regulatory particle (RP), causes failure of spindle pole body (SPB) duplication. To improve our understanding of Rpt4p, we created 58 new mutations, 53 of which convert clustered, charged residues to alanine. Virtually all mutations that affect the N-terminal region, which contains a putative nuclear localization signal and coiled-coil motif, result in a wild-type phenotype. Nine mutations that affect the central ATPase domain and the C-terminal region confer recessive lethality. The two conditional mutations identified, rpt4-145 and rpt4-150, affect the C terminus. After shift to high temperature, these mutations generally cause cells to progress slowly through the first cell cycle and to arrest in the second cycle with large buds, a G2 content of DNA, and monopolar spindles, although this phenotype can vary depending on the medium. Additionally, we describe a genetic interaction between RPT4 and the naturally polymorphic gene SSD1, which in wild-type form modifies the rpt4-145 phenotype such that cells arrest in G2 of the first cycle with complete bipolar spindles.

Chemistry-based functional proteomics reveals novel members of the deubiquitinating enzyme family

The ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system includes a large family of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Many members are assigned to this enzyme class by sequence similarity but without evidence for biological activity. A panel of novel DUB-specific probes was generated by a chemical ligation method. These probes allowed identification of DUBs and associated components by tandem mass spectrometry, as well as rapid demonstration of enzymatic activity for gene products whose functions were inferred from primary structure. We identified 23 active DUBs in EL4 cells, including the tumor suppressor CYLD1. At least two DUBs tightly interact with the proteasome 19S regulatory complex. An OTU domain-containing protein, with no sequence homology to any known DUBs, was isolated. We show that this polypeptide reacts with the C terminus of Ub, thus demonstrating DUB-like enzymatic activity for this novel superfamily of proteases.

Proteasome activity is required for androgen receptor transcriptional activity via regulation of androgen receptor nuclear translocation and interaction with coregulators in prostate cancer cells

Upon binding to androgen, the androgen receptor (AR) can translocate into the nucleus and bind to androgen response element(s) to modulate its target genes. Here we have shown that MG132, a 26 S proteasome inhibitor, suppressed AR transactivation in an androgen-dependent manner in prostate cancer LNCaP and PC-3 cells. In contrast, MG132 showed no suppressive effect on glucocorticoid receptor transactivation. Additionally, transfection of PSMA7, a proteasome subunit, enhanced AR transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. The suppression of AR transactivation by MG132 may then result in the suppression of prostate-specific antigen, a well known marker used to monitor the progress of prostate cancer. Further mechanistic studies indicated that MG132 may suppress AR transactivation via inhibition of AR nuclear translocation and/or inhibition of interactions between AR and its coregulators, such as ARA70 or TIF2. Together, our data suggest that the proteasome system plays important roles in the regulation of AR activity in prostate cancer cells and may provide a unique target site for the development of therapeutic drugs to block androgen/AR-mediated prostate tumor growth.

Physical association of the APIS complex and general transcription factors

It has recently been demonstrated that a fragment of the proteasome, called the APIS complex, plays an important role in RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. Here, it is shown that the APIS complex is physically associated with many general transcription factors, including components of yeast FACT (Cdc68/Pob3), TFIID, TFIIH, and the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. Depletion of this APIS transcription factor complex from a yeast whole cell extract resulted in reduced transcription, indicating that it is functionally relevant. The APIS/transcription factor complex does not include detectable levels of the 20S proteolytic sub-unit of the proteasome. Furthermore, immunopurified 26S proteasome contains little or no transcription factors, suggesting that transcription factors and the 20S bind competitively to the APIS complex. These data add to the growing body of evidence that the APIS complex has a role in transcription, independent of its role in proteolysis and, furthermore, argues that it functions in association with the general transcription complex.

Removal of impurities from transcription factor preparations that alter their DNA-binding properties

Biochemical studies of transcriptional activators are important for understanding their detailed mechanism of action. Such experiments generally employ chimeric constructs comprised of fused DNA- binding and activation domains that are expressed in, and purified from, Escherichia coli, since full-length activators are usually difficult to express. We report here that such preparations contain chaperone impurities that affect the DNA-binding properties of the activator, for example sharply reducing the half-life of the protein-DNA complex. A simple method to remove these troublesome contaminants is described.

EDD, the human hyperplastic discs protein, has a role in progesterone receptor coactivation and potential involvement in DNA damage response

The ubiquitin-protein ligase EDD encodes an orthologue of the hyperplastic discs tumor suppressor gene, which has a critical role in Drosophila development. Frequent allelic imbalance at the EDD chromosomal locus in human cancers suggests a role in tumorigenesis. In addition to a HECT (homologous to E6-AP carboxyl terminus) domain, the EDD protein contains a UBR1 zinc finger motif and ubiquitin-associated domain, each of which indicates involvement in ubiquitinylation pathways. This study shows that EDD interacts with importin alpha 5 through consensus basic nuclear localization signals and is localized in cell nuclei. EDD also binds progesterone receptor (PR) and potentiates progestin-mediated gene transactivation. This activity is comparable with that of the coactivator SRC-1, but, in contrast, the interaction between EDD and PR does not appear to involve an LXXLL receptor-binding motif. EDD also binds calcium- and integrin-binding protein/DNA-dependent protein kinase-interacting protein, a potential target of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and an altered association is found between EDD and calcium- and integrin-binding protein/DNA-dependent protein kinase-interacting protein in response to DNA damage. The data presented here demonstrate a role for EDD in PR signaling but also suggest a link to cancer through DNA damage response pathways.

Navigating steroid hormone receptors through the nuclear compartment

Steroid hormone receptors exert much of their effects on cellular physiology through regulating the rate of transcription from unique target genes. Much has been learned about the actions of steroid hormone receptors at regulated promoters through model in vitro studies, but it has always been a challenge to extrapolate these mechanistic insights to molecular events that occur in live cells. However, novel insights have recently been gained regarding the nature of receptor encounters with the transcriptional machinery from elegant experimental approaches that used advances gained in biochemical, molecular biological, cell biological, and biophysical disciplines. Although these is no doubt that steroid hormone receptors represent some of the most mobile proteins within the nucleus, they still maintain their ability to orchestrate a highly ordered recruitment of cofactors and coregulators at specific sites and remain accessible to alternative processing pathways that limit their action. As highlighted in this review, there may be interrelationships between seemingly distinct pathways of receptor trafficking and processing within the nucleus that impact receptor action at regulated promoters.

Coordination of ATF6-mediated transcription and ATF6 degradation by a domain that is shared with the viral transcription factor, VP16

ATF6 is a 670-amino acid endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein that is cleaved in response to ER stress. The resulting N-terminal fragment of approximately 400 amino acids translocates to the nucleus and activates selected ER stress-inducible genes, such as GRP-78 and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase, which are required for cell survival. In studying the mechanism of ATF6-activated transcription, we found that when HeLa cells were transfected with a plasmid encoding ATF6-(1-373), ER stress-inducible reporter gene activation was high, but ATF6-(1-373) expression was low, unless a proteasome inhibitor was added. In contrast, transfection with a plasmid encoding ATF6-(94-373) resulted in low reporter activation and high expression of ATF6-(94-373), which was independent of the proteasome inhibitor. Thus, the information responsible for transcriptional activation and proteasomal degradation must lie within the N-terminal 93 amino acids of ATF6. This portion of ATF6 was found to be homologous to the herpes simplex viral protein, VP16. One 8-amino acid domain of particular interest in this region of ATF6 is 75% identical to the VN8 region in VP16. VN8 is required for VP16-mediated transcription, as well as rapid degradation of VP16 by proteasomes. Point mutations in the VN8-like region of ATF6 caused a loss of transcription, increased expression levels, and an increase in half-life. Thus, the potent transcriptional activities and rapid degradation of ATF6 and VP16 require the VN8 domains in each protein. Homology searches indicate that ATF6 is the only eukaryotic protein known that possesses an active VN8 domain, raising questions about how this domain evolved and the functional importance underlying its appearance in only these two transcription factors.

Proteasomal inhibition enhances glucocorticoid receptor transactivation and alters its subnuclear trafficking

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway regulates the turnover of many transcription factors, including steroid hormone receptors such as the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. For these receptors, proteasome inhibition interferes with steroid-mediated transcription. We show here that proteasome inhibition with MG132 results in increased accumulation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), confirming that it is likewise a substrate for the ubiquitin-proteasome degradative pathway. Using the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter integrated into tissue culture cells, we found that proteasome inhibition synergistically increases GR-mediated transactivation. This increased activation was observed in a number of cell lines and on various MMTV templates, either as transiently transfected reporters or stably integrated into chromatin. These observations suggest that the increase in GR-mediated transcription due to proteasome inhibition may occur downstream of the initial chromatin remodeling step. In support of this concept, the increase in transcription did not correlate with an increase in chromatin remodeling, as measured by restriction enzyme hypersensitivity, or transcription factor loading, as exemplified by nuclear factor 1. To investigate the relationship between GR turnover, transcription, and subnuclear trafficking, we examined the effect of proteasome inhibition on the mobility of the GR within the nucleus and association of the GR with the nuclear matrix. Blocking GR turnover reduced the mobility of the GR within the nucleus, and this correlated with increased association of the receptor with the nuclear matrix. As a result of proteasome inhibition, GR mobility within the nucleus was reduced while its association with the nuclear matrix was increased. Thus, while altered nuclear mobility of steroid receptors may be a common feature of proteasome inhibition, GR is unique in its enhanced transactivation activity that results when proteasome function is compromised. Proteasomes may therefore impact steroid receptor action at multiple levels and exert distinct effects on individual receptor types.

Mastermind mediates chromatin-specific transcription and turnover of the Notch enhancer complex

Signaling through the Notch pathway activates the proteolytic release of the Notch intracellular domain (ICD), a dedicated transcriptional coactivator of CSL enhancer-binding proteins. Here we show that chromatin-dependent transactivation by the recombinant Notch ICD-CBF1 enhancer complex in vitro requires an additional coactivator, Mastermind (MAM). MAM provides two activation domains necessary for Notch signaling in mammalian cells and in Xenopus embryos. We show that the central MAM activation domain (TAD1) recruits CBP/p300 to promote nucleosome acetylation at Notch enhancers and activate transcription in vitro. We also find that MAM expression induces phosphorylation and relocalization of endogenous CBP/p300 proteins to nuclear foci in vivo. Moreover, we show that coexpression with MAM and CBF1 strongly enhances phosphorylation and proteolytic turnover of the Notch ICD in vivo. Enhanced phosphorylation of the ICD and p300 requires a glutamine-rich region of MAM (TAD2) that is essential for Notch transcription in vivo. Thus MAM may function as a timer to couple transcription activation with disassembly of the Notch enhancer complex on chromatin.