Altered shape and cell cycle characteristics of fibroblasts expressing the E2F1 transcription factor

Characterization of the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIB promoter: regulation by E2F

To identify DNA sequences important for the transcriptional regulation of the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIB (NMMHC-IIB) gene we isolated and sequenced genomic clones that contain the promoter of the gene for both human and mouse. In addition to considerable homology in the first (untranslated) exon (91%) we found 80% sequence identity in the 700 base pairs immediately upstream of the major start of transcription (+1) as well as significant homologies as far as 1500 base pairs upstream. The promoter region was characterized using luciferase reporter constructs transiently transfected into NIH3T3 cells. Consensus binding sites for several known transcription factors are present that are completely conserved between the mouse and human genes, including CRE/ATF, Sp1, CAAT, and the cell-cycle transcription factor E2F. Gel shift assays indicated that E2F can bind to its putative binding site in vitro. To test whether this site is functional we cotransfected NMMHC-IIB promoter constructs driving luciferase with a vector expressing E2F-1. The E2F-1 vector stimulated luciferase activity from an intact promoter whereas mutation of the site eliminates binding and diminishes transactivation. These data provide strong evidence that E2F or an E2F-related transcription factor is involved in the regulation of nonmuscle myosin expression.

Comparative proteomics of paired vocal fold and oral mucosa fibroblasts

Injuries of the vocal folds frequently heal with scar formation, which can have lifelong detrimental impact on voice quality. Current treatments to prevent or resolve scars of the vocal fold mucosa are highly unsatisfactory. In contrast, the adjacent oral mucosa is mostly resistant to scarring. These differences in healing tendency might relate to distinct properties of the fibroblasts populating oral and vocal fold mucosae. We thus established the in vitro cultivation of paired, near-primary vocal fold fibroblasts (VFF) and oral mucosa fibroblasts (OMF) to perform a basic cellular characterization and comparative cellular proteomics. VFF were significantly larger than OMF, proliferated more slowly, and exhibited a sustained TGF-β1-induced elevation of pro-fibrotic interleukin 6. Cluster analysis of the proteomic data revealed distinct protein repertoires specific for VFF and OMF. Further, VFF displayed a broader protein spectrum, particularly a more sophisticated array of factors constituting and modifying the extracellular matrix. Conversely, subsets of OMF-enriched proteins were linked to cellular proliferation, nuclear events, and protection against oxidative stress. Altogether, this study supports the notion that fibroblasts sensitively adapt to the functional peculiarities of their respective anatomical location and presents several molecular targets for further investigation in the context of vocal fold wound healing.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Mammalian vocal folds are a unique but delicate tissue. A considerable fraction of people is affected by voice problems, yet many of the underlying vocal fold pathologies are sparsely understood at the molecular level. One such pathology is vocal fold scarring - the tendency of vocal fold injuries to heal with scar formation -, which represents a clinical problem with highly suboptimal treatment modalities. This study employed proteomics to obtain comprehensive insight into the protein repertoire of vocal fold fibroblasts, which are the cells that predominantly synthesize the extracellular matrix in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Protein profiles were compared to paired fibroblasts from the oral mucosa, a neighboring tissue that is remarkably resistant to scarring. Bioinformatic analyses of the data revealed a number of pathways as well as single proteins (e.g. ECM-remodeling factors, transcription factors, enzymes) that were significantly different between the two fibroblast types. Thereby, this study has revealed novel interesting molecular targets which can be analyzed in the future for their impact on vocal fold wound healing.

Chromatin and chromatin-modifying proteins in adipogenesis

Long considered scarcely more than an uninteresting energy depot, adipose tissue has recently achieved star status. Far from being mere fat droplets, the adipocytes secrete a number of hormones and bioactive peptides, collectively known as adipokines, which participate in the regulation of a variety of functions, from haemostasis to angiogenesis to energy balance. Adipose tissue constitutes a bona-fide endocrine organ whose main dysfunctions, obesity and lipodystrophy, are related to the development of diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. The renewed interest in this tissue has prompted an escalation in the number of studies focusing on every aspect of the biology of the adipose cell, in the belief that a detailed knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the differentiation and function of adipocytes may contribute new therapeutical approaches to the treatment of such alarming medical problems. Adipogenesis is the result of an intertwined network of transcription factors and coregulators with chromatin-modifying activities that together, are responsible for the establishment of the gene expression pattern of mature adipocytes. Although the exquisitely regulated transcription factor cascade controlling adipogenesis has been extensively studied, the role of chromatin and chromatin-modifying proteins has become apparent only in recent times.

E2F1 identified by promoter and biochemical analysis as a central target of glioblastoma cell-cycle arrest in response to ras inhibition

Active Ras contributes to the malignant phenotype of glioblastoma multiforme. Recent studies showed that the Ras inhibitor farnesyl thiosalicylic acid downregulates the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha, causing shutdown of glycolysis in U87 glioblastoma cells. Farnesyl thiosalicylic acid also inhibited the growth of U87 cells. The way in which Ras inhibition affects U87 cell proliferation was not clear. Here we applied a computational method in which gene expression profile clustering is combined with promoter sequence analysis to obtain global dissection of the transcriptional response to farnesyl thiosalicylic acid in U87 cells. The analysis revealed a prominent Ras-dependent cell-cycle arrest response, in which a major component is highly enriched for the binding-site signature of the transcription factor E2F1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays together with E2F-luciferase reporter assays showed that E2F1 was inactivated by the Ras inhibitor. Inhibition of Ras by farnesyl thiosalicylic acid promoted proteasomal degradation of cyclin D1, with a concomitant decrease in phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein accompanied by downregulation of E2F1 and decreased expression of key E2F1-regulated genes critical for cell-cycle progression. U87 cell growth arrest induced by farnesyl thiosalicylic acid was overridden by constitutive expression of E2F1. Thus, downregulation of E2F1 and of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha represents 2 distinct arms of the antioncogenic effect of Ras inhibitors in glioblastoma.

The sulindac derivatives OSI-461, OSIP486823, and OSIP487703 arrest colon cancer cells in mitosis by causing microtubule depolymerization

Exisulind (sulindac sulfone) and three highly potent derivatives, OSI-461 (CP461), OSIP486823 (CP248), and OSIP487703, inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in SW480 human colon cancer cells, with IC(50)s of 200, 2, 0.1, and 0.003 micromol/L, respectively. The latter three compounds, but not exisulind, induce marked M-phase cell cycle arrest in these cells. This effect seems to be independent of the known ability of these compounds to cause activation of protein kinase G. When tested at twice their IC(50) concentration for growth inhibition, OSI-461, OSIP486823, and OSIP487703 cause depolymerization of microtubules in interphase cells, inhibit spindle formation in mitotic cells, and induce multinucleated cells. In vitro tubulin polymerization assays indicate that all three compounds interact with tubulin directly to cause microtubule depolymerization and/or inhibit de novo tubulin polymerization. These results suggest that the dual effects of OSI-461, OSIP486823, and OSIP487703 on impairment of microtubule functions and protein kinase G activation may explain the potent antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of these compounds in cancer cells.

Effects of a series of organosulfur compounds on mitotic arrest and induction of apoptosis in colon cancer cells

We previously reported that the garlic-derived compound S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) causes growth inhibition, mitotic arrest, and induction of apoptosis in SW480 human colon cancer cells by inducing microtubule depolymerization and c-Jun NH(2) terminus kinase-1 activation. In the present study, we compared the aforementioned effects of SAMC to those of a series of garlic-derived and other organosulfur compounds. Among the 10 compounds tested, only SAMC, diallyl disulfide (DADS), and S-trityl-L-cysteine (trityl-cys) cause significant inhibition of cell growth with IC(50) values of 150, 56, and 0.9 micromol/L, respectively. These three compounds also induce G(2)-M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Further studies reveal that, like SAMC, the garlic-derived compound DADS exerts antiproliferative effects by binding directly to tubulin and disrupting the microtubule assembly, thus arresting cells in mitosis and triggering mitochondria-mediated signaling pathways that lead to apoptosis. However, the synthetic compound trityl-cys exerts its effect on M-phase arrest and growth inhibition by mechanisms that involve spindle impairment but do not involve disruption of microtubule structure or dynamics. Furthermore, trityl-cys does not induce marked loss of mitochondrial membrane potential or release of cytochrome c, but it does induce caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Structure-function analysis suggests that both the allyl and the disulfide moieties are important features for the antiproliferative effects of SAMC and DADS. These findings may be useful in the identification, synthesis, and development of organosulfur compounds that have anticancer activity.

The E2F-1 transcription factor is negatively regulated by its interaction with the MDMX protein

Several proteins with important roles in oncogenesis have been shown to regulate the function of the E2F-1 transcription factor, which is known to activate the expression of genes required for proliferation and apoptosis. Here we identify the MDMX oncoprotein as an E2F-1-binding factor, from a yeast-two hybrid screen using a portion of the E2F-1 protein as "bait." We demonstrate that the region within MDMX needed for the E2F-1:MDMX interaction is located in the central part of the protein, C-terminal of the p53-binding domain. The region within E2F-1 needed for this association is adjacent to the DNA binding domain. Further, when expressed in vivo or in vitro the MDMX protein migrates as two isoforms on SDS-PAGE, the faster migrating isoform having the stronger affinity for the E2F-1 proteins. It appears that this interaction reduces the ability of E2F-1 to bind DNA. Expression of MDMX along with E2F-1 and Dp-1 in Saos2 cells reduces the ability of E2F-1 to bind to its consensus DNA sequence, without altering E2F-1 protein levels. These data indicate that the MDMX protein is capable of associating with E2F-1 and negatively regulating its DNA binding ability.

The amino-terminus of the E2F-1 transcription factor inhibits DNA replication of autonomously replicating plasmids in mammalian cells

The E2F1 transcription factor plays a pivotal role in driving cells out of a quiescent state and into the S phase of the cell cycle, in part by transactivating genes needed for DNA replication including DHFR, thymidine kinase, and DNA Polymerase alpha. E2F1 has also been implicated in regulating an S phase checkpoint, however its role in this checkpoint is not well defined. To determine how E2F1 affects such a checkpoint, we utilized an in vivo replication assay employing a plasmid based SV40 origin of replication, transfected into cells expressing SV40 large T antigen. Here we show that expression of full length E2F1, or only its N terminus, represses replication from plasmids containing the SV40 origin, while N terminal deletions of E2F1 do not. E2F1 appears to inhibit the elongation phase of replication and not the initiation phase since it does not affect the replication of other cotransfected plasmids containing only the SV40 origin. Further, inhibition of replication is dependent on both the amino-terminus of the E2F1 protein and on a DNA sequence that is contained within the 3' end of the E2F1 cDNA. Additionally, both full-length E2F1, or just its N-terminus, form protein complexes with two portions of the 3' end of the E2F1 cDNA. These data provide a clue to the mechanism by which E2F1 regulates transit through the S phase checkpoint, by acting on a specific DNA sequence via its amino-terminal region, to inhibit elongation of DNA replication.

DNA binding activity of the fetal Alz-50 clone 1 (FAC1) protein is enhanced by phosphorylation

Fetal Alz-50 clone 1 (FAC1) is a novel DNA binding protein with altered expression and subcellular localization during neuronal development and degeneration. FAC1 localizes to the cell body and neurites in undifferentiated neurons during development and in degenerating neurons during Alzheimer's disease progression. In the normal adult brain FAC1 is present predominantly in the nucleus of cortical neurons. When in the nucleus FAC1 has been shown to repress transcription by binding a specific DNA sequence. In the present study we demonstrate that the affinity of FAC1 for the identified DNA sequence is dramatically enhanced when FAC1 is phosphorylated. Phosphatase treatment of neuroblastoma nuclear extracts reduces FAC1 DNA binding affinity. Finally, inhibition of cellular serine/threonine phosphatases results in increased FAC1 DNA binding activity. These data suggest that FAC1 DNA binding activity is dependent upon and regulated by phosphorylation signals in the cell.

An early S phase checkpoint is regulated by the E2F1 transcription factor

The E2F1 transcription factor regulates transit of cells through the S phase checkpoint, dependent on its association with cyclin A/cdk2. Expression in cells of a mutant E2F1 lacking the cyclin A/cdk2 binding domain leads to partial arrest of cells at the S phase checkpoint. When subconfluent growing cells expressing this mutant E2F1 are analyzed in detail, it is shown here that they display a significantly reduced incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of each S phase cell, compared to control cells or to cells overexpressing full-length E2F1. Further, when cells are blocked at the G1/S phase border and released, there is a clear reduction in the amount of 3H-thymidine incorporated into the DNA of S phase cells by 1.5 hours post release. Considering a normal 6 hour S phase duration, the results show that the S phase checkpoint mediated by E2F1 is not a late S phase event but an early one.

A novel MDMX transcript expressed in a variety of transformed cell lines encodes a truncated protein with potent p53 repressive activity

The MDMX gene product is related to the MDM2 oncoprotein, both of which interact with the p53 tumor suppressor. We have identified a novel transcript of the MDMX gene that is expressed in a variety of cell lines, and in particular, in growing and transformed cells. This transcript is identical to the published sequence yet it has a short internal deletion of 68 base pairs. This deletion produces a shift in the reading frame after codon 114, resulting in the inclusion of a stop codon at amino acid residue 127 (full-length MDMX is 489 residues). This truncated MDMX protein is termed MDMX-S ("short form"), represents only the p53-binding domain, and appears to bind p53 better than full-length MDMX. The MDMX-S protein can be detected in cell extracts and when overexpressed is much more effective than MDMX at inhibiting p53-mediated transcriptional activation and induction of apoptosis. Since MDMX-S lacks the central and carboxyl-terminal regions contained within full-length MDMX, it is likely to play a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis in a way distinct from MDMX.

The transcription factor E2F-1 in SV40 T antigen-induced cerebellar Purkinje cell degeneration

Transgenic targeting of SV40 large T antigen (Tag) expression to murine cerebellar Purkinje cells induces these normally postmitotic neurons to undergo DNA synthesis and apoptosis. It has been proposed that these effects of Tag are due to the binding of Tag to pRb, which leads to the release and activation of the transcription factor E2F. Here it is reported that E2F and CDC2, the protein product of a gene regulated by E2F, were detectable in the Purkinje cell nuclei of Tag expressing transgenic animals. To directly test whether E2F-1 is part of the mechanism of Tag-induced Purkinje cell degeneration, transgenic mice that overexpress E2F-1 specifically in cerebellar Purkinje cells were generated. Although E2F-1 itself did not affect Purkinje cells, it did accelerate Tag-induced ataxia and Purkinje cell loss, suggesting that E2F-1 can contribute to the mechanism of Tag-induced Purkinje cell degeneration.

Increased camptothecin toxicity induced in mammalian cells expressing Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase I

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been useful in establishing the phenotypic effects of specific mutations on the enzymatic activity and camptothecin sensitivity of yeast and human DNA topoisomerase I. To determine whether these phenotypes were faithfully reiterated in higher eukaryotic cells, wild-type and mutant yeast Top1 proteins were epitope-tagged at the amino terminus and transiently overexpressed in mammalian COS cells. Camptothecin preferentially induced apoptosis in cells expressing wild-type eScTop1p yet did not appreciably increase the cytotoxic response of cells expressing a catalytically inactive (eSctop1Y727F) or a catalytically active, camptothecin-resistant eSctop1vac mutant. Using an epitope-specific antibody, immobilized precipitates of eScTop1p were active in DNA relaxation assays, whereas immunoprecipitates of eScTop1Y727Fp were not. Thus, the enzyme retained catalytic activity while tethered to a support. Interestingly, the mutant eSctop1T722A, which mimics camptothecin-induced cytotoxicity in yeast through stabilization of the covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate, induced apoptosis in COS cells in the absence of camptothecin. This correlated with increased DNA cleavage in immunoprecipitates of eScTop1T722Ap, in the absence of the drug. The observation that the phenotypic consequences of expressing wild-type and mutant yeast enzymes were reiterated in mammalian cells suggests that the mechanisms underlying cellular responses to DNA topoisomerase I-mediated DNA damage are conserved between yeast and mammalian cells.

Reduction in fibronectin expression and alteration in cell morphology are coincident in NIH3T3 cells expressing a mutant E2F1 transcription factor

Fibronectin within the extracellular matrix plays a role in cell attachment, spreading, and shape, while it also affects aspects of cell proliferation. Transcription factors such as E2F1 are also known to regulate cell shape and cell proliferation. Yet, to date no linkage has been established between fibronectin expression and E2F1. We show here that cells constitutively expressing a mutant E2F1 protein (E2F1d87) produce reduced amounts of fibronectin mRNA and protein. The altered expression of fibronectin seen in the E2F1d87 expressing cells is due, in part, to a reduction in transcription from the fibronectin promoter. Providing exogenous fibronectin, but not Type I collagen or laminin, as a substrate for cell adhesion is sufficient to revert the altered morphology and reestablish actin-containing microfilaments lost in the mutant cell line. An additional characteristic of the cells expressing the mutant E2F1 is that they demonstrate slow growth and a doubling in S phase duration. While providing exogenous fibronectin as an adhesion substrate did not shorten the S phase duration in the mutant line, it did significantly shorten the S phase duration in the parental NIH3T3 cell line, implicating a role for the extracellular matrix in regulating S phase transit in normal cells.

PPARgamma induces cell cycle withdrawal: inhibition of E2F/DP DNA-binding activity via down-regulation of PP2A

PPAR gamma is an adipose-selective nuclear hormone receptor that plays a key role in the control of adipocyte differentiation. Previous studies indicated that activation of ectopically expressed PPAR gamma induces differentiation when cells have ceased growth because of confluence. We show here that ligand activation of PPAR gamma is sufficient to induce growth arrest in fibroblasts and SV40 large T-antigen transformed, adipogenic HIB1B cells. Cell cycle withdrawal is accompanied by a decrease in the DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of the E2F/DP complex, which is attributable to an increase in the phosphorylation of these proteins, especially DP-1. This effect is a consequence of decreased expression of the catalytic subunit of the serine-threonine phosphatase PP2A. These data suggest an important role for PP2A in the control of E2F/DP activity and a new mode of cell cycle control in differentiation.

E2F-1 cooperates with topoisomerase II inhibition and DNA damage to selectively augment p53-independent apoptosis

Mutations in the retinoblastoma (pRb) tumor suppressor pathway including its cyclin-cdk regulatory kinases, or cdk inhibitors, are a hallmark of most cancers and allow unrestrained E2F-1 transcription factor activity, which leads to unregulated G1-to-S-phase cell cycle progression. Moderate levels of E2F-1 overexpression are tolerated in interleukin 3 (IL-3)-dependent 32D.3 myeloid progenitor cells, yet this induces apoptosis when these cells are deprived of IL-3. However, when E2F activity is augmented by coexpression of its heterodimeric partner, DP-1, the effects of survival factors are abrogated. To determine whether enforced E2F-1 expression selectively sensitizes cells to cytotoxic agents, we examined the effects of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation used in cancer therapy. E2F-1 overexpression in the myeloid cells preferentially sensitized cells to apoptosis when they were treated with the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide. Although E2F-1 alone induces moderate levels of p53 and treatment with drugs markedly increased p53, the deleterious effects of etoposide in E2F-1-overexpressing cells were independent of p53 accumulation. Coexpression of Bcl-2 and E2F-1 in 32D.3 cells protected them from etoposide-mediated apoptosis. However, Bcl-2 also prevented apoptosis of these cells upon exposure to 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin, which were also cytotoxic for control cells. Pretreating E2F-1-expressing cells with ICRF-193, a second topoisomerase II inhibitor that does not damage DNA, protected the cells from etoposide-induced apoptosis. However, ICRF-193 cooperated with DNA-damaging agents to induce apoptosis. Therefore, topoisomerase II inhibition and DNA damage can cooperate to selectively induce p53-independent apoptosis in cells that have unregulated E2F-1 activity resulting from mutations in the pRb pathway.

Expression of S9 and actin CyIIa mRNAs reveals dorso-ventral polarity and mesodermal sublineages in the vegetal plate of the sea urchin embryo

We have used whole amount in situ hybridization to analyze the patterns of expression of two genes, S9 and actin CyIIa, during the development of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We demonstrate that at the late blastula stage, these two mRNAs are expressed specifically by cells of the vegetal plate. Their domains of expression, however, are different. S9 mRNA is broadly distributed within most of the vegetal plate except for the central region, while CyIIa expression is restricted to a population of 10-15 cells in the ventral region of the plate. S9-expressing secondary mesenchyme cells (SMCs) migrate from the vegetal plate into the blastocoel early in gastrulation and later populate the dorsal ectoderm. The numbers, morphology, and migratory behavior of these cells strongly suggest that they are pigment cells. Throughout gastrulation, CyIIa mRNA is expressed by a population of presumptive SMCs at the ventral aspect of the archenteron tip. The pattern of expression of this mRNA is dynamic, however, and by the early pluteus stage, CyIIa mRNA accumulates in primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs), SMCs, and endodermal cells of the gut. When embryos are treated with NiCl2, a compound that has been shown to ventralize other embryonic tissues, CyIIa mRNA is expressed by an increased number of cells in the vegetal plate in a radially symmetrical pattern. The spatial pattern of CyIIa expression provides the first direct molecular evidence that the vegetal plate is polarized along the dorso-ventral (D-V) axis of the embryo. This gene product should be a valuable marker in future studies of D-V axis specification, as it can be detected at earlier developmental stages than existing molecular markers of this axis. Our observations show that the vegetal plate consists of subterritories of gene expression, and provide further support for the view that diversification of the presumptive, non-skeletogenic mesoderm begins prior to the onset of invagination.

Established cell lines transformed by E2F-1 overexpression contain wild-type p53

Overexpression of genes encoding E2F transcription factors can transform some cultured cell lines and cause apoptosis of others. Apoptosis due to E2F overexpression requires the presence of wild-type p53. Cell lines in which stable E2F overexpression is possible might be expected, therefore, to contain mutant p53. In this report, it was asked whether endogenous p53 was mutant or wild-type in four established fibroblast cell lines that this laboratory previously showed stably overexpressed and were transformed by exogenous E2F-1. Unexpectedly, it was found that the p53 in these cells was wild-type by the criteria of immunoprecipitation with conformation-specific, p53 monoclonal antibodies and by transactivation of a p53-dependent reporter gene construct in transient transfection assays. These data indicate that stable overexpression of E2F-1 is possible in the presence of wild-type p53 and may result in cell transformation.

SpFGFR, a new member of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family, is developmentally regulated during early sea urchin development

We describe the cloning of a new fibroblast growth factor receptor, SpFGFR1, that is differentially regulated at the level of transcript abundance during sea urchin embryogenesis. Sequence representing the conserved tyrosine kinase domain was obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers, and the entire open reading frame was obtained by standard cDNA library screening methods. SpFGFR contains a series of domains characteristic of FGFRs: three immunoglobulin-like motifs, an acid box, a transmembrane domain, a relatively long juxtamembrane sequence, a split tyrosine kinase domain, and two conserved intracellular tyrosine residues. Alternative splicing of SpFGFR generates two variants (Ig3L and Ig3S), which differ by insertion in the center of the Ig3 domain of 34 extra amino acids, encoded by an additional exon. Transcripts encoding both variants accumulate when morphogenesis begins with mesenchyme cell ingression and gastrulation. SpFGFR transcripts accumulate in all cell types of the embryo, although in situ hybridization shows that they are somewhat enriched in cells of oral ectoderm and endoderm. Transcripts encoding the Ig3S variant, whose structure resembles more closely that of vertebrate receptors, are enriched in endomesoderm, suggesting that the SpFGFR variants could play distinct roles in the sea urchin embryo.

Expression of dominant-negative mutant DP-1 blocks cell cycle progression in G1

Unregulated expression of the transcription factor E2F promotes the G1-to-S phase transition in cultured mammalian cells. However, there has been no direct evidence for an E2F requirement in this process. To demonstrate that E2F is obligatory for cell cycle progression, we attempted to inactivate E2F by overexpressing dominant-negative forms of one of its heterodimeric partners, DP-1. We dissected the functional domains of DP-1 and separated the region that facilitate heterodimer DNA binding from the E2F dimerization domain. Various DP-1 mutants were introduced into cells via transfection, and the cell cycle profile of the transfected cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Expression of wild-type DP-1 or DP-1 mutants that bind to both DNA and E2F drove cells into S phase. In contrast, DP-1 mutants that retained E2F binding but lost DNA binding arrested cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The DP-1 mutants that were unable to bind DNA resulted in transcriptionally inactive E2F complexes, suggesting that the G1 arrest is caused by formation of defective E2F heterodimers. Furthermore, the G1 arrest instigated by these DP-1 mutants could be rescued by coexpression of wild-type E2F or DP protein. These experiments define functional domains of DP and demonstrate a requirement for active E2F complexes in cell cycle progression.

Nuclear localization of DP and E2F transcription factors by heterodimeric partners and retinoblastoma protein family members

E2F is a family of transcription factors implicated in the regulation of genes required for progression through G1 and entry into the S phase. The transcriptionally active forms of E2F are heterodimers composed of one polypeptide encoded by the E2F gene family and one polypeptide encoded by the DP gene family. The transcriptional activity of E2F/DP heterodimers is influenced by association with the members of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein family (pRb, p107, and p130). Here the intracellular distribution of E2F and DP proteins was investigated in transiently transfected Chinese hamster and human cells. In transfected cells, DP-1 did not accumulate in the nucleus unless it was coexpressed with the heterodimeric partners E2F-1, E2F-2, or E2F-3. Domain mapping experiments showed that regions of E2F-1 and DP-1 that are required for stable association of the two proteins were also required for nuclear localization of DP-1. Unlike E2F-1, -2, and -3, E2F-4 did not accumulate in the nucleus unless it was coexpressed with DP-2, p107 and p130, but not pRb, stimulated nuclear localization of E2F-4, either alone or in combination with DP-2. These results indicate that DP proteins preferentially associate with specific E2F partners, and suggest that the ability of specific E2F/DP heterodimers to localize in the nucleus contributes to the regulation of E2F activity.

Constitutive expression of the E2F1 transcription factor in fibroblasts alters G0 and S phase transit following serum stimulation

The E2F1 transcription factor was constitutively expressed in NIH3T3 fibroblasts to determine its effect on the cell cycle. These E2F1 cell lines were not tightly synchronized in G0 phase of the cell cycle following serum starvation, as are normal fibroblasts. Instead, the cells are spread throughout G0 and G1 phase with a portion of the population initiating DNA synthesis. Upon serum stimulation, the remaining cells in G0/G1 begin to enter S phase immediately but with a reduced rate. Constitutive expression of E2F1 appears to primarily affect the G0 phase, since transit of proliferating E2F1 cell lines through G1 phase is the same as control cells. Consistent with a shortened G0 phase, the E2F1 cell lines have a significantly reduced cellular volume. Additionally, the first S phase after serum stimulation, but not subsequent S phases, is nearly doubled in the E2F1 cell lines compared with control cells. Cell lines expressing a deletion mutant of E2F1 (termed E2F1d87), known to significantly affect cell shape, have cell cycle and volume characteristics similar to the E2F1 expressing cells. However, all S phase durations are considerably lengthened and the cells demonstrate delayed growth after plating.