BRFU, a TFIIB-like factor, is directly recruited to the TATA-box of polymerase III small nuclear RNA gene promoters through its interaction with TATA-binding protein.

Human U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) gene transcription by RNA polymerase III requires cooperative promoter binding involving the snRNA-activating protein complex (SNAP(c)) and the TATA-box binding protein (TBP). To investigate the role of SNAP(c) for TBP function at U6 promoters, TBP recruitment assays were performed using full-length TBP and a mini-SNAP(c) containing SNAP43, SNAP50, and a truncated SNAP190. Mini-SNAP(c) efficiently recruits TBP to the U6 TATA box, and two SNAP(c) subunits, SNAP43 and SNAP190, directly interact with the TBP DNA binding domain. Truncated SNAP190 containing only the Myb DNA binding domain is sufficient for TBP recruitment to the TATA box. Therefore, the SNAP190 Myb domain functions both to specifically recognize the proximal sequence element present in the core promoters of human snRNA genes and to stimulate TBP recognition of the neighboring TATA box present in human U6 snRNA promoters. The SNAP190 Myb domain also stimulates complex assembly with TBP and Brf2, a subunit of a snRNA-specific TFIIIB complex. Thus, interactions between the DNA binding domains of SNAP190 and TBP at juxtaposed promoter elements define the assembly of a RNA polymerase III-specific preinitiation complex.

Protein kinase CK2 regulates RNA polymerase III transcription of human U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes both negatively and positively depending upon whether the general transcription machinery or RNA polymerase III is preferentially phosphorylated. Human U1 snRNA genes share similar promoter architectures as that of U6 genes but are transcribed by RNA polymerase II. Herein, we report that CK2 inhibits U1 snRNA gene transcription by RNA polymerase II. Decreased levels of endogenous CK2 correlates with increased U1 expression, whereas CK2 associates with U1 gene promoters, indicating that it plays a direct role in U1 gene regulation. CK2 phosphorylates the general transcription factor small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex (SNAP(C)) that is required for both RNA polymerase II and III transcription, and SNAP(C) phosphorylation inhibits binding to snRNA gene promoters. However, restricted promoter access by phosphorylated SNAP(C) can be overcome by cooperative interactions with TATA-box-binding protein at a U6 promoter but not at a U1 promoter. Thus, CK2 may have the capacity to differentially regulate U1 and U6 transcription even though SNAP(C) is universally utilized for human snRNA gene transcription.

Negative cofactor 2 (NC2) forms a stable complex with TATA-binding protein (TBP) on promoters. This prevents the assembly of transcription factor (TF) IIA and TFIIB and leads to repression of RNA polymerase II transcription. Here we have revisited the interactions of NC2.TBP with DNA. We show that NC2.TBP complexes exhibit a significantly reduced preference for TATA box sequences compared with TBP and TBP.TFIIA complexes. In chromatin immunoprecipitations, NC2 is found on a variety of human TATA-containing and TATA-less promoters. Substantial amounts of NC2 are present in a complex with TBP in bulk chromatin. A complex of NC2.TBP displays a K(D) for DNA of approximately 2 x 10(-9) m for a 35-bp major late promoter oligonucleotide. While preferentially recognizing promoter-bound TBP, NC2 also accelerates TBP binding to promoters and stabilizes TBP.DNA complexes. Our data suggest that NC2 controls TBP binding and maintenance on DNA that is largely independent of a canonical TATA sequence.

Proteomic analyses have contributed substantially to our understanding of diverse cellular processes. Improvements in the sensitivity of mass spectrometry approaches are enabling more in-depth analyses of protein-protein networks and, in some cases, are providing surprising new insights into well established, longstanding problems. Here, we describe such a proteomic analysis that exploits MudPIT mass spectrometry and has led to the discovery of a physical and functional link between the orphan nuclear receptor hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) and transcription factor IID (TFIID). A systematic characterization of the HNF4alpha-TFIID link revealed that the HNF4alpha DNA-binding domain binds directly to the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and, through this interaction, can target TBP or TFIID to promoters containing HNF4alpha-binding sites in vitro. Supporting the functional significance of this interaction, an HNF4alpha mutation that blocks binding of TBP to HNF4alpha interferes with HNF4alpha transactivation activity in cells. These findings identify an unexpected role for the HNF4alpha DNA-binding domain in mediating key regulatory interactions and provide new insights into the roles of HNF4alpha and TFIID in RNA polymerase II transcription.

The major core promoter-binding factor in polymerase II transcription machinery is TFIID, a complex consisting of TBP, the TATA box-binding protein, and 13 to 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs). Previously we found that the histone H2A-like TAF paralogs TAF4 and TAF4b possess DNA-binding activity. Whether TAF4/TAF4b DNA binding directs TFIID to a specific core promoter element or facilitates TFIID binding to established core promoter elements is not known. Here we analyzed the mode of TAF4b.TAF12 DNA binding and show that this complex binds DNA with high affinity. The DNA length required for optimal binding is approximately 70 bp. Although the complex displays a weak sequence preference, the nucleotide composition is less important than the length of the DNA for high affinity binding. Comparative expression profiling of wild-type and a DNA-binding mutant of TAF4 revealed common core promoter features in the down-regulated genes that include a TATA-box and an Initiator. Further examination of the PEL98 gene from this group showed diminished Initiator activity and TFIID occupancy in TAF4 DNA-binding mutant cells. These findings suggest that DNA binding by TAF4/4b-TAF12 facilitates the association of TFIID with the core promoter of a subset of genes.

The Drosophila protein Sex Comb on Midleg (Scm) is a member of the Polycomb group (PcG), a set of transcriptional repressors that maintain silencing of homeotic genes during development. Recent findings have identified PcG proteins both as targets for modification by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein and as catalytic components of the SUMO conjugation pathway. We have found that the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 binds to Scm and that this interaction, which requires the Scm C-terminal sterile α motif (SAM) domain, is crucial for the efficient sumoylation of Scm. Scm is associated with the major Polycomb response element (PRE) of the homeotic gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx), and efficient PRE recruitment requires an intact Scm SAM domain. Global reduction of sumoylation augments binding of Scm to the PRE. This is likely to be a direct effect of Scm sumoylation because mutations in the SUMO acceptor sites in Scm enhance its recruitment to the PRE, whereas translational fusion of SUMO to the Scm N terminus interferes with this recruitment. In the metathorax, Ubx expression promotes haltere formation and suppresses wing development. When SUMO levels are reduced, we observe decreased expression of Ubx and partial haltere-to-wing transformation phenotypes. These observations suggest that SUMO negatively regulates Scm function by impeding its recruitment to the Ubx major PRE.

hormone response element peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor thyroid hormone receptor estrogen receptor ligand binding domain nuclear receptor corepressor silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor imitation SWI cAMP response element-binding protein CREB-binding protein histone acetyltransferase mitogen-activated protein histone deacetylase steroid receptor coactivator RAR interacting protein glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein T3R receptor associated protein vitamin receptor D interacting protein Members of the nuclear receptor superfamily directly activate or repress target genes by binding to hormone response elements (HREs)1 in promoter or enhancer regions, and by binding to other DNA sequence-specific activators and can inhibit the transcriptional activities of other classes of transcription factors by transrepression. Hormone response elements provide specificity to receptor homodimer heterodimer binding (reviewed in Ref. 2Bourguet W. Germain P. Gronemeyer H. Trends Pharm. Sci. 2000; 21: 381-388Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (397) Google Scholar). Nuclear receptor functions are directed by specific activation domains, referred to as activation function 1 (AF-1), which resides in the N terminus, and activation function 2 (AF-2), which resides in the C-terminal ligand binding domain (LBD) (reviewed in Ref. 1Glass C.K. Rosenfeld M.G. Genes Dev. 2000; 14: 121-141Crossref PubMed Google Scholar). Regulation of gene transcription by nuclear receptors requires the recruitment of proteins characterized as coregulators, with ligand-dependent exchange of corepressors for coactivators serving as the basic mechanism for switching gene repression to activation. In this review, we discuss biochemical and genetic studies suggesting that coregulatory complexes are differentially utilized in both a cell- and promoter-specific fashion to activate or repress gene transcription. These coregulatory components, themselves targets of diverse intracellular signaling pathways, provide a combinatorial code for tissue- and gene-specific responses, utilizing both enzymatic and platform assembly functions to mediate the actions of nuclear receptor genetic programs critical for developmental and homeostatic processes in metazoan organisms. A diverse group of proteins have emerged as potential coactivators for nuclear receptors. Ligand-dependent recruitment of coactivators is dependent on AF-2, which consists of a short conserved helical sequence within the C terminus of the LBD (2Bourguet W. Germain P. Gronemeyer H. Trends Pharm. Sci. 2000; 21: 381-388Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (397) Google Scholar). Biochemical and expression cloning approaches have been used to identify a large number of factors that interact with nuclear receptors in either a ligand-independent or a ligand-dependent manner and are often components of large multiprotein complexes. Many of these factors are capable of potentiating nuclear receptor activity in transient cotransfection assays. In addition, a distinct set of coactivators is associated with the AF-1 domain. As the number of potential coregulators clearly exceeds the capacity for direct interaction by a single receptor, the most plausible hypothesis is that transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors involves the actions of multiple factors. These factors act in a sequential and/or combinatorial manner to reorganize chromatin templates and to modify and recruit basal factors and RNA polymerase II (3Wu C. J. Biol. Chem. 1997; 272: 28171-28174Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (200) Google Scholar, 4Wade P.A. Wollfe A.P. Curr. Biol. 1999; 9: R221-R224Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (40) Google Scholar). As chromatinized transcription units are “repressed” compared with naked DNA, a critical aspect of gene activation involves nucleosomal remodeling (reviewed in Refs. 3Wu C. J. Biol. Chem. 1997; 272: 28171-28174Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (200) Google Scholar, 4Wade P.A. Wollfe A.P. Curr. Biol. 1999; 9: R221-R224Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (40) Google Scholar, 5Struhl K. Cell. 1999; 98: 1-4Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (373) Google Scholar). Two general classes of chromatin remodeling factors that appear to play critical roles in transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors have been identified. These are ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling complexes and factors that contain histone acetyltransferase activity. The yeast SWI·SNF complex facilitates the binding of sequence-specific transcription factors to nucleosomal DNA and can cause local changes in chromatin structure in an ATP-dependent manner (3Wu C. J. Biol. 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Kouzarides T. Nature. 1996; 384: 641-643Crossref PubMed Scopus (1549) Google Scholar, 11Ogryzko V.V. Schiltz R.L. Russanova V. Howard B.H. Nakatani Y. Cell. 1996; 87: 953-959Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2448) Google Scholar, 12Grant P.A. Duggan L. Cote J. Roberts S.M. Brownell J.E. Candau R. Ohba R. Owen-Hughes T. Allis C.D. Winston F. Berger S.L. Workman J.L. Genes Dev. 1997; 11: 1640-1650Crossref PubMed Scopus (897) Google Scholar). Mammalian homologues of Drosophila SWI2/SNF2 such as BRG1/hBrm function as components of large multiprotein complexes. Transfection of ATPase-defective alleles of either Brg1 orhBrm into several mammalian cell lines leads to a significant decrease in the ability of several nuclear receptors to activate transcription (3Wu C. J. Biol. Chem. 1997; 272: 28171-28174Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (200) Google Scholar, 4Wade P.A. Wollfe A.P. Curr. 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Nature. 1996; 384: 641-643Crossref PubMed Scopus (1549) Google Scholar, 11Ogryzko V.V. Schiltz R.L. Russanova V. Howard B.H. Nakatani Y. Cell. 1996; 87: 953-959Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2448) Google Scholar). Rates of gene transcription roughly correlate with the degree of histone acetylation, with hyperacetylated regions of the genome appearing to be more actively transcribed than hypoacetylated regions (reviewed in Ref. 7Pazin M.J. Kadonaga J.T. Cell. 1997; 89: 325-328Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (773) Google Scholar). The specific recruitment of a complex with histone acetyltransferase activity to a promoter may play a critical role in overcoming repressive effects of chromatin structure on transcription (4Wade P.A. Wollfe A.P. Curr. Biol. 1999; 9: R221-R224Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (40) Google Scholar, 5Struhl K. Cell. 1999; 98: 1-4Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (373) Google Scholar, 6Pazin M.J. Kadonaga J.T. Cell. 1997; 88: 737-740Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (270) Google Scholar, 7Pazin M.J. Kadonaga J.T. Cell. 1997; 89: 325-328Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (773) Google Scholar). This concept was further supported by the subsequent finding that the mammalian Gcn5 orthologues, including p/CAF, CREB-binding protein (CBP), adenovirus E1A-binding protein p300, and TAFII250, each possess intrinsic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity (7Pazin M.J. Kadonaga J.T. Cell. 1997; 89: 325-328Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (773) Google Scholar, 8Mizzen C.A. Yang X.-J. Kokubo T. Brownell J.E. Bannister A.J. Owen-Hughes T. Workman J. Wang L. Berger S.L. Kouzarides T. Nakatani Y. Allis C.D. Cell. 1996; 87: 1261-1270Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (628) Google Scholar, 9Ogryzko V.V. Kotani T. Zhang R.L. Howard S.T. Yang X.J. Howard B.H. Qin J. Nakatani Y. Cell. 1998; 94: 35-44Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (469) Google Scholar, 10Bannister A.J. Kouzarides T. Nature. 1996; 384: 641-643Crossref PubMed Scopus (1549) Google Scholar, 11Ogryzko V.V. Schiltz R.L. Russanova V. Howard B.H. Nakatani Y. Cell. 1996; 87: 953-959Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2448) Google Scholar). Conversely, the discovery that a mammalian histone deacetylase (HDAC) was a homologue of the yeast corepressor, RPD3 (13Taunton J. Hassig C.A. Schreiber S.L. Science. 1996; 272: 408-411Crossref PubMed Scopus (1569) Google Scholar), gave rise to the hypothesis that regulated activation events might involve the exchange of complexes containing histone deacetylase functions with those containing histone acetyltransferase activity (Fig. 1). It appears that in most cases the acetyltransferases are not directly recruited to nuclear receptors but associate with other coactivators that exhibit higher affinity for the liganded receptor. The acetyltransferase functions of factors such as CBP/p300 are directly required for enhanced transcription on chromatinized templates (14Kraus W. Manning E. Kadonaga J. Mol. Cell Biol. 1999; 19: 8123-8135Crossref PubMed Scopus (203) Google Scholar). A large number of proteins that are recruited in a ligand-dependent fashion have the capacity to enhance transcriptional activation by transient transfection. Several insights into the mechanisms by which coactivator complexes are recruited to nuclear receptors in a ligand-dependent manner have been provided by the initial identification of the p160 family of nuclear receptor coactivators, referred to as SRC-1/NCOA1, TIF2/GRIP1, and p/CIP/A1B1/ACTR/RAC/TRAM-1 (reviewed in Ref. 15McKenna N.J. Lanz R.B. O'Malley B.W. Endocr. Rev. 1999; 20: 321-344Crossref PubMed Scopus (1669) Google Scholar). The p160 factors consist of three members that exhibit a common domain structure, illustrated in Fig. 1. The central conserved domain mediates ligand-dependent interactions with the nuclear receptor LBD, whereas the conserved C-terminal transcriptional activation domains mediate interactions with either CBP/p300 or protein-arginine methyltransferase (16Chen D. Ma H. Hong H. Koh S.S. Huang S.-M. Schurter B.T. Aswad D.W. Stallcup M.R. Science. 1999; 284: 2174-2176Crossref PubMed Scopus (1019) Google Scholar, 17Koh S. Chen D. Lee Y. Stallcup M. J. Biol. Chem. 2001; 276: 1089-1098Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (310) Google Scholar). Based on the presence of three regulatory domains, members of the p160 family have been suggested to function as coactivators, at least in part, by serving as adapter molecules that recruit CBP and/or p300 complexes to promoter-bound nuclear receptors in a ligand-dependent manner (18Kurokawa R. Kalafus D. Ogliastro M.-H. Kioussi C. Xu L. Torchia J. Rosenfeld M.G. Glass C.K. 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A for interacting proteins mediating these effects led to the cloning of the nuclear receptor corepressors and A. A. T. Torchia J. Kurokawa R. Kamei Y. A. M. Glass C.K. PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, J.D. Nature. PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, S. Mol. 1996; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). These factors domains that can interact with mammalian homologues of proteins that have been in yeast to mediate transcriptional including and histone T. Mullen T.-M. M. C.D. Torchia J. Yang G. E. Rose D.W. Glass C.K. Rosenfeld M.G. Nature. 1997; 387: PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, L. D. R.J. Hassig C.A. Schreiber S.L. Cell. 1997; 89: Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). hormone can be with in the ligand binding domain of thyroid hormone receptor that enhance ligand-independent interactions with S.M. Mol. 1997; 11: PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). also repressive roles in the actions of other classes of transcription factors (reviewed in Ref. 1Glass C.K. Rosenfeld M.G. 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Loria P.M. Cheng L. Kushner P.J. Agard D.A. Greene G.L. Cell. 1998; 95: 927-937Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2304) Google Scholar), corepressor that coactivators and corepressors are themselves targets of multiple pathways, of which are illustrated in Fig. Regulation of coactivator and corepressor function a for of to specific of sequence-specific transcription factors. For example, the histone acetyltransferase activity of CBP has been suggested to be regulated by which coactivator activities the cell S. S. F. L. P. M. D. A. Nature. 1998; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). The ability of CBP to serve as a coactivator of is enhanced in response to signaling a mechanism S. H. Science. 1998; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). The p160 nuclear receptors can be in response to signaling of the to the Rose D.W. F. T. W. D. A. Krones A. K. Rosenfeld R. Glass C.K. Rosenfeld M.G. Sci. S. A. 2000; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). of lysine residues to LXXLL motifs may the receptors. corepressors are targets of pathways, with activation of with a of a nuclear to a or S. H. Science. 1998; PubMed Scopus Google C. R.J. W. D. Cell. 1999; 98: Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). The N terminus of has been to interact with the mammalian homologue of Drosophila in Y. R. H. P. M. D. Mol. Cell. 1998; Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus Google Scholar), in of Based on cotransfection can mediate a decrease of protein by a The of with nuclear receptors is by cell signaling events that can the and activity of activation of signaling that the of with estrogen receptors in the presence of the on the of the N terminus K. Torchia J. Mullen T.-M. R. M. S. J. C.K. Glass C.K. Rosenfeld M.G. Rose D.W. Sci. S. A. 1998; 95: PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). In addition, with or in of and of with 1 directly interactions between and nuclear receptors or S. M. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2000; 20: PubMed Scopus Google Scholar). Nuclear receptors can serve as or dependent the regulated exchange of binding of factors and characterized by distinct enzymatic and platform In to a ligand-dependent can interactions of specific coregulators with nuclear receptors or mediate their activity or between nuclear or The potential for exchange of nuclear receptors and has for the functional of multiple receptors of coregulatory complexes.

Previous biochemical studies have demonstrated that Lys-123 ubiquitination of histone H2B is globally required for up-regulation of mono-, di, and trimethylation of Lys-4 of histone H3. However, recent studies have implicated H2B-Lys-123 ubiquitination in the regulation of di- and trimethylation, but not monomethylation, of H3-Lys-4 in vivo. Using a formaldehyde-based cross-linking and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we show that H3-Lys-4 trimethylation, but not dimethylation, is up-regulated by H2B-Lys-123 ubiquitination in vivo at the coding sequences of a set of transcriptionally active genes such as ADH1, PHO84, and PYK1. Both the ubiquitination of H2B-Lys-123 and the methylation of H3-Lys-4 are dispensable for recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the coding sequences of these genes, and hence, their transcription is not altered in the absence of these covalent modifications. However, recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the coding sequence of a galactose-inducible gene, GAL1, is significantly reduced in the absence of H2B-Lys-123 ubiquitination but not H3-Lys-4 methylation. Consistently, transcription of GAL1 is altered in the H2B-K123R point mutant strain. Finally, we show that H3-Lys-4 methylation does not regulate H3-Lys-9/14 acetylation. Collectively, our data reveal a "trans-tail" regulation of H3-Lys-4 tri- but not dimethylation by H2B-Lys-123 ubiquitination, and these modifications are dispensable for transcription of a certain set of genes in vivo.

To reveal mechanistic differences in transcription initiation between variant TATA elements, in vivo and in vitro assays of the functional activity of 14 different sequences were compared. Variant elements exhibited particular degrees of activation in vivo but universally were unable to support the -fold activation observed for an element consisting of TATAAA. Each element was classified by its functional activity for in vitro interaction with TATA-binding protein (TBP), TFIIA, and TFIIB. Certain off-consensus TATA elements form poor binding sites for TBP and this compromised interaction interferes with higher order complex formation with TFIIA and/or TFIIB. Other elements are only modestly decreased for TBP binding but dramatically affected for higher order complex formation. Another distinct category is comprised of two elements (CATAAA and TATAAG), which are not affected in the initial formation of the TBP, TFIIA-TBP, or TFIIB-TBP complexes. However, CATAAA and TATAAG are unable to form a stable TFIIA-TBP-DNA complex in vitro. Moreover, fusion of TFIIA to TBP specifically restores activity from these two elements in vivo. Taken together, these results indicate that the interplay between the sequence of the TATA element and the components of the general transcription machinery can lead to variations in the formation of functional complexes and/or the stability of these complexes. These differences offer distinct opportunities for an organism to exploit diverse steps in the regulation of gene expression depending on the precise TATA element sequence at a given gene.

Giardia lamblia differentiates into resistant walled cysts for survival outside the host and transmission. During encystation, synthesis of cyst wall proteins is coordinately induced. The E2F family of transcription factors in higher eukaryotes is involved in cell cycle progression and cell differentiation. We asked whether Giardia has E2F-like genes and whether they influence gene expression during Giardia encystation. Blast searches of the Giardia genome database identified one gene (e2f1) encoding a putative E2F protein with two putative DNA-binding domains. We found that the e2f1 gene expression levels increased significantly during encystation. Epitope-tagged E2F1 was found to localize to nuclei. Recombinant E2F1 specifically bound to the thymidine kinase and cwp1-3 gene promoters. E2F1 contains several key residues for DNA binding, and mutation analysis revealed that its binding sequence is similar to those of the known E2F family proteins. The E2F1-binding sequences were positive cis-acting elements of the thymidine kinase and cwp1 promoters. We also found that E2F1 transactivated the thymidine kinase and cwp1 promoters through its binding sequences in vivo. Interestingly, E2F1 overexpression resulted in a significant increase of the levels of CWP1 protein, cwp1-3 gene mRNA, and cyst formation. We also found E2F1 can interact with Myb2, a transcription factor that coordinate up-regulates the cwp1-3 genes during encystation. Our results suggest that E2F family has been conserved during evolution and that E2F1 is an important transcription factor in regulation of the Giardia cwp genes, which are key to Giardia differentiation into cysts.

Nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB transcription factors are involved in the control of a large number of normal cellular and organismal processes, such as immune and inflammatory responses, developmental processes, cellular growth, and apoptosis. Transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome depends on the intracellular environment where the integrate viral DNA is regulated by a complex interplay among viral regulatory proteins, such as Tat, and host cellular transcription factors, such as NF-kappaB, interacting with the viral long terminal repeat region. CBP (CREB-binding protein) and p300, containing an intrinsic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, have emerged as coactivators for various DNA-binding transcription factors. Here, we show that the p50 subunit as well as the p50/p65 of NF-kappaB, and not other factors such as SP1, TFIIB, polymerase II, TFIIA, or p65, can be acetylated by CBP/p300 HAT domain. Acetylation of p50 was completely dependent on the presence of both HAT domain and Tat proteins, implying that Tat influences the transcription machinery by aiding CBP/p300 to acquire new partners and increase its functional repertoire. Three lysines, Lys-431, Lys-440, and Lys-441 in p50 were all acetylated in vitro, and a sequence similarity among p50, p53, Tat, and activin receptor type I on these particular lysines was observed. All proteins have been shown to be acetylated by the CBP/p300 HAT domain. Acetylated p50 increases its DNA binding properties, as evident by streptavidin/biotin pull-down assays when using labeled NF-kappaB oligonucleotides. Increased DNA binding on HIV-1 long terminal repeat coincided with increases in the rate of transcription. Therefore, we propose that acetylation of the DNA binding domain of NF-kappaB aids in nuclear translocation and enhanced transcription and also suggest that the substrate specificity of CBP/p300 can be altered by small peptide molecules, such as HIV-encoded Tat.

Elf3 is an epithelially restricted member of the ETS transcription factor family, which is involved in a wide range of normal cellular processes. Elf3 is also aberrantly expressed in several cancers, including breast cancer. To better understand the molecular mechanisms by which Elf3 regulates these processes, we created a large series of Elf3 mutant proteins with specific domains deleted or targeted by point mutations. The modified forms of Elf3 were used to analyze the contribution of each domain to DNA binding and the activation of gene expression. Our work demonstrates that three regions of Elf3, in addition to its DNA binding domain (ETS domain), influence Elf3 binding to DNA, including the transactivation domain that behaves as an autoinhibitory domain. Interestingly, disruption of the transactivation domain relieves the autoinhibition of Elf3 and enhances Elf3 binding to DNA. On the basis of these studies, we suggest a model for autoinhibition of Elf3 involving intramolecular interactions. Importantly, this model is consistent with our finding that the N-terminal region of Elf3, which contains the transactivation domain, interacts with its C terminus, which contains the ETS domain. In parallel studies, we demonstrate that residues flanking the N- and C-terminal sides of the ETS domain of Elf3 are crucial for its binding to DNA. Our studies also show that an AT-hook domain, as well as the serine- and aspartic acid-rich domain but not the pointed domain, is necessary for Elf3 activation of promoter activity. Unexpectedly, we determined that one of the AT-hook domains is required in a promoter-specific manner.

To identify new sequence elements in the promoter that affect splicing patterns of pre-mRNAs, we analyzed effects of different promoters on alternative splicing of model reporter genes. We compared the E1a alternative splicing pattern in transcripts expressed from the full-length cytomegalovirus, SV40 early, or a hybrid cytomegalovirus/SV40 early promoter and found that the hybrid promoter improved selection of the suboptimal E1a 5'SS-1. Expressing RNA from the hybrid promoter also enhanced selection of suboptimal splice sites in other alternatively spliced reporter genes, demonstrating the generality of this effect. Unlike previously defined promoter elements shown to affect alternative splicing, which were located in the enhancer/upstream activating sequences, the motif identified in this work is positioned within the core promoter; it is comprised of eight T-residues directly upstream of the SV40 early TATA box. This motif was previously implicated in DNA bending and negative regulation of transcription. Together, these results suggest that the identity of transcription complex assembled in the core promoter-dependent fashion can affect splice site selection during pre-mRNA splicing, perhaps by influencing the processivity of transcription elongation.

Nucleosome Transactions on the Promoters of the YeastGAL and PHO Genes

Many eukaryotic transcription factors are bimodal in their regulatory properties and can both repress and activate expression of their target genes. These divergent transcriptional properties are conferred through recruitment of auxiliary proteins, denoted coactivators and corepressors. Repression plays a particularly critical role in the functions of the nuclear receptors, a large family of ligand-regulated transcription factors involved in metazoan development, differentiation, reproduction, and homeostasis. The SMRT corepressor interacts directly with nuclear receptors and serves, in turn, as a platform for the assembly of a larger corepressor complex. We report here that SMRT is expressed in cells by alternative mRNA splicing to yield two distinct variants or isoforms. We designate these isoforms SMRTalpha and SMRTtau and demonstrate that these isoforms have significantly different affinities for different nuclear receptors. These isoforms are evolutionarily conserved and are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Our results suggest that differential mRNA splicing serves to customize corepressor function in different cells, allowing the transcriptional properties of nuclear receptors to be adapted to different contexts.