Promoter targeting by adenovirus E1a through interaction with different cellular DNA-binding domains

TAF-like function of SV40 large T antigen

The simian virus 40 (SV40) early gene product large T antigen promiscuously activates simple promoters containing a TATA box or initiator element and at least one upstream transcription factor-binding site. Previous studies have suggested that promoter activation requires that large T antigen interacts with both the basal transcription complex and the upstream-bound factor. This mechanism of activation is similar to that proposed for TBP-associated factors (TAFs). We report genetic and biochemical evidence suggesting that large T antigen performs a TAF-like function. In the ts13 cell line, large T antigen can rescue the temperature-sensitive (ts) defect in TAF(II)250. In contrast, neither E1a, small t antigen, nor mutants of large T antigen defective in transcriptional activation were able to rescue the ts defect. These data suggest that transcriptional activation by large T antigen is attributable, at least in part, to an ability to augment or replace a function of TAF(II)250. In addition, we show that large T antigen interacts in vitro with the Drosophila TAFs (dTAFs) dTAF(II)150, dTAF(II)110, and dTAF(II)40, as well as TBP. The relevance of these in vitro results was established in coimmunoprecipitation experiments using extracts of SV40-infected alpha3 cells that express an epitope-tagged TBP. Large T antigen was coimmunoprecipitated by antibodies to epitope-tagged TBP, endogenous TBP, hTAF(II)100, hTAF(II)130, and hTAF(II)250, under conditions where holo-TFIID would be precipitated. In addition, large T antigen copurified and coimmunoprecipitated with phosphocellulose-purified TFIID from SV40-infected alpha3 cells. Large T antigen also coprecipitated with anti-TBP antibody from extracts of ts13 cells expressing wild-type large T antigen under conditions where the ts defect in TAF(II)250 was rescued. In contrast, a transactivation mutant of large T antigen, which was unable to rescue the ts defect, failed to coprecipitate. We conclude from these data that transcriptional activation of many promoters by large T antigen results from its performing a TAF-like function in a complex with TFIID.

The transcription factors Sp1 and Oct-1 interact physically to regulate human U2 snRNA gene expression

The expression of human small nuclear U2 RNA genes is controlled by the proximal sequence element (PSE), which determines the start site of transcription, and a distal sequence element (DSE). The DSE contains an octamer element and three Sp1 binding sites. The octamer, like the PSE, is essential for U2 transcription. The Sp1 sites contribute to full promoter activity by distance-dependent cooperative interactions with the transcription factors Sp1 and Oct-1. Here we show that purified recombinant Sp1 and Oct-1 bind cooperatively to the DSE and that they physically interact in vitro. Furthermore, we show that Sp1 and Oct-1 interact in vivo using a yeast two-hybrid system. The domain of Sp1 which interacts with Oct-1 is confined to the region necessary for transcriptional stimulation of U2 RNA transcription. This region contains the glutamine-rich activation domain B and a serine/threonine-rich part. The results demonstrate that Sp1, in addition to binding to a number of other factors, also interacts directly with transcription factor Oct-1.

Activation of the Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase promoter by the BRLF1 immediate-early protein is mediated through USF and E2F

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA polymerase (pol) is essential for the replication of viral genomes during productive EBV infection. We have previously reported that the EBV DNA pol promoter, which is TATA-less and constitutively inactive, is activated by a genomic clone expressing both immediate-early viral transactivators, BZLF1Z and BRLF1 (R), in EBV-infected lymphoid cells. Here we demonstrate that R alone is sufficient to activate the pol promoter in EBV-negative B cells. Unlike other early promoters to which the R protein binds directly, its effect on the pol promoter does not appear to involve a direct DNA-binding mechanism. Instead, we found that two cellular transcription factors, an upstream stimulatory factor USF, and a member of the E2F family of proteins, bind directly to the pol promoter at positions -795 to -786 and -186 to -170, respectively, regions previously identified as important for activation of the pol promoter. These two sites contribute to or are essential for transactivation of the pol promoter by R in EBV-noninfected B cells. These data suggest that the R immediate-early protein may activate a key early EBV promoter (pol) through both USF and E2F.

Intramolecular inhibition of activating transcription factor-2 function by its DNA-binding domain

ATF-2 is a cellular basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor that can mediate diverse transcriptional responses, including activation by the adenovirus Ela protein. ATF-2 contains an activation domain, required for transcriptional activity, but in the absence of an appropriate inducer, full-length ATF-2 is transcriptionally inactive. Here we have investigated the mechanism underlying this regulated inhibition of ATF-2 transcriptional activity. We show that the region of ATF-2 that suppresses the activation region is the bZIP DNA-binding domain and that maximal inhibition requires both the basic region and leucine zipper subdomains. Inhibition is activation domain specific: The ATF-2 bZIP suppresses the ATF-2 and the related Ela activation domains but not acidic- and glutamine-rich activation domains. In vitro protein interaction assays demonstrate that the ATF-2 activation domain and bZIP specifically bind to one another. Finally, we show that bZIP-mediated inhibition can be modulated in a cell-type-specific manner by another sequence element within ATF-2. On the basis of these and other data, we propose that the ATF-2 bZIP and activation domain are engaged in an inhibitory intramolecular interaction and that inducers of ATF-2 disrupt this interaction to activate transcription.

E2F1 and E1A(12S) have a homologous activation domain regulated by RB and CBP

The E2F1 transcription factor has a well-characterized activation domain at its C terminus and the E1A protein has a recently defined activation domain at its N terminus. Here we show that these activation domains are highly related in sequence. The sequence homology reflects, at least partly, the conservation of common binding sites for the RB and CBP/p300 proteins, which are preserved in the same relative order along E2F1 and E1A. Furthermore, the interaction of RB and CBP with these two activation domains results in the same functional consequences: RB represses both activation domains, whereas CBP stimulates them. We conclude that the activation domains of E1A(12s) and E2F1 belong to a novel functional class, characterized by specific protein binding sites. The implication of this conservation with respect to E1A-induced stimulation of E2F activity is discussed.

A conserved domain of the viviparous-1 gene product enhances the DNA binding activity of the bZIP protein EmBP-1 and other transcription factors

The maize VP1 protein is a seed-specific regulator of gene expression that effects the expression of a subset of abscisic acid (ABA)-regulated genes that are expressed during the maturation program of the seed. In addition, VP1 has pleiotropic effects on seed development that are not related to ABA. In transient expression assays, VP1 has been shown to transactivate gene expression through at least two distinct promoter elements: the G boxes from the ABA-inducible wheat Em gene and the SphI box from the maize C1 gene. We have investigated how VP1 can transactivate gene expression through diverse promoter elements by analyzing its association in vitro with EmBP-1, a factor that binds the Em promoter. We demonstrate that VP1 can greatly enhance the DNA binding activity of EmBP-1 in a gel retardation assay. This enhancing activity has also been observed on transcription factors as diverse as Opaque-2, Max, Sp1, and NF-kappaB. Deletion of a small but highly conserved region (BR2) in VP1 eliminates the enhancement in vitro as well as the ability of VP1 to transactivate Em gene expression in a transient expression assay. A 40-amino acid fragment from VP1 sandwiched between the maltose-binding protein and LacZ can confer the enhancement function to this fusion protein in vitro. A weak and relatively nonspecific interaction between BR2 and DNA is demonstrated by UV cross-linking. The in vitro properties we observe for VP1 might explain the regulatory effects of VP1 on a diverse set of genes and why mutations in the vp1 locus have pleiotropic effects.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha gene regulation in activated T cells involves ATF-2/Jun and NFATp

The human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene is one of the earliest genes expressed upon the activation of a T or B cell through its antigen receptor. Previous experiments have demonstrated that in stimulated T cells, a TNF-alpha promoter element, kappa 3, which binds NFATp, is required for the cyclosporin A-sensitive transcriptional activation of the gene. Here, we demonstrate that a cyclic AMP response element (CRE), which lies immediately upstream of the kappa 3 site, is also required for induction of TNF-alpha gene transcription in T cells stimulated by calcium ionophore or T-cell receptor ligands. The CRE binds ATF-2 and Jun proteins in association with NFATp bound to kappa 3. These proteins bind noncooperatively in vitro; however, the transcriptional activity of the CRE/kappa 3 composite site is dramatically higher than the activity of the kappa 3 site alone, indicating that the two sites cooperate in vivo. This study is the first demonstration of a role for ATF-2 in TNF-alpha gene transcription and of a functional interaction between ATF-2/Jun and NFATp. This novel pairing of NFATp with ATF-2/Jun may account for the specific and immediate pattern of TNF-alpha gene transcription in stimulated T cells.

Interaction between T antigen and TEA domain of the factor TEF-1 derepresses simian virus 40 late promoter in vitro: identification of T-antigen domains important for transcription control

The large tumor antigen (TAg) of simian virus 40 regulates transcription of the viral genes. The early promoter is repressed when TAg binds to the origin and DNA replication begins, whereas the late promoter is activated by TAg through both replication-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Previously it was shown that activation is diminished when a site in the viral enhancer to which the factor TEF-1 binds is disrupted. We show here that the NH2-terminal region of TAg binds to the TEA domain of TEF-1, a DNA binding domain also found in the Drosophila scalloped and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TEC1 proteins. The interaction inhibits DNA binding by TEF-1 and activates transcription in vitro from a subset of naturally occurring late start sites. These sites are also activated by mutations in the DNA motifs to which TEF-1 binds. Therefore, TEF-1 appears to function as a repressor of late transcription, and its involvement in the early-to-late shift in viral transcription is discussed. The mutation of Ser-189 in TAg, which reduces transformation efficiency in certain assays, disrupts the interaction with TEF-1. Thus, TEF-1 might also regulate genes involved in growth control.

SV40 T antigen increases the expression and activities of p34cdc2, cyclin A, and cyclin B prior to immortalization of human diploid fibroblasts

SV40 T antigen induces karyotype instability soon after it is expressed in human diploid fibroblasts and ultimately promotes cell immortalization and tumorigenesis. Protein levels and activities of mitotic cell cycle proteins have been shown to be elevated in several immortal cell lines relative to their normal parental cells, suggesting a possible role for the aberrant regulation of mitosis in karyotype instability. We show here that IMR-90 human diploid lung fibroblasts expressing the SV40 tumor antigens display increased protein levels and associated enzymatic activities of cyclin A, cyclin B, and p34cdc2 long before crisis and immortalization. These elevations cannot be explained by faster cell growth or altered cell cycle distributions. Increased protein levels were not totally accounted for by elevated levels of the corresponding mRNA, indicating that T antigen modulates expression at least partially by posttranscriptional mechanisms. These results indicate that perturbation of mitotic regulatory proteins precedes crisis, and imply that altered mitotic control is a direct consequence of T antigen expression rather than an outcome of secondary events associated with immortalization.

Synergistic transcriptional activation of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 promoter via functional interaction of AP-1 and Ets-1 transcription factors

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is an inhibitor of the extracellular matrix-degrading metalloproteinases. We characterized response elements that control TIMP-1 gene expression. One contains a binding site that selectively binds c-Fos and c-Jun in vitro and confers a response to multiple AP-1 family members in vivo. Adjacent to this is a binding site for Ets domain proteins. Although c-Ets-1 alone did not activate transcription from this element, it enhanced transcription synergistically with AP-1 either in the context of the natural promoter or when the sequence was linked upstream of a heterologous promoter. Furthermore, a complex of c-Jun and c-Fos interacted with c-Ets-1 in vitro. These results suggest that AP-1 tethers c-Ets-1 to the TIMP-1 promoter via protein-protein interaction to achieve Ets-dependent transcriptional regulation. Collectively, our results indicate that TIMP-1 expression is controlled by several DNA response elements that respond to variations in the level and activity of AP-1 and Ets transcriptional regulatory proteins.

Hepadnaviral X Protein:Review of Recent Progress

In addition to coding for virion structural proteins and the reverse transcriptase, all mammalian hepadnaviruses also contain an open-reading frame called X, because its function could not be fathomed from the deduced amino acid sequence. While it is now known that the woodchuck virus (and presumably the other hepadnaviruses, as well) cannot replicate in the animal host if the X gene is mutated, the exact function of the X protein in the viral life cycle is still unknown. In transient transfection studies, X protein has been shown to trans-activate a wide variety of promoters. The mechanism of this activation is also unclear, although there is accumulating evidence in favor of both a cytoplasmic effect involving signal transduction pathways, and a nuclear effect directly on the transcriptional machinery. It appears that the X protein is at least as complex as many of the other, better studied viral trans-activators, and may well yield new insights into mammalian cell functions in the future. Copyright 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel

Ischemia and reperfusion enhance ATF-2 and c-Jun binding to cAMP response elements and to an AP-1 binding site from the c-jun promoter

The transcription factors controlling the complex genetic response to ischemia and their modes of regulation are poorly understood. We found that ATF-2 and c-Jun DNA binding activity is markedly enhanced in post-ischemic kidney or in LLC-PK1 renal tubular epithelial cells exposed to reversible ATP depletion. After 40 min of renal ischemia followed by reperfusion for as little as 5 min, binding of ATF-2 and c-Jun, but not ATF-3 or CREB (cAMP response element binding protein), to oligonucleotides containing either an ATF/cAMP response element (ATF/CRE) or the jun2TRE from the c-jun promoter, was significantly increased. Binding to jun2TRE and ATF/CRE oligonucleotides occurred with an identical time course. In contrast, nuclear protein binding to an oligonucleotide containing a canonical AP-1 element was not detected until 40 min of reperfusion, and although c-Jun was present in the complex, ATF-2 was not. Incubating nuclear extracts from reperfused kidney with protein phosphatase 2A markedly reduced binding to both the ATF/CRE and jun2TRE oligonucleotides, compatible with regulation by an ATF-2 kinase. An ATF-2 kinase, which phosphorylated both the transactivation and DNA binding domains of ATF-2, was activated by reversible ATP depletion. This kinase coeluted on Mono Q column chromatography with a c-Jun amino-terminal kinase and with the peak of stress-activated protein kinase, but not p38, immunoreactivity. In conclusion, DNA binding activity of ATF-2 directed at both ATF/CRE and jun2TRE motifs is modulated in response to the extreme cellular stress of ischemia and reperfusion or reversible ATP depletion. Phosphorylation-dependent activation of the DNA binding activity of ATF-2, which appears to be regulated by the stress-activated protein kinases, may play an important role in the earliest stages of the genetic response to ischemia/reperfusion by targeting ATF-2 and c-Jun to specific promoters, including the c-jun promoter and those containing ATF/CREs.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe atf1+ encodes a transcription factor required for sexual development and entry into stationary phase

We describe the identification and characterization of a transcription factor encoded by the atf1+ gene of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The factor Atf1, contains a bZIP domain at its C-terminus with strong homology to members of the ATF/CREB family of mammalian factors and in vitro binds specifically to ATF/CRE recognition sites. Furthermore the ATF-like binding activity detected in extracts from fission yeast cells is entirely lost upon deletion of the atf1+ gene. Upon growth to saturation, fission yeast cells exit the mitotic cycle and enter a G0-like stationary phase. However, on rich medium, entry of atf1- cells into stationary phase is restricted and they rapidly lose viability; this does not occur on minimal medium unless cAMP levels are raised. Thus stationary phase entry appears to be regulated negatively by cAMP and positively by Atf1. atf1- cells are also sterile and this sterility appears to be due to a combination of two defects: first, upon nitrogen starvation the majority of atf1- cells fail to arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and second, the induction of ste11+ expression is lost. Thus expression of ste11+ represents a second example of an event that is negatively regulated by the cAMP pathway and positively regulated by Atf1. Despite their close association however, these two regulatory pathways function independently and Atf1 activity is not directly modulated by cAMP levels or mutations that alter the activity of components of the cAMP signalling pathway. Thus Atf1 is a transcription factor that plays an important role in the response of cells to adverse environmental conditions, which is to exit the mitotic cell cycle and either sexually differentiate or enter a resting state.

Adenovirus E1A243 disrupts the ATF/CREB-YY1 complex at the mouse c-fos promoter

The adenovirus E1A243 protein can activate transcription of the mouse c-fos gene in a manner that depends on treatment of cells with inducers or analogs of cyclic AMP (cAMP). Activation requires conserved region 1 and the N-terminal domain of E1A243 and is mediated by a 22-bp E1A response element containing a cAMP response element (CRE) at -67 and a binding site for transcription factor YY1 at -54. In the absence of E1A243, YY1 represses CRE-dependent transcription of c-fos by physically interacting with ATF/CREB proteins bound to the -67 CRE. Here we present evidence that expression of E1A243 leads to relief of YY1-mediated repression by a disruption of the ATF/CREB-YY1 complex. Addition of E1A243 to in vitro binding assays prevented binding of ATF-2 to glutathione S-transferase-YY1. Similarly, expression of E1A243 in HeLa cells prevented the association of a YY1-VP16 fusion protein with endogenous ATF/CREB proteins bound to the -67 CRE of a transfected c-fosCAT reporter plasmid. In each case, the N-terminal domain of E1A243, which mediates a direct interaction with YY1, was responsible for disruption of the ATF/CREB-YY1 complex. On the basis of these and previously published results, we present a model for the synergistic transcriptional activation of the c-fos gene by E1A243 and cAMP.

Interaction of the 72-kilodalton human cytomegalovirus IE1 gene product with E2F1 coincides with E2F-dependent activation of dihydrofolate reductase transcription

Three polypeptides are produced from the major immediate-early (IE) region of human cytomegalovirus by alternative splicing. The IE gene products regulate subsequent viral and cellular gene expression. We previously reported that cotransfection of a genomic clone of the major IE region stimulated transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase driven by the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) promoter and that an intact E2F site was required for the trans activation (M. Wade, T. F. Kowalik, M. Mudryj, E.-S. Huang, and J. C. Azizkhan, Mol. Cell. Biol. 12:4364-4374, 1992). With the availability of cDNA clones for the individual major IE proteins, we sought to determine which of these proteins exerted this effect and whether the IE protein(s) interacted with E2F. In this study, we use cotransfection to demonstrate that the 55- and 86-kDa major IE proteins from the IE2 region can each moderately trans activate the DHFR promoter and that the 72-kDa IE1 protein stimulates DHFR transcription to a much higher level. Furthermore, trans activation through the 72-kDa IE1 protein is in part E2F dependent, while activation by the 55- and 86-kDa IE proteins is E2F independent. We also demonstrate by in vitro pull-down assays that the 72-kDa IE1 protein can specifically interact with the DNA binding domain of E2F1 (amino acids 88 to 191) in the presence of nuclear extract. Moreover, antibodies to either E2F1 or IE72 will immunoprecipitate both E2F and IE72 from cells that stably express IE72, and antibody to E2F1 will immunoprecipitate IE72 from normal human fibroblast cells infected with human cytomegalovirus.

Transcriptional transactivation of parvovirus B19 promoters in nonpermissive human cells by adenovirus type 2

The pathogenic human parvovirus B19 contains a promoter at map unit 6 (B19p6) of the viral genome, expression from which is largely restricted to human cells in the erythroid lineage, whereas a putative promoter at map unit 44 (B19p44) is inactive during a natural viral infection. Although nonerythroid human cells, such as HeLa and KB, allow expression from the B19p6 promoter but not from the B19p44 promoter following DNA-mediated transfection, little expression from the B19p6 promoter occurs following recombinant virus infection (S. Ponnazhagan, X.-S. Wang, M.J. Woody, F. Luo, L.Y. Kang, M.L. Nallari, N.C. Munshi, S.Z. Zhou, and A. Srivastava, submitted for publication). However, significant expression from the B19p6 promoter as well as the B19p44 promoter could be detected in a human 293 cells line that expresses the adenovirus early gene products, suggesting that coinfection with adenovirus might mediate transcriptional transactivation of the B19 promoters in nonpermissive cells. Expression of the firefly luciferase reporter gene from the B19 promoters was evaluated either following plasmid transfection or following infection with the recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 vectors. Both B19p6 and B19p44 promoters could be transactivated by coinfection with adenovirus in nonpermissive human cells, although the extent of transactivation of the B19p44 promoter was significantly lower than that of the B19p6 promoter. Expression of the adenovirus E1A proteins was necessary and sufficient for the observed transactivation of the B19 promoters. These studies further illustrate that the underlying molecular mechanisms of transactivation of parvovirus promoters in general by the adenovirus early proteins have similarities with those of the well-documented transactivation of the adeno-associated virus type 2 promoters.

The human topoisomerase I gene promoter is regulated by NF-IL6

We investigated the expression of the human DNA topoisomerase I (hTOP1) gene in HeLa cells and in adenovirus-transformed 293 cells. A highly conserved proximal promoter element is essential for hTOP1 promoter activity in HeLa cells but not in 293 cells. This correlates with the presence of specific promoter-binding proteins in HeLa cells and their absence in 293 cells. We identified the HeLa binding protein by screening a cDNA expression library with the specific promoter site as a probe and demonstrate now that the activating protein is identical to the nuclear factor for interleukin-6 expression (NF-IL6), a member of the C/EBP family of transcription factors. Overexpression of NF-IL6 strongly stimulates hTOP1 promoter activity in HeLa cells, suggesting that NF-IL6 is a major hTOP1-regulating protein. Because of the presence of adenovirus protein E1A, 293 cells express the hTOP1 gene more efficiently than HeLa cells but do not contain NF-IL6 activity. E1A activation of the hTOP1 promoter is suppressed by NF-IL6 overexpression. This result supports previous observations concerning a functional interaction between viral protein E1A and NF-IL6. Finally, we show that hTOP1 gene expression in differentiating macrophages is correlated with the synthesis of NF-IL6-specific mRNA.

Subregions of the adenovirus E1A transactivation domain target multiple components of the TFIID complex

Transcriptional activation by the adenovirus E1A 289R protein requires direct contacts with the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and also displays a critical requirement for TBP-associated factors (TAFs) (T.G. Boyer and A. J. Berk, Genes Dev. 7:1810-1823, 1993; J. V. Geisberg, W. S. Lee, A. J. Berk, and R. P. Ricciardi, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:2488-2492, 1994; W. S. Lee, C. C. Kao, G. O. Bryant, X. Liu, and A. J. Berk, Cell 67:365-376, 1991; and Q. Zhou, P. M. Lieberman, T. G. Boyer, and A. J. Berk, Genes Dev. 6:1964-1974, 1992). In this report, we demonstrate that the activation domain of E1A (CR3) specifically binds to two TAFs, human TAFII250 (hTAFII250) and Drosophila TAFII110 (dTAFII110). These interactions can take place both in vivo and in vitro and require the carboxy-terminal region of CR3; the zinc finger region of CR3, which binds TBP, is not needed to bind these TAFs. We mapped the E1A-binding sites on hTAFII250 to an internal region that contains a number of structural motifs, including an HMG box, a bromodomain, and direct repeats. This represents the first demonstration that hTAFII250 may serve as a target of a transcriptional activator. We also mapped the E1A binding on dTAFII110 to its C-terminal region. This is of significance since, by contrast, Sp1-mediated activation requires binding to the N-terminal domain of dTAFII110. Thus, distinct surfaces of dTAFII110 can serve as target sites for different activators. Our results indicate that E1A may activate transcription, in part, through direct contacts of the CR3 subdomains with selected components of the TFIID complex.

Adenovirus E1A functions as a cofactor for retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR beta) through direct interaction with RAR beta

Transcription regulation by DNA-bound activators is thought to be mediated by a direct interaction between these proteins and TATA-binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, or TBP-associated factors, although occasionally cofactors or adapters are required. For ligand-induced activation by the retinoic acid receptor-retinoid X receptor (RAR-RXR) heterodimer, the RAR beta 2 promoter is dependent on the presence of E1A or E1A-like activity, since this promoter is activated by retinoic acid only in cells expressing such proteins. The mechanism underlying this E1A requirement is largely unknown. We now show that direct interaction between RAR and E1A is a requirement for retinoic acid-induced RAR beta 2 activation. The activity of the hormone-dependent activation function 2 (AF-2) of RAR beta is upregulated by E1A, and an interaction between this region and E1A was observed, but not with AF-1 or AF-2 of RXR alpha. This interaction is dependent on conserved region III (CRIII), the 13S mRNA-specific region of E1A. Deletion analysis within this region indicated that the complete CRIII is needed for activation. The putative zinc finger region is crucial, probably as a consequence of interaction with TBP. Furthermore, the region surrounding amino acid 178, partially overlapping with the TBP binding region, is involved in both binding to and activation by AF-2. We propose that E1A functions as a cofactor by interacting with both TBP and RAR, thereby stabilizing the preinitiation complex.

Mutational analysis of adeno-associated virus Rep protein-mediated inhibition of heterologous and homologous promoters

The four Rep proteins encoded by adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV-2) inhibit transcription of their own promoters and of several heterologous promoters. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism of Rep-mediated transcription repression, we studied the effects of the four Rep proteins on the accumulation of mRNA transcribed from the human papillomavirus type 18 upstream regulatory region HPV18 URR, the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat, and the AAV-2 p5 and p19 promoters by transient transfection experiments in HeLa cells. We observed a distinct contribution of the C- and N-terminal sequences in which the four Rep proteins (Rep78, Rep68, Rep52, and Rep40) differ from each other. While Rep78 showed a more than 10-fold inhibition of the four promoters studied, transcriptional repression mediated by Rep68 and Rep52 was reduced and nearly completely abolished for Rep40. The contribution of the C terminus of Rep78 was reduced with respect to the inhibition of the AAV-2 p5 and p19 promoters. Point mutations and deletions showed that a C-terminal zinc binding motif is required for zinc binding in vitro but plays no obvious role in the inhibition of homologous and heterologous promoters. Overall, inhibition of the four different promoters was dependent on the identical Rep protein domains with the exception of the AAV-2 p5 promoter. Expression of the AAV-2 p5 promoter was inhibited by a Rep78 protein with a mutation in the nucleotide binding motif, whereas expression of the AAV-2 p19 promoter, the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat, and the HPV18 URR was not. Mutational analysis of the HPV18 URR showed that several, but not a single, cis regulatory elements are involved in the inhibition process. This finding suggests that transcriptional repression is mediated by protein-protein interactions of the Rep proteins either with multiple transcription factors or with target proteins of sequence-specific transcription factors of the basal transcription machinery.

Adenovirus vectors as recombinant viral vaccines

Adenoviruses can efficiently induce immunity in the lung following single enteric delivery. These viruses can also be engineered to express a number of heterologous proteins in vitro. In the past 10 years, recombinant adenoviruses expressing a variety of antigens have been constructed and tested. This article reviews the main properties of adenoviruses which render them attractive for vaccine development, as well as the results of the immunization studies performed to date. Some disadvantages of this technology and the desired characteristics of second generation adenoviral vectors are discussed.

Cloning, functional characterization, and mechanism of action of the B-cell-specific transcriptional coactivator OCA-B

Biochemical purification and cognate cDNA cloning studies have revealed that the previously described transcriptional coactivator OCA-B consists of a 34- or 35-kDa polypeptide with sequence relationships to known coactivators that function by protein-protein interactions. Studies with a recombinant protein have proved that a single OCA-B polypeptide is the main determinant for B-cell-specific activation of immunoglobulin (Ig) promoters and provided additional insights into its mechanism of action. Recombinant OCA-B can function equally well with Oct-1 or Oct-2 on an Ig promoter, but while corresponding POU domains are sufficient for OCA-B interaction, and for octamer-mediated transcription of a histone H2B promoter, an additional Oct-1 or Oct-2 activation domain(s) is necessary for functional synergy with OCA-B. Further studies additional Oct-1 or Oct-2 activation domain(s) is necessary for functional synergy with OCA-B. Further studies show that Ig promoter activation by Oct-1 and OCA-B requires still other general (USA-derived) cofactors and also provide indirect evidence that distinct Oct-interacting cofactors regulate H2B transcription.

Transcriptional repression of the c-fos gene by YY1 is mediated by a direct interaction with ATF/CREB

Transcriptional activation of the mouse c-fos gene by the adenovirus 243-amino-acid E1A protein requires a binding site for transcription factor YY1 located at -54 of the c-fos promoter. YY1 normally represses transcription of c-fos, and this repression depends on the presence of a cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element located immediately upstream of the -54 YY1 DNA-binding site. This finding suggested that the mechanism of transcriptional repression by YY1 might involve a direct interaction with members of the ATF/CREB family of transcription factors. In vitro and in vivo binding assays were used to demonstrate that YY1 can interact with ATF/CREB proteins, including CREB, ATF-2, ATFa1, ATFa2, and ATFa3. Structure-function analyses of YY1 and ATFa2 revealed that the C-terminal zinc finger domain of YY1 is necessary and sufficient for binding to ATFa2 and that the basic-leucine zipper region of ATFa2 is necessary and sufficient for binding to YY1. Overexpression of YY1 in HeLa cells resulted in repression of a mutant c-fos chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter that lacked binding sites for YY1, suggesting that repression can be triggered through protein-protein interactions with ATF/CREB family members. Consistent with this finding, repression was relieved upon removal of the upstream cAMP response element. These data support a model in which YY1 binds simultaneously to its own DNA-binding site in the c-fos promoter and also to adjacent DNA-bound ATF/CREB proteins in order to effect repression. They further suggest that the ATF/CREB-YY1 complex serves as a target for the adenovirus 243-amino-acid E1A protein.

Modulation of AP-1/ATF transcription factor activity by the adenovirus-E1A oncogene products

The proteins encoded by early region 1 A (E1A) of human adenoviruses (Ad) modulate the expression of both adenovirus genes and various host cell genes. With these transcription-regulating properties the E1A proteins redirect the cell's metabolism, which enables them to induce oncogenic transformation in rodent cells. The E1A proteins modulate transcription by interacting both with gene-specific and general cellular transcription factors. Various members of the AP-1 and ATF/CREB families of transcription factors are targets for E1A-dependent regulation, including cJun, the protein product of the c-jun proto-oncogene. The E1A proteins modulate cJun-dependent transcription both positively and negatively, and affect the activity as well as the expression levels of cJun. By increasing the phosphorylation status of cJun, E1A can stimulate transcription regulated by cJun/ATF2 heterodimers. In contrast, E1A inhibits the expression of various metalloproteases by interfering with the DNA-binding capacity of cJun/cJun and cJun/cFos dimers, which might involve the association of E1A with the putative transcriptional coactivator p300. Since the ability of E1A to alter cJun-dependent transcription correlates with its transforming capacity, interference with cJun-dependent transcription may be an essential step in E1A-induced transformation.

The responsiveness of a tetracycline-sensitive expression system differs in different cell lines

A tetracycline-sensitive inducible expression system was used to regulate the expression of neurotransmitter receptor genes in two mammalian cell lines. The dopamine D3-receptor was stably expressed in GH3 cells, and GluR6 (a glutamate receptor subunit) was stably expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells. Three striking differences were found. 1) In the inactive state, virtually no D3-receptor expression was found in GH3 cells, whereas substantial levels of GluR6 expression were found in HEK 293 cells. 2) The induction of expression obtained upon removal of tetracycline was robust in GH3 cells but only modest in HEK 293 cells. 3) Whereas in each clonal cell line, the expression of a co-transfected hybrid transactivator is clearly regulated in a tetracycline-responsive manner, in the induced state, its mRNA levels were found to be very low in GH3 cells and very high in HEK 293 cells. The results indicate that, in contrast to GH3 cells, HEK 293 cells do not provide a cellular environment in which the expression of a heterologous gene can be tightly controlled in a tetracycline-responsive manner.

Suppression of mutations in two Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes by the adenovirus E1A protein

The protein products of the adenoviral E1A gene are implicated in a variety of transcriptional and cell cycle events, involving interactions with several proteins present in human cells, including parts of the transcriptional machinery and negative regulators of cell division such as the Rb gene product and p107. To determine if there are functional homologs of E1A in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have developed a genetic screen for mutants that depend on E1A for growth. The screen is based on a colony color sectoring assay which allows the identification of mutants dependent on the maintenance and expression of an E1A-containing plasmid. Using this screen, we have isolated five mutants that depend on expression of the 12S or 13S cDNA of E1A for growth. A plasmid shuffle assay confirms that the plasmid-dependent phenotype is due to the presence of either the 12S or the 13S E1A cDNA and that both forms of E1A rescue growth of all mutants equally well. The five mutants fall into two classes that were named web1 and web2 (for "wants E1A badly"). Plasmid shuffle assays with mutant forms of E1A show that conserved region 1 (CR1) is required for rescue of the growth of the web1 and web2 E1A-dependent yeast mutants, while the N-terminal 22 amino acids are only partially required; conserved region 2 (CR2) and the C terminus are dispensable. The phenotypes of mutants in both the web1 and the web2 groups are due to a single gene defect, and the yeast genes that fully complement the mutant phenotypes of both groups were cloned. The WEB1 gene sequence encodes a 1,273-amino-acid protein that is identical to SEC31, a protein involved in the budding of transport vesicles from the endoplasmic reticulum. The WEB2 gene encodes a 1,522-amino-acid protein with homology to nucleic acid-dependent ATPases. Deletion of either WEB1 or WEB2 is lethal. Expression of E1A is not able to rescue the lethality of either the web1 or the web2 null allele, implying allele-specific mutations that lead to E1A dependence.

Relief of YY1 transcriptional repression by adenovirus E1A is mediated by E1A-associated protein p300

YY1 represses transcription when bound upstream of transcriptional initiation sites. This repression can be relieved by adenovirus E1A. Here, we present genetic evidence that the ability of E1A to relieve YY1 repression was impaired by mutations that affect E1A binding to its associated protein p300. This suggests that E1A may modulate the repressor activity of YY1 by binding to p300, which may be physically complexed with YY1. A YY1/p300 protein complex in vivo was demonstrated by several independent approaches, and the YY1-interacting domain was mapped to the carboxy-terminal region of p300, distinct from the E1A-binding site. Unlike E2F/RB, the YY1/p300 complex is not disrupted by E1A. Functional studies using recombinant p300 demonstrated unequivocally that p300 is capable of mediating E1A-induced transcriptional activation through YY1. Taken together, these results reveal, for the first time, a YY1/p300 complex that is targeted by E1A and demonstrate a function for p300 in mediating interactions between YY1 and E1A. Our data thus identify YY1 as a partner protein for p300 and uncover a molecular mechanism for the relief of YY1-mediated repression by E1A.

Repression of the c-Jun trans-activation function by the adenovirus type 12 E1A 52R protein correlates with the inhibition of phosphorylation of the c-Jun activation domain

The early region 1A 52R polypeptide, a protein expressed exclusively by the in vivo oncogenic adenovirus subtype 12, represses the trans-activating function of the cellular transcription factor complex AP-1 consisting of c-Jun-c-Jun homodimers. In this report we demonstrate that the repression in vivo correlates with a direct physical interaction of the adenovirus protein with c-Jun in vitro. Interestingly, the 52R protein binds to the bZIP domain of c-Jun essential for dimerization and DNA binding but not to the c-Jun activation domain. This interaction does not prevent the promoter binding of c-Jun/AP-1. Moreover, the physical association between c-Jun and the TATA box-binding protein TBP is not disturbed by the 52R polypeptide. In fact, we show evidence that down-regulation of c-Jun activity by the adenoviral protein is due to the inhibition of phosphorylation of the c-Jun trans-activation domain. In vivo phosphorylation of the c-Jun activation domain is necessary for the interaction of c-Jun with specific cofactors such as CBP and therefore a prerequisite for the activation of target genes. Due to these results we propose a model in which the 52R protein represses the trans-activating function of c-Jun by preventing its phosphorylation through a specific kinase necessary for the activation of the cellular transcription factor.

Repression in vitro, by human adenovirus E1A protein domains, of basal or Tat-activated transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat

Human adenovirus E1A proteins can repress the expression of several viral and cellular genes. By using a cell-free transcription system, we demonstrated that the gene product of the E1A 12S mRNA, the 243-residue protein E1A243R, inhibits basal transcription from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR). The HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat greatly stimulates transcription from the viral promoter in vitro. However, E1A243R can repress Tat-activated transcription in vitro. Strong repression of both basal and Tat-activated transcriptions requires only E1A N-terminal amino acid residues 1 to 80. Deletion analysis showed that E1A N-terminal amino acids 4 to 25 are essential for repression, whereas amino acid residues 30 to 49 and 70 to 80 are dispensable. Transcriptional repression by E1A in the cell-free transcription system is promoter specific, since under identical conditions, transcription of the adenovirus major late promoter and the Rous sarcoma virus LTR promoter was unaffected. The repression of transcription by small E1A peptides in vitro provides an assay for investigation of molecular mechanisms governing E1A-mediated repression of both basal and Tat-activated transcriptions of the HIV-1 LTR promoter.

Functional synergy and physical interactions of the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 with the Krüppel family proteins Sp1 and EKLF

An unresolved aspect of current understanding of erythroid cell-specific gene expression relates to how a limited number of transcriptional factors cooperate to direct high-level expression mediated by cis-regulatory elements separated over large distances within globin loci. In this report, we provide evidence that GATA-1, the major erythroid transcription factor, activates transcription in a synergistic fashion with two Krüppel family factors, the ubiquitous protein Sp1 and the erythroid-restricted factor EKLF (erythroid Krüppel-like factor), which recognize GC and/or GT/CACC motifs. Binding sites for both GATA-1 and these Krüppel proteins (especially Sp1) are found in close association in the promoters and enhancers of numerous erythroid cell-expressed genes and appear to cooperate in directing their expression. We have shown that GATA-1 interacts physically with Sp1 and EKLF and that interactions are mediated through their respective DNA-binding domains. Moreover, we show that GATA-1 and Sp1 synergize from a distance in constructs designed to mimic the architecture of globin locus control regions and downstream globin promoters. Finally, the formation of GATA-1-SP1 complexes was demonstrated in vivo by the ability of Sp1 to recruit GATA-1 to a promoter in the absence of GATA-binding sites. These experiments provide the first evidence for functionally important protein-protein interactions involved in erythroid cell-specific expression and suggest a mechanism by which DNA loops between locus control regions and globin promoters (or enhancers) might be formed or stabilized.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cellular protein that interacts with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat transactivator and encodes a strong transcriptional activation domain

The mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat transactivates the long terminal repeat promoter is not understood. It is generally believed that Tat has one or more transcription factors as its cellular target. One might expect a cellular target for Tat to possess several properties, including (i) the ability to bind to the Tat activation region, (ii) the possession of a transcriptional activation domain, and (iii) the ability to contact the cellular transcription machinery. Here we describe the cloning, expression, and characterization of a human protein, termed TAP (Tat-associated protein), which possesses some of these properties. TAP is highly conserved in eukaryotes and is expressed in a variety of human tissues. The major intracellular species of TAP is a highly acidic 209-amino-acid protein that likely is formed by removal of a highly basic 70-amino-acid N-terminal segment from a primary translation product. By deletion analysis, we have identified a TAP C-terminal region rich in acidic amino acids and leucine residues which acts as a strong transcriptional activator when bound through GAL4 sites upstream of the core long terminal repeat promoter, as well as flanking sequences that mask the activation function. Amino acid substitution of two leucine residues within the core activation region results in loss of the TAP activation function. Two lines of evidence suggest that Tat interacts with TAP in vivo. First, promoter-bound Tat can recruit a TAP/VP16 fusion protein to the promoter. Second, transiently expressed Tat is found associated with endogenous TAP, as demonstrated by coimmuno-precipitation analysis. As shown in an accompanying report, the TAP activation region binds the Tat core activation region and general transcription factor TFIIB (L. Yu, P.M. Loewenstein, Z. Zhang, and M. Green, J. Virol. 69:3017-3023, 1995). These combined results suggest the hypothesis that TAP may function as a coactivator that bridges Tat to the general transcription machinery of the cell via TFIIB.

ATF-2 contains a phosphorylation-dependent transcriptional activation domain

The ATF-2 transcription factor can mediate adenovirus E1A-inducible transcriptional activation. Deletion analysis has indicated that the N-terminal region of ATF-2 is essential for this response. Furthermore, the N-terminus can activate transcription in the absence of E1A when fused to a heterologous DNA binding domain. However, in the intact protein this activation domain is masked. In this report we show that residues in the N-terminus required for activation are also required for mediating E1A stimulation. In particular two threonine residues at positions 69 and 71 are essential. These residues are phosphorylated in vivo and can be efficiently phosphorylated in vitro by the JNK/SAPK subgroup of the MAPK family. ATF-2 can bind to a UV-inducible kinase through a region in the N-terminus that is distinct from the sites of phosphorylation; this binding region is both necessary for phosphorylation by JNK/SAPK in vitro and for transcriptional activation in vivo. The activity of the N-terminus is stimulated by UV irradiation which stimulates the signalling pathway leading to JNK/SAPK. Finally, although ATF-2 binds to the E1A protein, the N-terminal activation domain is not required for this interaction. The results show that ATF-2, like other members of the ATF/CREB family of DNA binding proteins is regulated by specific signalling pathways.

A role for retinoblastoma protein in potentiating transcriptional activation by the glucocorticoid receptor

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SNF2/SWI2 protein is essential for the regulated expression of a variety of genes. A human SWI2/SNF2 homologue, hBrm, is a positive participant in glucocorticoid-receptor-mediated transcription, but its mechanism of action is not known. The retinoblastoma protein, RB, has also been shown to stimulate the transcription of several genes, although the target for RB has not been identified in any of these transcriptional events. Here we show that RB upregulates glucocorticoid-receptor-mediated transcription. The effect of either RB or hBrm is dependent on the presence of the other. Furthermore, we demonstrate that RB and hBrm interact with one another in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight a new role for RB, which is to interact with hBrm in order to potentiate glucocorticoid-receptor-activated transcription.

Identification of a novel E1A response element in the mouse c-fos promoter

Transcriptional activation of the c-fos gene in mouse S49 cells by the adenovirus 243-amino-acid E1A protein depends on domains of E1A that are also required for transformation and that bind the cellular protein p300. Activation additionally depends on stimulation of endogenous cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase by analogs or inducers of cAMP. Transient transfection assays were used to analyze the c-fos promoter for sequences that confer responsiveness to E1A. Linker substitution and point mutants revealed that transcriptional activation by E1A depended on a cAMP response element (CRE) located at -67 relative to the start site of transcription and a neighboring binding site for transcription factor YY1 located at -54. A 22-bp sequence containing the -67 CRE and the -54 YY1 site was sufficient to confer responsiveness to a minimal E1B promoter and was termed the c-fos E1A response element (ERE). Function of the c-fos ERE depended on both the CRE and the YY1 site, since mutation of either site resulted in a loss of responsiveness to E1A. These results imply a specific functional interaction between CRE-binding proteins, transcription factor YY1, and E1A in the regulation of the c-fos gene.

Functional interactions between YY1 and adenovirus E1A

YY1 is a C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor that is a member of the human GLl-Kruppel family of proteins. YY1 represses transcription when bound upstream of transcription initiation sites. The repression can be relieved by adenovirus E1A and activation of target genes occurs. We have mapped the repression domain of YY1 to the C-terminal region, overlapping its DNA binding domain. We have also identified an activation domain within the first 69 amino acids of YY1. The YY1 C-terminal region is involved in physical interactions with E1A and is functionally necessary for YY1 to respond to E1A. This suggests that relief of YY1 repression by E1A involves YY1-E1A physical interactions. Although not involved in interactions with E1A, the N-terminal activation domain is also necessary for YY1 to respond to E1A. Presumably, under repressing conditions, the activation domain is masked by the conformation of YY1, but is released upon binding of E1A and is required to subsequently activate transcription. Consistent with this hypothesis, an ATF-2-YY1 chimeric protein containing the activation domain of ATF-2 and the C-terminal two-thirds of YY1 is still a potent repressor. Unlike the mutant YY1 lacking its own N-terminal activation domain, the chimeric protein is fully responsive to E1A.

Adenovirus E1A proteins interact with the cellular YY1 transcription factor

The adenovirus 12S and 13S E1A proteins have been shown to relieve repression mediated by the cellular transcription factor YY1. The 13S E1A protein not only relieves repression but also activates transcription through YY1 binding sites. In this study, using a variety of in vivo and in vitro assays, we demonstrate that both E1A proteins can bind to YY1, although the 13S E1A protein binds more efficiently than the 12S E1A protein. Two domains on the E1A proteins interact with YY1: an amino-terminal sequence (residues 15 to 35) that is present in both E1A proteins and a domain that includes at least a portion of conserved region 3 (residues 140 to 188) that is present in the 13S but not the 12S E1A protein. Two domains on YY1 interact with E1A proteins: one is contained within residues 54 to 260, and the other is contained within the carboxy-terminal domain of YY1 (residues 332 to 414). Cotransfection of a plasmid expressing carboxy-terminal amino acids 332 to 414 of YY1 fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain can inhibit expression from a reporter construct with GAL4 DNA binding sites in its promoter, and inclusion of a third plasmid expressing E1A proteins can relieve the repression. Thus, we find a correlation between the ability of E1A to interact with the carboxy-terminal domain of YY1 and its ability to relieve repression caused by the carboxy-terminal domain of YY1. We propose that E1A proteins normally relieve YY1-mediated transcriptional repression by binding directly to the cellular transcription factor.

Transcriptional repression by Msx-1 does not require homeodomain DNA-binding sites

This study investigates the transcriptional properties of Msx-1, a murine homeodomain protein which has been proposed to play a key role in regulating the differentiation and/or proliferation state of specific cell populations during embryogenesis. We show, using basal and activated transcription templates, that Msx-1 is a potent repressor of transcription and can function through both TATA-containing and TATA-less promoters. Moreover, repression in vivo and in vitro occurs in the absence of DNA-binding sites for the Msx-1 homeodomain. Utilizing a series of truncated Msx-1 polypeptides, we show that multiple regions of Msx-1 contribute to repression, and these are rich in alanine, glycine, and proline residues. When fused to a heterologous DNA-binding domain, both N- and C-terminal regions of Msx-1 retain repressor function, which is dependent upon the presence of the heterologous DNA-binding site. Moreover, a polypeptide consisting of the full-length Msx-1 fused to a heterologous DNA-binding domain is a more potent repressor than either the N- or C-terminal regions alone, and this fusion retains the ability to repress transcription in the absence of the heterologous DNA site. We further show that Msx-1 represses transcription in vitro in a purified reconstituted assay system and interacts with protein complexes composed of TBP and TFIIA (DA) and TBP, TFIIA, and TFIIB (DAB) in gel retardation assays, suggesting that the mechanism of repression is mediated through interaction(s) with a component(s) of the core transcription complex. We speculate that the repressor function of Msx-1 is critical for its proposed role in embryogenesis as a regulator of cellular differentiation.

Cloning of an intrinsic human TFIID subunit that interacts with multiple transcriptional activators

TFIID is a multisubunit protein complex comprised of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and multiple TBP-associated factors (TAFs). The TAFs in TFIID are essential for activator-dependent transcription. The cloning of a complementary DNA encoding a human TFIID TAF, TAFII55, that has no known homolog in Drosophila TFIID is now described. TAFII55 is shown to interact with the largest subunit (TAFII230) of human TFIID through its central region and with multiple activators--including Sp1, YY1, USF, CTF, adenoviral E1A, and human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 Tat proteins--through a distinct amino-terminal domain. The TAFII55-interacting region of Sp1 was localized to its DNA-binding domain, which is distinct from the glutamine-rich activation domains previously shown to interact with Drosophila TAFII110. Thus, this human TFIID TAF may be a co-activator that mediates a response to multiple activators through a distinct mechanism.

Transcription factor ATF2 regulation by the JNK signal transduction pathway

Treatment of cells with pro-inflammatory cytokines or ultraviolet radiation causes activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK). Activating transcription factor-2 (ATF2) was found to be a target of the JNK signal transduction pathway. ATF2 was phosphorylated by JNK on two closely spaced threonine residues within the NH2-terminal activation domain. The replacement of these phosphorylation sites with alanine inhibited the transcriptional activity of ATF2. These mutations also inhibited ATF2-stimulated gene expression mediated by the retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor and the adenovirus early region 1A (E1A) oncoprotein. Furthermore, expression of dominant-negative JNK inhibited ATF2 transcriptional activity. Together, these data demonstrate a role for the JNK signal transduction pathway in transcriptional responses mediated by ATF2.

Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus Fp promoter

Expression of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) protein is mediated by the virus Fp promoter in Burkitt lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This promoter is silent in latently infected B lymphoblastoid and most Burkitt lymphoma-derived cell lines in vitro, which utilize separate promoters approximately 50 kb upstream of Fp to express EBNA proteins. Fp-mediated activation of EBNA-1 expression is also activated upon induction of the virus replication cycle. We previously demonstrated that activation of Fp in Burkitt cells requires cis-regulatory elements downstream of the site of transcription initiation. We have now mapped two positive regulatory elements within the Fp promoter. One element contains two potential binding sites for the cellular transcription factor LBP-1 between +138 and +150. A second regulatory element was mapped between +177 and +192 and can be specifically bound in vitro by protein from nuclear extracts of Burkitt cells. Although this element overlaps two partial E2F binding sites and Fp reporter plasmids could be activated in trans by the adenovirus E1A protein in cotransfection experiments, mutational analysis and DNA binding studies suggest that these are unlikely to be functional E2F response elements within Fp. We also demonstrate that Fp-directed transcription initiates at multiple sites within both the genome and the Fp reporter plasmids. However, the principal site of transcription initiation within the genome is not utilized within reporter plasmids, in which the majority of transcripts initiate at multiple sites between +150 and +200. This finding suggests that additional elements may be necessary for Fp to function normally in these assays or that the context of Fp within the viral genome is critical to its regulation.

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear protein 2 transactivation of the latent membrane protein 1 promoter is mediated by J kappa and PU.1

Expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) oncogene is regulated by the EBV nuclear protein 2 (EBNA-2) transactivator. EBNA-2 is known to interact with the cellular DNA-binding protein J kappa and is recruited to promoters containing the GTGGGAA J kappa recognition sequence. The minimal EBNA-2-responsive LMP-1 promoter includes one J kappa-binding site, and we now show that mutation of that site, such that J kappa cannot bind, reduces EBNA-2 responsiveness by 60%. To identify other factors which interact with the LMP-1 EBNA-2 response element (E2RE), a -236/-145 minimal E2RE was used as a probe in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The previously characterized factors J kappa, PU.1, and AML1 bind to the LMP-1 E2RE, along with six other unidentified factors (LBF2 to LBF7). Binding sites were mapped for each factor. LBF4 is B- and T-cell specific and recognizes the PU.1 GGAA core sequence as shown by methylation interference. LBF4 has a molecular mass of 105 kDa and is probably unrelated to PU.1. LBF2 was found only in epithelial cell lines, whereas LBF3, LBF5, LBF6, and LBF7 were not cell type specific. Mutations of the AML1- or LBF4-binding sites had no effect on EBNA-2 transactivation, whereas mutation of the PU.1-binding site completely eliminated EBNA-2 responses. A gst-EBNA-2 fusion protein specifically depleted PU.1 from nuclear extracts and bound in vitro translated PU.1, providing biochemical evidence for a direct EBNA-2-PU.1 interaction. Thus, EBNA-2 transactivation of the LMP-1 promoter is dependent on interaction with at least two distinct sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins, J kappa and PU.1. LBF3, LBF5, LBF6, or LBF7 may also be involved, since their binding sites also contribute to EBNA-2 responsiveness.

Two domains of p53 interact with the TATA-binding protein, and the adenovirus 13S E1A protein disrupts the association, relieving p53-mediated transcriptional repression

The tumor suppressor gene product p53 can activate and repress transcription. Both transcriptional activation and repression are thought to involve the direct interaction of p53 with the basal transcriptional machinery. Previous work has demonstrated an in vitro interaction between p53 and the TATA-binding protein that requires amino acids 20 to 57 of p53 and amino acids 220 to 271 of the TATA-binding protein. The present results show that a 75-amino-acid segment from the carboxy terminus of p53 also can bind to the TATA-binding protein in vitro, and this interaction requires amino acids 217 to 268 of the TATA-binding protein, essentially the same domain that is required for interaction with the amino-terminal domain of p53. A carboxy-terminal segment of p53 can mediate repression when bound to DNA as a GAL4-p53 fusion protein. The amino- and carboxy-terminal p53 interactions occur within the domain on the TATA-binding protein to which the adenovirus 13S E1A oncoprotein has previously been shown to bind. The 13S E1A oncoprotein can dissociate the complex formed between the carboxy-terminal domain of p53 and the TATA-binding protein and relieve p53-mediated transcriptional repression. These results demonstrate that two independent domains of p53 can potentially interact with the TATA-binding protein, and they define a mechanism--relief of repression--by which the 13S E1A oncoprotein can activate transcription through the TATA motif.

The WD repeats of Tup1 interact with the homeo domain protein alpha 2

Tup1 and Ssn6 transcriptionally repress a wide variety of genes in yeast but do not appear to bind DNA. We provide genetic and biochemical evidence that the DNA-binding protein alpha 2, a regulator of cell-type-specific genes, recruits the Tup1/Ssn6 repressor by directly interacting with Tup1. This interaction is mediated by a region of Tup1 containing seven copies of the WD repeat, a 40 amino acid motif of unknown function found in many other proteins. We have found that a single WD repeat will interact with alpha 2, indicating that the WD repeat is a protein-protein interaction domain. Furthermore, a fragment of Tup1 containing primarily WD repeats provides at least partial repression in the absence of Ssn6, suggesting that the repeats also mediate interaction between Tup1 and other components of the repression machinery.

The high mobility group protein HMG I(Y) can stimulate or inhibit DNA binding of distinct transcription factor ATF-2 isoforms

The high mobility group protein HMG I(Y) stimulates the binding of a specific isoform of the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF-2(195)) to the interferon beta (IFN-beta) gene promoter. HMG I(Y) specifically interacts with the basic-leucine zipper region of ATF-2(195), and HMG I(Y) binds to two sites immediately flanking the ATF-2 binding site of the IFN-beta promoter. Here, we show that HMG I(Y) can stimulate the binding of ATF-2(195), at least in part, by promoting ATF-2 dimerization. In addition, we report the characterization of a naturally occurring isoform of ATF-2 (ATF-2(192)) that binds specifically to the IFN-beta promoter but is unable to interact with HMG I(Y). Remarkably, HMG I(Y) inhibits the binding of ATF-2(192) to the IFN-beta promoter. Thus, the ability of HMG I(Y) to specifically interact with ATF-2 correlates with its ability to stimulate ATF-2 binding to the IFN-beta promoter. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences of the basic-leucine zipper domains of ATF-2(195) and ATF-2(192) suggest that HMG I(Y) interacts with a short stretch of basic amino acids near the amino terminus of the basic-leucine zipper domain of ATF-2(195).