Interaction of a common factor with ATF, Sp1, or TATAA promoter elements is required for these sequences to mediate transactivation by the adenoviral oncogene E1a

A novel application of E1A in combination therapy with EGFR-TKI treatment in breast cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is commonly overexpressed in breast cancer and is associated with poor clinical outcomes; however, an increasing number of patients have shown a poor effective response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). Here, we found that AXL expression was positively correlated with poor progression in breast cancer patients. Suppression of AXL by an anti-tumor protein, E1A, enhanced EGFR-TKI (gefitinib, erlotinib and lapatinib) sensitization, resulting in significant inhibition of tumor growth in breast cancer cells. Additionally, AXL overexpression dramatically impaired E1A-mediated EGFR-TKI sensitization. These findings show that downregulation of AXL expression by E1A contributes to sensitization to EGFR-TKI in breast cancer, suggesting that combinatorial therapy of AXL inhibitors or E1A gene therapy with EGFR-TKI may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of breast cancer patients.

Nerve Growth factor regulation of cyclin D1 in PC12 cells through a p21RAS extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway requires cooperative interactions between Sp1 and nuclear factor-kappaB

The PC12 pheochromocytoma cell line responds to nerve growth factor (NGF) by exiting from the cell cycle and differentiating to induce extending neurites. Cyclin D1 is an important regulator of G1/S phase cell cycle progression, and it is known to play a role in myocyte differentiation in cultured cells. Herein, NGF induced cyclin D1 promoter, mRNA, and protein expression via the p21(RAS) pathway. Antisense- or small interfering RNA to cyclin D1 abolished NGF-mediated neurite outgrowth, demonstrating the essential role of cyclin D1 in NGF-mediated differentiation. Expression vectors encoding mutants of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and chemical inhibitors, demonstrated NGF induction of cyclin D1 involved cooperative interactions of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p38, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways downstream of p21(RAS). NGF induced the cyclin D1 promoter via Sp1, nuclear factor-kappaB, and cAMP-response element/activated transcription factor sites. NGF induction via Sp1 involved the formation of a Sp1/p50/p107 complex. Cyclin D1 induction by NGF governs differentiation and neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

Transactivation of human cdc2 promoter by adenovirus E1A

Expression of the adenovirus oncoprotein E1A 12S induces the heterotrimeric transcription factor, NF-Y. NF-Y binds to the two CCAAT motifs upstream of the transcriptional start site of the human cdc2 promoter and is required for activation of the promoter by E1A 12S in cycling cells. The observations that a number of eukaryotic cell cycle regulatory genes also contain the CCAAT motifs and NF-Y binds to them support the notion that E1A 12S could play an important role in deregulated expression of these genes through activation of NF-Y gene in cycling cells.

CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) and C/EBPalpha (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein) are required for the superstimulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene transcription by adenoviral E1a and cAMP

In the present study, we observed superstimulated levels of cAMP-stimulated transcription from the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene promoter in cells infected with wild-type adenovirus expressing 12 S and 13 S E1a proteins, or in cells expressing 13 S E1a alone. cAMP-stimulated transcription was inhibited in cells expressing only 12 S E1a, but slightly elevated in cells expressing E1a proteins with mutations in conserved regions 1 or 2, leading us to conclude that the superstimulation was mediated by conserved region 3 of 13 S E1a. E1a failed to enhance cAMP-stimulated transcription from promoters containing mutations that abolish binding by cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) or CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs). This result was supported by experiments in which expression of dominant-negative CREB and/or C/EBP proteins repressed E1a- and cAMP-stimulated transcription from the PEPCK gene promoter. In reconstitution experiments using a Gal4-responsive promoter, E1a enhanced cAMP-stimulated transcription when chimaeric Gal4-CREB and Gal4-C/EBPalpha were co-expressed. Phosphorylation of CREB on serine-133 was stimulated in cells treated with dibutyryl cAMP, whereas phosphorylation of C/EBPalpha was increased by E1a expression. Our data support a model in which cAMP agonists increase CREB activity and stimulate PEPCK gene transcription, a process that is enhanced by E1a through the phosphorylation of C/EBPalpha.

Interaction between the (-170) CRE and the (-150) CCAAT box is necessaryfor efficient activation of the fibronectin gene promoter by cAMP and ATF-2

The fibronectin promoter contains an ATF/cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element (CRE) site two helical turns upstream of a CCAAT site with which it interacts. We investigated the effects of mutating these (-170) CRE and(-150) CCAAT elements on the promoter activity regulated by three different modulators previously known to act through CRE: ATF-2, cAMP and E1a. While the cooperation seems to play no role in E1a action, integrity of the (-150) CCAAT is necessary for ATF-2 and cAMP efficient activation in a cell-specific manner. These results show that the CRE and CCAAT elements function as a 'composite element' and establish a cell-specific function for CRE-CCAAT synergy.

RBP1 induces growth arrest by repression of E2F-dependent transcription

Growth arrest and cell cycle progression are regulated by the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor pRB and related proteins p130 and p107 that bind to and inhibit the E2F family of transcription factors. Although the precise mechanism of this inhibition remains to be established, previous studies indicated the presence of transcriptional repression activity in the 'pocket' of RB family members. We show here that RBP1, a known pRB pocket-binding protein, possesses transcriptional repression activity and associates with p130-E2F and pRB-E2F complexes specifically during growth arrest. Overexpression of RBP1 both inhibited E2F-dependent gene expression and suppressed cell growth. Thus repression of E2F-dependent transcription by RBP1 via RB family members may play a central role in inducing growth arrest.

Direct suppression of Stat1 function during adenoviral infection

The action of adenoviral E1A oncoprotein on host immune-response genes has been attributed to interaction with p300/CBP-type transcriptional coactivators in competition with endogenous transcription factors such as signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. However, we show that mutant forms of E1A that no longer bind p300/CBP can still interact directly with Stat1 (via E1A N-terminal and Stat1 C-terminal residues) and block IFNgamma-driven, Stat1-dependent gene activation and consequent function during early-phase infection in the natural host cell. The results provide a distinct and more specific mechanism for E1A-mediated immune suppression and an alternative model of IFNgamma-driven enhanceosome formation that may allow for other adaptors (in addition to p300/CBP) to link Stat1 to the basal transcription complex.

Characterization of the upstream sequence of the human CYP11A1 gene for cell type-specific expression

The CYP11A1 gene encodes the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme P450scc, which catalyzes the synthesis of steroids from cholesterol. This gene is expressed only in steroidogenic organs such as the adrenal, gonad, placenta, and brain. We have characterized an upstream regulatory element of the human CYP11A1 gene, termed AdE, which contributed to its cell type-specific expression. The AdE sequence contains two protein binding regions, AdE1 and AdE2, which bind many proteins including NF1- and Sp1-like proteins as shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, footprinting, competition, antibody supershift, and mutagenesis of the binding sites. When cloned in front of the CYP11A1 promoter or the heterologous thymidine kinase promoter, AdE sequences enhanced expression of the reporter gene in steroidogenic cell lines of the adrenal, gonad, and placental origin but not in nonsteroidogenic cell lines such as COS-1 and Rat-1. The function of AdE1 and AdE2 was lower when present individually than together. The combined action of multiple transcription factors binding to the AdE sequence brings about the final activation of the CYP11A1 gene in a tissue-specific manner.

The CCAAT-binding proteins CP1 and NF-I cooperate with ATF-2 in the transcription of the fibronectin gene

We have previously proposed a molecular interaction between the liver factors that bind to the cyclic AMP response element (CRE) and CCAAT sites of the fibronectin (FN) gene based on the following evidence: (i) the close spacing of 20 base pairs between CRE and CCAAT elements is conserved in the FN genes from rats, mice, and humans; (ii) footprinting competitions showed that CRE oligonucleotides are able to detach both liver factors; (iii) CCAAT binding and transcriptional activity of liver extracts are reduced when the distance between the CRE and CCAAT elements is increased; and (iv) CCAAT-binding is stimulated by the addition of a liver extract fraction containing the CRE-binding factor ATF-2. This report provides binding and immunochemical evidence that nuclear factor I (CTF/NF-I) and CP1 (NF-Y or CBF) are the only liver factors that bind to the -150 CCAAT element of the FN gene, forming distinct complexes. We show that these factors bind less efficiently to the CCAAT site of a FN promoter in which the -170 CRE has been disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis and that each element contributes positively to the liver transcriptional activity assessed in vitro with a G-less cassette construct and in vivo by transfection of hepatoma cells with CAT constructs. Furthermore, using a method that combines UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation, we show that antibodies specific to ATF-2 are able to specifically precipitate protein-protein-DNA complexes containing NF-I and CP1. This simple method preserves weak macromolecular interactions, avoiding the disruptive electrophoresis conditions of gel mobility shifts assays.

Adenovirus E1A proteins regulate phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene transcription through multiple mechanisms

Recently, Kalvakolanu et al. (Kalvakolanu, D. V. R., Liu, J., Hanson, R. W., Harter, M. L., and Sen, G. C. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 2530-2536) showed that E1A inhibited the basal and cAMP-stimulated transcription of the gene for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). This inhibition was mediated by the conserved region 1 (CR1) domain of E1A, which has been shown by other laboratories to bind to the cellular transcriptional adaptor proteins, p300 and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP). The PEPCK gene promoter contains a functional cAMP-response element, through which CREB and, therefore, CBP modulate transcription, and a consensus p300 DNA binding sequence is also present in a distal protein binding site of the promoter. We hypothesized that E1A might inhibit PEPCK gene transcription by binding to p300 and/or CBP. Surprisingly, we found that E1A consistently stimulated basal transcription from the PEPCK promoter in transfection assays in adenovirus (Ad)-infected HepG2 hepatoma cells or E1A-expressing, stably transfected 3T3 fibroblasts and nuclear run-on assays in Ad-infected H4IIE hepatoma cells. E1A also enhanced the stimulation of PEPCK gene transcription by Bt2cAMP. In transfection assays, wild type Ad5 expressing both 243R and 289R forms of E1A or a mutant virus expressing the 289R form alone stimulated transcription from the PEPCK promoter by approximately 5-fold 20 h postinfection. However, no stimulation was observed in cells infected with a virus expressing either the 243R protein alone or a 289R protein from which conserved region 3 (CR3) was mutated. Mutation or deletion of CR1 of E1A had no significant effect on transcription from the PEPCK promoter. Mutations within conserved region 2 (CR2) of E1A that inhibit the binding of E1A to the retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) further enhanced the stimulation of transcription from the PEPCK promoter by 2 3-fold compared with wild type E1A. These findings suggested that the normal function of pRb is to stimulate PEPCK gene transcription, and that this process is inhibited by the binding of E1A to pRb. This hypothesis was confirmed by overexpressing pRb in HepG2 cells, which stimulated transcription from the PEPCK promoter. Our findings indicate that Ad E1A regulates PEPCK gene transcription through a stimulatory mechanism involving CR3, and by attenuating a stimulatory effect of pRb through CR2.

The adenoviral transcription factor, E1A 13S, trans-activates the human tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter

The 1311 bp TNF-alpha promoter region fused to a luciferase reporter vector was used in a transient transfection system to study the regulation of TNF-alpha promoter activity by E1A 13S in the U937 macrophage cell line and the MLA 144 T cell line. Co-transfections of the TNF-alpha promoter with an E1A expression vector resulted in a strong trans-activation of the promoter in both cell lines. Sequential truncation of the promoter mapped the E1A responsive region to sequences contained between -120 bp and the transcription start site. Truncation to -95 bp caused a dramatic 87% reduction of E1A activation in MLA 144 cells and further truncation to -36 bp caused a complete loss of E1A activation. In U937 cells, each truncation lowered E1A responsiveness but activity was never completely abolished. Site-directed mutagenesis of putative cis-acting sequences in the TNF-alpha promoter identified the AP-1 site as important for E1A trans-activation in the U937 cell line; the AP-2 and CRE sites also appeared to contribute to a lesser degree. In contrast, only the CRE mutation caused a reduction in E1A induced activity in the MLA 144 cell line. Co-transfection of the E1A expression vector with expression vectors for the cellular transcription factors AP-1, AP-2 and CREB indicated that none of these transcription factors showed any co-operativity with E1A. Thus, cis-acting sequences which contribute to E1A trans-activation of the TNF-alpha promoter have been delineated.

Collagen II promoter and enhancer interact synergistically through Sp1 and distinct nuclear factors

The collagen II gene is expressed primarily in chondrocytes. Its transcription is activated through the interaction of cell type-specific regulatory elements located in the promoter region and in the first intron. In this study, we found that a short promoter sequence including two GC boxes was required for efficient enhancer-mediated transcription. Gel-shift analysis, site mutations, and footprint analysis showed that one of the GC boxes bound functionally to an Sp1-related factor and that an oligonucleotide containing this GC box did interact with an enhancer-nuclear factor complex. Additionally, an enhancer-derived oligonucleotide was found to complex CIIZFP, a zinc-finger protein that binds to the enhancer within the first intron and Sp1, but only in presence of CIIZFP. Antibodies against Sp1 specifically inhibited the formation of this complex. Western/Southwestern analysis also showed that a protein complex including Sp1 was able to bind the enhancer and the promoter regions in non-denaturing conditions. This complex was dissociated by denaturation. These results suggest that the formation of a nuclear protein-mediated loop structure between the promoter and enhancer may regulate transcription of the collagen II gene transcription.

Heritable formation of neuroectodermal tumor in transgenic mice carrying the combined E1 region gene of adenovirus type 12 with the deregulated human renin promoter

Adenovirus early 1 (E1) region gene products, including E1A and E1B, are required for transcriptional regulation of viral and cellular promoters in infected and transfected culture cells and for transformation of primary rodent cells. Here, we established a line of transgenic mice carrying the E1 region gene of human adenovirus type 12 under the control of the human renin promoter, in which a neuroectodermal tumor derived from retroperitoneal, olfactory, and/or pelvic regions was heritably developed with varying degrees of incidence and the phenotype was successfully passed through six generations. The transgenes were located in the region E2-E3 bands of chromosome 7 with which no genetic linkage to neuroectodermal tumors was previously demonstrated, and expressed only in the tumors but not in another tissue examined. Notably, in addition to the expression of a neural marker gene N-CAM, the three nuclear oncogenes, c-, L-, and N-myc, were coexpressed in the tumors. These results suggest that E1A and E1B are cooperatively involved in the heritable formation of neuroectodermal tumors associated with co-expression of the three sets of myc family genes.

Retinoblastoma protein switches the E2F site from positive to negative element

Originally E2F sites were identified as elements in the promoters of adenovirus early genes that are necessary for activation of these genes by the early protein E1a (ref. 1). E2F promoter elements have been shown to be important for transcriptional activation of several genes critical for progression through the cell cycle. During the G1 phase of the cell cycle, the E2F protein forms a complex with the cell-cycle protein Rb (ref. 5) and it has been suggested that this binding of Rb to E2F inactivates E2F (ref. 5). Here we show that Rb-E2F is an active complex that, when bound to the E2F site, inhibits the activity of other promoter elements and thus silences transcription. We propose that the ability of this complex to inhibit transcription is integral to the function of Rb and provide evidence that E2F is a positive element in the absence of an active form of Rb. It has been shown that binding of Rb to E2F depends on the phosphorylation state of Rb (only the underphosphorylated form binds) and that the phosphorylation state of Rb changes during progression through the cell cycle. We therefore suggest that the E2F site alternates between a positive and negative element with the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycle of Rb. This cyclic activity may be responsible for activating and then inhibiting genes during the cell cycle.