Radiation leukemia virus and its effect on H-2 gene expression

The Regulation of Murine H-2Dd Expression by Activation Transcription Factor 1 and cAMP Response Element Binding Protein

Resistance to radiation leukemia virus (RadLV)-induced leukemia is correlated with an increase in H-2Dd expression on the thymocyte surface. It has been shown that elevated H-2Dd expression on infected thymocytes is a result of elevated mRNA transcription and that the transcriptional increase is correlated with elevated levels of a DNA binding activity, H-2 binding factor 1 (H-2 BF1), which recognizes the 5′-flanking sequence (5′-TGACGCG-3′) of the H-2Dd gene. Recently, it has been shown that the activation transcription factor 1 (ATF-1) homodimer is one form of the H-2 BF1 complex. Here we demonstrate that the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) homodimer and the heterodimer of CREB/ATF-1 also recognize the cis regulatory motif and are two additional forms of the H-2 BF1 complex. The levels of mRNA encoding ATF-1 and CREB were both increased in RadLV-infected thymocytes that showed increased levels of H-2 mRNA. Also, all three H-2 BF1 binding activities, ATF-1 homodimer, CREB homodimer, and ATF-1/CREB heterodimer, were increased in RadLV-infected thymocytes that expressed high levels of H-2Dd Ag on the cell surface. Transfection experiments demonstrated that ATF-1 and CREB activated a reporter plasmid containing the H-2 BF1 motif. These observations strongly suggest that both ATF-1 and CREB are involved in the regulation of H-2 gene expression following RadLV infection of mouse thymocytes.

Activation transcription factor 1 involvement in the regulation of murine H-2Dd expression

Resistance to radiation leukemia virus-induced leukemia is correlated with an increase in H-2D expression on the thymocyte surface. Recently, it has been shown that elevated H-2Dd expression on the infected thymocyte is a result of elevated mRNA transcription and that the transcriptional increase is correlated with elevated levels of a DNA binding activity, H-2 binding factor 1 (H-2 BF1), which recognizes the 5'-flanking sequences (5'-TGACGCG-3') of the H-2Dd gene. This target for transcription factor binding has been found to be identical in the 5'-regulatory region of 12 rodent class I genes, nine of which have been shown to be functional genes. Furthermore, this cis-element is found 5' of 20 primate class I genes (15 human genes), seven of which are known to be functional. Here, we demonstrate that activation transcription factor 1 (ATF-1) is one component of H-2 BF1. In addition, the levels of ATF-1 mRNA in uninfected and radiation leukemia virus-infected thymocytes parallel those of H-2Dd mRNA, and therefore, it is suggested that ATF-1 up-regulates the transcription of the H-2Dd gene after radiation leukemia virus infection of thymocytes. Transfection experiments also demonstrate that ATF-1 activates a reporter plasmid that contains the H-2 BF1 motif, but not a reporter lacking this motif. This is the first demonstration of the interaction of ATF-1 with 5'-regulatory sequences of major histocompatibility complex class I genes.

Selective loss of H-2Ds antigen on a murine B lymphoma due to a post-transcriptional block in expression

The major histocompatibility (MHC) class I antigens are coordinately expressed in most cells. However, some tumors or virus-infected cells lack expression of one MHC class I antigen, while expression of the other MHC class I antigens is unaffected. We previously described the selective expression of MHC class I antigens on a B-cell lymphoma from SJL/J mice called RCS5. This tumor expresses H-2Ks, but has lost cell surface expression of H-2Ds. To understand the mechanism responsible for the selective loss of H-2Ds on the cell surface, we analysed H-2Ds mRNA and protein in the RCS5 tumor. Here we report that H-2Ds mRNA was expressed in RCS5, but H-2Ds protein was not detected in cell lysates. To determine whether the H-2Ds mRNA from RCS5 was able to direct the synthesis of H-2Ds protein, we performed cDNA cloning, in vitro translation and gene transfer experiments using a cell line related to RCS5 (cRCS-X). Our results indicated that the inhibition of H-2Ds expression in cRCS-X occurred after transcription of a non-defective H-2Ds mRNA. Furthermore, H-2Ds antigen expression was restored in cRCS-X using a retroviral vector to express the recombinant H-2Ds cDNA. These results indicate that the inhibition of H-2Ds expression could be overcome either by out competing an inhibitor that functions in trans or by removing cis-acting regulatory sequences from the endogenous H-2Ds mRNA.

In vivo stimulation of H-2Dd expression following RadLV infection of thymocytes: increased transcription and DNA-binding activity to sequences 5' of the Dd gene

Early studies showed that resistance to RadLV-induced leukaemia is mediated by gene(s) in the H-2D region of the MHC. Furthermore, these experiments correlated disease resistance with changes in H-2 expression occurring very early after virus inoculation. In the present study, we have begun to study at the molecular level this stimulation of H-2Dd class I expression in thymocytes of resistant mouse strains following infection by RadLV. The resistant strain of B10.T(6R) mice is used in these studies. When these infected thymocytes are assayed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, we can detect increased levels of H-2Dd expression on the surface of the thymocytes as early as 12 days following intrathymic injection of RadLV. RNA was prepared and examined by Northern blot analysis; H-2 mRNA levels are shown to be elevated on the order of four-fold. Nuclei were prepared from normal and infected thymocytes and the run-off transcripts were analysed by slot-blot hybridization. The rate of H-2 mRNA transcription is shown to be two- to three-fold higher in RadLV-infected thymocytes at 14 days post-infection when compared to that of normal thymocytes. These data demonstrate that elevation of H-2 surface expression following RadLV infection is the result of transcriptional activation. Extracts have been prepared from both normal and infected B10.T(6R) thymocytes and have been used in gel mobility assays in order to detect the interaction of potential trans-acting regulatory factors with sequences 5' of the H-2Dd gene. Specific binding occurs in both extracts, but the assay shows that the extracts differ both quantitatively and qualitatively; the extracts from infected thymocytes bind to additional sequences and to a higher degree than that from normal thymocytes. DNase I protection analysis locates a number of protein-binding sites, some of which are protected by extracts of either origin and some of which are only protected by extracts from infected cells. Two of these sequences are similar to the previously recognized consensus recognition sequences for the binding of AP-1 and NF-chi B. Oligonucleotides have been synthesized for both the genomic sequences being protected from DNase I digestion as well the published consensus sequences. While the DNA-binding activity in infected thymocytes for both AP-1 and NF-chi B-binding sites is increased, the binding to the genomic "AP-1 like" binding site is activated to a considerably greater level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)