Transcription initiation complex structures elucidate DNA opening.

Science.gov (United States)

Plaschka, C; Hantsche, M; Dienemann, C; Burzinski, C; Plitzko, J; Cramer, P

2016-05-19

Transcription of eukaryotic protein-coding genes begins with assembly of the RNA polymerase (Pol) II initiation complex and promoter DNA opening. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of yeast initiation complexes containing closed and open DNA at resolutions of 8.8 Å and 3.6 Å, respectively. DNA is positioned and retained over the Pol II cleft by a network of interactions between the TATA-box-binding protein TBP and transcription factors TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIE, and TFIIF. DNA opening occurs around the tip of the Pol II clamp and the TFIIE 'extended winged helix' domain, and can occur in the absence of TFIIH. Loading of the DNA template strand into the active centre may be facilitated by movements of obstructing protein elements triggered by allosteric binding of the TFIIE 'E-ribbon' domain. The results suggest a unified model for transcription initiation with a key event, the trapping of open promoter DNA by extended protein-protein and protein-DNA contacts.

The hepatitis B virus large surface protein (LHBs) is a transcriptional activator.

Science.gov (United States)

Hildt, E; Saher, G; Bruss, V; Hofschneider, P H

1996-11-01

It has been shown that a C-terminally truncated form of the middle-sized hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface protein (MHBst) functions as a transcriptional activator. This function is dependent on the cytosolic orientation of the N-terminal PreS2 domain of MHBst, but in the case of wild-type MHBs, the PreS2 domain is contranslationally translocated into the ER lumen. Recent reports demonstrated that the PreS2 domain of the large HBV surface protein (LHBs) initially remains on the cytosolic side of the ER membrane after translation. Therefore, the question arose as to whether the LHBs protein exhibits the same transcriptional activator function as MHBst. We show that LHBs, like MHBst, is indeed able to activate a variety of promoter elements. There is evidence for a PKC-dependent activation of AP-1 and NF-kappa B by LHBs. Downstream of the PKC the functionality of c-Raf-1 kinase is a prerequisite for LHBs-dependent activation of AP-1 and NF-kappa B since inhibition of c-Raf-1 kinase abolishes LHBs-dependent transcriptional activation of AP-1 and NF-kappa B.

Palmitoylation regulates 17β-estradiol-induced estrogen receptor-α degradation and transcriptional activity.

Science.gov (United States)

La Rosa, Piergiorgio; Pesiri, Valeria; Leclercq, Guy; Marino, Maria; Acconcia, Filippo

2012-05-01

The estrogen receptor-α (ERα) is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression through the binding to its cognate hormone 17β-estradiol (E2). ERα transcriptional activity is regulated by E2-evoked 26S proteasome-mediated ERα degradation and ERα serine (S) residue 118 phosphorylation. Furthermore, ERα mediates fast cell responses to E2 through the activation of signaling cascades such as the MAPK/ERK and phosphoinositide-3-kinase/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 pathways. These E2 rapid effects require a population of the ERα located at the cell plasma membrane through palmitoylation, a dynamic enzymatic modification mediated by palmitoyl-acyl-transferases. However, whether membrane-initiated and transcriptional ERα activities integrate in a unique picture or represent parallel pathways still remains to be firmly clarified. Hence, we evaluated here the impact of ERα palmitoylation on E2-induced ERα degradation and S118 phosphorylation. The lack of palmitoylation renders ERα more susceptible to E2-dependent degradation, blocks ERα S118 phosphorylation and prevents E2-induced ERα estrogen-responsive element-containing promoter occupancy. Consequently, ERα transcriptional activity is prevented and the receptor addressed to the nuclear matrix subnuclear compartment. These data uncover a circuitry in which receptor palmitoylation links E2-dependent ERα degradation, S118 phosphorylation, and transcriptional activity in a unique molecular mechanism. We propose that rapid E2-dependent signaling could be considered as a prerequisite for ERα transcriptional activity and suggest an integrated model of ERα intracellular signaling where E2-dependent early extranuclear effects control late receptor-dependent nuclear actions.

Deciphering the role of the signal- and Sty1 kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the stress-responsive transcription factor Atf1 on gene activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Salat-Canela, Clàudia; Paulo, Esther; Sánchez-Mir, Laura; Carmona, Mercè; Ayté, José; Oliva, Baldo; Hidalgo, Elena

2017-08-18

Adaptation to stress triggers the most dramatic shift in gene expression in fission yeast ( Schizosaccharomyces pombe ), and this response is driven by signaling via the MAPK Sty1. Upon activation, Sty1 accumulates in the nucleus and stimulates expression of hundreds of genes via the nuclear transcription factor Atf1, including expression of atf1 itself. However, the role of stress-induced, Sty1-mediated Atf1 phosphorylation in transcriptional activation is unclear. To this end, we expressed Atf1 phosphorylation mutants from a constitutive promoter to uncouple Atf1 activity from endogenous, stress-activated Atf1 expression. We found that cells expressing a nonphosphorylatable Atf1 variant are sensitive to oxidative stress because of impaired transcription of a subset of stress genes whose expression is also controlled by another transcription factor, Pap1. Furthermore, cells expressing a phospho-mimicking Atf1 mutant display enhanced stress resistance, and although expression of the Pap1-dependent genes still relied on stress induction, another subset of stress-responsive genes was constitutively expressed in these cells. We also observed that, in cells expressing the phospho-mimicking Atf1 mutant, the presence of Sty1 was completely dispensable, with all stress defects of Sty1-deficient cells being suppressed by expression of the Atf1 mutant. We further demonstrated that Sty1-mediated Atf1 phosphorylation does not stimulate binding of Atf1 to DNA but, rather, establishes a platform of interactions with the basal transcriptional machinery to facilitate transcription initiation. In summary, our results provide evidence that Atf1 phosphorylation by the MAPK Sty1 is required for oxidative stress responses in fission yeast cells by promoting transcription initiation. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Principles for RNA metabolism and alternative transcription initiation within closely spaced promoters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Yun; Pai, Athma A; Herudek, Jan

2016-01-01

Mammalian transcriptomes are complex and formed by extensive promoter activity. In addition, gene promoters are largely divergent and initiate transcription of reverse-oriented promoter upstream transcripts (PROMPTs). Although PROMPTs are commonly terminated early, influenced by polyadenylation s...... suggest that basic building blocks of divergently transcribed core promoter pairs, in combination with the wealth of TSSs in mammalian genomes, provide a framework with which evolution shapes transcriptomes.......Mammalian transcriptomes are complex and formed by extensive promoter activity. In addition, gene promoters are largely divergent and initiate transcription of reverse-oriented promoter upstream transcripts (PROMPTs). Although PROMPTs are commonly terminated early, influenced by polyadenylation...

The Calmodulin-Binding Transcription Activator CAMTA1 Is Required for Long-Term Memory Formation in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Bas-Orth, Carlos; Tan, Yan-Wei; Oliveira, Ana M. M.; Bengtson, C. Peter; Bading, Hilmar

2016-01-01

The formation of long-term memory requires signaling from the synapse to the nucleus to mediate neuronal activity-dependent gene transcription. Synapse-to-nucleus communication is initiated by influx of calcium ions through synaptic NMDA receptors and/or L-type voltage-gated calcium channels and involves the activation of transcription factors by…

A code for transcription initiation in mammalian genomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frith, Martin C.; Valen, Eivind Dale; Krogh, Anders

2007-01-01

that initiation events are clustered on the chromosomes at multiple scales - clusters within clusters - indicating multiple regulatory processes. Within the smallest of such clusters, which can be interpreted as core promoters, the local DNA sequence predicts the relative transcription start usage of each...... of large- and small-scale effects: the selection of transcription start sites is largely governed by the local DNA sequence, whereas the transcriptional activity of a locus is regulated at a different level; it is affected by distal features or events such as enhancers and chromatin remodeling....

Initiation of DNA replication requires actin dynamics and formin activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Parisis, Nikolaos; Krasinska, Liliana; Harker, Bethany; Urbach, Serge; Rossignol, Michel; Camasses, Alain; Dewar, James; Morin, Nathalie; Fisher, Daniel

2017-11-02

Nuclear actin regulates transcriptional programmes in a manner dependent on its levels and polymerisation state. This dynamics is determined by the balance of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, formin- and redox-dependent filament polymerisation. Here, using Xenopus egg extracts and human somatic cells, we show that actin dynamics and formins are essential for DNA replication. In proliferating cells, formin inhibition abolishes nuclear transport and initiation of DNA replication, as well as general transcription. In replicating nuclei from transcriptionally silent Xenopus egg extracts, we identified numerous actin regulators, and disruption of actin dynamics abrogates nuclear transport, preventing NLS (nuclear localisation signal)-cargo release from RanGTP-importin complexes. Nuclear formin activity is further required to promote loading of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) onto chromatin, as well as initiation and elongation of DNA replication. Therefore, actin dynamics and formins control DNA replication by multiple direct and indirect mechanisms. © 2017 The Authors.

Abscisic acid affects transcription of chloroplast genes via protein phosphatase 2C-dependent activation of nuclear genes: repression by guanosine-3'-5'-bisdiphosphate and activation by sigma factor 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamburenko, Maria V; Zubo, Yan O; Börner, Thomas

2015-06-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) represses the transcriptional activity of chloroplast genes (determined by run-on assays), with the exception of psbD and a few other genes in wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings and mature rosette leaves. Abscisic acid does not influence chloroplast transcription in the mutant lines abi1-1 and abi2-1 with constitutive protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) activity, suggesting that ABA affects chloroplast gene activity by binding to the pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/PYR1-like or regulatory component of ABA receptor protein family (PYR/PYL/RCAR) and signaling via PP2Cs and sucrose non-fermenting protein-related kinases 2 (SnRK2s). Further we show by quantitative PCR that ABA enhances the transcript levels of RSH2, RSH3, PTF1 and SIG5. RelA/SpoT homolog 2 (RSH2) and RSH3 are known to synthesize guanosine-3'-5'-bisdiphosphate (ppGpp), an inhibitor of the plastid-gene-encoded chloroplast RNA polymerase. We propose, therefore, that ABA leads to an inhibition of chloroplast gene expression via stimulation of ppGpp synthesis. On the other hand, sigma factor 5 (SIG5) and plastid transcription factor 1 (PTF1) are known to be necessary for the transcription of psbD from a specific light- and stress-induced promoter (the blue light responsive promoter, BLRP). We demonstrate that ABA activates the psbD gene by stimulation of transcription initiation at BLRP. Taken together, our data suggest that ABA affects the transcription of chloroplast genes by a PP2C-dependent activation of nuclear genes encoding proteins involved in chloroplast transcription. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Novel Functions for TAF7, a Regulator of TAF1-independent Transcription

OpenAIRE

Devaiah, Ballachanda N.; Lu, Hanxin; Gegonne, Anne; Sercan, Zeynep; Zhang, Hongen; Clifford, Robert J.; Lee, Maxwell P.; Singer, Dinah S.

2010-01-01

The transcription factor TFIID components TAF7 and TAF1 regulate eukaryotic transcription initiation. TAF7 regulates transcription initiation of TAF1-dependent genes by binding to the acetyltransferase (AT) domain of TAF1 and inhibiting the enzymatic activity that is essential for transcription. TAF7 is released from the TAF1-TFIID complex upon completion of preinitiation complex assembly, allowing transcription to initiate. However, not all transcription is TAF1-dependent, and the role of TA...

TAF4 nucleates a core subcomplex of TFIID and mediates activated transcription from a TATA-less promoter

OpenAIRE

Wright, Kevin J.; Marr, Michael T.; Tjian, Robert

2006-01-01

Activator-dependent recruitment of TFIID initiates formation of the transcriptional preinitiation complex. TFIID binds core promoter DNA elements and directs the assembly of other general transcription factors, leading to binding of RNA polymerase II and activation of RNA synthesis. How TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and the TBP-associated factors (TAFs) are assembled into a functional TFIID complex with promoter recognition and coactivator activities in vivo remains unknown. Here, we use RNA...

NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1 exerts cytoprotection against hypoxic injury upon EGFR activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhi-Dong; Xu, Liang; Tang, Kan-Kai; Gong, Fang-Xiao; Liu, Jing-Quan; Ni, Yin; Jiang, Ling-Zhi; Hong, Jun; Han, Fang; Li, Qian; Yang, Xiang-Hong; Sun, Ren-Hua; Mo, Shi-Jing

2016-01-01

Apoptosis of neural cells is one of the main pathological features in hypoxic/ischemic brain injury. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) might be a potential therapeutic target for hypoxic/ischemic brain injury since NF-κB has been found to be inactivated after hypoxia exposure, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms of NF-κB inactivation are largely unknown. Here we report that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation prevents neuron-like PC12 cells apoptosis in response to hypoxia via restoring NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1. Functionally, EGFR activation by EGF stimulation mitigates hypoxia-induced PC12 cells apoptosis in both dose- and time-dependent manner. Of note, EGFR activation elevates IKKβ phosphorylation, increases IκBα ubiquitination, promotes P65 nuclear translocation and recruitment at cyclin D1 gene promoter as well as upregulates cyclin D1 expression. EGFR activation also abrogates the decrease of IKKβ phosphorylation, reduction of IκBα ubiquitination, blockade of P65 nuclear translocation and recruitment at cyclin D1 gene promoter as well as downregulation of cyclin D1 expression induced by hypoxia. Furthermore, NF-κB-dependent upregulation of cyclin D1 is instrumental for the EGFR-mediated cytoprotection against hypoxic apoptosis. In addition, the dephosphorylation of EGFR induced by either EGF siRNA transfection or anti-HB-EGF neutralization antibody treatment enhances hypoxic cytotoxicity, which are attenuated by EGF administration. Our results highlight the essential role of NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1 in EGFR-mediated cytoprotective effects under hypoxic preconditioning and support further investigation of EGF in clinical trials of patients with hypoxic/ischemic brain injury. - Highlights: • EGFR activation significantly decreases hypoxia-induced PC12 cells injury. • EGFR activation abrogates the transcriptional repression of cyclin D1 induced by hypoxia in a NF-κB-dependent

NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1 exerts cytoprotection against hypoxic injury upon EGFR activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Zhi-Dong [Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Normal College, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang (China); Xu, Liang [Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang (China); Tang, Kan-Kai [Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Normal College, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang (China); Gong, Fang-Xiao; Liu, Jing-Quan; Ni, Yin; Jiang, Ling-Zhi; Hong, Jun; Han, Fang; Li, Qian; Yang, Xiang-Hong [Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang (China); Sun, Ren-Hua, E-mail: jqin168@hotmail.com [Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang (China); Mo, Shi-Jing, E-mail: msj860307@163.com [Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang (China)

2016-09-10

Apoptosis of neural cells is one of the main pathological features in hypoxic/ischemic brain injury. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) might be a potential therapeutic target for hypoxic/ischemic brain injury since NF-κB has been found to be inactivated after hypoxia exposure, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms of NF-κB inactivation are largely unknown. Here we report that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation prevents neuron-like PC12 cells apoptosis in response to hypoxia via restoring NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1. Functionally, EGFR activation by EGF stimulation mitigates hypoxia-induced PC12 cells apoptosis in both dose- and time-dependent manner. Of note, EGFR activation elevates IKKβ phosphorylation, increases IκBα ubiquitination, promotes P65 nuclear translocation and recruitment at cyclin D1 gene promoter as well as upregulates cyclin D1 expression. EGFR activation also abrogates the decrease of IKKβ phosphorylation, reduction of IκBα ubiquitination, blockade of P65 nuclear translocation and recruitment at cyclin D1 gene promoter as well as downregulation of cyclin D1 expression induced by hypoxia. Furthermore, NF-κB-dependent upregulation of cyclin D1 is instrumental for the EGFR-mediated cytoprotection against hypoxic apoptosis. In addition, the dephosphorylation of EGFR induced by either EGF siRNA transfection or anti-HB-EGF neutralization antibody treatment enhances hypoxic cytotoxicity, which are attenuated by EGF administration. Our results highlight the essential role of NF-κB-dependent transcriptional upregulation of cyclin D1 in EGFR-mediated cytoprotective effects under hypoxic preconditioning and support further investigation of EGF in clinical trials of patients with hypoxic/ischemic brain injury. - Highlights: • EGFR activation significantly decreases hypoxia-induced PC12 cells injury. • EGFR activation abrogates the transcriptional repression of cyclin D1 induced by hypoxia in a NF-κB-dependent

Glucocorticoids facilitate the transcription from the human cytomegalovirus major immediate early promoter in glucocorticoid receptor- and nuclear factor-I-like protein-dependent manner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue-Toyoda, Maki; Kato, Kohsuke; Nagata, Kyosuke; Yoshikawa, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common and usually asymptomatic virus agent in healthy individuals. Initiation of HCMV productive infection depends on expression of the major immediate early (MIE) genes. The transcription of HCMV MIE genes is regulated by a diverse set of transcription factors. It was previously reported that productive HCMV infection is triggered probably by elevation of the plasma hydroxycorticoid level. However, it is poorly understood whether the transcription of MIE genes is directly regulated by glucocorticoid. Here, we found that the dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, facilitates the transcription of HCMV MIE genes through the MIE promoter and enhancer in a glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent manner. By competitive EMSA and reporter assays, we revealed that an NF-I like protein is involved in DEX-mediated transcriptional activation of the MIE promoter. Thus, this study supports a notion that the increased level of hydroxycorticoid in the third trimester of pregnancy reactivates HCMV virus production from the latent state. - Highlights: • DEX facilitates the transcription from the HCMV MIE promoter. • GR is involved in DEX-dependent transcription from the HCMV MIE promoter. • A 17 bp repeat is responsible for the HCMV MIE promoter activation by DEX. • An NF-I-like protein is involved in the HCMV MIE promoter activation by DEX

Induction of latent memory for conditioned food aversion and its transformation into "active" state depend on translation and transcription processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Solntseva, S V; Nikitin, V P

2014-05-01

Mechanisms of induction and retrieval of latent (hidden) memory for conditioned food aversion were investigated in snails. After initial training (single combination of a food stimulus with electric shock), aversive reactions to presentation of the conditioned food stimulus were not revealed. Repeated presentation of the stimuli in 12 days after the first combination was followed by the appearance of aversive food reactions that persisted for at least 14 days. Injections of inhibitors of protein (cycloheximide) or RNA (α-amanitin) synthesis immediately after the first or second combined presentation of the stimuli disturbed skill performance. We hypothesized that single combination of food and reinforcing stimuli led to translation- and transcription-dependent induction of latent conditioned food aversion memory. Transformation of this memory into an active state after repeated presentation of the stimulus combination also depends on the synthesis of new proteins and RNA.

BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Xu-Dong; Meng, Qing-Hui; Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang; Ge, Chun-Min; Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping; Rosen, Eliot M; Fan, Saijun

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. → BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. → BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. → An intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the 20 LxxLL 24 motif is not required. → Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ( 20 LxxLL 24 and 92 LxxLL 96 ), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant 20 LxxLL 24 motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant 92 LxxLL 96 motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xu-Dong [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Meng, Qing-Hui [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Ge, Chun-Min [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping [North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY 11030 (United States); Rosen, Eliot M [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Fan, Saijun, E-mail: sjfan@suda.edu.cn [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2011-01-28

Research highlights: {yields} BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. {yields} BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. {yields} BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. {yields} An intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif is not required. {yields} Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ({sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} and {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96}), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5{alpha}-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

Selective activation of human heat shock gene transcription by nitrosourea antitumor drugs mediated by isocyanate-induced damage and activation of heat shock transcription factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kroes, R A; Abravaya, K; Seidenfeld, J; Morimoto, R I

1991-01-01

Treatment of cultured human tumor cells with the chloroethylnitrosourea antitumor drug 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) selectively induces transcription and protein synthesis of a subset of the human heat shock or stress-induced genes (HSP90 and HSP70) with little effect on other stress genes or on expression of the c-fos, c-myc, or beta-actin genes. The active component of BCNU and related compounds appears to be the isocyanate moiety that causes carbamoylation of proteins and nucleic acids. Transcriptional activation of the human HSP70 gene by BCNU is dependent on the heat shock element and correlates with the level of heat shock transcription factor and its binding to the heat shock element in vivo. Unlike activation by heat or heavy metals, BCNU-mediated activation is strongly dependent upon new protein synthesis. This suggests that BCNU-induced, isocyanate-mediated damage to newly synthesized protein(s) may be responsible for activation of the heat shock transcription factor and increased transcription of the HSP90 and HSP70 genes. Images PMID:2052560

Factor C*, the specific initiation component of the mouse RNA polymerase I holoenzyme, is inactivated early in the transcription process.

OpenAIRE

Brun, R P; Ryan, K; Sollner-Webb, B

1994-01-01

Factor C* is the component of the RNA polymerase I holoenzyme (factor C) that allows specific transcriptional initiation on a factor D (SL1)- and UBF-activated rRNA gene promoter. The in vitro transcriptional capacity of a preincubated rDNA promoter complex becomes exhausted very rapidly upon initiation of transcription. This is due to the rapid depletion of C* activity. In contrast, C* activity is not unstable in the absence of transcription, even in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates ...

Melatonin regulates CRE-dependent gene transcription underlying osteoblast proliferation by activating Src and PKA in parallel.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Lin; Zhu, Yue

2018-01-01

Several studies have indicated a relationship between melatonin and idiopathic scoliosis, including our previous work which demonstrated that melatonin can inhibit osteoblast proliferation; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we utilized a MTT assay to show that melatonin significantly reduces osteoblast proliferation in a concentration-and time-dependent manner. Through a combination of techniques, including real-time PCR, MTT assays, immunofluorescence, and luciferase assays, we confirmed that melatonin-induced changes in phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) reduced transcriptional activity in a melatonin receptor-dependent manner. Surprisingly, treatment of osteoblasts with the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059 up-regulated other cascades upstream of CREB. We next treated cells with PKA and Src inhibitors and observed that melatonin can also activate the protein kinase A (PKA) and Src pathways. To examine whether Src is upstream from the cAMP-PKA pathway, we measured cAMP levels in response to melatonin with and without a Src inhibitor (PP2) and found that PP2 had no additional effect. Therefore, the transcription-dependent mechanisms involved in CREB phosphorylation, along with melatonin, activated Src via a parallel signaling pathway that was separate from that of PKA. Finally, we transfected osteoblasts with lentiviral CREB short hairpin (sh) RNAs and found a decrease in the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and osteoblast proliferation. These results suggest that CREB and PCNA are downstream targets of melatonin signaling, and that the down-regulation of CREB, which is regulated via PKA and Src pathways, contributes to the melatonin-induced inhibition of osteoblast proliferation.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma recruits the positive transcription elongation factor b complex to activate transcription and promote adipogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iankova, Irena; Petersen, Rasmus K; Annicotte, Jean-Sébastien

2006-01-01

Positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) phosphorylates the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, facilitating transcriptional elongation. In addition to its participation in general transcription, P-TEFb is recruited to specific promoters by some transcription factors such as c......-Myc or MyoD. The P-TEFb complex is composed of a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk9) subunit and a regulatory partner (cyclin T1, cyclin T2, or cyclin K). Because cdk9 has been shown to participate in differentiation processes, such as muscle cell differentiation, we studied a possible role of cdk9...... with and phosphorylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), which is the master regulator of this process, on the promoter of PPARgamma target genes. PPARgamma-cdk9 interaction results in increased transcriptional activity of PPARgamma and therefore increased adipogenesis....

Transcriptional activation of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase SIRT1 by nuclear receptor TLX.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwahara, Naotoshi; Hisahara, Shin; Hayashi, Takashi; Horio, Yoshiyuki

2009-09-04

An orphan nuclear receptor TLX is a transcriptional repressor that promotes the proliferation and self-renewal of neural precursor cells (NPCs). SIRT1, an NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase, is highly expressed in the NPCs and participates in neurogenesis. Here, we found that TLX colocalized with SIRT1 and knockdown of TLX by small interfering RNAs decreased SIRT1 levels in NPCs. TLX increased the SIRT1 expression by binding to the newly identified TLX-activating element in the SIRT1 gene promoter in HEK293 cells. Thus, TLX is an inducer of SIRT1 and may contribute to neurogenesis both as a transactivator and as a repressor.

Transcriptional activation of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase SIRT1 by nuclear receptor TLX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwahara, Naotoshi; Hisahara, Shin; Hayashi, Takashi; Horio, Yoshiyuki

2009-01-01

An orphan nuclear receptor TLX is a transcriptional repressor that promotes the proliferation and self-renewal of neural precursor cells (NPCs). SIRT1, an NAD + -dependent protein deacetylase, is highly expressed in the NPCs and participates in neurogenesis. Here, we found that TLX colocalized with SIRT1 and knockdown of TLX by small interfering RNAs decreased SIRT1 levels in NPCs. TLX increased the SIRT1 expression by binding to the newly identified TLX-activating element in the SIRT1 gene promoter in HEK293 cells. Thus, TLX is an inducer of SIRT1 and may contribute to neurogenesis both as a transactivator and as a repressor.

Arabidopsis Pol II-Dependent in Vitro Transcription System Reveals Role of Chromatin for Light-Inducible rbcS Gene Transcription1

Science.gov (United States)

Ido, Ayaka; Iwata, Shinya; Iwata, Yuka; Igarashi, Hisako; Hamada, Takahiro; Sonobe, Seiji; Sugiura, Masahiro; Yukawa, Yasushi

2016-01-01

In vitro transcription is an essential tool to study the molecular mechanisms of transcription. For over a decade, we have developed an in vitro transcription system from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)-cultured cells (BY-2), and this system supported the basic activities of the three RNA polymerases (Pol I, Pol II, and Pol III). However, it was not suitable to study photosynthetic genes, because BY-2 cells have lost their photosynthetic activity. Therefore, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in vitro transcription systems were developed from green and etiolated suspension cells. Sufficient in vitro Pol II activity was detected after the minor modification of the nuclear soluble extracts preparation method; removal of vacuoles from protoplasts and L-ascorbic acid supplementation in the extraction buffer were particularly effective. Surprisingly, all four Arabidopsis Rubisco small subunit (rbcS-1A, rbcS-1B, rbcS-2B, and rbcS-3B) gene members were in vitro transcribed from the naked DNA templates without any light-dependent manner. However, clear light-inducible transcriptions were observed using chromatin template of rbcS-1A gene, which was prepared with a human nucleosome assembly protein 1 (hNAP1) and HeLa histones. This suggested that a key determinant of light-dependency through the rbcS gene transcription was a higher order of DNA structure (i.e. chromatin). PMID:26662274

A 5' splice site enhances the recruitment of basal transcription initiation factors in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Christian Kroun; Kahns, Søren; Lykke-Andersen, Søren

2008-01-01

RNAs, harboring wild-type or various 5′ splice site mutations, we demonstrate a strong positive correlation between splicing efficiency and transcription activity. Interestingly, a 5′ splice site can stimulate transcription even in the absence of splicing. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show enhanced...... a promoter-proximal 5′ splice site via its U1 snRNA interaction can feed back to stimulate transcription initiation by enhancing preinitiation complex assembly....

TAF(II)250: a transcription toolbox.

Science.gov (United States)

Wassarman, D A; Sauer, F

2001-08-01

Activation of RNA-polymerase-II-dependent transcription involves conversion of signals provided by gene-specific activator proteins into the synthesis of messenger RNA. This conversion requires dynamic structural changes in chromatin and assembly of general transcription factors (GTFs) and RNA polymerase II at core promoter sequence elements surrounding the transcription start site of genes. One hallmark of transcriptional activation is the interaction of DNA-bound activators with coactivators such as the TATA-box binding protein (TBP)-associated factors (TAF(II)s) within the GTF TFIID. TAF(II)250 possesses a variety of activities that are likely to contribute to the initial steps of RNA polymerase II transcription. TAF(II)250 is a scaffold for assembly of other TAF(II)s and TBP into TFIID, TAF(II)250 binds activators to recruit TFIID to particular promoters, TAF(II)250 regulates binding of TBP to DNA, TAF(II)250 binds core promoter initiator elements, TAF(II)250 binds acetylated lysine residues in core histones, and TAF(II)250 possesses protein kinase, ubiquitin-activating/conjugating and acetylase activities that modify histones and GTFs. We speculate that these activities achieve two goals--(1) they aid in positioning and stabilizing TFIID at particular promoters, and (2) they alter chromatin structure at the promoter to allow assembly of GTFs--and we propose a model for how TAF(II)250 converts activation signals into active transcription.

Identification of novel small molecules that inhibit STAT3-dependent transcription and function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna Kolosenko

Full Text Available Activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3 has been linked to several processes that are critical for oncogenic transformation, cancer progression, cancer cell proliferation, survival, drug resistance and metastasis. Inhibition of STAT3 signaling has shown a striking ability to inhibit cancer cell growth and therefore, STAT3 has become a promising target for anti-cancer drug development. The aim of this study was to identify novel inhibitors of STAT-dependent gene transcription. A cellular reporter-based system for monitoring STAT3 transcriptional activity was developed which was suitable for high-throughput screening (Z' = 0,8. This system was used to screen a library of 28,000 compounds (the ENAMINE Drug-Like Diversity Set. Following counter-screenings and toxicity studies, we identified four hit compounds that were subjected to detailed biological characterization. Of the four hits, KI16 stood out as the most promising compound, inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity in response to IL6 stimulation. In silico docking studies showed that KI16 had favorable interactions with the STAT3 SH2 domain, however, no inhibitory activity could be observed in the STAT3 fluorescence polarization assay. KI16 inhibited cell viability preferentially in STAT3-dependent cell lines. Taken together, using a targeted, cell-based approach, novel inhibitors of STAT-driven transcriptional activity were discovered which are interesting leads to pursue further for the development of anti-cancer therapeutic agents.

Structures of RNA Polymerase Closed and Intermediate Complexes Reveal Mechanisms of DNA Opening and Transcription Initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Glyde, Robert; Ye, Fuzhou; Darbari, Vidya Chandran; Zhang, Nan; Buck, Martin; Zhang, Xiaodong

2017-07-06

Gene transcription is carried out by RNA polymerases (RNAPs). For transcription to occur, the closed promoter complex (RPc), where DNA is double stranded, must isomerize into an open promoter complex (RPo), where the DNA is melted out into a transcription bubble and the single-stranded template DNA is delivered to the RNAP active site. Using a bacterial RNAP containing the alternative σ 54 factor and cryoelectron microscopy, we determined structures of RPc and the activator-bound intermediate complex en route to RPo at 3.8 and 5.8 Å. Our structures show how RNAP-σ 54 interacts with promoter DNA to initiate the DNA distortions required for transcription bubble formation, and how the activator interacts with RPc, leading to significant conformational changes in RNAP and σ 54 that promote RPo formation. We propose that DNA melting is an active process initiated in RPc and that the RNAP conformations of intermediates are significantly different from that of RPc and RPo. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional dynamics with time-dependent reaction rates

Science.gov (United States)

Nandi, Shubhendu; Ghosh, Anandamohan

2015-02-01

Transcription is the first step in the process of gene regulation that controls cell response to varying environmental conditions. Transcription is a stochastic process, involving synthesis and degradation of mRNAs, that can be modeled as a birth-death process. We consider a generic stochastic model, where the fluctuating environment is encoded in the time-dependent reaction rates. We obtain an exact analytical expression for the mRNA probability distribution and are able to analyze the response for arbitrary time-dependent protocols. Our analytical results and stochastic simulations confirm that the transcriptional machinery primarily act as a low-pass filter. We also show that depending on the system parameters, the mRNA levels in a cell population can show synchronous/asynchronous fluctuations and can deviate from Poisson statistics.

Transcriptional dynamics with time-dependent reaction rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandi, Shubhendu; Ghosh, Anandamohan

2015-01-01

Transcription is the first step in the process of gene regulation that controls cell response to varying environmental conditions. Transcription is a stochastic process, involving synthesis and degradation of mRNAs, that can be modeled as a birth–death process. We consider a generic stochastic model, where the fluctuating environment is encoded in the time-dependent reaction rates. We obtain an exact analytical expression for the mRNA probability distribution and are able to analyze the response for arbitrary time-dependent protocols. Our analytical results and stochastic simulations confirm that the transcriptional machinery primarily act as a low-pass filter. We also show that depending on the system parameters, the mRNA levels in a cell population can show synchronous/asynchronous fluctuations and can deviate from Poisson statistics. (paper)

Eviction of linker histone H1 by NAP-family histone chaperones enhances activated transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Giebler, Holli A; Isaacson, Marisa K; Nyborg, Jennifer K

2015-01-01

In the Metazoan nucleus, core histones assemble the genomic DNA to form nucleosome arrays, which are further compacted into dense chromatin structures by the linker histone H1. The extraordinary density of chromatin creates an obstacle for accessing the genetic information. Regulation of chromatin dynamics is therefore critical to cellular homeostasis, and histone chaperones serve as prominent players in these processes. In the current study, we examined the role of specific histone chaperones in negotiating the inherently repressive chromatin structure during transcriptional activation. Using a model promoter, we demonstrate that the human nucleosome assembly protein family members hNap1 and SET/Taf1β stimulate transcription in vitro during pre-initiation complex formation, prior to elongation. This stimulatory effect is dependent upon the presence of activators, p300, and Acetyl-CoA. We show that transcription from our chromatin template is strongly repressed by H1, and that both histone chaperones enhance RNA synthesis by overcoming H1-induced repression. Importantly, both hNap1 and SET/Taf1β directly bind H1, and function to enhance transcription by evicting the linker histone from chromatin reconstituted with H1. In vivo studies demonstrate that SET/Taf1β, but not hNap1, strongly stimulates activated transcription from the chromosomally-integrated model promoter, consistent with the observation that SET/Taf1β is nuclear, whereas hNap1 is primarily cytoplasmic. Together, these observations indicate that SET/Taf1β may serve as a critical regulator of H1 dynamics and gene activation in vivo. These studies uncover a novel function for SET that mechanistically couples transcriptional derepression with H1 dynamics. Furthermore, they underscore the significance of chaperone-dependent H1 displacement as an essential early step in the transition of a promoter from a dense chromatin state into one that is permissive to transcription factor binding and robust

The DNA replication checkpoint directly regulates MBF-dependent G1/S transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Chaitali; Patel, Prasanta K; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Leatherwood, Janet; Rhind, Nicholas

2008-10-01

The DNA replication checkpoint transcriptionally upregulates genes that allow cells to adapt to and survive replication stress. Our results show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the replication checkpoint regulates the entire G(1)/S transcriptional program by directly regulating MBF, the G(1)/S transcription factor. Instead of initiating a checkpoint-specific transcriptional program, the replication checkpoint targets MBF to maintain the normal G(1)/S transcriptional program during replication stress. We propose a mechanism for this regulation, based on in vitro phosphorylation of the Cdc10 subunit of MBF by the Cds1 replication-checkpoint kinase. Replacement of two potential phosphorylation sites with phosphomimetic amino acids suffices to promote the checkpoint transcriptional program, suggesting that Cds1 phosphorylation directly regulates MBF-dependent transcription. The conservation of MBF between fission and budding yeast, and recent results implicating MBF as a target of the budding yeast replication checkpoint, suggests that checkpoint regulation of the MBF transcription factor is a conserved strategy for coping with replication stress. Furthermore, the structural and regulatory similarity between MBF and E2F, the metazoan G(1)/S transcription factor, suggests that this checkpoint mechanism may be broadly conserved among eukaryotes.

A NodD-like protein activates transcription of genes involved with naringenin degradation in a flavonoid-dependent manner in Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

Science.gov (United States)

Wassem, R; Marin, A M; Daddaoua, A; Monteiro, R A; Chubatsu, L S; Ramos, J L; Deakin, W J; Broughton, W J; Pedrosa, F O; Souza, E M

2017-03-01

Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an associative, endophytic non-nodulating diazotrophic bacterium that colonises several grasses. An ORF encoding a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, very similar to NodD proteins of rhizobia, was identified in its genome. This nodD-like gene, named fdeR, is divergently transcribed from an operon encoding enzymes involved in flavonoid degradation (fde operon). Apigenin, chrysin, luteolin and naringenin strongly induce transcription of the fde operon, but not that of the fdeR, in an FdeR-dependent manner. The intergenic region between fdeR and fdeA contains several generic LysR consensus sequences (T-N 11 -A) and we propose a binding site for FdeR, which is conserved in other bacteria. DNase I foot-printing revealed that the interaction with the FdeR binding site is modified by the four flavonoids that stimulate transcription of the fde operon. Moreover, FdeR binds naringenin and chrysin as shown by isothermal titration calorimetry. Interestingly, FdeR also binds in vitro to the nod-box from the nodABC operon of Rhizobium sp. NGR234 and is able to activate its transcription in vivo. These results show that FdeR exhibits two features of rhizobial NodD proteins: nod-box recognition and flavonoid-dependent transcription activation, but its role in H. seropedicae and related organisms seems to have evolved to control flavonoid metabolism. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Response and binding elements for ligand-dependent positive transcription factors integrate positive and negative regulation of gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenfeld, M.G.; Glass, C.K.; Adler, S.; Crenshaw, E.B. III; He, X.; Lira, S.A.; Elsholtz, H.P.; Mangalam, H.J.; Holloway, J.M.; Nelson, C.; Albert, V.R.; Ingraham, H.A.

1988-01-01

Accurate, regulated initiation of mRNA transcription by RNA polymerase II is dependent on the actions of a variety of positive and negative trans-acting factors that bind cis-acting promoter and enhancer elements. These transcription factors may exert their actions in a tissue-specific manner or function under control of plasma membrane or intracellular ligand-dependent receptors. A major goal in the authors' laboratory has been to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the serial activation of hormone-encoding genes in the pituitary during development and the positive and negative regulation of their transcription. The anterior pituitary gland contains phenotypically distinct cell types, each of which expresses unique trophic hormones: adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, growth hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone. The structurally related prolactin and growth hormone genes are expressed in lactotrophs and somatotrophs, respectively, with their expression virtually limited to the pituitary gland. The reported transient coexpression of these two structurally related neuroendocrine genes raises the possibility that the prolactin and growth hormone genes are developmentally controlled by a common factor(s)

5' diversity of human hepatic PXR (NR1I2) transcripts and identification of the major transcription initiation site.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurose, Kouichi; Koyano, Satoru; Ikeda, Shinobu; Tohkin, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Sawada, Jun-Ichi

2005-05-01

The human pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a crucial regulator of the genes encoding several major cytochrome P450 enzymes and transporters, such as CYP3A4 and MDR1, but its own transcriptional regulation remains unclear. To elucidate the transcriptional mechanisms of human PXR gene, we first endeavored to identify the transcription initiation site of human PXR using 5'-RACE. Five types of 5'-variable transcripts (a, b, c, d, and e) with common exon 2 sequence were found, and comparison of these sequences with the genomic sequence suggested that their 5' diversity is derived from initiation by alternative promoters and alternative splicing. None of the exons found in our study contain any new in-frame coding regions. Newly identified introns IVS-a and IVS-b were found to have CT-AC splice sites that do not follow the GT-AG rule of conventional donor and acceptor splice sites. Of the five types of 5' variable transcripts identified, RT-PCR showed that type-a was the major transcript type. Four transcription initiation sites (A-D) for type-a transcript were identified by 5'-RACE using GeneRacer RACE Ready cDNA (human liver) constructed by the oligo-capping method. Putative TATA boxes were located approximately 30 bp upstream from the transcriptional start sites of the major transcript (C) and the longest minor transcript (A) expressed in the human liver. These results indicate that the initiation of transcription of human PXR is more complex than previously reported.

E-cadherin is transcriptionally activated via suppression of ZEB1 transcriptional repressor by small RNA-mediated gene silencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minami Mazda

Full Text Available RNA activation has been reported to be induced by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs that act on the promoters of several genes containing E-cadherin. In this study, we present an alternative mechanism of E-cadherin activation in human PC-3 cells by siRNAs previously reported to possess perfect-complementary sequences to E-cadherin promoter. We found that activation of E-cadherin can be also induced via suppression of ZEB1, which is a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin, by seed-dependent silencing mechanism of these siRNAs. The functional seed-complementary sites of the siRNAs were found in the coding region in addition to the 3' untranslated region of ZEB1 mRNA. Promoter analyses indicated that E-boxes, which are ZEB1-binding sites, in the upstream promoter region are indispensable for E-cadherin transcription by the siRNAs. Thus, the results caution against ignoring siRNA seed-dependent silencing effects in genome-wide transcriptional regulation. In addition, members of miR-302/372/373/520 family, which have the same seed sequences with one of the siRNAs containing perfect-complementarity to E-cadherin promoter, are also found to activate E-cadherin transcription. Thus, E-cadherin could be upregulated by the suppression of ZEB1 transcriptional repressor by miRNAs in vivo.

HIV-1 reverse transcription initiation: a potential target for novel antivirals?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abbink, Truus E. M.; Berkhout, Ben

2008-01-01

Reverse transcription is an essential step in the retroviral life cycle, as it converts the genomic RNA into DNA. In this review, we describe recent developments concerning the initiation step of this complex, multi-step reaction. During initiation of reverse transcription, a cellular tRNA primer is

Anti-sigma factor YlaD regulates transcriptional activity of sigma factor YlaC and sporulation via manganese-dependent redox-sensing molecular switch in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Min-Kyu; Ryu, Han-Bong; Song, Sung-Hyun; Lee, Jin-Won; Kang, Sa-Ouk

2018-05-14

YlaD, a membrane-anchored anti-sigma factor of Bacillus subtilis , contains a HX 3 CXXC motif that functions as a redox-sensing domain and belongs to one of the zinc-coordinated anti-sigma factor families. Despite previously showing that the YlaC transcription is controlled by YlaD, experimental evidence of how the YlaC-YlaD interaction is affected by active cysteines and/or metal ions is lacking. Here, we showed that the P yla promoter is autoregulated solely by YlaC. Moreover, reduced YlaD contained zinc and iron, while oxidized YlaD did not. Cysteine substitution in YlaD led to changes in its secondary structure; Cys3 had important structural functions in YlaD, and its mutation caused dissociation from YlaC, indicating the essential requirement of a HX 3 CXXC motif for regulating interactions of YlaC with YlaD. Analyses of the far-UV CD spectrum and metal content revealed that the addition of Mn ions to Zn-YlaD changed its secondary structure and that iron was substituted for manganese. The ylaC gene expression using βGlu activity from P yla : gusA was observed at the late-exponential and early-stationary phase and the ylaC -overexpressing mutant constitutively expressed gene transcripts of clpP and sigH , an important alternative sigma factor regulated by ClpXP. Collectively, our data demonstrated that YlaD senses redox changes and elicits increase in manganese ion concentrations and that, in turn, YlaD-mediated transcriptional activity of YlaC regulates sporulation initiation under oxidative stress and manganese-substituted conditions by regulating clpP gene transcripts. This is the first report of the involvement of oxidative stress-responsive B. subtilis extracytoplasmic function sigma factors during sporulation via a manganese-dependent redox-sensing molecular switch. ©2018 The Author(s).

High-mobility group (HMG) protein HMG-1 and TATA-binding protein-associated factor TAF(II)30 affect estrogen receptor-mediated transcriptional activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Verrier, C S; Roodi, N; Yee, C J; Bailey, L R; Jensen, R A; Bustin, M; Parl, F F

1997-07-01

The estrogen receptor (ER) belongs to a family of ligand-inducible nuclear receptors that exert their effects by binding to cis-acting DNA elements in the regulatory region of target genes. The detailed mechanisms by which ER interacts with the estrogen response element (ERE) and affects transcription still remain to be elucidated. To study the ER-ERE interaction and transcription initiation, we employed purified recombinant ER expressed in both the baculovirus-Sf9 and his-tagged bacterial systems. The effect of high-mobility group (HMG) protein HMG-1 and purified recombinant TATA-binding protein-associated factor TAF(II)30 on ER-ERE binding and transcription initiation were assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and in vitro transcription from an ERE-containing template (pERE2LovTATA), respectively. We find that purified, recombinant ER fails to bind to ERE in spite of high ligand-binding activity and electrophoretic and immunological properties identical to ER in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. HMG-1 interacts with ER and promotes ER-ERE binding in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The effectiveness of HMG-1 to stimulate ER-ERE binding in the electrophoretic mobility shift assay depends on the sequence flanking the ERE consensus as well as the position of the latter in the oligonucleotide. We find that TAF(II)30 has no effect on ER-ERE binding either alone or in combination with ER and HMG-1. Although HMG-1 promotes ER-ERE binding, it fails to stimulate transcription initiation either in the presence or absence of hormone. In contrast, TAF(II)30, while not affecting ER-ERE binding, stimulates transcription initiation 20-fold in the presence of HMG-1. These results indicate that HMG-1 and TAF(II)30 act in sequence, the former acting to promote ER-ERE binding followed by the latter to stimulate transcription initiation.

Cocaine promotes both initiation and elongation phase of HIV-1 transcription by activating NF-κB and MSK1 and inducing selective epigenetic modifications at HIV-1 LTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahu, Geetaram; Farley, Kalamo; El-Hage, Nazira; Aiamkitsumrit, Benjamas; Fassnacht, Ryan; Kashanchi, Fatah; Ochem, Alex; Simon, Gary L.; Karn, Jonathan; Hauser, Kurt F.; Tyagi, Mudit

2015-01-01

Cocaine accelerates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) replication by altering specific cell-signaling and epigenetic pathways. We have elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms through which cocaine exerts its effect in myeloid cells, a major target of HIV-1 in central nervous system (CNS). We demonstrate that cocaine treatment promotes HIV-1 gene expression by activating both nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) and mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1). MSK1 subsequently catalyzes the phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10, and p65 subunit of NF-ĸB at 276th serine residue. These modifications enhance the interaction of NF-ĸB with P300 and promote the recruitment of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) to the HIV-1 LTR, supporting the development of an open/relaxed chromatin configuration, and facilitating the initiation and elongation phases of HIV-1 transcription. Results are also confirmed in primary monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Overall, our study provides detailed insights into cocaine-driven HIV-1 transcription and replication. - Highlights: • Cocaine induces the initiation phase of HIV transcription by activating NF-ĸB. • Cocaine induced NF-ĸB phosphorylation promotes its interaction with P300. • Cocaine enhances the elongation phase of HIV transcription by stimulating MSK1. • Cocaine activated MSK1 catalyzes the phosphorylation of histone H3 at its Ser10. • Cocaine induced H3S10 phosphorylation facilitates the recruitment of P-TEFb at LTR

Cocaine promotes both initiation and elongation phase of HIV-1 transcription by activating NF-κB and MSK1 and inducing selective epigenetic modifications at HIV-1 LTR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahu, Geetaram; Farley, Kalamo [Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); El-Hage, Nazira [Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Aiamkitsumrit, Benjamas; Fassnacht, Ryan [Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Kashanchi, Fatah [George Mason University, Manassas, VA (United States); Ochem, Alex [ICGEB, Wernher and Beit Building, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925 Cape Town (South Africa); Simon, Gary L. [Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Karn, Jonathan [Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (United States); Hauser, Kurt F. [Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Tyagi, Mudit, E-mail: tmudit@email.gwu.edu [Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037 (United States)

2015-09-15

Cocaine accelerates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) replication by altering specific cell-signaling and epigenetic pathways. We have elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms through which cocaine exerts its effect in myeloid cells, a major target of HIV-1 in central nervous system (CNS). We demonstrate that cocaine treatment promotes HIV-1 gene expression by activating both nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) and mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1). MSK1 subsequently catalyzes the phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10, and p65 subunit of NF-ĸB at 276th serine residue. These modifications enhance the interaction of NF-ĸB with P300 and promote the recruitment of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) to the HIV-1 LTR, supporting the development of an open/relaxed chromatin configuration, and facilitating the initiation and elongation phases of HIV-1 transcription. Results are also confirmed in primary monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Overall, our study provides detailed insights into cocaine-driven HIV-1 transcription and replication. - Highlights: • Cocaine induces the initiation phase of HIV transcription by activating NF-ĸB. • Cocaine induced NF-ĸB phosphorylation promotes its interaction with P300. • Cocaine enhances the elongation phase of HIV transcription by stimulating MSK1. • Cocaine activated MSK1 catalyzes the phosphorylation of histone H3 at its Ser10. • Cocaine induced H3S10 phosphorylation facilitates the recruitment of P-TEFb at LTR.

Cooperative activation of transcription by autoimmune regulator AIRE and CBP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitkaenen, J.; Rebane, A.; Rowell, J.; Murumaegi, A.; Stroebel, P.; Moell, K.; Saare, M.; Heikkilae, J.; Doucas, V.; Marx, A.; Peterson, P.

2005-01-01

Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcriptional regulator that is believed to control the expression of tissue-specific genes in the thymus. Mutated AIRE is responsible for onset of the hereditary autoimmune disease APECED. AIRE is able to form nuclear bodies (NBs) and interacts with the ubiquitous transcriptional coactivator CBP. In this paper, we show that CBP and AIRE synergistically activate transcription on different promoter reporters whereas AIRE gene mutation R257X, found in APECED patients, interferes with this coactivation effect. Furthermore, the overexpression of AIRE and CBP collaboratively enhance endogenous IFNβ mRNA expression. The immunohistochemical studies suggest that CBP, depending on the balance of nuclear proteins, is a component of AIRE NBs. We also show that AIRE NBs are devoid of active chromatin and, therefore, not sites of transcription. In addition, we demonstrate by 3D analyses that AIRE and CBP, when colocalizing, are located spatially differently within AIRE NBs. In conclusion, our data suggest that AIRE activates transcription of the target genes, i.e., autoantigens in collaboration with CBP and that this activation occurs outside of AIRE NBs

The relationship between transcription initiation RNAs and CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taft Ryan J

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transcription initiation RNAs (tiRNAs are nuclear localized 18 nucleotide RNAs derived from sequences immediately downstream of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII transcription start sites. Previous reports have shown that tiRNAs are intimately correlated with gene expression, RNA polymerase II binding and behaviors, and epigenetic marks associated with transcription initiation, but not elongation. Results In the present work, we show that tiRNAs are commonly found at genomic CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF binding sites in human and mouse, and that CTCF sites that colocalize with RNAPII are highly enriched for tiRNAs. To directly investigate the relationship between tiRNAs and CTCF we examined tiRNAs originating near the intronic CTCF binding site in the human tumor suppressor gene, p21 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A gene, also known as CDKN1A. Inhibition of CTCF-proximal tiRNAs resulted in increased CTCF localization and increased p21 expression, while overexpression of CTCF-proximal tiRNA mimics decreased CTCF localization and p21 expression. We also found that tiRNA-regulated CTCF binding influences the levels of trimethylated H3K27 at the alternate upstream p21 promoter, and affects the levels of alternate p21 (p21alt transcripts. Extending these studies to another randomly selected locus with conserved CTCF binding we found that depletion of tiRNA alters nucleosome density proximal to sites of tiRNA biogenesis. Conclusions Taken together, these data suggest that tiRNAs modulate local epigenetic structure, which in turn regulates CTCF localization.

Transcription of ribosomal RNA genes is initiated in the third cell cycle of bovine embryos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Anne Sørig; Avery, Birthe; Dieleman, Steph J.

2006-01-01

Transcription from the embryos own ribosomal genes is initiated in most species at the same time as the maternal-embryonic transition. Recently data have indicated that a minor activation may take place during the third embryonic cell cycle in the bovine, one cell cycle before the major activation...

First Exon Length Controls Active Chromatin Signatures and Transcription

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole I. Bieberstein

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Here, we explore the role of splicing in transcription, employing both genome-wide analysis of human ChIP-seq data and experimental manipulation of exon-intron organization in transgenic cell lines. We show that the activating histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K9ac map specifically to first exon-intron boundaries. This is surprising, because these marks help recruit general transcription factors (GTFs to promoters. In genes with long first exons, promoter-proximal levels of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac are greatly reduced; consequently, GTFs and RNA polymerase II are low at transcription start sites (TSSs and exhibit a second, promoter-distal peak from which transcription also initiates. In contrast, short first exons lead to increased H3K4me3 and H3K9ac at promoters, higher expression levels, accuracy in TSS usage, and a lower frequency of antisense transcription. Therefore, first exon length is predictive for gene activity. Finally, splicing inhibition and intron deletion reduce H3K4me3 levels and transcriptional output. Thus, gene architecture and splicing determines transcription quantity and quality as well as chromatin signatures.

Oncogenes Activate an Autonomous Transcriptional Regulatory Circuit That Drives Glioblastoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh K. Singh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Efforts to identify and target glioblastoma (GBM drivers have primarily focused on receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs. Clinical benefits, however, have been elusive. Here, we identify an SRY-related box 2 (SOX2 transcriptional regulatory network that is independent of upstream RTKs and capable of driving glioma-initiating cells. We identified oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (OLIG2 and zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1, which are frequently co-expressed irrespective of driver mutations, as potential SOX2 targets. In murine glioma models, we show that different combinations of tumor suppressor and oncogene mutations can activate Sox2, Olig2, and Zeb1 expression. We demonstrate that ectopic co-expression of the three transcription factors can transform tumor-suppressor-deficient astrocytes into glioma-initiating cells in the absence of an upstream RTK oncogene. Finally, we demonstrate that the transcriptional inhibitor mithramycin downregulates SOX2 and its target genes, resulting in markedly reduced proliferation of GBM cells in vivo.

Real-time observation of the initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazal, Furqan M; Meng, Cong A; Murakami, Kenji; Kornberg, Roger D; Block, Steven M

2015-09-10

Biochemical and structural studies have shown that the initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription proceeds in the following stages: assembly of the polymerase with general transcription factors and promoter DNA in a 'closed' preinitiation complex (PIC); unwinding of about 15 base pairs of the promoter DNA to form an 'open' complex; scanning downstream to a transcription start site; synthesis of a short transcript, thought to be about 10 nucleotides long; and promoter escape. Here we have assembled a 32-protein, 1.5-megadalton PIC derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and observe subsequent initiation processes in real time with optical tweezers. Contrary to expectation, scanning driven by the transcription factor IIH involved the rapid opening of an extended transcription bubble, averaging 85 base pairs, accompanied by the synthesis of a transcript up to the entire length of the extended bubble, followed by promoter escape. PICs that failed to achieve promoter escape nevertheless formed open complexes and extended bubbles, which collapsed back to closed or open complexes, resulting in repeated futile scanning.

Correlation of Meiotic DSB Formation and Transcription Initiation Around Fission Yeast Recombination Hotspots.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Shintaro; Okamura, Mika; Oda, Arisa; Murakami, Hiroshi; Ohta, Kunihiro; Yamada, Takatomi

2017-06-01

Meiotic homologous recombination, a critical event for ensuring faithful chromosome segregation and creating genetic diversity, is initiated by programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) formed at recombination hotspots. Meiotic DSB formation is likely to be influenced by other DNA-templated processes including transcription, but how DSB formation and transcription interact with each other has not been understood well. In this study, we used fission yeast to investigate a possible interplay of these two events. A group of hotspots in fission yeast are associated with sequences similar to the cyclic AMP response element and activated by the ATF/CREB family transcription factor dimer Atf1-Pcr1. We first focused on one of those hotspots, ade6-3049 , and Atf1. Our results showed that multiple transcripts, shorter than the ade6 full-length messenger RNA, emanate from a region surrounding the ade6-3049 hotspot. Interestingly, we found that the previously known recombination-activation region of Atf1 is also a transactivation domain, whose deletion affected DSB formation and short transcript production at ade6-3049 These results point to a possibility that the two events may be related to each other at ade6-3049 In fact, comparison of published maps of meiotic transcripts and hotspots suggested that hotspots are very often located close to meiotically transcribed regions. These observations therefore propose that meiotic DSB formation in fission yeast may be connected to transcription of surrounding regions. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

A critical role for topoisomerase IIb and DNA double strand breaks in transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderwood, Stuart K

2016-05-26

Recent studies have indicated a novel role for topoisomerase IIb in transcription. Transcription of heat shock genes, serum-induced immediate early genes and nuclear receptor-activated genes, each required DNA double strands generated by topoisomerase IIb. Such strand breaks seemed both necessary and sufficient for transcriptional activation. In addition, such transcription was associated with initiation of the DNA damage response pathways, including the activation of the enzymes: ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), DNA-dependent protein kinase and poly (ADP ribose) polymerase 1. DNA damage response signaling was involved both in transcription and in repair of DNA breaks generated by topoisomerase IIb.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Elevates Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4 in Neurons and Promotes ATF4-Dependent Induction of Sesn2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Liu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4 plays important physiologic roles in the brain including regulation of learning and memory as well as neuronal survival and death. Yet, outside of translational regulation by the eIF2α-dependent stress response pathway, there is little information about how its levels are controlled in neurons. Here, we show that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF promotes a rapid and sustained increase in neuronal ATF4 transcripts and protein levels. This increase is dependent on tropomyosin receptor kinase (TrkB signaling, but independent of levels of phosphorylated eIF2α. The elevation in ATF4 protein occurs both in nuclei and processes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that ATF4 mediates BDNF-promoted induction of Sesn2 which encodes Sestrin2, a protector against oxidative and genotoxic stresses and a mTor complex 1 inhibitor. In contrast, BDNF-elevated ATF4 did not affect expression of a number of other known ATF4 targets including several with pro-apoptotic activity. The capacity of BDNF to elevate neuronal ATF4 may thus represent a means to maintain this transcription factor at levels that provide neuroprotection and optimal brain function without risk of triggering neurodegeneration.

Cyclin D3 interacts with human activating transcription factor 5 and potentiates its transcription activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wenjin; Sun Maoyun; Jiang Jianhai; Shen Xiaoyun; Sun Qing; Liu Weicheng; Shen Hailian; Gu Jianxin

2004-01-01

The Cyclin D3 protein is a member of the D-type cyclins. Besides serving as cell cycle regulators, D-type cyclins have been reported to be able to interact with several transcription factors and modulate their transcriptional activations. Here we report that human activating transcription factor 5 (hATF5) is a new interacting partner of Cyclin D3. The interaction was confirmed by in vivo coimmunoprecipitation and in vitro binding analysis. Neither interaction between Cyclin D1 and hATF5 nor interaction between Cyclin D2 and hATF5 was observed. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that Cyclin D3 could colocalize with hATF5 in the nuclear region. Cyclin D3 could potentiate hATF5 transcriptional activity independently of its Cdk4 partner. But Cyclin D1 and Cyclin D2 had no effect on hATF5 transcriptional activity. These data provide a new clue to understand the new role of Cyclin D3 as a transcriptional regulator

Ursolic acid mediates photosensitization by initiating mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yuan-Hao; Wang, Exing; Kumar, Neeru; Glickman, Randolph D.

2013-02-01

The signaling pathways PI3K/Akt and MAPK play key roles in transcription, translation and carcinogenesis, and may be activated by light exposure. These pathways may be modulated or inhibited by naturally-occurring compounds, such as the triterpenoid, ursolic acid (UA). Previously, the transcription factors p53 and NF-kB, which transactivate mitochondrial apoptosis-related genes, were shown to be differentially modulated by UA. Our current work indicates that UA causes these effects via the mTOR and insulin-mediated pathways. UA-modulated apoptosis, following exposure to UV radiation, is observed to correspond to differential levels of oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) and skin melanoma (SM) cells. Flow cytometry analysis, DHE (dihydroethidium) staining and membrane permeability assay showed that UA pretreatment potentiated cell cycle arrest and radiation-induced apoptosis selectively on SM cells while DNA photo-oxidative damage (i.e. strand breakage) was reduced, presumably by some antioxidant activity of UA in RPE cells. The UA-mediated NF-κB activation in SM cells was reduced by rapamycin pretreatment, which indicates that these agents exert inter-antagonistic effects in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. In contrast, the antagonistic effect of UA on the PI3K/Akt pathway was reversed by insulin leading to greater NF-κB and p53 activation in RPE cells. MitoTracker, a mitochondrial functional assay, indicated that mitochondria in RPE cells experienced reduced oxidative stress while those in SM cells exhibited increased oxidative stress upon UA pretreatment. When rapamycin administration was followed by UA, mitochondrial oxidative stress was increased in RPE cells but decreased in SM cells. These results indicate that UA modulates p53 and NF-κB, initiating a mitogenic response to radiation that triggers mitochondria-dependent apoptosis.

Adenovirus DNA binding protein inhibits SrCap-activated CBP and CREB-mediated transcription

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiequn; Tarakanova, Vera; Chrivia, John; Yaciuk, Peter

2003-01-01

The SNF2-related CBP activator protein (SrCap) is a potent activator of transcription mediated by CBP and CREB. We have previously demonstrated that the Adenovirus 2 DNA Binding Protein (DBP) binds to SrCap and inhibits the transcription mediated by the carboxyl-terminal region of SrCap (amino acids 1275-2971). We report here that DBP inhibits the ability of full-length SrCap (1-2971) to activate transcription mediated by Gal-CREB and Gal-CBP. In addition, DBP also inhibits the ability of SrCap to enhance Protein Kinase A (PKA) activated transcription of the enkaphalin promoter. DBP was found to dramatically inhibit transcription of a mammalian two-hybrid system that was dependent on the interaction of SrCap and CBP binding domains. We also found that DBP has no effect on transcription mediated by a transcriptional activator that is not related to SrCap, indicating that our reported transcriptional inhibition is specific for SrCap and not due to nonspecific effects of DBP's DNA binding activity on the CAT reporter plasmid. Taken together, these results suggest a model in which DBP inhibits cellular transcription mediated by the interaction between SrCap and CBP

HFR1 Sequesters PIF1 to Govern the Transcriptional Network Underlying Light-Initiated Seed Germination in Arabidopsis[C][W][OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Hui; Zhong, Shangwei; Mo, Xiaorong; Liu, Na; Nezames, Cynthia D.; Deng, Xing Wang

2013-01-01

Seed germination is the first step for seed plants to initiate a new life cycle. Light plays a predominant role in promoting seed germination, where the initial phase is mediated by photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB). Previous studies showed that PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR1 (PIF1) represses seed germination downstream of phyB. Here, we identify a positive regulator of phyB-dependent seed germination, LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FAR-RED1 (HFR1). HFR1 blocks PIF1 transcriptional activity by forming a heterodimer with PIF1 that prevents PIF1 from binding to DNA. Our whole-genomic analysis shows that HFR1 and PIF1 oppositely mediate the light-regulated transcriptome in imbibed seeds. Through the HFR1–PIF1 module, light regulates expression of numerous genes involved in cell wall loosening, cell division, and hormone pathways to initiate seed germination. The functionally antagonistic HFR1–PIF1 pair constructs a fail-safe mechanism for fine-tuning seed germination during low-level illumination, ensuring a rapid response to favorable environmental changes. This study identifies the HFR1–PIF1 pair as a central module directing the whole genomic transcriptional network to rapidly initiate light-induced seed germination. PMID:24179122

In vitro transcription in the presence of DNA oligonucleotides can generate strong anomalous initiation sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, C W; Clark, M P; Rinaldo, J E; Chalkley, R

1996-03-01

In the present study, we have explored an unexpected observation in transcription initiation that is mediated by single-stranded oligonucleotides. Initially, our goal was to understand the function of different upstream regulatory elements/initiation sites in the rat xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase (XDH/XO) promoter. We performed in vitro transcription with HeLa nuclear extracts in the presence of different double-stranded oligonucleotides against upstream elements as competitors. A new and unusual transcription initiation site was detected by primer extension. This new initiation site maps to the downstream region of the corresponding competitor. Subsequent analyses have indicated that the induction of a new transcription initiation site is anomalous which is due to the presence of a small amount of single-stranded oligonucleotide in the competitor. We found that this anomalous initiation site is insensitive to the orientation of the promoter and requires only a small amount of single-stranded oligonucleotide (< 2-fold molar excess relative to template). We surmise that a complementary interaction between the single-stranded oligonucleotide and transiently denatured promoter template may be responsible for this sequence-specific transcription initiation artifact. To study the regulation of transcription initiation by in vitro transcription approaches, we propose that one should probe the effect of removing transacting factors by adding an excess of a cognate oligonucleotide which does not bear exact sequence identity to the template.

Mitotic Transcriptional Activation: Clearance of Actively Engaged Pol II via Transcriptional Elongation Control in Mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Kaiwei; Woodfin, Ashley R; Slaughter, Brian D; Unruh, Jay R; Box, Andrew C; Rickels, Ryan A; Gao, Xin; Haug, Jeffrey S; Jaspersen, Sue L; Shilatifard, Ali

2015-11-05

Although it is established that some general transcription factors are inactivated at mitosis, many details of mitotic transcription inhibition (MTI) and its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. We have identified mitotic transcriptional activation (MTA) as a key regulatory step to control transcription in mitosis for genes with transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to activate and transcribe until the end of the gene to clear Pol II from mitotic chromatin, followed by global impairment of transcription reinitiation through MTI. Global nascent RNA sequencing and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrate the existence of transcriptionally engaged Pol II in early mitosis. Both genetic and chemical inhibition of P-TEFb in mitosis lead to delays in the progression of cell division. Together, our study reveals a mechanism for MTA and MTI whereby transcriptionally engaged Pol II can progress into productive elongation and finish transcription to allow proper cellular division. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Primer-dependent and primer-independent initiation of double stranded RNA synthesis by purified arabidopsis RNA-dependent RNA polymerases RDR2 and RDR6

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Devert, Anthony; Fabre, Nicolas; Floris, Maina Huguette Joséphine

2015-01-01

) targeted by RNA silencing. The dsRNA is subsequently cleaved by the ribonuclease DICER-like into secondary small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that reinforce and/or maintain the silenced state of the target RNA. Models of RNA silencing propose that RDRs could use primer-independent and primer......Cellular RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDRs) are fundamental components of RNA silencing in plants and many other eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis thaliana genetic studies have demonstrated that RDR2 and RDR6 are involved in the synthesis of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) from single stranded RNA (ssRNA......-dependent initiation to generate dsRNA from a transcript targeted by primary siRNA or microRNA (miRNA). However, the biochemical activities of RDR proteins are still partly understood. Here, we obtained active recombinant RDR2 and RDR6 in a purified form. We demonstrate that RDR2 and RDR6 have primer...

Transcriptionally Active Heterochromatin in Rye B Chromosomes[W

Science.gov (United States)

Carchilan, Mariana; Delgado, Margarida; Ribeiro, Teresa; Costa-Nunes, Pedro; Caperta, Ana; Morais-Cecílio, Leonor; Jones, R. Neil; Viegas, Wanda; Houben, Andreas

2007-01-01

B chromosomes (Bs) are dispensable components of the genomes of numerous species. Thus far, there is a lack of evidence for any transcripts of Bs in plants, with the exception of some rDNA sequences. Here, we show that the Giemsa banding-positive heterochromatic subterminal domain of rye (Secale cereale) Bs undergoes decondensation during interphase. Contrary to the heterochromatic regions of A chromosomes, this domain is simultaneously marked by trimethylated H3K4 and by trimethylated H3K27, an unusual combination of apparently conflicting histone modifications. Notably, both types of B-specific high copy repeat families (E3900 and D1100) of the subterminal domain are transcriptionally active, although with different tissue type–dependent activity. No small RNAs were detected specifically for the presence of Bs. The lack of any significant open reading frame and the highly heterogeneous size of mainly polyadenylated transcripts indicate that the noncoding RNA may function as structural or catalytic RNA. PMID:17586652

CHD chromatin remodelers and the transcription cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Murawska, Magdalena

2011-01-01

It is well established that ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers modulate DNA access of transcription factors and RNA polymerases by “opening” or “closing” chromatin structure. However, this view is far too simplistic. Recent findings have demonstrated that these enzymes not only set the stage for the transcription machinery to act but also are actively involved at every step of the transcription process. As a consequence, they affect initiation, elongation, termination and RNA processing. In this review we will use the CHD family as a paradigm to illustrate the progress that has been made in revealing these new concepts. PMID:22223048

Esculetin, a coumarin derivative, exerts in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity against hepatocellular carcinoma by initiating a mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.; Lu, M.L.; Dai, H.L.; Zhang, S.P.; Wang, H.X.; Wei, N.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity of esculetin against hepatocellular carcinoma, and clarified its potential molecular mechanisms. Cell viability was determined by the MTT (tetrazolium) colorimetric assay. In vivo antitumor activity of esculetin was evaluated in a hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Seventy-five C57BL/6J mice were implanted with Hepa1-6 cells and randomized into five groups (n=15 each) given daily intraperitoneal injections of vehicle (physiological saline), esculetin (200, 400, or 700 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ), or 5-Fu (200 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) for 15 days. Esculetin significantly decreased tumor growth in mice bearing Hepa1-6 cells. Tumor weight was decreased by 20.33, 40.37, and 55.42% with increasing doses of esculetin. Esculetin significantly inhibited proliferation of HCC cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner and with an IC 50 value of 2.24 mM. It blocked the cell cycle at S phase and induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells with significant elevation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity, but did not affect caspase-8 activity. Moreover, esculetin treatment resulted in the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro and in vivo accompanied by increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. Thus, esculetin exerted in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity in hepatocellular carcinoma, and its mechanisms involved initiation of a mitochondrial-mediated, caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the ATPase domain of the σ(54)-dependent transcription activator NtrC1 from Aquifex aeolicus bound to the ATP analog ADP-BeFx.

Science.gov (United States)

Sysoeva, Tatyana A; Yennawar, Neela; Allaire, Marc; Nixon, B Tracy

2013-12-01

One way that bacteria regulate the transcription of specific genes to adapt to environmental challenges is to use different σ factors that direct the RNA polymerase holoenzyme to distinct promoters. Unlike σ(70) RNA polymerase (RNAP), σ(54) RNAP is unable to initiate transcription without an activator: enhancer-binding protein (EBP). All EBPs contain one ATPase domain that belongs to the family of ATPases associated with various cellular activities (AAA+ ATPases). AAA+ ATPases use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to remodel different target macromolecules to perform distinct functions. These mechanochemical enzymes are known to form ring-shaped oligomers whose conformations strongly depend upon nucleotide status. Here, the crystallization of the AAA+ ATPase domain of an EBP from Aquifex aeolicus, NtrC1, in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog ADP-BeFx is reported. X-ray diffraction data were collected from two crystals from two different protein fractions of the NtrC1 ATPase domain. Previously, this domain was co-crystallized with ADP and ATP, but the latter crystals were grown from the Walker B substitution variant E239A. Therefore, the new data sets are the first for a wild-type EBP ATPase domain co-crystallized with an ATP analog and they reveal a new crystal form. The resulting structure(s) will shed light on the mechanism of EBP-type transcription activators.

Snf1 Phosphorylates Adenylate Cyclase and Negatively Regulates Protein Kinase A-dependent Transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicastro, Raffaele; Tripodi, Farida; Gaggini, Marco; Castoldi, Andrea; Reghellin, Veronica; Nonnis, Simona; Tedeschi, Gabriella; Coccetti, Paola

2015-10-09

In eukaryotes, nutrient availability and metabolism are coordinated by sensing mechanisms and signaling pathways, which influence a broad set of cellular functions such as transcription and metabolic pathways to match environmental conditions. In yeast, PKA is activated in the presence of high glucose concentrations, favoring fast nutrient utilization, shutting down stress responses, and boosting growth. On the contrary, Snf1/AMPK is activated in the presence of low glucose or alternative carbon sources, thus promoting an energy saving program through transcriptional activation and phosphorylation of metabolic enzymes. The PKA and Snf1/AMPK pathways share common downstream targets. Moreover, PKA has been reported to negatively influence the activation of Snf1/AMPK. We report a new cross-talk mechanism with a Snf1-dependent regulation of the PKA pathway. We show that Snf1 and adenylate cyclase (Cyr1) interact in a nutrient-independent manner. Moreover, we identify Cyr1 as a Snf1 substrate and show that Snf1 activation state influences Cyr1 phosphorylation pattern, cAMP intracellular levels, and PKA-dependent transcription. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Hyperosmotic stress strongly potentiates serum response factor (SRF)-dependent transcriptional activity in ehrlich lettré ascites cells through a mechanism involving p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorbatenko, Andrej; Wiwel, Maria; Klingberg, Henrik

2011-01-01

Long-term osmotic stress results in altered gene transcription, however, with the exception of the TonE/TonEBP system, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We previously showed that upon osmotic shrinkage of Ehrlich Lettré Ascites (ELA) fibroblasts, the MEK1-ERK1/2 pathway is transien......Long-term osmotic stress results in altered gene transcription, however, with the exception of the TonE/TonEBP system, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We previously showed that upon osmotic shrinkage of Ehrlich Lettré Ascites (ELA) fibroblasts, the MEK1-ERK1/2 pathway......) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) are differentially regulated in ELA cells. SRF Ser103 phosphorylation and SRF-dependent transcriptional activity were strongly augmented 5–30¿min and 24¿h, respectively, after hyperosmotic stress (50% increase in extracellular ionic strength), in a p38...... dephosphorylated within 5¿min of shrinkage. MSK1 phosphorylation recovered within 30¿min in a p38-MAPK-dependent manner. CREB was transiently dephosphorylated after shrinkage in a manner exacerbated by p38 MAPK inhibition or MSK1 knockdown, but unaffected by inhibition of RSK. In conclusion, in ELA cells...

SUMOylation of the KRAB zinc-finger transcription factor PARIS/ZNF746 regulates its transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, Tamotsu; Yamada, Yoshiji

2016-01-01

Parkin-interacting substrate (PARIS), a member of the family of Krüppel-associated box (KRAB)-containing zinc-finger transcription factors, is a substrate of the ubiquitin E3 ligase parkin. PARIS represses the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that PARIS can be SUMOylated, and its SUMOylation plays a role in the repression of PGC-1a promoter activity. Protein inhibitor of activated STAT y (PIASy) was identified as an interacting protein of PARIS and shown to enhance its SUMOylation. PIASy repressed PGC-1a promoter activity, and this effect was attenuated by PARIS in a manner dependent on its SUMOylation status. Co-expression of SUMO-1 with PIASy completely repressed PGC-1a promoter activity independently of PARIS expression. PARIS-mediated PGC-1a promoter repression depended on the activity of histone deacetylases (HDAC), whereas PIASy repressed the PGC-1a promoter in an HDAC-independent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that PARIS and PIASy modulate PGC-1a gene transcription through distinct molecular mechanisms. -- Highlights: •PARIS can be SUMOylated in vivo and in vitro. •SUMOylation of PARIS functions in the repression of PGC-1a promoter activity. •PIASy interacts with PARIS and enhances its SUMOylation. •PIASy influences PARIS-mediated repression of PGC-1a promoter activity.

SUMOylation of the KRAB zinc-finger transcription factor PARIS/ZNF746 regulates its transcriptional activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishida, Tamotsu, E-mail: nishida@gene.mie-u.ac.jp; Yamada, Yoshiji

2016-05-13

Parkin-interacting substrate (PARIS), a member of the family of Krüppel-associated box (KRAB)-containing zinc-finger transcription factors, is a substrate of the ubiquitin E3 ligase parkin. PARIS represses the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that PARIS can be SUMOylated, and its SUMOylation plays a role in the repression of PGC-1a promoter activity. Protein inhibitor of activated STAT y (PIASy) was identified as an interacting protein of PARIS and shown to enhance its SUMOylation. PIASy repressed PGC-1a promoter activity, and this effect was attenuated by PARIS in a manner dependent on its SUMOylation status. Co-expression of SUMO-1 with PIASy completely repressed PGC-1a promoter activity independently of PARIS expression. PARIS-mediated PGC-1a promoter repression depended on the activity of histone deacetylases (HDAC), whereas PIASy repressed the PGC-1a promoter in an HDAC-independent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that PARIS and PIASy modulate PGC-1a gene transcription through distinct molecular mechanisms. -- Highlights: •PARIS can be SUMOylated in vivo and in vitro. •SUMOylation of PARIS functions in the repression of PGC-1a promoter activity. •PIASy interacts with PARIS and enhances its SUMOylation. •PIASy influences PARIS-mediated repression of PGC-1a promoter activity.

DNA template dependent accuracy variation of nucleotide selection in transcription.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harriet Mellenius

Full Text Available It has been commonly assumed that the effect of erroneous transcription of DNA genes into messenger RNAs on peptide sequence errors are masked by much more frequent errors of mRNA translation to protein. We present a theoretical model of transcriptional accuracy. It uses experimentally estimated standard free energies of double-stranded DNA and RNA/DNA hybrids and predicts a DNA template dependent transcriptional accuracy variation spanning several orders of magnitude. The model also identifies high-error as well a high-accuracy transcription motifs. The source of the large accuracy span is the context dependent variation of the stacking free energy of pairs of correct and incorrect base pairs in the ever moving transcription bubble. Our model predictions have direct experimental support from recent single molecule based identifications of transcriptional errors in the C. elegans transcriptome. Our conclusions challenge the general view that amino acid substitution errors in proteins are mainly caused by translational errors. It suggests instead that transcriptional error hotspots are the dominating source of peptide sequence errors in some DNA template contexts, while mRNA translation is the major cause of protein errors in other contexts.

A transcript finishing initiative for closing gaps in the human transcriptome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sogayar, Mari Cleide; Camargo, Anamaria A; Bettoni, Fabiana

2004-01-01

We report the results of a transcript finishing initiative, undertaken for the purpose of identifying and characterizing novel human transcripts, in which RT-PCR was used to bridge gaps between paired EST clusters, mapped against the genomic sequence. Each pair of EST clusters selected...

EWS-FLI1 inhibits TNFα-induced NFκB-dependent transcription in Ewing sarcoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagirand-Cantaloube, Julie; Laud, Karine; Lilienbaum, Alain; Tirode, Franck; Delattre, Olivier; Auclair, Christian; Kryszke, Marie-Helene

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → EWS-FLI1 interferes with TNF-induced activation of NFκB in Ewing sarcoma cells. → EWS-FLI1 knockdown in Ewing sarcoma cells increases TNF-induced NFκB binding to DNA. → EWS-FLI1 reduces TNF-stimulated NFκB-dependent transcriptional activation. → Constitutive NFκB activity is not affected by EWS-FLI1. → EWS-FLI1 physically interacts with NFκB p65 in vivo. -- Abstract: Ewing sarcoma is primarily caused by a t(11;22) chromosomal translocation encoding the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein. To exert its oncogenic function, EWS-FLI1 acts as an aberrant transcription factor, broadly altering the gene expression profile of tumor cells. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NFκB) is a tightly regulated transcription factor controlling cell survival, proliferation and differentiation, as well as tumorigenesis. NFκB activity is very low in unstimulated Ewing sarcoma cells, but can be induced in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF). We wondered whether NFκB activity could be modulated by EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma. Using a knockdown approach in Ewing sarcoma cells, we demonstrated that EWS-FLI1 has no influence on NFκB basal activity, but impairs TNF-induced NFκB-driven transcription, at least in part through inhibition of NFκB binding to DNA. We detected an in vivo physical interaction between the fusion protein and NFκB p65, which could mediate these effects. Our findings suggest that, besides directly controlling the activity of its primary target promoters, EWS-FLI1 can also indirectly influence gene expression in tumor cells by modulating the activity of key transcription factors such as NFκB.

Transcriptional response of zebrafish embryos exposed to neurotoxic compounds reveals a muscle activity dependent hspb11 expression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Klüver

Full Text Available Acetylcholinesterase (AChE inhibitors are widely used as pesticides and drugs. Their primary effect is the overstimulation of cholinergic receptors which results in an improper muscular function. During vertebrate embryonic development nerve activity and intracellular downstream events are critical for the regulation of muscle fiber formation. Whether AChE inhibitors and related neurotoxic compounds also provoke specific changes in gene transcription patterns during vertebrate development that allow them to establish a mechanistic link useful for identification of developmental toxicity pathways has, however, yet not been investigated. Therefore we examined the transcriptomic response of a known AChE inhibitor, the organophosphate azinphos-methyl (APM, in zebrafish embryos and compared the response with two non-AChE inhibiting unspecific control compounds, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (DMB and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP. A highly specific cluster of APM induced gene transcripts was identified and a subset of strongly regulated genes was analyzed in more detail. The small heat shock protein hspb11 was found to be the most sensitive induced gene in response to AChE inhibitors. Comparison of expression in wildtype, ache and sop(fixe mutant embryos revealed that hspb11 expression was dependent on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR activity. Furthermore, modulators of intracellular calcium levels within the whole embryo led to a transcriptional up-regulation of hspb11 which suggests that elevated intracellular calcium levels may regulate the expression of this gene. During early zebrafish development, hspb11 was specifically expressed in muscle pioneer cells and Hspb11 morpholino-knockdown resulted in effects on slow muscle myosin organization. Our findings imply that a comparative toxicogenomic approach and functional analysis can lead to the identification of molecular mechanisms and specific marker genes for potential neurotoxic compounds.

Inhibition of factor-dependent transcription termination in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Inhibition of factor-dependent transcription termination in Escherichia coli might relieve xenogene silencing by abrogating. H-NS-DNA interactions in vivo. DEEPTI CHANDRAPRAKASH and ASWIN SAI NARAIN SESHASAYEE. Chromatin immunoprecipitation. MG1655 hns::3xFLAG cells were grown in liquid LB me-.

Differential regulation of the transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor through site-specific phosphorylation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raj Kumar

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Raj Kumar1, William J Calhoun21Division of Gastroenterology; 2Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, Immunology, Critical Care, and Sleep (APICS, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USAAbstract: Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation are known to play an important role in the gene regulation by the transcription factors including the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of which the glucocorticoid receptor (GR is a member. Protein phosphorylation often switches cellular activity from one state to another. Like many other transcription factors, the GR is a phosphoprotein, and phosphorylation plays an important role in the regulation of GR activity. Cell signaling pathways that regulate phosphorylation of the GR and its associated proteins are important determinants of GR function under various physiological conditions. While the role of many phosphorylation sites in the GR is still not fully understood, the role of others is clearer. Several aspects of transcription factor function, including DNA binding affinity, interaction of transactivation domains with the transcription initiation complex, and shuttling between the cytoplasmic compartments, have all been linked to site-specific phosphorylation. All major phosphorylation sites in the human GR are located in the N-terminal domain including the major transactivation domain, AF1. Available literature clearly indicates that many of these potential phosphorylation sites are substrates for multiple kinases, suggesting the potential for a very complex regulatory network. Phosphorylated GR interacts favorably with critical coregulatory proteins and subsequently enhances transcriptional activity. In addition, the activities and specificities of coregulators may be subject to similar regulation by phosphorylation. Regulation of the GR activity due to phosphorylation appears to be site-specific and dependent upon specific cell signaling cascade

Adiponectin promotes hyaluronan synthesis along with increases in hyaluronan synthase 2 transcripts through an AMP-activated protein kinase/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α-dependent pathway in human dermal fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamane, Takumi; Kobayashi-Hattori, Kazuo; Oishi, Yuichi

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Adiponectin promotes hyaluronan synthesis along with an increase in HAS2 transcripts. ► Adiponectin also increases the phosphorylation of AMPK. ► A pharmacological activator of AMPK increases mRNA levels of PPARα and HAS2. ► Adiponectin-induced HAS2 mRNA expression is blocked by a PPARα antagonist. ► Adiponectin promotes hyaluronan synthesis via an AMPK/PPARα-dependent pathway. -- Abstract: Although adipocytokines affect the functions of skin, little information is available on the effect of adiponectin on the skin. In this study, we investigated the effect of adiponectin on hyaluronan synthesis and its regulatory mechanisms in human dermal fibroblasts. Adiponectin promoted hyaluronan synthesis along with an increase in the mRNA levels of hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), which plays a primary role in hyaluronan synthesis. Adiponectin also increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). A pharmacological activator of AMPK, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1β-ribofuranoside (AICAR), increased mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), which enhances the expression of HAS2 mRNA. In addition, AICAR increased the mRNA levels of HAS2. Adiponectin-induced HAS2 mRNA expression was blocked by GW6471, a PPARα antagonist, in a concentration-dependent manner. These results show that adiponectin promotes hyaluronan synthesis along with increases in HAS2 transcripts through an AMPK/PPARα-dependent pathway in human dermal fibroblasts. Thus, our study suggests that adiponectin may be beneficial for retaining moisture in the skin, anti-inflammatory activity, and the treatment of a variety of cutaneous diseases.

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) co-transcriptional scanning at single-molecule resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Senavirathne, Gayan; Bertram, Jeffrey G.; Jaszczur, Malgorzata; Chaurasiya, Kathy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mak, Chi H.; Goodman, Myron F.; Rueda, David

2015-12-01

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity in B cells by initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) during transcription of immunoglobulin variable (IgV) and switch region (IgS) DNA. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that AID binds to transcribed dsDNA and translocates unidirectionally in concert with RNA polymerase (RNAP) on moving transcription bubbles, while increasing the fraction of stalled bubbles. AID scans randomly when constrained in an 8 nt model bubble. When unconstrained on single-stranded (ss) DNA, AID moves in random bidirectional short slides/hops over the entire molecule while remaining bound for ~5 min. Our analysis distinguishes dynamic scanning from static ssDNA creasing. That AID alone can track along with RNAP during transcription and scan within stalled transcription bubbles suggests a mechanism by which AID can initiate SHM and CSR when properly regulated, yet when unregulated can access non-Ig genes and cause cancer.

Esculetin, a coumarin derivative, exerts in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity against hepatocellular carcinoma by initiating a mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Wang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity of esculetin against hepatocellular carcinoma, and clarified its potential molecular mechanisms. Cell viability was determined by the MTT (tetrazolium colorimetric assay. In vivo antitumor activity of esculetin was evaluated in a hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Seventy-five C57BL/6J mice were implanted with Hepa1-6 cells and randomized into five groups (n=15 each given daily intraperitoneal injections of vehicle (physiological saline, esculetin (200, 400, or 700 mg·kg-1·day-1, or 5-Fu (200 mg·kg-1·day-1 for 15 days. Esculetin significantly decreased tumor growth in mice bearing Hepa1-6 cells. Tumor weight was decreased by 20.33, 40.37, and 55.42% with increasing doses of esculetin. Esculetin significantly inhibited proliferation of HCC cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner and with an IC50 value of 2.24 mM. It blocked the cell cycle at S phase and induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells with significant elevation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity, but did not affect caspase-8 activity. Moreover, esculetin treatment resulted in the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro and in vivo accompanied by increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. Thus, esculetin exerted in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity in hepatocellular carcinoma, and its mechanisms involved initiation of a mitochondrial-mediated, caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway.

Cell Cycle-Dependent Recruitment of Polycomb Proteins to the ASNS Promoter Counteracts C/ebp-Mediated Transcriptional Activation in Bombyx mori

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiqing; Cheng, Daojun; Mon, Hiroaki; Zhu, Li; Xu, Jian; Tatsuke, Tsuneyuki; Lee, Jae Man; Xia, Qingyou; Kusakabe, Takahiro

2013-01-01

Epigenetic modifiers and transcription factors contribute to developmentally programmed gene expression. Here, we establish a functional link between epigenetic regulation by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins and transcriptional regulation by C/ebp that orchestrates the correct expression of Bombyx mori asparagine synthetase (BmASNS), a gene involved in the biosynthesis of asparagine. We show that the cis-regulatory elements of YY1-binding motifs and the CpG island present on the BmASNS promoter are required for the recruitment of PcG proteins and the subsequent deposition of the epigenetic repression mark H3K27me3. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PcG genes leads to derepression of the BmASNS gene via the recruitment of activators, including BmC/ebp, to the promoter. Intriguingly, we find that PcG proteins and BmC/ebp can dynamically modulate the transcriptional output of the BmASNS target in a cell cycle-dependent manner. It will be essential to suppress BmASNS expression by PcG proteins at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in the presence of BmC/ebp activator. Thus, our results provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the recruitment and regulation of the PcG system at a discrete gene locus in Bombyx mori. PMID:23382816

A light- and calcium-gated transcription factor for imaging and manipulating activated neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenjing; Wildes, Craig P; Pattarabanjird, Tanyaporn; Sanchez, Mateo I; Glober, Gordon F; Matthews, Gillian A; Tye, Kay M; Ting, Alice Y

2017-09-01

Activity remodels neurons, altering their molecular, structural, and electrical characteristics. To enable the selective characterization and manipulation of these neurons, we present FLARE, an engineered transcription factor that drives expression of fluorescent proteins, opsins, and other genetically encoded tools only in the subset of neurons that experienced activity during a user-defined time window. FLARE senses the coincidence of elevated cytosolic calcium and externally applied blue light, which together produce translocation of a membrane-anchored transcription factor to the nucleus to drive expression of any transgene. In cultured rat neurons, FLARE gives a light-to-dark signal ratio of 120 and a high- to low-calcium signal ratio of 10 after 10 min of stimulation. Opsin expression permitted functional manipulation of FLARE-marked neurons. In adult mice, FLARE also gave light- and motor-activity-dependent transcription in the cortex. Due to its modular design, minute-scale temporal resolution, and minimal dark-state leak, FLARE should be useful for the study of activity-dependent processes in neurons and other cells that signal with calcium.

Benzimidazoles diminish ERE transcriptional activity and cell growth in breast cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Payton-Stewart, Florastina [Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Tilghman, Syreeta L. [Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Williams, LaKeisha G. [Division of Clinical and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Winfield, Leyte L., E-mail: lwinfield@spelman.edu [Department of Chemistry, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2014-08-08

Highlights: • The methyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MDA-MB 231 cells. • The naphthyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MCF-7 cells than ICI. • The benzimidazole molecules demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in ERE transcriptional activity. • The benzimidazole molecules had binding mode in ERα and ERβ comparable to that of the co-crystallized ligand. - Abstract: Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. They regulate the transcription of estrogen-responsive genes and mediate numerous estrogen related diseases (i.e., fertility, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.). As such, ERs are potentially useful targets for developing therapies and diagnostic tools for hormonally responsive human breast cancers. In this work, two benzimidazole-based sulfonamides originally designed to reduce proliferation in prostate cancer, have been evaluated for their ability to modulate growth in estrogen dependent and independent cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231) using cell viability assays. The molecules reduced growth in MCF-7 cells, but differed in their impact on the growth of MDA-MB 231 cells. Although both molecules reduced estrogen response element (ERE) transcriptional activity in a dose dependent manner, the contrasting activity in the MDA-MB-231 cells seems to suggest that the molecules may act through alternate ER-mediated pathways. Further, the methyl analog showed modest selectivity for the ERβ receptor in an ER gene expression array panel, while the naphthyl analog did not significantly alter gene expression. The molecules were docked in the ligand binding domains of the ERα-antagonist and ERβ-agonist crystal structures to evaluate the potential of the molecules to interact with the receptors. The computational analysis complimented the results obtained in the assay of transcriptional activity and gene expression suggesting that the molecules

Benzimidazoles diminish ERE transcriptional activity and cell growth in breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payton-Stewart, Florastina; Tilghman, Syreeta L.; Williams, LaKeisha G.; Winfield, Leyte L.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The methyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MDA-MB 231 cells. • The naphthyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MCF-7 cells than ICI. • The benzimidazole molecules demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in ERE transcriptional activity. • The benzimidazole molecules had binding mode in ERα and ERβ comparable to that of the co-crystallized ligand. - Abstract: Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. They regulate the transcription of estrogen-responsive genes and mediate numerous estrogen related diseases (i.e., fertility, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.). As such, ERs are potentially useful targets for developing therapies and diagnostic tools for hormonally responsive human breast cancers. In this work, two benzimidazole-based sulfonamides originally designed to reduce proliferation in prostate cancer, have been evaluated for their ability to modulate growth in estrogen dependent and independent cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231) using cell viability assays. The molecules reduced growth in MCF-7 cells, but differed in their impact on the growth of MDA-MB 231 cells. Although both molecules reduced estrogen response element (ERE) transcriptional activity in a dose dependent manner, the contrasting activity in the MDA-MB-231 cells seems to suggest that the molecules may act through alternate ER-mediated pathways. Further, the methyl analog showed modest selectivity for the ERβ receptor in an ER gene expression array panel, while the naphthyl analog did not significantly alter gene expression. The molecules were docked in the ligand binding domains of the ERα-antagonist and ERβ-agonist crystal structures to evaluate the potential of the molecules to interact with the receptors. The computational analysis complimented the results obtained in the assay of transcriptional activity and gene expression suggesting that the molecules

DNA Topoisomerases Maintain Promoters in a State Competent for Transcriptional Activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jakob Madsen; Fredsøe, Jacob Christian; Rødgaard, Morten Terpager

2012-01-01

To investigate the role of DNA topoisomerases in transcription, we have studied global gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells deficient for topoisomerases I and II and performed single-gene analyses to support our findings. The genome-wide studies show a general transcriptional down......-regulation upon lack of the enzymes, which correlates with gene activity but not gene length. Furthermore, our data reveal a distinct subclass of genes with a strong requirement for topoisomerases. These genes are characterized by high transcriptional plasticity, chromatin regulation, TATA box presence......-depth analysis of the inducible PHO5 gene reveals that topoisomerases are essential for binding of the Pho4p transcription factor to the PHO5 promoter, which is required for promoter nucleosome removal during activation. In contrast, topoisomerases are dispensable for constitutive transcription initiation...

Epigenetics regulates transcription and pathogenesis in the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pachano, Tomas; Nievas, Yesica R; Lizarraga, Ayelen; Johnson, Patricia J; Strobl-Mazzulla, Pablo H; de Miguel, Natalia

2017-06-01

Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted parasite that colonizes the human urogenital tract. Infections range from asymptomatic to highly inflammatory, depending on the host and the parasite strain. Different T. vaginalis strains vary greatly in their adherence and cytolytic capacities. These phenotypic differences might be attributed to differentially expressed genes as a consequence of extra-genetic variation, such as epigenetic modifications. In this study, we explored the role of histone acetylation in regulating gene transcription and pathogenesis in T. vaginalis. Here, we show that histone 3 lysine acetylation (H3KAc) is enriched in nucleosomes positioned around the transcription start site of active genes (BAP1 and BAP2) in a highly adherent parasite strain; compared with the low acetylation abundance in contrast to that observed in a less-adherent strain that expresses these genes at low levels. Additionally, exposition of less-adherent strain with a specific histone deacetylases inhibitor, trichostatin A, upregulated the transcription of BAP1 and BAP2 genes in concomitance with an increase in H3KAc abundance and chromatin accessibility around their transcription start sites. Moreover, we demonstrated that the binding of initiator binding protein, the transcription factor responsible for the initiation of transcription of ~75% of known T. vaginalis genes, depends on the histone acetylation state around the metazoan-like initiator to which initiator binding protein binds. Finally, we found that trichostatin A treatment increased parasite aggregation and adherence to host cells. Our data demonstrated for the first time that H3KAc is a permissive histone modification that functions to mediate both transcription and pathogenesis of the parasite T. vaginalis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identification of EhTIF-IA: The putative E. histolytica orthologue of the human ribosomal RNA transcription initiation factor-IA.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Ankita; Bhattacharya, Alok; Bhattacharya, Sudha; Jhingan, Gagan Deep

2016-03-01

Initiation of rDNA transcription requires the assembly of a specific multi-protein complex at the rDNA promoter containing the RNA Pol I with auxiliary factors. One of these factors is known as Rrn3P in yeast and Transcription Initiation Factor IA (TIF-IA) in mammals. Rrn3p/TIF-IA serves as a bridge between RNA Pol I and the pre-initiation complex at the promoter. It is phosphorylated at multiple sites and is involved in regulation of rDNA transcription in a growth-dependent manner. In the early branching parasitic protist Entamoeba histolytica, the rRNA genes are present exclusively on circular extra chromosomal plasmids. The protein factors involved in regulation of rDNA transcription in E. histolytica are not known. We have identified the E. histolytica equivalent of TIF-1A (EhTIF-IA) by homology search within the database and was further cloned and expressed. Immuno-localization studies showed that EhTIF-IA co-localized partially with fibrillarin in the peripherally localized nucleolus. EhTIF-IA was shown to interact with the RNA Pol I-specific subunit RPA12 both in vivo and in vitro. Mass spectroscopy data identified RNA Pol I-specific subunits and other nucleolar proteins to be the interacting partners of EhTIF-IA. Our study demonstrates for the first time a conserved putative RNA Pol I transcription factor TIF-IA in E. histolytica.

Double-stranded DNA translocase activity of transcription factor TFIIH and the mechanism of RNA polymerase II open complex formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishburn, James; Tomko, Eric; Galburt, Eric; Hahn, Steven

2015-03-31

Formation of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) open complex (OC) requires DNA unwinding mediated by the transcription factor TFIIH helicase-related subunit XPB/Ssl2. Because XPB/Ssl2 binds DNA downstream from the location of DNA unwinding, it cannot function using a conventional helicase mechanism. Here we show that yeast TFIIH contains an Ssl2-dependent double-stranded DNA translocase activity. Ssl2 tracks along one DNA strand in the 5' → 3' direction, implying it uses the nontemplate promoter strand to reel downstream DNA into the Pol II cleft, creating torsional strain and leading to DNA unwinding. Analysis of the Ssl2 and DNA-dependent ATPase activity of TFIIH suggests that Ssl2 has a processivity of approximately one DNA turn, consistent with the length of DNA unwound during transcription initiation. Our results can explain why maintaining the OC requires continuous ATP hydrolysis and the function of TFIIH in promoter escape. Our results also suggest that XPB/Ssl2 uses this translocase mechanism during DNA repair rather than physically wedging open damaged DNA.

Dynamic Effects of Topoisomerase I Inhibition on R-Loops and Short Transcripts at Active Promoters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Marinello

Full Text Available Topoisomerase I-DNA-cleavage complexes (Top1cc stabilized by camptothecin (CPT have specific effects at transcriptional levels. We recently reported that Top1cc increase antisense transcript (aRNAs levels at divergent CpG-island promoters and, transiently, DNA/RNA hybrids (R-loop in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of colon cancer HCT116 cells. However, the relationship between R-loops and aRNAs was not established. Here, we show that aRNAs can form R-loops in N-TERA-2 cells under physiological conditions, and that promoter-associated R-loops are somewhat increased and extended in length immediately upon cell exposure to CPT. In contrast, persistent Top1ccs reduce the majority of R-loops suggesting that CPT-accumulated aRNAs are not commonly involved in R-loops. The enhancement of aRNAs by Top1ccs is present both in human colon cancer HCT116 cells and WI38 fibroblasts suggesting a common response of cancer and normal cells. Although Top1ccs lead to DSB and DDR kinases activation, we do not detect a dependence of aRNA accumulation on ATM or DNA-PK activation. However, we showed that the cell response to persistent Top1ccs can involve an impairment of aRNA turnover rather than a higher synthesis rate. Finally, a genome-wide analysis shows that persistent Top1ccs also determine an accumulation of sense transcripts at 5'-end gene regions suggesting an increased occurrence of truncated transcripts. Taken together, the results indicate that Top1 may regulate transcription initiation by modulating RNA polymerase-generated negative supercoils, which can in turn favor R-loop formation at promoters, and that transcript accumulation at TSS is a response to persistent transcriptional stress by Top1 poisoning.

A Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial DNA fragment activates Reg1p-dependent glucose-repressible transcription in the nucleus.

Science.gov (United States)

Santangelo, G M; Tornow, J

1997-12-01

As part of an effort to identify random carbon-source-regulated promoters in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, we discovered that a mitochondrial DNA fragment is capable of directing glucose-repressible expression of a reporter gene. This fragment (CR24) originated from the mitochondrial genome adjacent to a transcription initiation site. Mutational analyses identified a GC cluster within the fragment that is required for transcriptional induction. Repression of nuclear CR24-driven transcription required Reg1p, indicating that this mitochondrially derived promoter is a member of a large group of glucose-repressible nuclear promoters that are similarly regulated by Reg1p. In vivo and in vitro binding assays indicated the presence of factors, located within the nucleus and the mitochondria, that bind to the GC cluster. One or more of these factors may provide a regulatory link between the nucleus and mitochondria.

Mycobacterium leprae induces NF-κB-dependent transcription repression in human Schwann cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Renata M.S.; Calegari-Silva, Teresa Cristina; Hernandez, Maristela O.; Saliba, Alessandra M.; Redner, Paulo; Pessolani, Maria Cristina V.; Sarno, Euzenir N.; Sampaio, Elizabeth P.; Lopes, Ulisses G.

2005-01-01

Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, invades peripheral nerve Schwann cells, resulting in deformities associated with this disease. NF-κB is an important transcription factor involved in the regulation of host immune antimicrobial responses. We aimed in this work to investigate NF-κB signaling pathways in the human ST88-14 Schwannoma cell line infected with M. leprae. Gel shift and supershift assays indicate that two NF-κB dimers, p65/p50 and p50/p50, translocate to the nucleus in Schwann cells treated with lethally irradiated M. leprae. Consistent with p65/p50 and p50/p50 activation, we observed IκB-α degradation and reduction of p105 levels. The nuclear translocation of p50/p50 complex due to M. leprae treatment correlated with repression of NF-κB-driven transcription induced by TNF-α. Moreover, thalidomide inhibited p50 homodimer nuclear translocation induced by M. leprae and consequently rescues Schwann cells from NF-κB-dependent transcriptional repression. Here, we report for the first time that M. leprae induces NF-κB activation in Schwann cells and thalidomide is able to modulate this activation

Cdk7 Is Required for Activity-Dependent Neuronal Gene Expression, Long-Lasting Synaptic Plasticity and Long-Term Memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guiqin He

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In the brain, de novo gene expression driven by learning-associated neuronal activities is critical for the formation of long-term memories. However, the signaling machinery mediating neuronal activity-induced gene expression, especially the rapid transcription of immediate-early genes (IEGs remains unclear. Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks are a family of serine/threonine kinases that have been firmly established as key regulators of transcription processes underling coordinated cell cycle entry and sequential progression in nearly all types of proliferative cells. Cdk7 is a subunit of transcriptional initiation factor II-H (TFIIH and the only known Cdk-activating kinase (CAK in metazoans. Recent studies using a novel Cdk7 specific covalent inhibitor, THZ1, revealed important roles of Cdk7 in transcription regulation in cancer cells. However, whether Cdk7 plays a role in the regulation of transcription in neurons remains unknown. In this study, we present evidence demonstrating that, in post-mitotic neurons, Cdk7 activity is positively correlated with neuronal activities in cultured primary neurons, acute hippocampal slices and in the brain. Cdk7 inhibition by THZ1 significantly suppressed mRNA levels of IEGs, selectively impaired long-lasting synaptic plasticity induced by 4 trains of high frequency stimulation (HFS and prevented the formation of long-term memories.

Model of transcriptional activation by MarA in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Michael E; Markowitz, David A; Rosner, Judah L; Martin, Robert G

2009-12-01

The AraC family transcription factor MarA activates approximately 40 genes (the marA/soxS/rob regulon) of the Escherichia coli chromosome resulting in different levels of resistance to a wide array of antibiotics and to superoxides. Activation of marA/soxS/rob regulon promoters occurs in a well-defined order with respect to the level of MarA; however, the order of activation does not parallel the strength of MarA binding to promoter sequences. To understand this lack of correspondence, we developed a computational model of transcriptional activation in which a transcription factor either increases or decreases RNA polymerase binding, and either accelerates or retards post-binding events associated with transcription initiation. We used the model to analyze data characterizing MarA regulation of promoter activity. The model clearly explains the lack of correspondence between the order of activation and the MarA-DNA affinity and indicates that the order of activation can only be predicted using information about the strength of the full MarA-polymerase-DNA interaction. The analysis further suggests that MarA can activate without increasing polymerase binding and that activation can even involve a decrease in polymerase binding, which is opposite to the textbook model of activation by recruitment. These findings are consistent with published chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of interactions between polymerase and the E. coli chromosome. We find that activation involving decreased polymerase binding yields lower latency in gene regulation and therefore might confer a competitive advantage to cells. Our model yields insights into requirements for predicting the order of activation of a regulon and enables us to suggest that activation might involve a decrease in polymerase binding which we expect to be an important theme of gene regulation in E. coli and beyond.

Model of transcriptional activation by MarA in Escherichia coli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E Wall

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The AraC family transcription factor MarA activates approximately 40 genes (the marA/soxS/rob regulon of the Escherichia coli chromosome resulting in different levels of resistance to a wide array of antibiotics and to superoxides. Activation of marA/soxS/rob regulon promoters occurs in a well-defined order with respect to the level of MarA; however, the order of activation does not parallel the strength of MarA binding to promoter sequences. To understand this lack of correspondence, we developed a computational model of transcriptional activation in which a transcription factor either increases or decreases RNA polymerase binding, and either accelerates or retards post-binding events associated with transcription initiation. We used the model to analyze data characterizing MarA regulation of promoter activity. The model clearly explains the lack of correspondence between the order of activation and the MarA-DNA affinity and indicates that the order of activation can only be predicted using information about the strength of the full MarA-polymerase-DNA interaction. The analysis further suggests that MarA can activate without increasing polymerase binding and that activation can even involve a decrease in polymerase binding, which is opposite to the textbook model of activation by recruitment. These findings are consistent with published chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of interactions between polymerase and the E. coli chromosome. We find that activation involving decreased polymerase binding yields lower latency in gene regulation and therefore might confer a competitive advantage to cells. Our model yields insights into requirements for predicting the order of activation of a regulon and enables us to suggest that activation might involve a decrease in polymerase binding which we expect to be an important theme of gene regulation in E. coli and beyond.

Structures of transcription pre-initiation complex with TFIIH and Mediator.

Science.gov (United States)

Schilbach, S; Hantsche, M; Tegunov, D; Dienemann, C; Wigge, C; Urlaub, H; Cramer, P

2017-11-09

For the initiation of transcription, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) assembles with general transcription factors on promoter DNA to form the pre-initiation complex (PIC). Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PIC and PIC-core Mediator complex at nominal resolutions of 4.7 Å and 5.8 Å, respectively. The structures reveal transcription factor IIH (TFIIH), and suggest how the core and kinase TFIIH modules function in the opening of promoter DNA and the phosphorylation of Pol II, respectively. The TFIIH core subunit Ssl2 (a homologue of human XPB) is positioned on downstream DNA by the 'E-bridge' helix in TFIIE, consistent with TFIIE-stimulated DNA opening. The TFIIH kinase module subunit Tfb3 (MAT1 in human) anchors the kinase Kin28 (CDK7), which is mobile in the PIC but preferentially located between the Mediator hook and shoulder in the PIC-core Mediator complex. Open spaces between the Mediator head and middle modules may allow access of the kinase to its substrate, the C-terminal domain of Pol II.

Hepatitis C virus core protein regulates p300/CBP co-activation function. Possible role in the regulation of NF-AT1 transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez-Gonzalo, Marta; Benedicto, Ignacio; Carretero, Marta; Lara-Pezzi, Enrique; Maldonado-Rodriguez, Alejandra; Moreno-Otero, Ricardo; Lai, Michael M.C.; Lopez-Cabrera, Manuel

2004-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core is a viral structural protein; it also participates in some cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation. However, the mechanisms of core-mediated transcriptional regulation remain poorly understood. Oncogenic virus proteins often target p300/CBP, a known co-activator of a wide variety of transcription factors, to regulate the expression of cellular and viral genes. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that HCV core protein interacts with p300/CBP and enhances both its acetyl-transferase and transcriptional activities. In addition, we demonstrate that nuclear core protein activates the NH 2 -terminal transcription activation domain (TAD) of NF-AT1 in a p300/CBP-dependent manner. We propose a model in which core protein regulates the co-activation function of p300/CBP and activates NF-AT1, and probably other p300/CBP-regulated transcription factors, by a novel mechanism involving the regulation of the acetylation state of histones and/or components of the transcriptional machinery

Modelling the CDK-dependent transcription cycle in fission yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Sansó, Miriam; Fisher, Robert P

2013-12-01

CDKs (cyclin-dependent kinases) ensure directionality and fidelity of the eukaryotic cell division cycle. In a similar fashion, the transcription cycle is governed by a conserved subfamily of CDKs that phosphorylate Pol II (RNA polymerase II) and other substrates. A genetic model organism, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, has yielded robust models of cell-cycle control, applicable to higher eukaryotes. From a similar approach combining classical and chemical genetics, fundamental principles of transcriptional regulation by CDKs are now emerging. In the present paper, we review the current knowledge of each transcriptional CDK with respect to its substrate specificity, function in transcription and effects on chromatin modifications, highlighting the important roles of CDKs in ensuring quantity and quality control over gene expression in eukaryotes.

TIP48/Reptin and H2A.Z requirement for initiating chromatin remodeling in estrogen-activated transcription.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathieu Dalvai

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Histone variants, including histone H2A.Z, are incorporated into specific genomic sites and participate in transcription regulation. The role of H2A.Z at these sites remains poorly characterized. Our study investigates changes in the chromatin environment at the Cyclin D1 gene (CCND1 during transcriptional initiation in response to estradiol in estrogen receptor positive mammary tumour cells. We show that H2A.Z is present at the transcription start-site and downstream enhancer sequences of CCND1 when the gene is poorly transcribed. Stimulation of CCND1 expression required release of H2A.Z concomitantly from both these DNA elements. The AAA+ family members TIP48/reptin and the histone variant H2A.Z are required to remodel the chromatin environment at CCND1 as a prerequisite for binding of the estrogen receptor (ERα in the presence of hormone. TIP48 promotes acetylation and exchange of H2A.Z, which triggers a dissociation of the CCND1 3' enhancer from the promoter, thereby releasing a repressive intragenic loop. This release then enables the estrogen receptor to bind to the CCND1 promoter. Our findings provide new insight into the priming of chromatin required for transcription factor access to their target sequence. Dynamic release of gene loops could be a rapid means to remodel chromatin and to stimulate transcription in response to hormones.

DNA dynamics play a role as a basal transcription factor in the positioning and regulation of gene transcription initiation

OpenAIRE

Alexandrov, Boian S.; Gelev, Vladimir; Yoo, Sang Wook; Alexandrov, Ludmil B.; Fukuyo, Yayoi; Bishop, Alan R.; Rasmussen, Kim ?.; Usheva, Anny

2009-01-01

We assess the role of DNA breathing dynamics as a determinant of promoter strength and transcription start site (TSS) location. We compare DNA Langevin dynamic profiles of representative gene promoters, calculated with the extended non-linear PBD model of DNA with experimental data on transcription factor binding and transcriptional activity. Our results demonstrate that DNA dynamic activity at the TSS can be suppressed by mutations that do not affect basal transcription factor binding–DNA co...

Gibberellic acid and cGMP-dependent transcriptional regulation in arabidopsis thaliana

KAUST Repository

Bastian, René

2010-03-01

An ever increasing amount of transcriptomic data and analysis tools provide novel insight into complex responses of biological systems. Given these resources we have undertaken to review aspects of transcriptional regulation in response to the plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA) and its second messenger guanosine 3\\',5\\'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in Arabidopsis thaliana, both wild type and selected mutants. Evidence suggests enrichment of GA-responsive (GARE) elements in promoters of genes that are transcriptionally upregulated in response to cGMP but downregulated in a GA insensitive mutant (ga1-3). In contrast, in the genes upregulated in the mutant, no enrichment in the GARE is observed suggesting that GARE motifs are diagnostic for GA-induced and cGMP-dependent transcriptional upregulation. Further, we review how expression studies of GA-dependent transcription factors and transcriptional networks based on common promoter signatures derived from ab initio analyses can contribute to our understanding of plant responses at the systems level. © 2010 Landes Bioscience.

The γ-secretase cleavage product of Polycystin-1 regulates TCF and CHOP-mediated transcriptional activation through a p300-dependent mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, David; Chapin, Hannah; Baggs, Julie E.; Yu, Zhiheng; Somlo, Stefan; Sun, Zhaoxia; Hogenesch, John B.; Caplan, Michael

2011-01-01

Summary Mutations in Pkd1, encoding polycystin-1 (PC1), cause Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). We show that the carboxy-terminal tail (CTT) of PC1 is released by γ-secretase-mediated cleavage and regulates the Wnt and CHOP pathways by binding the transcription factors TCF and CHOP, disrupting their interaction with the common transcriptional co-activator p300. Loss of PC1 causes increased proliferation and apoptosis, while reintroducing PC1-CTT into cultured Pkd1 null cells reestablishes normal growth rate, suppresses apoptosis, and prevents cyst formation. Inhibition of γ-secretase activity impairs the ability of PC1 to suppress growth and apoptosis, and leads to cyst formation in cultured renal epithelial cells. Expression of the PC1-CTT is sufficient to rescue the dorsal body curvature phenotype in zebrafish embryos resulting from either γ-secretase inhibition or suppression of Pkd1 expression. Thus, γ-secretase-dependent release of the PC1-CTT creates a protein fragment whose expression is sufficient to suppress ADPKD-related phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. PMID:22178500

The Transcription Factor STAT6 Mediates Direct Repression of Inflammatory Enhancers and Limits Activation of Alternatively Polarized Macrophages

OpenAIRE

Czimmerer, Zsolt; Daniel, Bence; Horvath, Attila; Rückerl, Dominik; Nagy, Gergely; Kiss, Mate; Peloquin, Matthew; Budai, Marietta M.; Cuaranta-Monroy, Ixchelt; Simandi, Zoltan; Steiner, Laszlo; Nagy, Bela; Poliska, Szilard; Banko, Csaba; Bacso, Zsolt

2018-01-01

Summary The molecular basis of signal-dependent transcriptional activation has been extensively studied in macrophage polarization, but our understanding remains limited regarding the molecular determinants of repression. Here we show that IL-4-activated STAT6 transcription factor is required for the direct transcriptional repression of a large number of genes during in vitro and in vivo alternative macrophage polarization. Repression results in decreased lineage-determining transcription fac...

Full-length mRNA sequencing uncovers a widespread coupling between transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Anvar, Seyed Yahya; Allard, Guy; Tseng, Elizabeth; Sheynkman, Gloria M; de Klerk, Eleonora; Vermaat, Martijn; Yin, Raymund H; Johansson, Hans E; Ariyurek, Yavuz; den Dunnen, Johan T; Turner, Stephen W; 't Hoen, Peter A C

2018-03-29

The multifaceted control of gene expression requires tight coordination of regulatory mechanisms at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Here, we studied the interdependence of transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events on single mRNA molecules by full-length mRNA sequencing. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, we find 2700 genes with interdependent alternative transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events, both in proximal and distant parts of mRNA molecules, including examples of coupling between transcription start sites and polyadenylation sites. The analysis of three human primary tissues (brain, heart and liver) reveals similar patterns of interdependency between transcription initiation and mRNA processing events. We predict thousands of novel open reading frames from full-length mRNA sequences and obtained evidence for their translation by shotgun proteomics. The mapping database rescues 358 previously unassigned peptides and improves the assignment of others. By recognizing sample-specific amino-acid changes and novel splicing patterns, full-length mRNA sequencing improves proteogenomics analysis of MCF-7 cells. Our findings demonstrate that our understanding of transcriptome complexity is far from complete and provides a basis to reveal largely unresolved mechanisms that coordinate transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

Matriptase activation connects tissue factor-dependent coagulation initiation to epithelial proteolysis and signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Gall, Sylvain M; Szabo, Roman; Lee, Melody; Kirchhofer, Daniel; Craik, Charles S; Bugge, Thomas H; Camerer, Eric

2016-06-23

The coagulation cascade is designed to sense tissue injury by physical separation of the membrane-anchored cofactor tissue factor (TF) from inactive precursors of coagulation proteases circulating in plasma. Once TF on epithelial and other extravascular cells is exposed to plasma, sequential activation of coagulation proteases coordinates hemostasis and contributes to host defense and tissue repair. Membrane-anchored serine proteases (MASPs) play critical roles in the development and homeostasis of epithelial barrier tissues; how MASPs are activated in mature epithelia is unknown. We here report that proteases of the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation transactivate the MASP matriptase, thus connecting coagulation initiation to epithelial proteolysis and signaling. Exposure of TF-expressing cells to factors (F) VIIa and Xa triggered the conversion of latent pro-matriptase to an active protease, which in turn cleaved the pericellular substrates protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) and pro-urokinase. An activation pathway-selective PAR2 mutant resistant to direct cleavage by TF:FVIIa and FXa was activated by these proteases when cells co-expressed pro-matriptase, and matriptase transactivation was necessary for efficient cleavage and activation of wild-type PAR2 by physiological concentrations of TF:FVIIa and FXa. The coagulation initiation complex induced rapid and prolonged enhancement of the barrier function of epithelial monolayers that was dependent on matriptase transactivation and PAR2 signaling. These observations suggest that the coagulation cascade engages matriptase to help coordinate epithelial defense and repair programs after injury or infection, and that matriptase may contribute to TF-driven pathogenesis in cancer and inflammation.

Frequent dual initiation of reverse transcription in murine leukemia virus-based vectors containing two primer-binding sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voronin, Yegor A.; Pathak, Vinay K.

2003-01-01

Retroviruses package two copies of viral RNA into each virion. Although each RNA contains a primer-binding site for initiation of DNA synthesis, it is unknown whether reverse transcription is initiated on both RNAs. To determine whether a single virion is capable of initiating reverse transcription more than once, we constructed a murine leukemia virus-based vector containing a second primer-binding site (PBS) derived from spleen necrosis virus and inserted the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) between the two PBSs. Initiation of reverse transcription at either PBS results in a provirus that expresses GFP. However, initiation at both PBSs can result in the deletion of GFP, which can be detected by flow cytometry and Southern blotting analysis. Approximately 22-29% of the proviruses formed deleted the GFP in a single replication cycle, indicating the minimum proportion of virions that initiated reverse transcription on both PBSs. These results show that a significant proportion of MLV-based vectors containing two PBSs have the capacity to initiate reverse transcription more than once

Transcriptional activity of Pax3 is co-activated by TAZ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Masao; Tominaga, Junji; Makita, Ryosuke; Uchijima, Yasunobu; Kurihara, Yukiko; Nakagawa, Osamu; Asano, Tomoichiro; Kurihara, Hiroki

2006-01-01

Pax3 is a transcription factor which functions in embryonic development and human diseases. In a yeast two-hybrid screen with full-length Pax3 as bait, we isolated a clone encoding transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) from an E10.5 mouse embryo cDNA library. Co-immunoprecipitation and nuclear co-localization of TAZ with Pax3 suggest that their association is functionally relevant. In situ hybridization revealed TAZ and Pax3 expression to partially overlap in the paraxial mesoderm, limb buds, and the neural tube. In C2C12 myoblast cells and NIH3T3 cells, TAZ enhanced the transcriptional activity of Pax3 on artificial and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor promoter-luciferase constructs, suggesting that TAZ can function as a co-activator of Pax3. Functional interaction between Pax3 and TAZ may provide a clue to clarifying the mechanism by which Pax3 serves as a transcriptional activator during embryogenesis

Time-dependent transcriptional response of GOT1 human small intestine neuroendocrine tumor after 177Lu[Lu]-octreotate therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Spetz, Johan; Rudqvist, Nils; Langen, Britta; Parris, Toshima Z; Dalmo, Johanna; Schüler, Emil; Wängberg, Bo; Nilsson, Ola; Helou, Khalil; Forssell-Aronsson, Eva

2018-05-01

Patients with neuroendocrine tumors expressing somatostatin receptors are often treated with 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate. Despite being highly effective in animal models, 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate-based therapies in the clinical setting can be optimized further. The aims of the study were to identify and elucidate possible optimization venues for 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate tumor therapy by characterizing transcriptional responses in the GOT1 small intestine neuroendocrine tumor model in nude mice. GOT1-bearing female BALB/c nude mice were intravenously injected with 15 MBq 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate (non-curative amount) or mock-treated with saline solution. Animals were killed 1, 3, 7 or 41 d after injection. Total RNA was extracted from the tumor samples and profiled using Illumina microarray expression analysis. Differentially expressed genes were identified (treated vs. control) and pathway analysis was performed. Distribution of differentially expressed transcripts indicated a time-dependent treatment response in GOT1 tumors after 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate administration. Regulation of CDKN1A, BCAT1 and PAM at 1 d after injection was compatible with growth arrest as the initial response to treatment. Upregulation of APOE and BAX at 3 d, and ADORA2A, BNIP3, BNIP3L and HSPB1 at 41 d after injection suggests first activation and then inhibition of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway during tumor regression and regrowth, respectively. Transcriptional analysis showed radiation-induced apoptosis as an early response after 177 Lu[Lu]-octreotate administration, followed by pro-survival transcriptional changes in the tumor during the regrowth phase. Time-dependent changes in cell cycle and apoptosis-related processes suggest different time points after radionuclide therapy when tumor cells may be more susceptible to additional treatment, highlighting the importance of timing when administering multiple therapeutic agents. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Transcription control and neuronal differentiation by agents that activate the LXR nuclear receptor family.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, A; Vogel, R; Holloway, M K; Rutledge, S J; Friedman, O; Yang, Z; Rodan, G A; Friedman, E

1999-09-10

LXR and PPAR receptors belong to the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcriptional activating factors. Using ligand-dependent transcription assays, we found that 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furancarboxylic acid (TOFA) transactivates chimeric receptors composed of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA binding domain and the ligand binding regions of PPARalpha, PPARbeta (NUC-1) and LXRbeta (NER) receptors. In the same assays, ligands for PPARs (oleic acid, WY-14643 and L-631,033) and LXRs (hydroxycholesterols) maintain their respective receptor selectivity. TOFA and hydroxycholesterols also stimulate transcription from a minimal fibrinogen promoter that is under the control of AP-1 or NF-kappaB transcription factor binding sites. In addition to their effects on transcription, these LXRbeta activators induce neuronal differentiation in rat pheochromocytoma cells. TOFA and the natural LXR agonist, 22 (R)-hydroxycholesterol, stimulate neurite outgrowth in 55 and 28% of cells, respectively. No neurite outgrowth was induced by the related 22(S)-hydroxycholesterol, which does not activate the LXR family. These results suggest that the hydroxycholesterol signaling pathway has a complex effect on transcription that mediates the activity of TOFA and hydroxycholesterol on neuronal differentiation in pheochromocytoma cells.

Targeted HIV-1 Latency Reversal Using CRISPR/Cas9-Derived Transcriptional Activator Systems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia K Bialek

Full Text Available CRISPR/Cas9 technology is currently considered the most advanced tool for targeted genome engineering. Its sequence-dependent specificity has been explored for locus-directed transcriptional modulation. Such modulation, in particular transcriptional activation, has been proposed as key approach to overcome silencing of dormant HIV provirus in latently infected cellular reservoirs. Currently available agents for provirus activation, so-called latency reversing agents (LRAs, act indirectly through cellular pathways to induce viral transcription. However, their clinical performance remains suboptimal, possibly because reservoirs have diverse cellular identities and/or proviral DNA is intractable to the induced pathways. We have explored two CRISPR/Cas9-derived activator systems as targeted approaches to induce dormant HIV-1 proviral DNA. These systems recruit multiple transcriptional activation domains to the HIV 5' long terminal repeat (LTR, for which we have identified an optimal target region within the LTR U3 sequence. Using this target region, we demonstrate transcriptional activation of proviral genomes via the synergistic activation mediator complex in various in culture model systems for HIV latency. Observed levels of induction are comparable or indeed higher than treatment with established LRAs. Importantly, activation is complete, leading to production of infective viral particles. Our data demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9-derived technologies can be applied to counteract HIV latency and may therefore represent promising novel approaches in the quest for HIV elimination.

Recent behavioral history modifies coupling between cell activity and Arc gene transcription in hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzowski, John F; Miyashita, Teiko; Chawla, Monica K; Sanderson, Jennifer; Maes, Levi I; Houston, Frank P; Lipa, Peter; McNaughton, Bruce L; Worley, Paul F; Barnes, Carol A

2006-01-24

The ability of neurons to alter their transcriptional programs in response to synaptic input is of fundamental importance to the neuroplastic mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Because of technical limitations of conventional gene detection methods, the current view of activity-dependent neural transcription derives from experiments in which neurons are assumed quiescent until a signaling stimulus is given. The present study was designed to move beyond this static model by examining how earlier episodes of neural activity influence transcription of the immediate-early gene Arc. Using a sensitive FISH method that detects primary transcript at genomic alleles, the proportion of hippocampal CA1 neurons that activate transcription of Arc RNA was constant at approximately 40% in response to both a single novel exploration session and daily sessions repeated over 9 days. This proportion is similar to the percentage of active neurons defined electrophysiologically. However, this close correspondence was disrupted in rats exposed briefly, but repeatedly, to the same environment within a single day. Arc transcription in CA1 neurons declined dramatically after as few as four 5-min sessions, despite stable electrophysiological activity during all sessions. Additional experiments indicate that the decrement in Arc transcription occurred at the cellular, rather than synaptic level, and was not simply linked to habituation to novelty. Thus, the neural genomic response is governed by recent, but not remote, cell firing history in the behaving animal. This state-dependence of neuronal transcriptional coupling provides a mechanism of metaplasticity and may regulate capacity for synaptic modification in neural networks.

Modifiers of notch transcriptional activity identified by genome-wide RNAi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Firnhaber Christopher B

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Notch signaling pathway regulates a diverse array of developmental processes, and aberrant Notch signaling can lead to diseases, including cancer. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic network that integrates into Notch signaling, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila cell culture to identify genes that modify Notch-dependent transcription. Results Employing complementary data analyses, we found 399 putative modifiers: 189 promoting and 210 antagonizing Notch activated transcription. These modifiers included several known Notch interactors, validating the robustness of the assay. Many novel modifiers were also identified, covering a range of cellular localizations from the extracellular matrix to the nucleus, as well as a large number of proteins with unknown function. Chromatin-modifying proteins represent a major class of genes identified, including histone deacetylase and demethylase complex components and other chromatin modifying, remodeling and replacement factors. A protein-protein interaction map of the Notch-dependent transcription modifiers revealed that a large number of the identified proteins interact physically with these core chromatin components. Conclusions The genome-wide RNAi screen identified many genes that can modulate Notch transcriptional output. A protein interaction map of the identified genes highlighted a network of chromatin-modifying enzymes and remodelers that regulate Notch transcription. Our results open new avenues to explore the mechanisms of Notch signal regulation and the integration of this pathway into diverse cellular processes.

Nucleic Acid Analogue Induced Transcription of Double Stranded DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1998-01-01

RNA is transcribed from a double stranded DNA template by forming a complex by hybridizing to the template at a desired transcription initiation site one or more oligonucleic acid analogues of the PNA type capable of forming a transcription initiation site with the DNA and exposing the complex...... to the action of a DNA dependant RNA polymerase in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates. Equal length transcripts may be obtained by placing a block to transcription downstream from the initiation site or by cutting the template at such a selected location. The initiation site is formed by displacement...... of one strand of the DNA locally by the PNA hybridization....

Mediator, SWI/SNF and SAGA complexes regulate Yap8-dependent transcriptional activation of ACR2 in response to arsenate.

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Regina Andrade; Pimentel, Catarina; Silva, Ana Rita Courelas; Amaral, Catarina; Merhej, Jawad; Devaux, Frédéric; Rodrigues-Pousada, Claudina

2017-04-01

Response to arsenic stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is orchestrated by the regulatory protein Yap8, which mediates transcriptional activation of ACR2 and ACR3. This study contributes to the state of art knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying yeast stress response to arsenate as it provides the genetic and biochemical evidences that Yap8, through cysteine residues 132, 137, and 274, is the sensor of presence of arsenate in the cytosol. Moreover, it is here reported for the first time the essential role of the Mediator complex in the transcriptional activation of ACR2 by Yap8. Based on our data, we propose an order-of-function map to recapitulate the sequence of events taking place in cells injured with arsenate. Modification of the sulfhydryl state of these cysteines converts Yap8 in its activated form, triggering the recruitment of the Mediator complex to the ACR2/ACR3 promoter, through the interaction with the tail subunit Med2. The Mediator complex then transfers the regulatory signals conveyed by Yap8 to the core transcriptional machinery, which culminates with TBP occupancy, ACR2 upregulation and cell adaptation to arsenate stress. Additional co-factors are required for the transcriptional activation of ACR2 by Yap8, particularly the nucleosome remodeling activity of SWI/SNF and SAGA complexes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

THRAP3 interacts with and inhibits the transcriptional activity of SOX9 during chondrogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sono, Takashi; Akiyama, Haruhiko; Miura, Shigenori; Deng, Jian Min; Shukunami, Chisa; Hiraki, Yuji; Tsushima, Yu; Azuma, Yoshiaki; Behringer, Richard R; Matsuda, Shuichi

2018-07-01

Sex-determining region Y (Sry)-box (Sox)9 is required for chondrogenesis as a transcriptional activator of genes related to chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and cartilage-specific extracellular matrix. Although there have been studies investigating the Sox9-dependent transcriptional complexes, not all their components have been identified. In the present study, we demonstrated that thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein (THRAP)3 is a component of a SOX9 transcriptional complex by liquid chromatography mass spectrometric analysis of FLAG-tagged Sox9-binding proteins purified from FLAG-HA-tagged Sox9 knock-in mice. Thrap3 knockdown in ATDC5 chondrogenic cells increased the expression of Collagen type II alpha 1 chain (Col2a1) without affecting Sox9 expression. THRAP3 and SOX9 overexpression reduced Col2a1 levels to a greater degree than overexpression of SOX9 alone. The negative regulation of SOX9 transcriptional activity by THRAP3 was mediated by interaction between the proline-, glutamine-, and serine-rich domain of SOX9 and the innominate domain of THRAP3. These results indicate that THRAP3 negatively regulates SOX9 transcriptional activity as a cofactor of a SOX9 transcriptional complex during chondrogenesis.

COBRA1 inhibits AP-1 transcriptional activity in transfected cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Hongjun; Zhu Jianhua; Zhang Hao; Ding Lihua; Sun Yan; Huang Cuifen; Ye Qinong

2004-01-01

Mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1) account for a significant proportion of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Cofactor of BRCA1 (COBRA1) was isolated as a BRCA1-interacting protein and exhibited a similar chromatin reorganizing activity to that of BRCA1. However, the biological role of COBRA1 remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that ectopic expression of COBRA1 inhibited activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcriptional activity in transfected cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas reduction of endogenous COBRA1 with a small interfering RNA significantly enhanced AP-1-mediated transcriptional activation. COBRA1 physically interacted with the AP-1 family members, c-Jun and c-Fos, and the middle region of COBRA1 bound to c-Fos. Lack of c-Fos binding site in the COBRA1 completely abolished the COBRA1 inhibition of AP-1 trans-activation. These findings suggest that COBRA1 may directly modulate AP-1 pathway and, therefore, may play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and oncogenesis

Cocaine promotes both initiation and elongation phase of HIV-1 transcription by activating NF-κB and MSK1 and inducing selective epigenetic modifications at HIV-1 LTR

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, Geetaram; Farley, Kalamo; El-Hage, Nazira; Aiamkitsumrit, Benjamas; Fassnacht, Ryan; Kashanchi, Fatah; Ochem, Alex; Simon, Gary L.; Karn, Jonathan; Hauser, Kurt F.; Tyagi, Mudit

2015-01-01

Cocaine accelerates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) replication by altering specific cell-signaling and epigenetic pathways. We have elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms through which cocaine exerts its effect in myeloid cells, a major target of HIV-1 in central nervous system (CNS). We demonstrate that cocaine treatment promotes HIV-1 gene expression by activating both nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1). MSK1 subsequently catalyzes the phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10, and p65 subunit of NF-κB at 276th serine residue. These modifications enhance the interaction of NF-κB with P300 and promote the recruitment of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) to the HIV-1 LTR, supporting the development of an open/relaxed chromatin configuration, and facilitating the initiation and elongation phases of HIV-1 transcription. Results are also confirmed in primary monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Overall, our study provides detailed insights into cocaine-driven HIV-1 transcription and replication. PMID:25980739

Neuronal activity-regulated gene transcription: how are distant synaptic signals conveyed to the nucleus?

Science.gov (United States)

Matamales, Miriam

2012-12-19

Synaptic activity can trigger gene expression programs that are required for the stable change of neuronal properties, a process that is essential for learning and memory. Currently, it is still unclear how the stimulation of dendritic synapses can be coupled to transcription in the nucleus in a timely way given that large distances can separate these two cellular compartments. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain long distance communication between synapses and the nucleus, the possible co-existence of these models and their relevance in physiological conditions remain elusive. One model suggests that synaptic activation triggers the translocation to the nucleus of certain transcription regulators localised at postsynaptic sites that function as synapto-nuclear messengers. Alternatively, it has been hypothesised that synaptic activity initiates propagating regenerative intracellular calcium waves that spread through dendrites into the nucleus where nuclear transcription machinery is thereby regulated. It has also been postulated that membrane depolarisation of voltage-gated calcium channels on the somatic membrane is sufficient to increase intracellular calcium concentration and activate transcription without the need for transported signals from distant synapses. Here I provide a critical overview of the suggested mechanisms for coupling synaptic stimulation to transcription, the underlying assumptions behind them and their plausible physiological significance.

Regulation, initiation, and termination of the cenA and cex transcripts of Cellulomonas fimi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberg, N.M.; Warren, R.A.J.; Kilburn, D.G.; Miller, R.C. Jr.

1987-01-01

The authors characterized the in vivo transcripts of two Cellulomonas fimi genes, which encodes an extracellular endo-β-1,4-glucanase. By Northern blot analysis, cenA mRNA was detected in C. fimi RNA preparations from glycerol- and carboxymethyl cellulose-grown cells but not from glucose-grown cells. In contrast, cex mRNA was detected only in the preparations from carboxymethyl cellulose-grown cells. Therefore, the transcription of these genes is subject to regulation by the carbon source provided to C. fimi. By nuclease SI protection studies with unique 5'-labeled DNA probes and C. fimi RNA isolated in vivo, 5' termini were found 51 and 62 bases before the cenA translational initiation codon and 28 bases before the cex translational initiation codon. S1 mapping with unlabeled DNA probes and C. fimi RNA which had been isolated in vivo but which had been 5' labeled in vitro with guanylyltransferase and [α- 32 P]GTP confirmed that true transcription initiation sites for cenA and cex mRNA had been identified. Comparative analysis of the DNA sequences immediately upstream of the initiation sites of the cenA and cex mRNAs revealed a 30-base-pair region where these two sequences display at least 66% homology. S1 mapping was also used to locate the 3' termini of the cenA and cex transcripts. Three 3' termini were found for cenA messages, whereas only one 3' terminus was identified for cex mRNA. The transcripts of both genes terminate in regions where their corresponding DNA sequences contain inverted repeats

The Brakeless co-regulator can directly activate and repress transcription in early Drosophila embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Crona, Filip; Holmqvist, Per-Henrik; Tang, Min; Singla, Bhumica; Vakifahmetoglu-Norberg, Helin; Fantur, Katrin; Mannervik, Mattias

2015-11-01

The Brakeless protein performs many important functions during Drosophila development, but how it controls gene expression is poorly understood. We previously showed that Brakeless can function as a transcriptional co-repressor. In this work, we perform transcriptional profiling of brakeless mutant embryos. Unexpectedly, the majority of affected genes are down-regulated in brakeless mutants. We demonstrate that genomic regions in close proximity to some of these genes are occupied by Brakeless, that over-expression of Brakeless causes a reciprocal effect on expression of these genes, and that Brakeless remains an activator of the genes upon fusion to an activation domain. Together, our results show that Brakeless can both repress and activate gene expression. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified the Mediator complex subunit Med19 as interacting with an evolutionarily conserved part of Brakeless. Both down- and up-regulated Brakeless target genes are also affected in Med19-depleted embryos, but only down-regulated targets are influenced in embryos depleted of both Brakeless and Med19. Our data provide support for a Brakeless activator function that regulates transcription by interacting with Med19. We conclude that the transcriptional co-regulator Brakeless can either activate or repress transcription depending on context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pre-announcement of symbiotic guests: transcriptional reprogramming by mycorrhizal lipochitooligosaccharides shows a strict co-dependency on the GRAS transcription factors NSP1 and RAM1.

Science.gov (United States)

Hohnjec, Natalija; Czaja-Hasse, Lisa F; Hogekamp, Claudia; Küster, Helge

2015-11-23

More than 80 % of all terrestrial plant species establish an arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis with Glomeromycota fungi. This plant-microbe interaction primarily improves phosphate uptake, but also supports nitrogen, mineral, and water aquisition. During the pre-contact stage, the AM symbiosis is controled by an exchange of diffusible factors from either partner. Amongst others, fungal signals were identified as a mix of sulfated and non-sulfated lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs), being structurally related to rhizobial nodulation (Nod)-factor LCOs that in legumes induce the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. LCO signals are transduced via a common symbiotic signaling pathway (CSSP) that activates a group of GRAS transcription factors (TFs). Using complex gene expression fingerprints as molecular phenotypes, this study primarily intended to shed light on the importance of the GRAS TFs NSP1 and RAM1 for LCO-activated gene expression during pre-symbiotic signaling. We investigated the genome-wide transcriptional responses in 5 days old primary roots of the Medicago truncatula wild type and four symbiotic mutants to a 6 h challenge with LCO signals supplied at 10(-7/-8) M. We were able to show that during the pre-symbiotic stage, sulfated Myc-, non-sulfated Myc-, and Nod-LCO-activated gene expression almost exclusively depends on the LysM receptor kinase NFP and is largely controled by the CSSP, although responses independent of this pathway exist. Our results show that downstream of the CSSP, gene expression activation by Myc-LCOs supplied at 10(-7/-8) M strictly required both the GRAS transcription factors RAM1 and NSP1, whereas those genes either co- or specifically activated by Nod-LCOs displayed a preferential NSP1-dependency. RAM1, a central regulator of root colonization by AM fungi, controled genes activated by non-sulfated Myc-LCOs during the pre-symbiotic stage that are also up-regulated in areas with early physical contact, e.g. hyphopodia and

HIV-1 transcripts use IRES-initiation under conditions where Cap-dependent translation is restricted by poliovirus 2A protease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Amorim

Full Text Available The 30 different species of mRNAs synthesized during the HIV-1 replication cycle are all capped and polyadenilated. Internal ribosome entry sites have been recognized in the 5' untranslated region of some mRNA species of HIV-1, which would contribute to an alternative mechanism of initiation of mRNA translation. However, the Cap-dependent translation is assumed to be the main mechanism driving the initiation of HIV-1 protein synthesis. In this work, we describe a cell system in which lower to higher levels of transient expression of the poliovirus 2A protease strongly inhibited cellular Cap-dependent translation with no toxic effect to the cells during a 72-hour time frame. In this system, the synthesis of HIV-1 proteins was inhibited in a temporal dose-dependent way. Higher levels of 2A protease expression severely inhibited HIV-1 protein synthesis during the first 24 hours of infection consequently inhibiting viral production and infectivity. Intermediate to lower levels of 2A Protease expression caused the inhibition of viral protein synthesis only during the first 48 hours of viral replication. After this period both protein synthesis and viral release were recovered to the control levels. However, the infectivity of viral progeny was still partially inhibited. These results indicate that two mechanisms of mRNA translation initiation contribute to the synthesis of HIV-1 proteins; during the first 24-48 hours of viral replication HIV-1 protein synthesis is strongly dependent on Cap-initiation, while at later time points IRES-driven translation initiation is sufficient to produce high amounts of viral particles.

KLF4 Nuclear Export Requires ERK Activation and Initiates Exit from Naive Pluripotency.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhaliwal, Navroop K; Miri, Kamelia; Davidson, Scott; Tamim El Jarkass, Hala; Mitchell, Jennifer A

2018-04-10

Cooperative action of a transcription factor complex containing OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and KLF4 maintains the naive pluripotent state; however, less is known about the mechanisms that disrupt this complex, initiating exit from pluripotency. We show that, as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exit pluripotency, KLF4 protein is exported from the nucleus causing rapid decline in Nanog and Klf4 transcription; as a result, KLF4 is the first pluripotency transcription factor removed from transcription-associated complexes during differentiation. KLF4 nuclear export requires ERK activation, and phosphorylation of KLF4 by ERK initiates interaction of KLF4 with nuclear export factor XPO1, leading to KLF4 export. Mutation of the ERK phosphorylation site in KLF4 (S132) blocks KLF4 nuclear export, the decline in Nanog, Klf4, and Sox2 mRNA, and differentiation. These findings demonstrate that relocalization of KLF4 to the cytoplasm is a critical first step in exit from the naive pluripotent state and initiation of ESC differentiation. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Lipid Flux Influences Enterocyte Nuclear Morphology and Lipid-dependent Transcriptional Responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeituni, Erin M; Wilson, Meredith H; Zheng, Xiaobin; Iglesias, Pablo A; Sepanski, Michael A; Siddiqi, Mahmud A; Anderson, Jennifer L; Zheng, Yixian; Farber, Steven A

2016-11-04

Responding to a high-fat meal requires an interplay between multiple digestive tissues, sympathetic response pathways, and the gut microbiome. The epithelial enterocytes of the intestine are responsible for absorbing dietary nutrients and preparing them for circulation to distal tissues, which requires significant changes in cellular activity, including both morphological and transcriptional responses. Following a high-fat meal, we observe morphological changes in the enterocytes of larval zebrafish, including elongation of mitochondria, formation and expansion of lipid droplets, and the rapid and transient ruffling of the nuclear periphery. Dietary and pharmacological manipulation of zebrafish larvae demonstrated that these subcellular changes are specific to triglyceride absorption. The transcriptional changes that occur simultaneously with these morphological changes were determined using RNA sequencing, revealing a cohort of up-regulated genes associated with lipid droplet formation and lipid transport via lipoprotein particles. Using a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor to block β-lipoprotein particle formation, we demonstrate that the transcriptional response to a high-fat meal is associated with the transfer of ER triglyceride to nascent β-lipoproteins, possibly through the activation of Creb3l3/cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein. These data suggest that a transient increase in ER lipids is the likely mediator of the initial physiological response of intestinal enterocytes to dietary lipid. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Lipid Flux Influences Enterocyte Nuclear Morphology and Lipid-dependent Transcriptional Responses*

Science.gov (United States)

Zeituni, Erin M.; Wilson, Meredith H.; Zheng, Xiaobin; Iglesias, Pablo A.; Sepanski, Michael A.; Siddiqi, Mahmud A.; Anderson, Jennifer L.; Zheng, Yixian; Farber, Steven A.

2016-01-01

Responding to a high-fat meal requires an interplay between multiple digestive tissues, sympathetic response pathways, and the gut microbiome. The epithelial enterocytes of the intestine are responsible for absorbing dietary nutrients and preparing them for circulation to distal tissues, which requires significant changes in cellular activity, including both morphological and transcriptional responses. Following a high-fat meal, we observe morphological changes in the enterocytes of larval zebrafish, including elongation of mitochondria, formation and expansion of lipid droplets, and the rapid and transient ruffling of the nuclear periphery. Dietary and pharmacological manipulation of zebrafish larvae demonstrated that these subcellular changes are specific to triglyceride absorption. The transcriptional changes that occur simultaneously with these morphological changes were determined using RNA sequencing, revealing a cohort of up-regulated genes associated with lipid droplet formation and lipid transport via lipoprotein particles. Using a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor to block β-lipoprotein particle formation, we demonstrate that the transcriptional response to a high-fat meal is associated with the transfer of ER triglyceride to nascent β-lipoproteins, possibly through the activation of Creb3l3/cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein. These data suggest that a transient increase in ER lipids is the likely mediator of the initial physiological response of intestinal enterocytes to dietary lipid. PMID:27655916

Cell Biological Mechanisms of Activity-Dependent Synapse to Nucleus Translocation of CRTC1 in Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toh Hean eCh'ng

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have revealed a critical role for CREB-regulated transcriptional coactivator (CRTC1 in regulating neuronal gene expression during learning and memory. CRTC1 localizes to synapses but undergoes activity-dependent nuclear translocation to regulate the transcription of CREB target genes. Here we investigate the long-distance retrograde transport of CRTC1 in hippocampal neurons. We show that local elevations in calcium, triggered by activation of synaptic glutamate receptors and L-type voltage-gated calcium channels, initiate active, dynein-mediated retrograde transport of CRTC1 along microtubules. We identify a nuclear localization signal within CRTC1, and characterize three conserved serine residues whose dephosphorylation is required for nuclear import. Domain analysis reveals that the amino-terminal third of CRTC1 contains all of the signals required for regulated nucleocytoplasmic trafficking. We fuse this region to Dendra2 to generate a reporter construct and perform live-cell imaging coupled with local uncaging of glutamate and photoconversion to characterize the dynamics of stimulus-induced retrograde transport and nuclear accumulation.

Core Mediator structure at 3.4 Å extends model of transcription initiation complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Nozawa, Kayo; Schneider, Thomas R; Cramer, Patrick

2017-05-11

Mediator is a multiprotein co-activator that binds the transcription pre-initiation complex (PIC) and regulates RNA polymerase (Pol) II. The Mediator head and middle modules form the essential core Mediator (cMed), whereas the tail and kinase modules play regulatory roles. The architecture of Mediator and its position on the PIC are known, but atomic details are limited to Mediator subcomplexes. Here we report the crystal structure of the 15-subunit cMed from Schizosaccharomyces pombe at 3.4 Å resolution. The structure shows an unaltered head module, and reveals the intricate middle module, which we show is globally required for transcription. Sites of known Mediator mutations cluster at the interface between the head and middle modules, and in terminal regions of the head subunits Med6 (ref. 16) and Med17 (ref. 17) that tether the middle module. The structure led to a model for Saccharomyces cerevisiae cMed that could be combined with the 3.6 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of the core PIC (cPIC). The resulting atomic model of the cPIC-cMed complex informs on interactions of the submodules forming the middle module, called beam, knob, plank, connector, and hook. The hook is flexibly linked to Mediator by a conserved hinge and contacts the transcription initiation factor IIH (TFIIH) kinase that phosphorylates the carboxy (C)-terminal domain (CTD) of Pol II and was recently positioned on the PIC. The hook also contains residues that crosslink to the CTD and reside in a previously described cradle. These results provide a framework for understanding Mediator function, including its role in stimulating CTD phosphorylation by TFIIH.

Auxin-dependent compositional change in Mediator in ARF7- and ARF19-mediated transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Jun; Fukaki, Hidehiro; Onoda, Makoto; Li, Lin; Li, Chuanyou; Tasaka, Masao; Furutani, Masahiko

2016-06-07

Mediator is a multiprotein complex that integrates the signals from transcription factors binding to the promoter and transmits them to achieve gene transcription. The subunits of Mediator complex reside in four modules: the head, middle, tail, and dissociable CDK8 kinase module (CKM). The head, middle, and tail modules form the core Mediator complex, and the association of CKM can modify the function of Mediator in transcription. Here, we show genetic and biochemical evidence that CKM-associated Mediator transmits auxin-dependent transcriptional repression in lateral root (LR) formation. The AUXIN/INDOLE 3-ACETIC ACID 14 (Aux/IAA14) transcriptional repressor inhibits the transcriptional activity of its binding partners AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 7 (ARF7) and ARF19 by making a complex with the CKM-associated Mediator. In addition, TOPLESS (TPL), a transcriptional corepressor, forms a bridge between IAA14 and the CKM component MED13 through the physical interaction. ChIP assays show that auxin induces the dissociation of MED13 but not the tail module component MED25 from the ARF7 binding region upstream of its target gene. These findings indicate that auxin-induced degradation of IAA14 changes the module composition of Mediator interacting with ARF7 and ARF19 in the upstream region of their target genes involved in LR formation. We suggest that this regulation leads to a quick switch of signal transmission from ARFs to target gene expression in response to auxin.

The transcription factor ATF3 is upregulated during chondrocyte differentiation and represses cyclin D1 and A gene transcription

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Claudine G

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Coordinated chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation are required for normal endochondral bone growth. Transcription factors binding to the cyclicAMP response element (CRE are known to regulate these processes. One member of this family, Activating Tanscription Factor 3 (ATF3, is expressed during skeletogenesis and acts as a transcriptional repressor, but the function of this protein in chondrogenesis is unknown. Results Here we demonstrate that Atf3 mRNA levels increase during mouse chondrocyte differentiation in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Atf3 mRNA levels are increased in response to cytochalasin D treatment, an inducer of chondrocyte maturation. This is accompanied by increased Atf3 promoter activity in cytochalasin D-treated chondrocytes. We had shown earlier that transcription of the cell cycle genes cyclin D1 and cyclin A in chondrocytes is dependent on CREs. Here we demonstrate that overexpression of ATF3 in primary mouse chondrocytes results in reduced transcription of both genes, as well as decreased activity of a CRE reporter plasmid. Repression of cyclin A transcription by ATF3 required the CRE in the cyclin A promoter. In parallel, ATF3 overexpression reduces the activity of a SOX9-dependent promoter and increases the activity of a RUNX2-dependent promoter. Conclusion Our data suggest that transcriptional induction of the Atf3 gene in maturing chondrocytes results in down-regulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin A expression as well as activation of RUNX2-dependent transcription. Therefore, ATF3 induction appears to facilitate cell cycle exit and terminal differentiation of chondrocytes.

Direct transcriptional activation of BT genes by NLP transcription factors is a key component of the nitrate response in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Takeo; Maekawa, Shugo; Konishi, Mineko; Yoshioka, Nozomi; Sasaki, Yuki; Maeda, Haruna; Ishida, Tetsuya; Kato, Yuki; Yamaguchi, Junji; Yanagisawa, Shuichi

2017-01-29

Nitrate modulates growth and development, functioning as a nutrient signal in plants. Although many changes in physiological processes in response to nitrate have been well characterized as nitrate responses, the molecular mechanisms underlying the nitrate response are not yet fully understood. Here, we show that NLP transcription factors, which are key regulators of the nitrate response, directly activate the nitrate-inducible expression of BT1 and BT2 encoding putative scaffold proteins with a plant-specific domain structure in Arabidopsis. Interestingly, the 35S promoter-driven expression of BT2 partially rescued growth inhibition caused by reductions in NLP activity in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, simultaneous disruption of BT1 and BT2 affected nitrate-dependent lateral root development. These results suggest that direct activation of BT1 and BT2 by NLP transcriptional activators is a key component of the molecular mechanism underlying the nitrate response in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zinc coordination is required for and regulates transcription activation by Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddhesh Aras

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1 is essential for Epstein-Barr virus to immortalize naïve B-cells. Upon binding a cluster of 20 cognate binding-sites termed the family of repeats, EBNA1 transactivates promoters for EBV genes that are required for immortalization. A small domain, termed UR1, that is 25 amino-acids in length, has been identified previously as essential for EBNA1 to activate transcription. In this study, we have elucidated how UR1 contributes to EBNA1's ability to transactivate. We show that zinc is necessary for EBNA1 to activate transcription, and that UR1 coordinates zinc through a pair of essential cysteines contained within it. UR1 dimerizes upon coordinating zinc, indicating that EBNA1 contains a second dimerization interface in its amino-terminus. There is a strong correlation between UR1-mediated dimerization and EBNA1's ability to transactivate cooperatively. Point mutants of EBNA1 that disrupt zinc coordination also prevent self-association, and do not activate transcription cooperatively. Further, we demonstrate that UR1 acts as a molecular sensor that regulates the ability of EBNA1 to activate transcription in response to changes in redox and oxygen partial pressure (pO(2. Mild oxidative stress mimicking such environmental changes decreases EBNA1-dependent transcription in a lymphoblastoid cell-line. Coincident with a reduction in EBNA1-dependent transcription, reductions are observed in EBNA2 and LMP1 protein levels. Although these changes do not affect LCL survival, treated cells accumulate in G0/G1. These findings are discussed in the context of EBV latency in body compartments that differ strikingly in their pO(2 and redox potential.

Radiation activation of transcription factors in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, M.; Stein, B.; Mai, S.; Kunz, E.; Koenig, H.; Ponta, H.; Herrlich, P.; Rahmsdorf, H.J.; Loferer, H.; Grunicke, H.H.

1990-01-01

In mammalian cells radiation induces the enhanced transcription of several genes. The cis acting elements in the control region of inducible genes have been delimited by site directed mutagenesis. Several different elements have been found in different genes. They do not only activate gene transcription in response to radiation but also in response to growth factors and to tumor promoter phorbol esters. The transcription factors binding to these elements are present also in non-irradiated cells, but their DNA binding activity and their transactivating capability is increased upon irradiation. The signal chain linking the primary radiation induced signal (damaged DNA) to the activation of transcription factors involves the action of (a) protein kinase(s). (orig.)

Deduction of upstream sequences of Xanthomonas campestris flagellar genes responding to transcription activation by FleQ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, R.-M.; Yang, T.-C.; Yang, S.-H.; Tseng, Y.-H.

2005-01-01

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), a close relative to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is the pathogen causing black rot in cruciferous plants. In P. aeruginosa, FleQ serves as a cognate activator of σ 54 in transcription from several σ 54 -dependent promoters of flagellar genes. These P. aeruginosa promoters have been analyzed for FleQ-binding sequences; however, no consensus was deduced. Xcc, although lacks fleSR, has a fleQ homologue residing among over 40 contiguously clustered flagellar genes. A fleQ mutant, Xc17fleQ, constructed by insertional mutation is deficient in FleQ protein, non-flagellated, and immobile. Transcriptional fusion assays on six putative σ 54 -dependent promoters of the flagellar genes, fliE, fliQ, fliL, flgG, flgB, and flhF, indicated that each of them is also FleQ dependent. Each of these promoters has a sequence with weak consensus to 5'-gaaacCCgccgCcgctTt-3', immediately upstream of the predicted σ 54 -binding site, with an imperfect inverted repeat containing a GC-rich center flanked by several A and T at 5'- and 3'-ends, respectively. Replacing this region in fliE promoter with a HindIII recognition sequence abolished the transcription, indicating that this region responds to transcription activation by FleQ

Onset and organ specificity of Tk2 deficiency depends on Tk1 down-regulation and transcriptional compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorado, Beatriz; Area, Estela; Akman, Hasan O; Hirano, Michio

2011-01-01

Deficiency of thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) is a frequent cause of isolated myopathy or encephalomyopathy in children with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. To determine the bases of disease onset, organ specificity and severity of TK2 deficiency, we have carefully characterized Tk2 H126N knockin mice (Tk2-/-). Although normal until postnatal day 8, Tk2-/- mice rapidly develop fatal encephalomyopathy between postnatal days 10 and 13. We have observed that wild-type Tk2 activity is constant in the second week of life, while Tk1 activity decreases significantly between postnatal days 8 and 13. The down-regulation of Tk1 activity unmasks Tk2 deficiency in Tk2-/- mice and correlates with the onset of mtDNA depletion in the brain and the heart. Resistance to pathology in Tk2 mutant organs depends on compensatory mechanisms to the reduced mtDNA level. Our analyses at postnatal day 13 have revealed that Tk2-/- heart significantly increases mitochondrial transcript levels relative to the mtDNA content. This transcriptional compensation allows the heart to maintain normal levels of mtDNA-encoded proteins. The up-regulation in mitochondrial transcripts is not due to increased expression of the master mitochondrial biogenesis regulators peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha and nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2, or to enhanced expression of the mitochondrial transcription factors A, B1 or B2. Instead, Tk2-/- heart compensates for mtDNA depletion by down-regulating the expression of the mitochondrial transcriptional terminator transcription factor 3 (MTERF3). Understanding the molecular mechanisms that allow Tk2 mutant organs to be spared may help design therapies for Tk2 deficiency.

Transcription regulation by the Mediator complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Soutourina, Julie

2018-04-01

Alterations in the regulation of gene expression are frequently associated with developmental diseases or cancer. Transcription activation is a key phenomenon in the regulation of gene expression. In all eukaryotes, mediator of RNA polymerase II transcription (Mediator), a large complex with modular organization, is generally required for transcription by RNA polymerase II, and it regulates various steps of this process. The main function of Mediator is to transduce signals from the transcription activators bound to enhancer regions to the transcription machinery, which is assembled at promoters as the preinitiation complex (PIC) to control transcription initiation. Recent functional studies of Mediator with the use of structural biology approaches and functional genomics have revealed new insights into Mediator activity and its regulation during transcription initiation, including how Mediator is recruited to transcription regulatory regions and how it interacts and cooperates with PIC components to assist in PIC assembly. Novel roles of Mediator in the control of gene expression have also been revealed by showing its connection to the nuclear pore and linking Mediator to the regulation of gene positioning in the nuclear space. Clear links between Mediator subunits and disease have also encouraged studies to explore targeting of this complex as a potential therapeutic approach in cancer and fungal infections.

Basal transcription machinery

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2007-03-29

Mar 29, 2007 ... The holoenzyme of prokaryotic RNA polymerase consists of the core enzyme, made of two , , ' and subunits, which lacks promoter selectivity and a sigma () subunit which enables the core enzyme to initiate transcription in a promoter dependent fashion. A stress sigma factor s, in prokaryotes ...

Histone H4 Lys 20 methyltransferase SET8 promotes androgen receptor-mediated transcription activation in prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Lushuai [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Yanyan; Du, Fengxia [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Han, Xiao [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Xiaohua [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Niu, Yuanjie [Chawnshang Chang Sex Hormone Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China); Ren, Shancheng, E-mail: renshancheng@gmail.com [Department of Urology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Sun, Yingli, E-mail: sunyl@big.ac.cn [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China)

2014-07-18

Highlights: • Dihydrotestosterone stimulates H4K20me1 enrichment at the PSA promoter. • SET8 promotes AR-mediated transcription activation. • SET8 interacts with AR and promotes cell proliferation. - Abstract: Histone methylation status in different lysine residues has an important role in transcription regulation. The effect of H4K20 monomethylation (H4K20me1) on androgen receptor (AR)-mediated gene transcription remains unclear. Here we show that AR agonist stimulates the enrichment of H4K20me1 and SET8 at the promoter of AR target gene PSA in an AR dependent manner. Furthermore, SET8 is crucial for the transcription activation of PSA. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrate that SET8 interacts with AR. Therefore, we conclude that SET8 is involved in AR-mediated transcription activation, possibly through its interaction with AR and H4K20me1 modification.

Potential Role of Activating Transcription Factor 5 during Osteogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luisa Vicari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Human adipose-derived stem cells are an abundant population of stem cells readily isolated from human adipose tissue that can differentiate into connective tissue lineages including bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. Activating transcription factor 5 is a transcription factor of the ATF/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB family. It is transcribed in two types of mRNAs (activating transcription factor 5 isoform 1 and activating transcription factor 5 isoform 2, encoding the same single 30-kDa protein. Although it is well demonstrated that it regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, little is known about its potential role in osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of the two isoforms and protein during osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Our data indicate that activating transcription factor 5 is differentially expressed reaching a peak of expression at the stage of bone mineralization. These findings suggest that activating transcription factor 5 could play an interesting regulatory role during osteogenesis, which would provide a powerful tool to study bone physiology.

Potential Role of Activating Transcription Factor 5 during Osteogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vicari, Luisa; Calabrese, Giovanna; Forte, Stefano; Giuffrida, Raffaella; Colarossi, Cristina; Parrinello, Nunziatina Laura; Memeo, Lorenzo

2016-01-01

Human adipose-derived stem cells are an abundant population of stem cells readily isolated from human adipose tissue that can differentiate into connective tissue lineages including bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. Activating transcription factor 5 is a transcription factor of the ATF/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) family. It is transcribed in two types of mRNAs (activating transcription factor 5 isoform 1 and activating transcription factor 5 isoform 2), encoding the same single 30-kDa protein. Although it is well demonstrated that it regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, little is known about its potential role in osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of the two isoforms and protein during osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Our data indicate that activating transcription factor 5 is differentially expressed reaching a peak of expression at the stage of bone mineralization. These findings suggest that activating transcription factor 5 could play an interesting regulatory role during osteogenesis, which would provide a powerful tool to study bone physiology.

The Transcriptional Repressive Activity of KRAB Zinc Finger Proteins Does Not Correlate with Their Ability to Recruit TRIM28.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristin E Murphy

Full Text Available KRAB domain Zinc finger proteins are one of the most abundant families of transcriptional regulators in higher vertebrates. The prevailing view is that KRAB domain proteins function as potent transcriptional repressors by recruiting TRIM28 and promoting heterochromatin spreading. However, the extent to which all KRAB domain proteins are TRIM28-dependent transcriptional repressors is currently unclear. Our studies on mouse ZFP568 revealed that TRIM28 recruitment by KRAB domain proteins is not sufficient to warrant transcriptional repressive activity. By using luciferase reporter assays and yeast two-hybrid experiments, we tested the ability of ZFP568 and other mouse KRAB domain proteins to repress transcription and bind TRIM28. We found that some mouse KRAB domain proteins are poor transcriptional repressors despite their ability to recruit TRIM28, while others showed strong KRAB-dependent transcriptional repression, but no TRIM28 binding. Together, our results show that the transcriptional repressive activity of KRAB-ZNF proteins does not correlate with their ability to recruit TRIM28, and provide evidence that KRAB domains can regulate transcription in a TRIM28-independent fashion. Our findings challenge the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms used by KRAB domain proteins to control gene expression and highlight that a high percentage of KRAB domain proteins in the mouse genome differ from the consensus KRAB sequence at amino acid residues that are critical for TRIM28 binding and/or repressive activity.

A critique on nuclear factor-kappa B and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3: The key transcription factors in periodontal pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranjith Ambili

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Periodontal disease is initiated by microorganisms in dental plaque, and host immunoinflammatory response to the microbial challenge helps in disease progression. Conventional periodontal therapy was mainly targeted on the elimination of microbial component. However, a better understanding of molecular aspects in host response will enable the clinicians to formulate effective host modulation therapy (HMT for the periodontal management. Inflammatory mediators were the main targets for HMT in the past. Transcription factors can regulate the production of multiple mediators simultaneously, and inhibition of these factors will be more beneficial than blocking individual molecule. Two important transcription factors implicated in chronic inflammatory diseases are nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB and signal transducers and activators of transcription 3. The role of these factors in periodontal disease is a less explored area. This comprehensive review is aimed at unveiling the critical role of NF-κB and signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 in periodontal pathogenesis. An online search was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed database. All publications till 2016 related to NF-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3, and inflammation were included in writing this review. A total of 27,390 references were published based on the search terms used. Out of these, 507 were related to the periodontal research published in English till 2016. Relevant papers were chosen after carefully reading the abstract. This review has attempted to comprehend the existing knowledge regarding the role of transcription factors NF-κB and STAT3 in periodontal disease. Moreover, it also provides a connecting molecular link for the periodontal medicine concept.

MYC activation is a hallmark of cancer initiation and maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabay, Meital; Li, Yulin; Felsher, Dean W

2014-06-02

The MYC proto-oncogene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of most types of human tumors. MYC activation alone in many normal cells is restrained from causing tumorigenesis through multiple genetic and epigenetically controlled checkpoint mechanisms, including proliferative arrest, apoptosis, and cellular senescence. When pathologically activated in a permissive epigenetic and/or genetic context, MYC bypasses these mechanisms, enforcing many of the "hallmark" features of cancer, including relentless tumor growth associated with DNA replication and transcription, cellular proliferation and growth, protein synthesis, and altered cellular metabolism. MYC mandates tumor cell fate, by inducing stemness and blocking cellular senescence and differentiation. Additionally, MYC orchestrates changes in the tumor microenvironment, including the activation of angiogenesis and suppression of the host immune response. Provocatively, brief or even partial suppression of MYC back to its physiological levels of activation can result in the restoration of intrinsic checkpoint mechanisms, resulting in acute and sustained tumor regression, associated with tumor cells undergoing proliferative arrest, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis, as well as remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, recruitment of an immune response, and shutdown of angiogenesis. Hence, tumors appear to be "addicted" to MYC because of both tumor cell-intrinsic, cell-autonomous and host-dependent, immune cell-dependent mechanisms. Both the trajectory and persistence of many human cancers require sustained MYC activation. Multiscale mathematical modeling may be useful to predict when tumors will be addicted to MYC. MYC is a hallmark molecular feature of both the initiation and maintenance of tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Selective transcription and cellular proliferation induced by PDGF require histone deacetylase activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catania, Annunziata; Iavarone, Carlo; Carlomagno, Stella M.; Chiariello, Mario

2006-01-01

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are key regulatory enzymes involved in the control of gene expression and their inhibition by specific drugs has been widely correlated to cell cycle arrest, terminal differentiation, and apoptosis. Here, we investigated whether HDAC activity was required for PDGF-dependent signal transduction and cellular proliferation. Exposure of PDGF-stimulated NIH3T3 fibroblasts to the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) potently repressed the expression of a group of genes correlated to PDGF-dependent cellular growth and pro-survival activity. Moreover, we show that TSA interfered with STAT3-dependent transcriptional activity induced by PDGF. Still, neither phosphorylation nor nuclear translocation and DNA-binding in vitro and in vivo of STAT3 were affected by using TSA to interfere with PDGF stimulation. Finally, TSA treatment resulted in the suppression of PDGF-dependent cellular proliferation without affecting cellular survival of NIH3T3 cells. Our data indicate that inhibition of HDAC activity antagonizes the mitogenic effect of PDGF, suggesting that these drugs may specifically act on the expression of STAT-dependent, PDGF-responsive genes

Stimulation of ribosomal RNA gene promoter by transcription factor Sp1 involves active DNA demethylation by Gadd45-NER pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajput, Pallavi; Pandey, Vijaya; Kumar, Vijay

2016-08-01

The well-studied Pol II transcription factor Sp1 has not been investigated for its regulatory role in rDNA transcription. Here, we show that Sp1 bound to specific sites on rDNA and localized into the nucleoli during the G1 phase of cell cycle to activate rDNA transcription. It facilitated the recruitment of Pol I pre-initiation complex and impeded the binding of nucleolar remodeling complex (NoRC) to rDNA resulting in the formation of euchromatin active state. More importantly, Sp1 also orchestrated the site-specific binding of Gadd45a-nucleotide excision repair (NER) complex resulting in active demethylation and transcriptional activation of rDNA. Interestingly, knockdown of Sp1 impaired rDNA transcription due to reduced engagement of the Gadd45a-NER complex and hypermethylation of rDNA. Thus, the present study unveils a novel role of Sp1 in rDNA transcription involving promoter demethylation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MiT/TFE transcription factors are activated during mitophagy downstream of Parkin and Atg5.

Science.gov (United States)

Nezich, Catherine L; Wang, Chunxin; Fogel, Adam I; Youle, Richard J

2015-08-03

The kinase PINK1 and ubiquitin ligase Parkin can regulate the selective elimination of damaged mitochondria through autophagy (mitophagy). Because of the demand on lysosomal function by mitophagy, we investigated a role for the transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis, in this process. We show that during mitophagy TFEB translocates to the nucleus and displays transcriptional activity in a PINK1- and Parkin-dependent manner. MITF and TFE3, homologues of TFEB belonging to the same microphthalmia/transcription factor E (MiT/TFE) family, are similarly regulated during mitophagy. Unlike TFEB translocation after starvation-induced mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 inhibition, Parkin-mediated TFEB relocalization required Atg9A and Atg5 activity. However, constitutively active Rag guanosine triphosphatases prevented TFEB translocation during mitophagy, suggesting cross talk between these two MiT/TFE activation pathways. Analysis of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-generated TFEB/MITF/TFE3/TFEC single, double, and triple knockout cell lines revealed that these proteins partly facilitate Parkin-mediated mitochondrial clearance. These results illuminate a pathway leading to MiT/TFE transcription factor activation, distinct from starvation-induced autophagy, which occurs during mitophagy.

Microarray and cDNA sequence analysis of transcription during nerve-dependent limb regeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryant Susan V

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray analysis and 454 cDNA sequencing were used to investigate a centuries-old problem in regenerative biology: the basis of nerve-dependent limb regeneration in salamanders. Innervated (NR and denervated (DL forelimbs of Mexican axolotls were amputated and transcripts were sampled after 0, 5, and 14 days of regeneration. Results Considerable similarity was observed between NR and DL transcriptional programs at 5 and 14 days post amputation (dpa. Genes with extracellular functions that are critical to wound healing were upregulated while muscle-specific genes were downregulated. Thus, many processes that are regulated during early limb regeneration do not depend upon nerve-derived factors. The majority of the transcriptional differences between NR and DL limbs were correlated with blastema formation; cell numbers increased in NR limbs after 5 dpa and this yielded distinct transcriptional signatures of cell proliferation in NR limbs at 14 dpa. These transcriptional signatures were not observed in DL limbs. Instead, gene expression changes within DL limbs suggest more diverse and protracted wound-healing responses. 454 cDNA sequencing complemented the microarray analysis by providing deeper sampling of transcriptional programs and associated biological processes. Assembly of new 454 cDNA sequences with existing expressed sequence tag (EST contigs from the Ambystoma EST database more than doubled (3935 to 9411 the number of non-redundant human-A. mexicanum orthologous sequences. Conclusion Many new candidate gene sequences were discovered for the first time and these will greatly enable future studies of wound healing, epigenetics, genome stability, and nerve-dependent blastema formation and outgrowth using the axolotl model.

The Mediator complex and transcription regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Poss, Zachary C.; Ebmeier, Christopher C.

2013-01-01

The Mediator complex is a multi-subunit assembly that appears to be required for regulating expression of most RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcripts, which include protein-coding and most non-coding RNA genes. Mediator and pol II function within the pre-initiation complex (PIC), which consists of Mediator, pol II, TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIID, TFIIE, TFIIF and TFIIH and is approximately 4.0 MDa in size. Mediator serves as a central scaffold within the PIC and helps regulate pol II activity in ways that remain poorly understood. Mediator is also generally targeted by sequence-specific, DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) that work to control gene expression programs in response to developmental or environmental cues. At a basic level, Mediator functions by relaying signals from TFs directly to the pol II enzyme, thereby facilitating TF-dependent regulation of gene expression. Thus, Mediator is essential for converting biological inputs (communicated by TFs) to physiological responses (via changes in gene expression). In this review, we summarize an expansive body of research on the Mediator complex, with an emphasis on yeast and mammalian complexes. We focus on the basics that underlie Mediator function, such as its structure and subunit composition, and describe its broad regulatory influence on gene expression, ranging from chromatin architecture to transcription initiation and elongation, to mRNA processing. We also describe factors that influence Mediator structure and activity, including TFs, non-coding RNAs and the CDK8 module. PMID:24088064

Activating RNAs associate with Mediator to enhance chromatin architecture and transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Fan; Orom, Ulf A; Cesaroni, Matteo; Beringer, Malte; Taatjes, Dylan J; Blobel, Gerd A; Shiekhattar, Ramin

2013-02-28

Recent advances in genomic research have revealed the existence of a large number of transcripts devoid of protein-coding potential in multiple organisms. Although the functional role for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been best defined in epigenetic phenomena such as X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting, different classes of lncRNAs may have varied biological functions. We and others have identified a class of lncRNAs, termed ncRNA-activating (ncRNA-a), that function to activate their neighbouring genes using a cis-mediated mechanism. To define the precise mode by which such enhancer-like RNAs function, we depleted factors with known roles in transcriptional activation and assessed their role in RNA-dependent activation. Here we report that depletion of the components of the co-activator complex, Mediator, specifically and potently diminished the ncRNA-induced activation of transcription in a heterologous reporter assay using human HEK293 cells. In vivo, Mediator is recruited to ncRNA-a target genes and regulates their expression. We show that ncRNA-a interact with Mediator to regulate its chromatin localization and kinase activity towards histone H3 serine 10. The Mediator complex harbouring disease- displays diminished ability to associate with activating ncRNAs. Chromosome conformation capture confirmed the presence of DNA looping between the ncRNA-a loci and its targets. Importantly, depletion of Mediator subunits or ncRNA-a reduced the chromatin looping between the two loci. Our results identify the human Mediator complex as the transducer of activating ncRNAs and highlight the importance of Mediator and activating ncRNA association in human disease.

Alterations in leukocyte transcriptional control pathway activity associated with major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellon, S H; Wolkowitz, O M; Schonemann, M D; Epel, E S; Rosser, R; Burke, H B; Mahan, L; Reus, V I; Stamatiou, D; Liew, C-C; Cole, S W

2016-05-24

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with a significantly elevated risk of developing serious medical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, immune impairments, infection, dementia and premature death. Previous work has demonstrated immune dysregulation in subjects with MDD. Using genome-wide transcriptional profiling and promoter-based bioinformatic strategies, we assessed leukocyte transcription factor (TF) activity in leukocytes from 20 unmedicated MDD subjects versus 20 age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched healthy controls, before initiation of antidepressant therapy, and in 17 of the MDD subjects after 8 weeks of sertraline treatment. In leukocytes from unmedicated MDD subjects, bioinformatic analysis of transcription control pathway activity indicated an increased transcriptional activity of cAMP response element-binding/activating TF (CREB/ATF) and increased activity of TFs associated with cellular responses to oxidative stress (nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2, NFE2l2 or NRF2). Eight weeks of antidepressant therapy was associated with significant reductions in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores and reduced activity of NRF2, but not in CREB/ATF activity. Several other transcriptional regulation pathways, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), nuclear factor kappa-B cells (NF-κB), early growth response proteins 1-4 (EGR1-4) and interferon-responsive TFs, showed either no significant differences as a function of disease or treatment, or activities that were opposite to those previously hypothesized to be involved in the etiology of MDD or effective treatment. Our results suggest that CREB/ATF and NRF2 signaling may contribute to MDD by activating immune cell transcriptome dynamics that ultimately influence central nervous system (CNS) motivational and affective processes via circulating mediators.

Cooperative activation of cardiac transcription through myocardin bridging of paired MEF2 sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Courtney M. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Hu, Jianxin [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Thomas, Reuben [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Gladstone Inst.; Gainous, T. Blair [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Celona, Barbara [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Sinha, Tanvi [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Dickel, Diane E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Genomics Division; Heidt, Analeah B. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Xu, Shan-Mei [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Bruneau, Benoit G. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Gladstone Inst.; Pollard, Katherine S. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Gladstone Inst.; Pennacchio, Len A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Genomics Division; Black, Brian L. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Cardiovascular Research Inst.; Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States). Dept. of

2017-03-28

Enhancers frequently contain multiple binding sites for the same transcription factor. These homotypic binding sites often exhibit synergy, whereby the transcriptional output from two or more binding sites is greater than the sum of the contributions of the individual binding sites alone. Although this phenomenon is frequently observed, the mechanistic basis for homotypic binding site synergy is poorly understood. Here in this paper, we identify a bona fide cardiac-specific Prkaa2 enhancer that is synergistically activated by homotypic MEF2 binding sites. We show that two MEF2 sites in the enhancer function cooperatively due to bridging of the MEF2C-bound sites by the SAP domain-containing co-activator protein myocardin, and we show that paired sites buffer the enhancer from integration site-dependent effects on transcription in vivo. Paired MEF2 sites are prevalent in cardiac enhancers, suggesting that this might be a common mechanism underlying synergy in the control of cardiac gene expression in vivo.

Pivotal roles of p53 transcription-dependent and -independent pathways in manganese-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan, Chunhua [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Ma, Xa; Shi, Shangshi [Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Zhao, Jianya; Nie, Xiaoke [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Han, Jingling; Xiao, Jing; Wang, Xiaoke [Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Jiang, Shengyang [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Jiang, Junkang, E-mail: Jiang_junkang@163.com [Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, Nantong 226019 Jiangsu (China)

2014-12-15

Chronic exposure to excessive manganese (Mn) has been known to lead to neuronal loss and a clinical syndrome resembling idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). p53 plays an integral role in the development of various human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. However, the role of p53 in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficits remains obscure. In the present study, we showed that p53 was critically involved in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis in rat striatum through both transcription-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Western blot and immunohistochemistrical analyses revealed that p53 was remarkably upregulated in the striatum of rats following Mn exposure. Coincidentally, increased level of cleaved PARP, a hallmark of apoptosis, was observed. Furthermore, using nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells as a neuronal cell model, we showed that Mn exposure decreased cell viability and induced apparent apoptosis. Importantly, p53 was progressively upregulated, and accumulated in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The cytoplasmic p53 had a remarkable distribution in mitochondria, suggesting an involvement of p53 mitochondrial translocation in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis. In addition, Mn-induced impairment of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) could be partially rescued by pretreatment with inhibitors of p53 transcriptional activity and p53 mitochondrial translocation, Pifithrin-α (PFT-α) and Pifithrin-μ (PFT-μ), respectively. Moreover, blockage of p53 activities with PFT-α and PFT-μ significantly attenuated Mn-induced reactive oxidative stress (ROS) generation and mitochondrial H{sub 2}O{sub 2} production. Finally, we observed that pretreatment with PFT-α and PFT-μ ameliorated Mn-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Collectively, these findings implicate that p53 transcription-dependent and -independent pathways may play crucial roles in the regulation of Mn-induced neuronal death. - Highlights: • p53 is

Pivotal roles of p53 transcription-dependent and -independent pathways in manganese-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Chunhua; Ma, Xa; Shi, Shangshi; Zhao, Jianya; Nie, Xiaoke; Han, Jingling; Xiao, Jing; Wang, Xiaoke; Jiang, Shengyang; Jiang, Junkang

2014-01-01

Chronic exposure to excessive manganese (Mn) has been known to lead to neuronal loss and a clinical syndrome resembling idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). p53 plays an integral role in the development of various human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. However, the role of p53 in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficits remains obscure. In the present study, we showed that p53 was critically involved in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis in rat striatum through both transcription-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Western blot and immunohistochemistrical analyses revealed that p53 was remarkably upregulated in the striatum of rats following Mn exposure. Coincidentally, increased level of cleaved PARP, a hallmark of apoptosis, was observed. Furthermore, using nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells as a neuronal cell model, we showed that Mn exposure decreased cell viability and induced apparent apoptosis. Importantly, p53 was progressively upregulated, and accumulated in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The cytoplasmic p53 had a remarkable distribution in mitochondria, suggesting an involvement of p53 mitochondrial translocation in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis. In addition, Mn-induced impairment of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) could be partially rescued by pretreatment with inhibitors of p53 transcriptional activity and p53 mitochondrial translocation, Pifithrin-α (PFT-α) and Pifithrin-μ (PFT-μ), respectively. Moreover, blockage of p53 activities with PFT-α and PFT-μ significantly attenuated Mn-induced reactive oxidative stress (ROS) generation and mitochondrial H 2 O 2 production. Finally, we observed that pretreatment with PFT-α and PFT-μ ameliorated Mn-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Collectively, these findings implicate that p53 transcription-dependent and -independent pathways may play crucial roles in the regulation of Mn-induced neuronal death. - Highlights: • p53 is robustly

Mutant Forms of the Azotobacter vinelandii Transcriptional Activator NifA Resistant to Inhibition by the NifL Regulatory Protein

OpenAIRE

Reyes-Ramirez, Francisca; Little, Richard; Dixon, Ray

2002-01-01

The Azotobacter vinelandii σ54-dependent transcriptional activator protein NifA is regulated by the NifL protein in response to redox, carbon, and nitrogen status. Under conditions inappropriate for nitrogen fixation, NifL inhibits transcription activation by NifA through the formation of the NifL-NifA protein complex. NifL inhibits the ATPase activity of the central AAA+ domain of NifA required to drive open complex formation by σ54-RNA polymerase and may also inhibit the activator-polymeras...

Replicative Stress Induces Intragenic Transcription of the ASE1 Gene that Negatively Regulates Ase1 Activity

OpenAIRE

McKnight, Kelly; Liu, Hong; Wang, Yanchang

2014-01-01

Intragenic transcripts initiate within the coding region of a gene, thereby producing shorter mRNAs and proteins. Although intragenic transcripts are widely expressed [1], their role in the functional regulation of genes remains largely unknown. In budding yeast, DNA replication stress activates the S-phase checkpoint that stabilizes replication forks and arrests cells in S-phase with a short spindle [2-4]. When yeast cells were treated with hydroxyurea (HU) to block DNA synthesis and induce ...

Insulators target active genes to transcription factories and polycomb-repressed genes to polycomb bodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua-Bing Li

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Polycomb bodies are foci of Polycomb proteins in which different Polycomb target genes are thought to co-localize in the nucleus, looping out from their chromosomal context. We have shown previously that insulators, not Polycomb response elements (PREs, mediate associations among Polycomb Group (PcG targets to form Polycomb bodies. Here we use live imaging and 3C interactions to show that transgenes containing PREs and endogenous PcG-regulated genes are targeted by insulator proteins to different nuclear structures depending on their state of activity. When two genes are repressed, they co-localize in Polycomb bodies. When both are active, they are targeted to transcription factories in a fashion dependent on Trithorax and enhancer specificity as well as the insulator protein CTCF. In the absence of CTCF, assembly of Polycomb bodies is essentially reduced to those representing genomic clusters of Polycomb target genes. The critical role of Trithorax suggests that stable association with a specialized transcription factory underlies the cellular memory of the active state.

Transcriptional activation of ribosomal RNA genes during compensatory renal hypertrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouellette, A.J.; Moonka, R.; Zelenetz, A.; Malt, R.A.

1986-01-01

The overall rate of rDNA transcription increases by 50% during the first 24 hours of compensatory renal hypertrophy in the mouse. To study mechanisms of ribosome accumulation after uninephrectomy, transcription rates were measured in isolated kidneys by transcriptional runoff. 32 P-labeled nascent transcripts were hybridized to blots containing linearized, denatured cloned rDNA, and hybridization was quantitated autoradiographically and by direct counting. Overall transcriptional activity of rDNA was increased by 30% above control levels at 6 hrs after nephrectomy and by 50% at 12, 18, and 24 hrs after operation. Hybridizing RNA was insensitive to inhibiby alpha-amanitin, and no hybridization was detected to vector DNA. Thus, accelerated rDNA transcription is one regulatory element in the accretion of ribosomes in renal growth, and the regulatory event is an early event. Mechanisms of activation may include enhanced transcription of active genes or induction of inactive DNA

In vitro activation of transcription by the human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, M A; Markowitz, R B; Dynan, W S

1992-05-01

The human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) regulatory protein Tax activates transcription of the proviral long terminal repeats and a number of cellular promoters. We have developed an in vitro system to characterize the mechanism by which Tax interacts with the host cell transcription machinery. Tax was purified from cells infected with a baculovirus expression vector. Addition of these Tax preparations to nuclear extracts from uninfected human T lymphocytes activated transcription of the HTLV-I long terminal repeat approximately 10-fold. Transcription-stimulatory activity copurified with the immunoreactive 40-kDa Tax polypeptide on gel filtration chromatography, and, as expected, the effect of recombinant Tax was diminished in HTLV-I-infected T-lymphocyte extracts containing endogenous Tax. Tax-mediated transactivation in vivo has been previously shown to require 21-bp-repeat Tax-responsive elements (TxREs) in the promoter DNA. Stimulation of transcription in vitro was also strongly dependent on these sequences. To investigate the mechanism of Tax transactivation, cellular proteins that bind the 21-bp-repeat TxREs were prepared by DNA affinity chromatography. Recombinant Tax markedly increased the formation of a specific host protein-DNA complex detected in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. These data suggest that Tax activates transcription through a direct interaction with cellular proteins that bind to the 21-bp-repeat TxREs.

Fungal mediator tail subunits contain classical transcriptional activation domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhongle; Myers, Lawrence C

2015-04-01

Classical activation domains within DNA-bound eukaryotic transcription factors make weak interactions with coactivator complexes, such as Mediator, to stimulate transcription. How these interactions stimulate transcription, however, is unknown. The activation of reporter genes by artificial fusion of Mediator subunits to DNA binding domains that bind to their promoters has been cited as evidence that the primary role of activators is simply to recruit Mediator. We have identified potent classical transcriptional activation domains in the C termini of several tail module subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and Candida dubliniensis Mediator, while their N-terminal domains are necessary and sufficient for their incorporation into Mediator but do not possess the ability to activate transcription when fused to a DNA binding domain. This suggests that Mediator fusion proteins actually are functioning in a manner similar to that of a classical DNA-bound activator rather than just recruiting Mediator. Our finding that deletion of the activation domains of S. cerevisiae Med2 and Med3, as well as C. dubliniensis Tlo1 (a Med2 ortholog), impairs the induction of certain genes shows these domains function at native promoters. Activation domains within coactivators are likely an important feature of these complexes and one that may have been uniquely leveraged by a common fungal pathogen. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Dimer formation and transcription activation in the sporulation response regulator Spo0A.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Richard J; Scott, David J; Brannigan, James A; Ladds, Joanne C; Cervin, Marguerite A; Spiegelman, George B; Hoggett, James G; Barák, Imrich; Wilkinson, Anthony J

2002-02-15

The response regulator Spo0A is the master control element in the initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Like many other multi-domain response regulators, the latent activity of the effector, C-terminal domain is stimulated by phosphorylation on a conserved aspartic acid residue in the regulatory, N-terminal domain. If a threshold concentration of phosphorylated Spo0A is achieved, the transcription of genes required for sporulation is activated, whereas the genes encoding stationary phase sentinels are repressed, and sporulation proceeds. Despite detailed genetic, biochemical and structural characterisation, it is not understood how the phosphorylation signal in the receiver domain is transduced into DNA binding and transcription activation in the distal effector domain. An obstacle to our understanding of Spo0A function is the uncertainty concerning changes in quaternary structure that accompany phosphorylation. Here we have revisited this question and shown unequivocally that Spo0A forms dimers upon phosphorylation and that the subunit interactions in the dimer are mediated principally by the receiver domain. Purified dimers of two mutants of Spo0A, in which the phosphorylatable aspartic acid residue has been substituted, activate transcription from the spoIIG promoter in vitro, whereas monomers do not. This suggests that dimers represent the activated form of Spo0A. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Software Dependability and Safety Evaluations ESA's Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Hernek, M.

ESA has allocated funds for an initiative to evaluate Dependability and Safety methods of Software. The objectives of this initiative are; · More extensive validation of Safety and Dependability techniques for Software · Provide valuable results to improve the quality of the Software thus promoting the application of Dependability and Safety methods and techniques. ESA space systems are being developed according to defined PA requirement specifications. These requirements may be implemented through various design concepts, e.g. redundancy, diversity etc. varying from project to project. Analysis methods (FMECA. FTA, HA, etc) are frequently used during requirements analysis and design activities to assure the correct implementation of system PA requirements. The criticality level of failures, functions and systems is determined and by doing that the critical sub-systems are identified, on which dependability and safety techniques are to be applied during development. Proper performance of the software development requires the development of a technical specification for the products at the beginning of the life cycle. Such technical specification comprises both functional and non-functional requirements. These non-functional requirements address characteristics of the product such as quality, dependability, safety and maintainability. Software in space systems is more and more used in critical functions. Also the trend towards more frequent use of COTS and reusable components pose new difficulties in terms of assuring reliable and safe systems. Because of this, its dependability and safety must be carefully analysed. ESA identified and documented techniques, methods and procedures to ensure that software dependability and safety requirements are specified and taken into account during the design and development of a software system and to verify/validate that the implemented software systems comply with these requirements [R1].

Promoter proximal polyadenylation sites reduce transcription activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Pia Kjølhede; Lykke-Andersen, Søren; Jensen, Torben Heick

2012-01-01

Gene expression relies on the functional communication between mRNA processing and transcription. We previously described the negative impact of a point-mutated splice donor (SD) site on transcription. Here we demonstrate that this mutation activates an upstream cryptic polyadenylation (CpA) site......, which in turn causes reduced transcription. Functional depletion of U1 snRNP in the context of the wild-type SD triggers the same CpA event accompanied by decreased RNA levels. Thus, in accordance with recent findings, U1 snRNP can shield premature pA sites. The negative impact of unshielded pA sites...... on transcription requires promoter proximity, as demonstrated using artificial constructs and supported by a genome-wide data set. Importantly, transcription down-regulation can be recapitulated in a gene context devoid of splice sites by placing a functional bona fide pA site/transcription terminator within ∼500...

Modulation of Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 2-dependent transcription by protein arginine methyltransferase 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Cheng-Der; Cheng, Chi-Ping; Fang, Jia-Shih; Chen, Ling-Chih; Zhao, Bo; Kieff, Elliott; Peng, Chih-Wen

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Catalytic active PRMT5 substantially binds to the EBNA2 RG domain. ► PRMT5 augments the EBNA2-dependent transcription. ► PRMT5 triggers the symmetric dimethylation of the EBNA2 RG domain. ► PRMT5 enhances the promoter occupancy of EBNA2 on its target promoters. -- Abstract: Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen (EBNA) 2 features an Arginine–Glycine repeat (RG) domain at amino acid positions 335–360, which is a known target for protein arginine methyltransferaser 5 (PRMT5). In this study, we performed protein affinity pull-down assays to demonstrate that endogenous PRMT5 derived from lymphoblastoid cells specifically associated with the protein bait GST-E2 RG. Transfection of a plasmid expressing PRMT5 induced a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in EBNA2-dependent transcription of both the LMP1 promoter in AKATA cells, which contain the EBV genome endogenously, and a Cp-Luc reporter plasmid in BJAB cells, which are EBV negative. Furthermore, we showed that there was a 2-fold enrichment of EBNA2 occupancy in target promoters in the presence of exogenous PRMT5. Taken together, we show that PRMT5 triggers the symmetric dimethylation of EBNA2 RG domain to coordinate with EBNA2-mediated transcription. This modulation suggests that PRMT5 may play a role in latent EBV infection

Modulation of Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 2-dependent transcription by protein arginine methyltransferase 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Cheng-Der; Cheng, Chi-Ping; Fang, Jia-Shih; Chen, Ling-Chih [Department of Life Sciences, Tzu-Chi University, 701 Chung-Yang Rd. Sec 3, Hualien 97004, Taiwan (China); Zhao, Bo; Kieff, Elliott [Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 181 Longwood Ave., Boston 02115, MA (United States); Peng, Chih-Wen, E-mail: pengcw@mail.tcu.edu.tw [Department of Life Sciences, Tzu-Chi University, 701 Chung-Yang Rd. Sec 3, Hualien 97004, Taiwan (China)

2013-01-18

Highlights: ► Catalytic active PRMT5 substantially binds to the EBNA2 RG domain. ► PRMT5 augments the EBNA2-dependent transcription. ► PRMT5 triggers the symmetric dimethylation of the EBNA2 RG domain. ► PRMT5 enhances the promoter occupancy of EBNA2 on its target promoters. -- Abstract: Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen (EBNA) 2 features an Arginine–Glycine repeat (RG) domain at amino acid positions 335–360, which is a known target for protein arginine methyltransferaser 5 (PRMT5). In this study, we performed protein affinity pull-down assays to demonstrate that endogenous PRMT5 derived from lymphoblastoid cells specifically associated with the protein bait GST-E2 RG. Transfection of a plasmid expressing PRMT5 induced a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in EBNA2-dependent transcription of both the LMP1 promoter in AKATA cells, which contain the EBV genome endogenously, and a Cp-Luc reporter plasmid in BJAB cells, which are EBV negative. Furthermore, we showed that there was a 2-fold enrichment of EBNA2 occupancy in target promoters in the presence of exogenous PRMT5. Taken together, we show that PRMT5 triggers the symmetric dimethylation of EBNA2 RG domain to coordinate with EBNA2-mediated transcription. This modulation suggests that PRMT5 may play a role in latent EBV infection.

An upstream activation element exerting differential transcriptional activation on an archaeal promoter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peng, Nan; Xia, Qiu; Chen, Zhengjun

2009-01-01

S gene encoding an arabinose binding protein was characterized using an Sulfolobus islandicus reporter gene system. The minimal active araS promoter (P(araS)) was found to be 59 nucleotides long and harboured four promoter elements: an ara-box, an upstream transcription factor B-responsive element (BRE......), a TATA-box and a proximal promoter element, each of which contained important nucleotides that either greatly decreased or completely abolished promoter activity upon mutagenesis. The basal araS promoter was virtually inactive due to intrinsically weak BRE element, and the upstream activating sequence...... (UAS) ara-box activated the basal promoter by recruiting transcription factor B to its BRE. While this UAS ensured a general expression from an inactive or weak basal promoter in the presence of other tested carbon resources, it exhibited a strong arabinose-responsive transcriptional activation. To our...

Transcriptional activation by the thyroid hormone receptor through ligand-dependent receptor recruitment and chromatin remodelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grøntved, Lars; Waterfall, Joshua J; Kim, Dong Wook

2015-01-01

A bimodal switch model is widely used to describe transcriptional regulation by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). In this model, the unliganded TR forms stable, chromatin-bound complexes with transcriptional co-repressors to repress transcription. Binding of hormone dissociates co...

Evaluation of transcriptional activity of the oestrogen receptor with sodium iodide symporter as an imaging reporter gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Joo Hyun; Chung, June-Key; Lee, Yong Jin; Kim, Kwang Il; Jeong, Jae Min; Lee, Dong Soo; Lee, Myung Chul

2006-10-01

Oestrogen receptors are ligand-dependent transcription factors whose activity is modulated either by oestrogens or by an alternative signalling pathway. Oestrogen receptors interact via a specific DNA-binding domain, the oestrogen responsive element (ERE), in the promoter region of sensitive genes. This binding leads to an initiation of gene expression and hormonal effects. To determine the transcriptional activity of the oestrogen receptor, we developed a molecular imaging system using sodium iodide symporter (NIS) as a reporter gene. The NIS reporter gene was placed under the control of an artificial ERE derived from pERE-TA-SEAP and named as pERE-NIS. pERE-NIS was transferred to MCF-7, human breast cancer cells, which highly expressed oestrogen receptor-alpha with lipofectamine. Stably expressing cells were generated by selection with G418 for 14 days. After treatment of 17beta-oestradiol and tamoxifen with serial doses, the (125)I uptake was measured for the determination of NIS expression. The inhibition of NIS activity was performed with 50 micromol x l(-1) potassium perchlorate. The MCF7/pERE-NIS treated with 17beta-oestradiol accumulated (125)I up to 70-80% higher than did non-treated cells. NIS expression was increased according to increasing doses of 17beta-oestradiol. MCF7/pERE-NIS treated with tamoxifen also accumulated (125)I up to 50% higher than did non-treated cells. Potassium perchlorate completely inhibited (125)I uptake. When MDA-MB231 cells, the oestrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells, were transfected with pERE-NIS, (125)I uptake of MDA-MB-231/pERE-NIS did not increase. This pERE-NIS reporter system is sufficiently sensitive for monitoring transcriptional activity of the oestrogen receptor. Therefore, cis-enhancer reporter systems with ERE will be applicable to the development of a novel selective oestrogen receptor modulator with low toxicity and high efficacy.

saRNA-guided Ago2 targets the RITA complex to promoters to stimulate transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Portnoy, Victoria; Lin, Szu Hua Sharon; Li, Kathy H; Burlingame, Alma; Hu, Zheng-Hui; Li, Hao; Li, Long-Cheng

2016-03-01

Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) targeting specific promoter regions are able to stimulate gene expression at the transcriptional level, a phenomenon known as RNA activation (RNAa). It is known that RNAa depends on Ago2 and is associated with epigenetic changes at the target promoters. However, the precise molecular mechanism of RNAa remains elusive. Using human CDKN1A (p21) as a model gene, we characterized the molecular nature of RNAa. We show that saRNAs guide Ago2 to and associate with target promoters. saRNA-loaded Ago2 facilitates the assembly of an RNA-induced transcriptional activation (RITA) complex, which, in addition to saRNA-Ago2 complex, includes RHA and CTR9, the latter being a component of the PAF1 complex. RITA interacts with RNA polymerase II to stimulate transcription initiation and productive elongation, accompanied by monoubiquitination of histone 2B. Our results establish the existence of a cellular RNA-guided genome-targeting and transcriptional activation mechanism and provide important new mechanistic insights into the RNAa process.

Role of Flightless-I (Drosophila) homolog in the transcription activation of type I collagen gene mediated by transforming growth factor beta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Mi-Sun; Jeong, Kwang Won, E-mail: kwjeong@gachon.ac.kr

2014-11-21

Highlights: • FLII activates TGFβ-mediated expression of COL1A2 gene. • TGFβ induces the association of FLII with SMAD3 and BRG1 in A549 cells. • FLII is required for the recruitment of SWI/SNF complex and chromatin accessibility to COL1A2 promoter. - Abstract: Flightless-I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII) is a nuclear receptor coactivator that is known to interact with other transcriptional regulators such as the SWI/SNF complex, an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, at the promoter or enhancer region of estrogen receptor (ER)-α target genes. However, little is known about the role of FLII during transcription initiation in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)/SMAD-dependent signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that FLII functions as a coactivator in the expression of type I collagen gene induced by TGFβ in A549 cells. FLII activates the reporter gene driven by COL1A2 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. Co-expression of GRIP1, CARM1, or p300 did not show any synergistic activation of transcription. Furthermore, the level of COL1A2 expression correlated with the endogenous level of FLII mRNA level. Depletion of FLII resulted in a reduction of TGFβ-induced expression of COL1A2 gene. In contrast, over-expression of FLII caused an increase in the endogenous expression of COL1A2. We also showed that FLII is associated with Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) as well as SMAD in A549 cells. Notably, the recruitment of BRG1 to the COL1A2 promoter region was decreased in FLII-depleted A549 cells, suggesting that FLII is required for TGFβ-induced chromatin remodeling, which is carried out by the SWI/SNF complex. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments revealed that depletion of FLII caused a reduction in chromatin accessibility at the COL1A2 promoter. These results suggest that FLII plays a critical role in TGFβ/SMAD-mediated transcription of the COL1A2 gene

Cold shock protein YB-1 is involved in hypoxia-dependent gene transcription

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauen, Thomas; Frye, Bjoern C.; Wang, Jialin; Raffetseder, Ute; Alidousty, Christina; En-Nia, Abdelaziz; Floege, Jürgen; Mertens, Peter R.

2016-01-01

Hypoxia-dependent gene regulation is largely orchestrated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which associate with defined nucleotide sequences of hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs). Comparison of the regulatory HRE within the 3′ enhancer of the human erythropoietin (EPO) gene with known binding motifs for cold shock protein Y-box (YB) protein-1 yielded strong similarities within the Y-box element and 3′ adjacent sequences. DNA binding assays confirmed YB-1 binding to both, single- and double-stranded HRE templates. Under hypoxia, we observed nuclear shuttling of YB-1 and co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that YB-1 and HIF-1α physically interact with each other. Cellular YB-1 depletion using siRNA significantly induced hypoxia-dependent EPO production at both, promoter and mRNA level. Vice versa, overexpressed YB-1 significantly reduced EPO-HRE-dependent gene transcription, whereas this effect was minor under normoxia. HIF-1α overexpression induced hypoxia-dependent gene transcription through the same element and accordingly, co-expression with YB-1 reduced HIF-1α-mediated EPO induction under hypoxic conditions. Taken together, we identified YB-1 as a novel binding factor for HREs that participates in fine-tuning of the hypoxia transcriptome. - Highlights: • Hypoxia drives nuclear translocation of cold shock protein YB-1. • YB-1 physically interacts with hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. • YB-1 binds to the hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) within the erythropoietin (EPO) 3′ enhancer. • YB-1 trans-regulates transcription of hypoxia-dependent genes such as EPO and VEGF.

The PDZ-binding motif of Yes-associated protein is required for its co-activation of TEAD-mediated CTGF transcription and oncogenic cell transforming activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimomura, Tadanori; Miyamura, Norio; Hata, Shoji; Miura, Ryota; Hirayama, Jun; Nishina, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Highlights: •Loss of the PDZ-binding motif inhibits constitutively active YAP (5SA)-induced oncogenic cell transformation. •The PDZ-binding motif of YAP promotes its nuclear localization in cultured cells and mouse liver. •Loss of the PDZ-binding motif inhibits YAP (5SA)-induced CTGF transcription in cultured cells and mouse liver. -- Abstract: YAP is a transcriptional co-activator that acts downstream of the Hippo signaling pathway and regulates multiple cellular processes, including proliferation. Hippo pathway-dependent phosphorylation of YAP negatively regulates its function. Conversely, attenuation of Hippo-mediated phosphorylation of YAP increases its ability to stimulate proliferation and eventually induces oncogenic transformation. The C-terminus of YAP contains a highly conserved PDZ-binding motif that regulates YAP’s functions in multiple ways. However, to date, the importance of the PDZ-binding motif to the oncogenic cell transforming activity of YAP has not been determined. In this study, we disrupted the PDZ-binding motif in the YAP (5SA) protein, in which the sites normally targeted by Hippo pathway-dependent phosphorylation are mutated. We found that loss of the PDZ-binding motif significantly inhibited the oncogenic transformation of cultured cells induced by YAP (5SA). In addition, the increased nuclear localization of YAP (5SA) and its enhanced activation of TEAD-dependent transcription of the cell proliferation gene CTGF were strongly reduced when the PDZ-binding motif was deleted. Similarly, in mouse liver, deletion of the PDZ-binding motif suppressed nuclear localization of YAP (5SA) and YAP (5SA)-induced CTGF expression. Taken together, our results indicate that the PDZ-binding motif of YAP is critical for YAP-mediated oncogenesis, and that this effect is mediated by YAP’s co-activation of TEAD-mediated CTGF transcription

The PDZ-binding motif of Yes-associated protein is required for its co-activation of TEAD-mediated CTGF transcription and oncogenic cell transforming activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimomura, Tadanori; Miyamura, Norio; Hata, Shoji; Miura, Ryota; Hirayama, Jun, E-mail: hirayama.dbio@mri.tmd.ac.jp; Nishina, Hiroshi, E-mail: nishina.dbio@mri.tmd.ac.jp

2014-01-17

Highlights: •Loss of the PDZ-binding motif inhibits constitutively active YAP (5SA)-induced oncogenic cell transformation. •The PDZ-binding motif of YAP promotes its nuclear localization in cultured cells and mouse liver. •Loss of the PDZ-binding motif inhibits YAP (5SA)-induced CTGF transcription in cultured cells and mouse liver. -- Abstract: YAP is a transcriptional co-activator that acts downstream of the Hippo signaling pathway and regulates multiple cellular processes, including proliferation. Hippo pathway-dependent phosphorylation of YAP negatively regulates its function. Conversely, attenuation of Hippo-mediated phosphorylation of YAP increases its ability to stimulate proliferation and eventually induces oncogenic transformation. The C-terminus of YAP contains a highly conserved PDZ-binding motif that regulates YAP’s functions in multiple ways. However, to date, the importance of the PDZ-binding motif to the oncogenic cell transforming activity of YAP has not been determined. In this study, we disrupted the PDZ-binding motif in the YAP (5SA) protein, in which the sites normally targeted by Hippo pathway-dependent phosphorylation are mutated. We found that loss of the PDZ-binding motif significantly inhibited the oncogenic transformation of cultured cells induced by YAP (5SA). In addition, the increased nuclear localization of YAP (5SA) and its enhanced activation of TEAD-dependent transcription of the cell proliferation gene CTGF were strongly reduced when the PDZ-binding motif was deleted. Similarly, in mouse liver, deletion of the PDZ-binding motif suppressed nuclear localization of YAP (5SA) and YAP (5SA)-induced CTGF expression. Taken together, our results indicate that the PDZ-binding motif of YAP is critical for YAP-mediated oncogenesis, and that this effect is mediated by YAP’s co-activation of TEAD-mediated CTGF transcription.

E1A-dependent trans-activation of the human MYC promoter is mediated by the E2F factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiebert, S.W.; Lipp, M.; Nevins, J.R.

1989-01-01

E2F is a cellular transcription factor that binds to two sites in the adenovirus E2 promoter. Previous experiments have implicated E2F in the E1A-dependent transactivation of the E2 gene since levels of active E2F increase markedly during adenovirus infection in parallel with the increase in E2 transcription, and an E2F binding site can confer E1A inducibility to a heterologous promoter. Here the authors show that E2F binds to two sequence elements within the P2 promoter of the human MYC gene which are within a region that is critical for promoter activity. The MYC promoter can be trans-activated in an E1A-dependent manner and site-directed mutagenesis demonstrates that these E2F elements are essential for trans-activation. Finally, they also find that adenovirus infection of quiescent cells results in a stimulation of the endogenous MYC gene. They conclude that the activation of the E2F factor, which is likely responsible for the activation of viral E2 transcription, is also responsible for the E1A-dependent induction of MYC transcription

Cdk1 activity acts as a quantitative platform for coordinating cell cycle progression with periodic transcription

Science.gov (United States)

Banyai, Gabor; Baïdi, Feriel; Coudreuse, Damien; Szilagyi, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Cell proliferation is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and requires the periodic expression of particular gene clusters in different cell cycle phases. However, the interplay between the networks that generate these transcriptional oscillations and the core cell cycle machinery remains largely unexplored. In this work, we use a synthetic regulable Cdk1 module to demonstrate that periodic expression is governed by quantitative changes in Cdk1 activity, with different clusters directly responding to specific activity levels. We further establish that cell cycle events neither participate in nor interfere with the Cdk1-driven transcriptional program, provided that cells are exposed to the appropriate Cdk1 activities. These findings contrast with current models that propose self-sustained and Cdk1-independent transcriptional oscillations. Our work therefore supports a model in which Cdk1 activity serves as a quantitative platform for coordinating cell cycle transitions with the expression of critical genes to bring about proper cell cycle progression. PMID:27045731

ERalpha and ERbeta expression and transcriptional activity are differentially regulated by HDAC inhibitors

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Vanessa; Licznar, Anne; Margueron, Raphaël; Boulle, Nathalie; Busson, Muriel; Lacroix, Matthieu; Katzenellenbogen, Benita S.; Cavaillès, Vincent; Lazennec, Gwendal

2006-01-01

The proliferative action of ERα largely accounts for the carcinogenic activity of estrogens. By contrast, recent data show that ERβ displays tumor-suppressor properties, thus supporting the interest to identify compounds which could increase its activity. Here, we show that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI) up-regulated ERβ protein levels, whereas it decreased ERα expression. Part of this regulation took place at the mRNA level through a mechanism independent of de novo protein synthesis. In addition, we found that, in various cancer cells, the treatment with different HDI enhanced the ligand-dependent activity of ERβ more strongly than that of ERα. On the other hand, in MDA-MB231 and HeLa cells, the expression of ERs modified the transcriptional response to HDI. The use of deletion mutants of both receptors demonstrated that AF1 domain of the receptors was required. Finally, we show that ERβ expression led to a dramatic increased in the antiproliferative activity of HDI, which correlated with a modification of the transcription of genes involved in cell cycle control by HDI. Altogether, these data demonstrate that the interference of ERβ and HDAC on the control of transcription and cell proliferation constitute a promising approach for cancer therapy. PMID:16158045

CITED2 modulates estrogen receptor transcriptional activity in breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, Wen Min; Doucet, Michele; Huang, David; Weber, Kristy L.; Kominsky, Scott L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •The effects of elevated CITED2 on ER function in breast cancer cells are examined. •CITED2 enhances cell growth in the absence of estrogen and presence of tamoxifen. •CITED2 functions as a transcriptional co-activator of ER in breast cancer cells. -- Abstract: Cbp/p300-interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp-rich carboxy-terminal domain 2 (CITED2) is a member of the CITED family of non-DNA binding transcriptional co-activators of the p300/CBP-mediated transcription complex. Previously, we identified CITED2 as being overexpressed in human breast tumors relative to normal mammary epithelium. Upon further investigation within the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive subset of these breast tumor samples, we found that CITED2 mRNA expression was elevated in those associated with poor survival. In light of this observation, we investigated the effect of elevated CITED2 levels on ER function. While ectopic overexpression of CITED2 in three ER-positive breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, and CAMA-1) did not alter cell proliferation in complete media, growth was markedly enhanced in the absence of exogenous estrogen. Correspondingly, cells overexpressing CITED2 demonstrated reduced sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effects of the selective estrogen receptor modulator, 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Subsequent studies revealed that basal ER transcriptional activity was elevated in CITED2-overexpressing cells and was further increased upon the addition of estrogen. Similarly, basal and estrogen-induced expression of the ER-regulated genes trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) and progesterone receptor (PGR) was higher in cells overexpressing CITED2. Concordant with this observation, ChIP analysis revealed higher basal levels of CITED2 localized to the TFF-1 and PGR promoters in cells with ectopic overexpression of CITED2, and these levels were elevated further in response to estrogen stimulation. Taken together, these data indicate that CITED2 functions as a transcriptional co-activator

The Varicella-Zoster Virus Immediate-Early 63 protein affects chromatin controlled gene transcription in a cell-type dependent manner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bontems Sébastien

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Varicella Zoster Virus Immediate Early 63 protein (IE63 has been shown to be essential for VZV replication, and critical for latency establishment. The activity of the protein as a transcriptional regulator is not fully clear yet. Using transient transfection assays, IE63 has been shown to repress viral and cellular promoters containing typical TATA boxes by interacting with general transcription factors. Results In this paper, IE63 regulation properties on endogenous gene expression were evaluated using an oligonucleotide-based micro-array approach. We found that IE63 modulates the transcription of only a few genes in HeLa cells including genes implicated in transcription or immunity. Furthermore, we showed that this effect is mediated by a modification of RNA POL II binding on the promoters tested and that IE63 phosphorylation was essential for these effects. In MeWo cells, the number of genes whose transcription was modified by IE63 was somewhat higher, including genes implicated in signal transduction, transcription, immunity, and heat-shock signalling. While IE63 did not modify the basal expression of several NF-κB dependent genes such as IL-8, ICAM-1, and IκBα, it modulates transcription of these genes upon TNFα induction. This effect was obviously correlated with the amount of p65 binding to the promoter of these genes and with histone H3 acetylation and HDAC-3 removal. Conclusion While IE63 only affected transcription of a small number of cellular genes, it interfered with the TNF-inducibility of several NF-κB dependent genes by the accelerated resynthesis of the inhibitor IκBα.

E2F1 transcription is induced by genotoxic stress through ATM/ATR activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carcagno, Abel L; Ogara, María F; Sonzogni, Silvina V; Marazita, Mariela C; Sirkin, Pablo F; Ceruti, Julieta M; Cánepa, Eduardo T

2009-05-01

E2F1, a member of the E2F family of transcription factors, plays a critical role in controlling both cell cycle progression and apoptotic cell death in response to DNA damage and oncogene activation. Following genotoxic stresses, E2F1 protein is stabilized by phosphorylation and acetylation driven to its accumulation. The aim of the present work was to examine whether the increase in E2F1 protein levels observed after DNA damage is only a reflection of an increase in E2F1 protein stability or is also the consequence of enhanced transcription of the E2F1 gene. The data presented here demonstrates that UV light and other genotoxics induce the transcription of E2F1 gene in an ATM/ATR dependent manner, which results in increasing E2F1 mRNA and protein levels. After genotoxic stress, transcription of cyclin E, an E2F1 target gene, was significantly induced. This induction was the result of two well-differentiated effects, one of them dependent on de novo protein synthesis and the other on the protein stabilization. Our results strongly support a transcriptional effect of DNA damaging agents on E2F1 expression. The results presented herein uncover a new mechanism involving E2F1 in response to genotoxic stress.

The metabolic activator FOXO1 binds hepatitis B virus DNA and activates its transcription

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlomai, Amir; Shaul, Yosef

2009-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that targets the liver and infects humans worldwide. Recently we have shown that the metabolic regulator PGC-1α coactivates HBV transcription thereby rendering the virus susceptible to fluctuations in the nutritional status of the liver. PGC-1α coactivation of HBV is mediated through the liver-enriched nuclear receptor HNF4α and through another yet unknown transcription factor(s). Here we show that the forkhead transcription factor FOXO1, a known target for PGC-1α coactivation and a central mediator of glucose metabolism in the liver, binds HBV core promoter and activates its transcription. This activation is further enhanced in the presence of PGC-1α, implying that FOXO1 is a target for PGC-1α coactivation of HBV transcription. Thus, our results identify another key metabolic regulator as an activator of HBV transcription, thereby supporting the principle that HBV gene expression is regulated in a similar way to key hepatic metabolic genes.

The B-subdomain of the Xenopus laevis XFIN KRAB-AB domain is responsible for its weaker transcriptional repressor activity compared to human ZNF10/Kox1.

Science.gov (United States)

Born, Nadine; Thiesen, Hans-Jürgen; Lorenz, Peter

2014-01-01

The Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain interacts with the nuclear hub protein TRIM28 to initiate or mediate chromatin-dependent processes like transcriptional repression, imprinting or suppression of endogenous retroviruses. The prototype KRAB domain initially identified in ZNF10/KOX1 encompasses two subdomains A and B that are found in hundreds of zinc finger transcription factors studied in human and murine genomes. Here we demonstrate for the first time transcriptional repressor activity of an amphibian KRAB domain. After sequence correction, the updated KRAB-AB domain of zinc finger protein XFIN from the frog Xenopus laevis was found to confer transcriptional repression in reporter assays in Xenopus laevis A6 kidney cells as well as in human HeLa, but not in the minnow Pimephales promelas fish cell line EPC. Binding of the XFIN KRAB-AB domain to human TRIM28 was demonstrated in a classical co-immunoprecipitation approach and visualized in a single-cell compartmentalization assay. XFIN-AB displayed reduced potency in repression as well as lower strength of interaction with TRIM28 compared to ZNF10 KRAB-AB. KRAB-B subdomain swapping between the two KRAB domains indicated that it was mainly the KRAB-B subdomain of XFIN that was responsible for its lower capacity in repression and binding to human TRIM28. In EPC fish cells, ZNF10 and XFIN KRAB repressor activity could be partially restored to low levels by adding exogenous human TRIM28. In contrast to XFIN, we did not find any transcriptional repression activity for the KRAB-like domain of human PRDM9 in HeLa cells. PRDM9 is thought to harbor an evolutionary older domain related to KRAB whose homologs even occur in invertebrates. Our results support the notion that functional bona fide KRAB domains which confer transcriptional repression and interact with TRIM28 most likely co-evolved together with TRIM28 at the beginning of tetrapode evolution.

Inhibition of transcriptional activity of c-JUN by SIRT1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Zhanguo; Ye Jianping

2008-01-01

c-JUN is a major component of heterodimer transcription factor AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) that activates gene transcription in cell proliferation, inflammation and stress responses. SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1) is a histone deacetylase that controls gene transcription through modification of chromatin structure. However, it is not clear if SIRT1 regulates c-JUN activity in the control of gene transcription. Here, we show that SIRT1 associated with c-JUN in co-immunoprecipitation of whole cell lysate, and inhibited the transcriptional activity of c-JUN in the mammalian two hybridization system. SIRT1 was found in the AP-1 response element in the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) promoter DNA leading to inhibition of histone 3 acetylation as shown in a ChIP assay. The SIRT1 signal was reduced by the AP-1 activator PMA, and induced by the SIRT1 activator Resveratrol in the promoter DNA. SIRT1-mediaetd inhibition of AP-1 was demonstrated in the MMP9 gene expression at the gene promoter, mRNA and protein levels. In mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) with SIRT1 deficiency (SIRT1 -/- ), mRNA and protein of MMP9 were increased in the basal condition, and the inhibitory activity of Resveratrol was significantly attenuated. Glucose-induced MMP9 expression was also inhibited by SIRT1 in response to Resveratrol. These data consistently suggest that SIRT1 directly inhibits the transcriptional activity of AP-1 by targeting c-JUN

The NAD-Dependent Deacetylase Sirtuin-1 Regulates the Expression of Osteogenic Transcriptional Activator Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2 (Runx2 and Production of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP-13 in Chondrocytes in Osteoarthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koh Terauchi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Aging is one of the major pathologic factors associated with osteoarthritis (OA. Recently, numerous reports have demonstrated the impact of sirtuin-1 (Sirt1, which is the NAD-dependent deacetylase, on human aging. It has been demonstrated that Sirt1 induces osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the role of Sirt1 in the OA chondrocytes still remains unknown. We postulated that Sirt1 regulates a hypertrophic chondrocyte lineage and degeneration of articular cartilage through the activation of osteogenic transcriptional activator Runx2 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-13 in OA chondrocytes. To verify whether sirtuin-1 (Sirt1 regulates chondrocyte activity in OA, we studied expressions of Sirt1, Runx2 and production of MMP-13, and their associations in human OA chondrocytes. The expression of Sirt1 was ubiquitously observed in osteoarthritic chondrocytes; in contrast, Runx2 expressed in the osteophyte region in patients with OA and OA model mice. OA relating catabolic factor IL-1βincreased the expression of Runx2 in OA chondrocytes. OA chondrocytes, which were pretreated with Sirt1 inhibitor, inhibited the IL-1β-induced expression of Runx2 compared to the control. Since the Runx2 is a promotor of MMP-13 expression, Sirt1 inactivation may inhibit the Runx2 expression and the resultant down-regulation of MMP-13 production in chondrocytes. Our findings suggest thatSirt1 may regulate the expression of Runx2, which is the osteogenic transcription factor, and the production of MMP-13 from chondrocytes in OA. Since Sirt1 activity is known to be affected by several stresses, including inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as aging, SIRT may be involved in the development of OA.

The DNA-mimic antirestriction proteins ArdA ColIB-P9, Arn T4, and Ocr T7 as activators of H-NS-dependent gene transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Melkina, Olga E; Goryanin, Ignatiy I; Zavilgelsky, Gennadii B

2016-11-01

The antirestriction proteins ArdA ColIb-P9, Arn T4 and Ocr T7 specifically inhibit type I and type IV restriction enzymes and belong to the family of DNA-mimic proteins because their three-dimensional structure is similar to the double-helical B-form DNA. It is proposed that the DNA-mimic proteins are able to bind nucleoid protein H-NS and alleviate H-NS-silencing of the transcription of bacterial genes. Escherichia coli lux biosensors were constructed by inserting H-NS-dependent promoters into a vector, thereby placing each fragment upstream of the promoterless Photorhabdus luminescens luxCDABE operon. It was demonstrated that the DNA-mimic proteins ArdA, Arn and Ocr activate the transcription of H-NS-dependent promoters of the lux operon of marine luminescent bacteria (mesophilic Aliivibrio fischeri and psychrophilic Aliivibrio logei), and the dps gene from E. coli. It was also demonstrated that the ArdA antirestriction protein, the genes of which are located on transmissive plasmids ColIb-P9, R64, PK101, decreases levels of H-NS silencing of the PluxC promoter during conjugation in the recipient bacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

MrkH, a novel c-di-GMP-dependent transcriptional activator, controls Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilm formation by regulating type 3 fimbriae expression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan J Wilksch

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Klebsiella pneumoniae causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly amongst hospitalized individuals. The principle mechanism for pathogenesis in hospital environments involves the formation of biofilms, primarily on implanted medical devices. In this study, we constructed a transposon mutant library in a clinical isolate, K. pneumoniae AJ218, to identify the genes and pathways implicated in biofilm formation. Three mutants severely defective in biofilm formation contained insertions within the mrkABCDF genes encoding the main structural subunit and assembly machinery for type 3 fimbriae. Two other mutants carried insertions within the yfiN and mrkJ genes, which encode GGDEF domain- and EAL domain-containing c-di-GMP turnover enzymes, respectively. The remaining two isolates contained insertions that inactivated the mrkH and mrkI genes, which encode for novel proteins with a c-di-GMP-binding PilZ domain and a LuxR-type transcriptional regulator, respectively. Biochemical and functional assays indicated that the effects of these factors on biofilm formation accompany concomitant changes in type 3 fimbriae expression. We mapped the transcriptional start site of mrkA, demonstrated that MrkH directly activates transcription of the mrkA promoter and showed that MrkH binds strongly to the mrkA regulatory region only in the presence of c-di-GMP. Furthermore, a point mutation in the putative c-di-GMP-binding domain of MrkH completely abolished its function as a transcriptional activator. In vivo analysis of the yfiN and mrkJ genes strongly indicated their c-di-GMP-specific function as diguanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase, respectively. In addition, in vitro assays showed that purified MrkJ protein has strong c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase activity. These results demonstrate for the first time that c-di-GMP can function as an effector to stimulate the activity of a transcriptional activator, and explain how type 3 fimbriae

Detecting Differential Transcription Factor Activity from ATAC-Seq Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignacio J. Tripodi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Transcription factors are managers of the cellular factory, and key components to many diseases. Many non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms affect transcription factors, either by directly altering the protein or its functional activity at individual binding sites. Here we first briefly summarize high-throughput approaches to studying transcription factor activity. We then demonstrate, using published chromatin accessibility data (specifically ATAC-seq, that the genome-wide profile of TF recognition motifs relative to regions of open chromatin can determine the key transcription factor altered by a perturbation. Our method of determining which TFs are altered by a perturbation is simple, is quick to implement, and can be used when biological samples are limited. In the future, we envision that this method could be applied to determine which TFs show altered activity in response to a wide variety of drugs and diseases.

The transcriptional activator GAL4-VP16 regulates the intra ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Activator also reduced the TBP dimer levels both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting the dimer may be a direct target of transcriptional activators. The transcriptional activator facilitated the dimer to monomer transition and activated monomers further to help TBP bind even the weaker TATA boxes stably. The overall stimulatory ...

Identification of an estrogen receptor α non covalent ubiquitin-binding surface: role in 17β-estradiol-induced transcriptional activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesiri, Valeria; La Rosa, Piergiorgio; Stano, Pasquale; Acconcia, Filippo

2013-06-15

Ubiquitin (Ub)-binding domains (UBDs) located in Ub receptors decode the ubiquitination signal by non-covalently engaging the Ub modification on their binding partners and transduce the Ub signalling through Ub-based molecular interactions. In this way, inducible protein ubiquitination regulates diverse biological processes. The estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the pleiotropic effects of the sex hormone 17β-estradiol (E2). Fine regulation of E2 pleiotropic actions depends on E2-dependent ERα association with a plethora of binding partners and/or on the E2 modulation of receptor ubiquitination. Indeed, E2-induced ERα polyubiquitination triggers receptor degradation and transcriptional activity, and E2-dependent reduction in ERα monoubiquitination is crucial for E2 signalling. Monoubiquitinated proteins often contain UBDs, but whether non-covalent Ub-ERα binding could occur and play a role in E2-ERα signalling is unknown. Here, we report an Ub-binding surface within the ERα ligand binding domain that directs in vitro the receptor interaction with both ubiquitinated proteins and recombinant Ub chains. Mutational analysis reveals that ERα residues leucine 429 and alanine 430 are involved in Ub binding. Moreover, impairment of ERα association to ubiquitinated species strongly affects E2-induced ERα transcriptional activity. Considering the importance of UBDs in the Ub-based signalling network and the central role of different ERα binding partners in the modulation of E2-dependent effects, our discoveries provide novel insights into ERα activity that could also be relevant for ERα-dependent diseases.

Expression, processing and transcriptional regulation of granulysin in short-term activated human lymphocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Groscurth Peter

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Granulysin, a cytotoxic protein expressed in human natural killer cells and activated T lymphocytes, exhibits cytolytic activity against a variety of intracellular microbes. Expression and transcription have been partially characterised in vitro and four transcripts (NKG5, 519, 520, and 522 were identified. However, only a single protein product of 15 kDa was found, which is subsequently processed to an active 9 kDa protein. Results In this study we investigated generation of granulysin in lymphokine activated killer (LAK cells and antigen (Listeria specific T-cells. Semiquantitative RT-PCR revealed NKG5 to be the most prominent transcript. It was found to be up-regulated in a time-dependent manner in LAK cells and antigen specific T-cells and their subsets. Two isoforms of 519 mRNA were up-regulated under IL-2 and antigen stimulation. Moreover, two novel transcripts, without any known function, comprising solely parts of the 5 prime region of the primary transcript, were detected. A significant increase of granulysin expressing LAK cells as well as antigen specific T-cells was shown by fluorescence microscopy. On the subset level, increase in CD4+ granulysin expressing cells was found only under antigen stimulation. Immunoblotting showed the 15 kDa form of granulysin to be present in the first week of stimulation either with IL-2 or with bacterial antigen. Substantial processing to the 9 kDa form was detected during the first week in LAK cells and in the second week in antigen specific T-cells. Conclusion This first comprehensive study of granulysin gene regulation in primary cultured human lymphocytes shows that the regulation of granulysin synthesis in response to IL-2 or bacterial antigen stimulation occurs at several levels: RNA expression, extensive alternative splicing and posttranslational processing.

Both H4K20 mono-methylation and H3K56 acetylation mark transcription-dependent histone turnover in fission yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Hanna; Kwon, Chang Seob; Choi, Yoonjung; Lee, Daeyoup

2016-01-01

Nucleosome dynamics facilitated by histone turnover is required for transcription as well as DNA replication and repair. Histone turnover is often associated with various histone modifications such as H3K56 acetylation (H3K56Ac), H3K36 methylation (H3K36me), and H4K20 methylation (H4K20me). In order to correlate histone modifications and transcription-dependent histone turnover, we performed genome wide analyses for euchromatic regions in G2/M-arrested fission yeast. The results show that transcription-dependent histone turnover at 5′ promoter and 3′ termination regions is directly correlated with the occurrence of H3K56Ac and H4K20 mono-methylation (H4K20me1) in actively transcribed genes. Furthermore, the increase of H3K56Ac and H4K20me1 and antisense RNA production was observed in the absence of the histone H3K36 methyltransferase Set2 and histone deacetylase complex (HDAC) that are involved in the suppression of histone turnover within the coding regions. These results together indicate that H4K20me1 as well as H3K56Ac are bona fide marks for transcription-dependent histone turnover in fission yeast.

Both H4K20 mono-methylation and H3K56 acetylation mark transcription-dependent histone turnover in fission yeast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Hanna [Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Chang Seob [Department of Chemistry and Biology, Korea Science Academy of KAIST, Busan, 614-822 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Yoonjung, E-mail: jjungii@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Daeyoup, E-mail: daeyoup@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-05

Nucleosome dynamics facilitated by histone turnover is required for transcription as well as DNA replication and repair. Histone turnover is often associated with various histone modifications such as H3K56 acetylation (H3K56Ac), H3K36 methylation (H3K36me), and H4K20 methylation (H4K20me). In order to correlate histone modifications and transcription-dependent histone turnover, we performed genome wide analyses for euchromatic regions in G2/M-arrested fission yeast. The results show that transcription-dependent histone turnover at 5′ promoter and 3′ termination regions is directly correlated with the occurrence of H3K56Ac and H4K20 mono-methylation (H4K20me1) in actively transcribed genes. Furthermore, the increase of H3K56Ac and H4K20me1 and antisense RNA production was observed in the absence of the histone H3K36 methyltransferase Set2 and histone deacetylase complex (HDAC) that are involved in the suppression of histone turnover within the coding regions. These results together indicate that H4K20me1 as well as H3K56Ac are bona fide marks for transcription-dependent histone turnover in fission yeast.

DNA residence time is a regulatory factor of transcription repression

Science.gov (United States)

Clauß, Karen; Popp, Achim P.; Schulze, Lena; Hettich, Johannes; Reisser, Matthias; Escoter Torres, Laura; Uhlenhaut, N. Henriette

2017-01-01

Abstract Transcription comprises a highly regulated sequence of intrinsically stochastic processes, resulting in bursts of transcription intermitted by quiescence. In transcription activation or repression, a transcription factor binds dynamically to DNA, with a residence time unique to each factor. Whether the DNA residence time is important in the transcription process is unclear. Here, we designed a series of transcription repressors differing in their DNA residence time by utilizing the modular DNA binding domain of transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) and varying the number of nucleotide-recognizing repeat domains. We characterized the DNA residence times of our repressors in living cells using single molecule tracking. The residence times depended non-linearly on the number of repeat domains and differed by more than a factor of six. The factors provoked a residence time-dependent decrease in transcript level of the glucocorticoid receptor-activated gene SGK1. Down regulation of transcription was due to a lower burst frequency in the presence of long binding repressors and is in accordance with a model of competitive inhibition of endogenous activator binding. Our single molecule experiments reveal transcription factor DNA residence time as a regulatory factor controlling transcription repression and establish TALE-DNA binding domains as tools for the temporal dissection of transcription regulation. PMID:28977492

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 activation is sufficient to drive transcriptional induction of cyclin D2 gene and proliferation of rat pancreatic beta-cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friedrichsen, Birgitte N; Richter, Henrijette E; Hansen, Johnny A

2003-01-01

in a time-dependent manner by hGH in INS-1 cells. Inhibition of protein synthesis by coincubation with cycloheximide did not affect the hGH-induced increase of cyclin D2 mRNA levels at 4 h. Expression of a dominant negative STAT5 mutant, STAT5aDelta749, partially inhibited cyclin D2 protein levels. INS-1...... cells transiently transfected with a cyclin D2 promoter-reporter construct revealed a 3- to 5-fold increase of transcriptional activity in response to hGH stimulation. Furthermore, coexpression of a constitutive active STAT5 mutant (either CA-STAT5a or CA-STAT5b) was sufficient to drive transactivation...

Transcriptional activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ requires activation of both protein kinase A and Akt during adipocyte differentiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang-pil; Ha, Jung Min; Yun, Sung Ji; Kim, Eun Kyoung; Chung, Sung Woon; Hong, Ki Whan; Kim, Chi Dae; Bae, Sun Sik

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Elevated cAMP activates both PKA and Epac. → PKA activates CREB transcriptional factor and Epac activates PI3K/Akt pathway via Rap1. → Akt modulates PPAR-γ transcriptional activity in concert with CREB. -- Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) is required for the conversion of pre-adipocytes. However, the mechanism underlying activation of PPAR-γ is unclear. Here we showed that cAMP-induced activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and Akt is essential for the transcriptional activation of PPAR-γ. Hormonal induction of adipogenesis was blocked by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002), by a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor (H89), and by a Rap1 inhibitor (GGTI-298). Transcriptional activity of PPAR-γ was markedly enhanced by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), but not insulin and dexamethasone. In addition, IBMX-induced PPAR-γ transcriptional activity was blocked by PI3K/Akt, PKA, or Rap1 inhibitors. 8-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-2'-O-methyl-cAMP (8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP) which is a specific agonist for exchanger protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) significantly induced the activation of Akt. Furthermore, knock-down of Akt1 markedly attenuated PPAR-γ transcriptional activity. These results indicate that both PKA and Akt signaling pathways are required for transcriptional activation of PPAR-γ, suggesting post-translational activation of PPAR-γ might be critical step for adipogenic gene expression.

Interferon-induced transcription of a gene encoding a 15-kDA protein depends on an upstream enhancer element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reich, N.; Evans, B.; Levy, D.; Fahey, D.; Knight, E. Jr.; Darnell, J.E. Jr.

1987-01-01

A human gene encoding an interferon-induced 15-kDa protein has been isolated from a genomic library. The gene appears to be single-copy and is composed of two exons, the first of which contains the ATG translation initiation codon. In vitro nuclear run-on assays showed that the transcription rate of the gene is stimulated after interferon treatment. To analyze transcriptional regulatory sequences, the authors constructed recombinant plasmids for use in transient transfection assays of HeLa cells. Constructs containing 115 nucleotides 5' to the transcription initiation site were found to be fully inducible by interferon. Assays of deletion mutants identified a critical element for interferon induction located between -115 and -96, just upstream of the CCAAT box. Moreover, a DNA fragment including this region can confer interferon inducibility on a heterologous promoter (thymidine kinase) when cloned in either orientation upstream of the gene or downstream of the gene. These are properties characteristic of an enhancer element that is active only after treatment with interferon. This regulatory sequence may be shared by a group of interferon-induced genes, since a very similar sequence is present within the functional region near the RNA start site of another interferon-induced gene

Bladder inflammatory transcriptome in response to tachykinins: Neurokinin 1 receptor-dependent genes and transcription regulatory elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dozmorov Igor

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tachykinins (TK, such as substance P, and their neurokinin receptors which are ubiquitously expressed in the human urinary tract, represent an endogenous system regulating bladder inflammatory, immune responses, and visceral hypersensitivity. Increasing evidence correlates alterations in the TK system with urinary tract diseases such as neurogenic bladders, outflow obstruction, idiopathic detrusor instability, and interstitial cystitis. However, despite promising effects in animal models, there seems to be no published clinical study showing that NK-receptor antagonists are an effective treatment of pain in general or urinary tract disorders, such as detrusor overactivity. In order to search for therapeutic targets that could block the tachykinin system, we set forth to determine the regulatory network downstream of NK1 receptor activation. First, NK1R-dependent transcripts were determined and used to query known databases for their respective transcription regulatory elements (TREs. Methods An expression analysis was performed using urinary bladders isolated from sensitized wild type (WT and NK1R-/- mice that were stimulated with saline, LPS, or antigen to provoke inflammation. Based on cDNA array results, NK1R-dependent genes were selected. PAINT software was used to query TRANSFAC database and to retrieve upstream TREs that were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Results The regulatory network of TREs driving NK1R-dependent genes presented cRel in a central position driving 22% of all genes, followed by AP-1, NF-kappaB, v-Myb, CRE-BP1/c-Jun, USF, Pax-6, Efr-1, Egr-3, and AREB6. A comparison between NK1R-dependent and NK1R-independent genes revealed Nkx-2.5 as a unique discriminator. In the presence of NK1R, Nkx2-5 _01 was significantly correlated with 36 transcripts which included several candidates for mediating bladder development (FGF and inflammation (PAR-3, IL-1R, IL-6, α-NGF, TSP2. In the absence of

Sox2 is translationally activated by eukaryotic initiation factor 4E in human glioma-initiating cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ge, Yuqing; Zhou, Fengbiao; Chen, Hong; Cui, Chunhong; Liu, Dan [Key Laboratory of Glycoconjuates Research, Ministry of Public Health and Gene Research Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Li, Qiuping [Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Yang, Zhiyuan; Wu, Guoqiang [Key Laboratory of Glycoconjuates Research, Ministry of Public Health and Gene Research Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Sun, Shuhui [Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Ministry of Education and Health, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Gu, Jianxin [Key Laboratory of Glycoconjuates Research, Ministry of Public Health and Gene Research Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Institutes of Biomedical Sciences of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wei, Yuanyan, E-mail: yywei@fudan.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Glycoconjuates Research, Ministry of Public Health and Gene Research Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Jiang, Jianhai, E-mail: jianhaijiang@fudan.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Glycoconjuates Research, Ministry of Public Health and Gene Research Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China)

2010-07-09

Sox2, a master transcription factor, contributes to the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells and plays significant roles in sustaining the self-renewal of neural stem cells and glioma-initiating cells. Understanding the functional differences of Sox2 between glioma-initiating cells and normal neural stem cells would contribute to therapeutic approach for treatment of brain tumors. Here, we first demonstrated that Sox2 could contribute to the self-renewal and proliferation of glioma-initiating cells. The following experiments showed that Sox2 was activated at translational level in a subset of human glioma-initiating cells compared with the normal neural stem cells. Further investigation revealed there was a positive correlation between Sox2 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) in glioma tissues. Down-regulation of eIF4E decreased Sox2 protein level without altering its mRNA level in glioma-initiating cells, indicating that Sox2 was activated by eIF4E at translational level. Furthermore, eIF4E was presumed to regulate the expression of Sox2 by its 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) sequence. Our results suggest that the eIF4E-Sox2 axis is a novel mechanism of unregulated self-renewal of glioma-initiating cells, providing a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Sox2 is translationally activated by eukaryotic initiation factor 4E in human glioma-initiating cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge, Yuqing; Zhou, Fengbiao; Chen, Hong; Cui, Chunhong; Liu, Dan; Li, Qiuping; Yang, Zhiyuan; Wu, Guoqiang; Sun, Shuhui; Gu, Jianxin; Wei, Yuanyan; Jiang, Jianhai

2010-01-01

Sox2, a master transcription factor, contributes to the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells and plays significant roles in sustaining the self-renewal of neural stem cells and glioma-initiating cells. Understanding the functional differences of Sox2 between glioma-initiating cells and normal neural stem cells would contribute to therapeutic approach for treatment of brain tumors. Here, we first demonstrated that Sox2 could contribute to the self-renewal and proliferation of glioma-initiating cells. The following experiments showed that Sox2 was activated at translational level in a subset of human glioma-initiating cells compared with the normal neural stem cells. Further investigation revealed there was a positive correlation between Sox2 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) in glioma tissues. Down-regulation of eIF4E decreased Sox2 protein level without altering its mRNA level in glioma-initiating cells, indicating that Sox2 was activated by eIF4E at translational level. Furthermore, eIF4E was presumed to regulate the expression of Sox2 by its 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) sequence. Our results suggest that the eIF4E-Sox2 axis is a novel mechanism of unregulated self-renewal of glioma-initiating cells, providing a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

The Transcription Bubble of the RNA Polymerase-Promoter Open Complex Exhibits Conformational Heterogeneity and Millisecond-Scale Dynamics : Implications for Transcription Start-Site Selection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robb, Nicole C.; Cordes, Thorben; Hwang, Ling Chin; Gryte, Kristofer; Duchi, Diego; Craggs, Timothy D.; Santoso, Yusdi; Weiss, Shimon; Ebright, Richard H.; Kapanidis, Achillefs N.

2013-01-01

Bacterial transcription is initiated after RNA polymerase (RNAP) binds to promoter DNA, melts similar to 14 bp around the transcription start site and forms a single-stranded "transcription bubble" within a catalytically active RNAP-DNA open complex (RPo). There is significant flexibility in the

Imaging Reporters for Proteasome Activity Identify Tumor- and Metastasis-Initiating Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda C. Stacer

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Tumor-initiating cells, also designated as cancer stem cells, are proposed to constitute a subpopulation of malignant cells central to tumorigenesis, metastasis, and treatment resistance. We analyzed the activity of the proteasome, the primary organelle for targeted protein degradation, as a marker of tumor- and metastasis-initiating cells. Using human and mouse breast cancer cells expressing a validated fluorescent reporter, we found a small subpopulation of cells with low proteasome activity that divided asymmetrically to produce daughter cells with low or high proteasome activity. Breast cancer cells with low proteasome activity had greater local tumor formation and metastasis in immunocompromised and immunocompetent mice. To allow flexible labeling of cells, we also developed a new proteasome substrate based on HaloTag technology. Patient-derived glioblastoma cells with low proteasome activity measured by the HaloTag reporter show key phenotypes associated with tumor-initiating cells, including expression of a stem cell transcription factor, reconstitution of the original starting population, and enhanced neurosphere formation. We also show that patient-derived glioblastoma cells with low proteasome activity have higher frequency of tumor formation in mouse xenografts. These studies support proteasome function as a tool to investigate tumor- and metastasis-initiating cancer cells and a potential biomarker for outcomes in patients with several different cancers.

Coordinating repair of oxidative DNA damage with transcription and replication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, P.K.

2003-01-01

Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) preferentially removes DNA lesions from template strands of active genes. Defects in TCR, which acts both on lesions removed by nucleotide excision repair (NER) and on oxidative lesions removed by base excision repair (BER), underlie the fatal developmental disorder Cockayne syndrome. Although its detailed mechanism remains unknown, TCR involves recognition of a stalled RNA polymerase (RNAP), removal or remodeling of RNAP to allow access to the lesion, and recruitment of repair enzymes. At a minimum, these early steps require a non-enzymatic function of the multifunctional repair protein XPG, the CSB protein with ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity, and the TFIIH complex (including the XPB and XPD helicases) that is also required for basal transcription initiation and NER. XPG exists in the cell in a complex with TFIIH, and in vitro evidence has suggested that it interacts with CSB. To address the mechanism of TCR, we are characterizing protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions of XPG. We show that XPG preferentially binds to double-stranded DNA containing bubbles resembling in size the unpaired regions associated with transcription. Two distinct domains of XPG are required for the observed strong binding specificity and stability. XPG both interacts directly with CSB and synergistically binds with it to bubble DNA, and it strongly stimulates the bubble DNA-dependent ATPase activity of CSB. Significantly for TCR, XPG also interacts directly with RNAP II, binds both the protein and nucleic acid components (the R-loop) of a stalled RNA polymerase, and forms a ternary complex with CSB and the stalled RNAP. These results are consistent with the model that XPG and CSB jointly interact with the DNA/chromatin structure in the vicinity of the stalled transcriptional apparatus and with the transcriptional machinery itself to remodel the chromatin and either move or remodel the blocked RNA polymerase to expose the lesion

Set2 Methyltransferase Facilitates DNA Replication and Promotes Genotoxic Stress Responses through MBF-Dependent Transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Chen-Chun; Kishkevich, Anastasiya; Deegan, Rachel S; Keszthelyi, Andrea; Folkes, Lisa; Kearsey, Stephen E; De León, Nagore; Soriano, Ignacio; de Bruin, Robertus Antonius Maria; Carr, Antony M; Humphrey, Timothy C

2017-09-12

Chromatin modification through histone H3 lysine 36 methylation by the SETD2 tumor suppressor plays a key role in maintaining genome stability. Here, we describe a role for Set2-dependent H3K36 methylation in facilitating DNA replication and the transcriptional responses to both replication stress and DNA damage through promoting MluI cell-cycle box (MCB) binding factor (MBF)-complex-dependent transcription in fission yeast. Set2 loss leads to reduced MBF-dependent ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) expression, reduced deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) synthesis, altered replication origin firing, and a checkpoint-dependent S-phase delay. Accordingly, prolonged S phase in the absence of Set2 is suppressed by increasing dNTP synthesis. Furthermore, H3K36 is di- and tri-methylated at these MBF gene promoters, and Set2 loss leads to reduced MBF binding and transcription in response to genotoxic stress. Together, these findings provide new insights into how H3K36 methylation facilitates DNA replication and promotes genotoxic stress responses in fission yeast. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Set2 Methyltransferase Facilitates DNA Replication and Promotes Genotoxic Stress Responses through MBF-Dependent Transcription

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Chun Pai

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Chromatin modification through histone H3 lysine 36 methylation by the SETD2 tumor suppressor plays a key role in maintaining genome stability. Here, we describe a role for Set2-dependent H3K36 methylation in facilitating DNA replication and the transcriptional responses to both replication stress and DNA damage through promoting MluI cell-cycle box (MCB binding factor (MBF-complex-dependent transcription in fission yeast. Set2 loss leads to reduced MBF-dependent ribonucleotide reductase (RNR expression, reduced deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP synthesis, altered replication origin firing, and a checkpoint-dependent S-phase delay. Accordingly, prolonged S phase in the absence of Set2 is suppressed by increasing dNTP synthesis. Furthermore, H3K36 is di- and tri-methylated at these MBF gene promoters, and Set2 loss leads to reduced MBF binding and transcription in response to genotoxic stress. Together, these findings provide new insights into how H3K36 methylation facilitates DNA replication and promotes genotoxic stress responses in fission yeast.

Dataset of transcriptional landscape of B cell early activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander S. Garruss

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Signaling via B cell receptors (BCR and Toll-like receptors (TLRs result in activation of B cells with distinct physiological outcomes, but transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that drive activation and distinguish these pathways remain unknown. At early time points after BCR and TLR ligand exposure, 0.5 and 2 h, RNA-seq was performed allowing observations on rapid transcriptional changes. At 2 h, ChIP-seq was performed to allow observations on important regulatory mechanisms potentially driving transcriptional change. The dataset includes RNA-seq, ChIP-seq of control (Input, RNA Pol II, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and a separate RNA-seq for miRNA expression, which can be found at Gene Expression Omnibus Dataset GSE61608. Here, we provide details on the experimental and analysis methods used to obtain and analyze this dataset and to examine the transcriptional landscape of B cell early activation.

Repressive effects of resveratrol on androgen receptor transcriptional activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-feng Shi

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The chemopreventive effects of resveratrol (RSV on prostate cancer have been well established; the androgen receptor (AR plays pivotal roles in prostatic tumorigenesis. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms about the effects of RSV on AR have not been fully elucidated. A model system is needed to determine whether and how RSV represses AR transcriptional activity.The AR cDNA was first cloned into the retroviral vector pOZ-N and then integrated into the genome of AR-negative HeLa cells to generate the AR(+ cells. The constitutively expressed AR was characterized by monitoring hormone-stimulated nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation, with the AR(- cells serving as controls. AR(+ cells were treated with RSV, and both AR protein levels and AR transcriptional activity were measured simultaneously. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assays were used to detect the effects of RSV on the recruitment of AR to its cognate element (ARE.AR in the AR (+ stable cell line functions in a manner similar to that of endogenously expressed AR. Using this model system we clearly demonstrated that RSV represses AR transcriptional activity independently of any effects on AR protein levels. However, neither the hormone-mediated nucleus translocation nor the AR/ARE interaction was affected by RSV treatment.We demonstrated unambiguously that RSV regulates AR target gene expression, at least in part, by repressing AR transcriptional activity. Repressive effects of RSV on AR activity result from mechanisms other than the affects of AR nuclear translocation or DNA binding.

Interferon-Stimulated Genes Are Transcriptionally Repressed by PR in Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Katherine R; Goodman, Merit L; Singhal, Hari; Hall, Jade A; Li, Tianbao; Holloran, Sean M; Trinca, Gloria M; Gibson, Katelin A; Jin, Victor X; Greene, Geoffrey L; Hagan, Christy R

2017-10-01

The progesterone receptor (PR) regulates transcriptional programs that drive proliferation, survival, and stem cell phenotypes. Although the role of native progesterone in the development of breast cancer remains controversial, PR clearly alters the transcriptome in breast tumors. This study identifies a class of genes, Interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs), potently downregulated by ligand-activated PR which have not been previously shown to be regulated by PR. Progestin-dependent transcriptional repression of ISGs was observed in breast cancer cell line models and human breast tumors. Ligand-independent regulation of ISGs was also observed, as basal transcript levels were markedly higher in cells with PR knockdown. PR repressed ISG transcription in response to IFN treatment, the canonical mechanism through which these genes are activated. Liganded PR is robustly recruited to enhancer regions of ISGs, and ISG transcriptional repression is dependent upon PR's ability to bind DNA. In response to PR activation, key regulatory transcription factors that are required for IFN-activated ISG transcription, STAT2 and IRF9, exhibit impaired recruitment to ISG promoter regions, correlating with PR/ligand-dependent ISG transcriptional repression. IFN activation is a critical early step in nascent tumor recognition and destruction through immunosurveillance. As the large majority of breast tumors are PR positive at the time of diagnosis, PR-dependent downregulation of IFN signaling may be a mechanism through which early PR-positive breast tumors evade the immune system and develop into clinically relevant tumors. Implications: This study highlights a novel transcriptional mechanism through which PR drives breast cancer development and potentially evades the immune system. Mol Cancer Res; 15(10); 1331-40. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

A Taiwanese Propolis Derivative Induces Apoptosis through Inducing Endoplasmic Reticular Stress and Activating Transcription Factor-3 in Human Hepatoma Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fat-Moon Suk

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Activating transcription factor-(ATF- 3, a stress-inducible transcription factor, is rapidly upregulated under various stress conditions and plays an important role in inducing cancer cell apoptosis. NBM-TP-007-GS-002 (GS-002 is a Taiwanese propolin G (PPG derivative. In this study, we examined the antitumor effects of GS-002 in human hepatoma Hep3B and HepG2 cells in vitro. First, we found that GS-002 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in dose-dependent manners. Several main apoptotic indicators were found in GS-002-treated cells, such as the cleaved forms of caspase-3, caspase-9, and poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP. GS-002 also induced endoplasmic reticular (ER stress as evidenced by increases in ER stress-responsive proteins including glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78, growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153, phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α, phosphorylated protein endoplasmic-reticular-resident kinase (PERK, and ATF-3. The induction of ATF-3 expression was mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK signaling pathways in GS-002-treated cells. Furthermore, we found that GS-002 induced more cell apoptosis in ATF-3-overexpressing cells. These results suggest that the induction of apoptosis by the propolis derivative, GS-002, is partially mediated through ER stress and ATF-3-dependent pathways, and GS-002 has the potential for development as an antitumor drug.

Dynamic regulation of the transcription initiation landscape at single nucleotide resolution during vertebrate embryogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C. Nepal (Chirag); Y. Hadzhiev (Yavor); C. Previti (Christopher); V. Haberle (Vanja); N. Li (Nan); H. Takahashi (Hiroyuki); A.M. Suzuki (Ana Maria); Y. Sheng (Ying); R.F. Abdelhamid (Rehab); S. Anand (Santosh); P.A. Gehrig (Paola A.); A. Akalin (Altuna); C. Kockx (Christel); A. Van Der Sloot (Antoine); W.F.J. van IJcken (Wilfred); O. Armant (Olivier); S. Rastegar (Sepand); C. Watson (Craig); U. Strähle (Uwe); E. Stupka (Elia); P. Carninci (Piero); B. Lenhard (Boris); F. Müller (Ferenc)

2013-01-01

textabstractSpatiotemporal control of gene expression is central to animal development. Core promoters represent a previously unanticipated regulatory level by interacting with cis-regulatory elements and transcription initiation in different physiological and developmental contexts. Here, we

Exploring cellular memory molecules marking competent and active transcriptions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu De-Pei

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Development in higher eukaryotes involves programmed gene expression. Cell type-specific gene expression is established during this process and is inherited in succeeding cell cycles. Higher eukaryotes have evolved elegant mechanisms by which committed gene-expression states are transmitted through numerous cell divisions. Previous studies have shown that both DNase I-sensitive sites and the basal transcription factor TFIID remain on silenced mitotic chromosomes, suggesting that certain trans-factors might act as bookmarks, maintaining the information and transmitting it to the next generation. Results We used the mouse globin gene clusters as a model system to examine the retention of active information on M-phase chromosomes and its contribution to the persistence of transcriptional competence of these gene clusters in murine erythroleukemia cells. In cells arrested in mitosis, the erythroid-specific activator NF-E2p45 remained associated with its binding sites on the globin gene loci, while the other major erythroid factor, GATA-1, was removed from chromosome. Moreover, despite mitotic chromatin condensation, the distant regulatory regions and promoters of transcriptionally competent globin gene loci are marked by a preserved histone code consisting in active histone modifications such as H3 acetylation, H3-K4 dimethylation and K79 dimethylation. Further analysis showed that other active genes are also locally marked by the preserved active histone code throughout mitotic inactivation of transcription. Conclusion Our results imply that certain kinds of specific protein factors and active histone modifications function as cellular memory markers for both competent and active genes during mitosis, and serve as a reactivated core for the resumption of transcription when the cells exit mitosis.

Circadian Activators Are Expressed Days before They Initiate Clock Function in Late Pacemaker Neurons from Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tianxin; Mahesh, Guruswamy; Houl, Jerry H; Hardin, Paul E

2015-06-03

Circadian pacemaker neurons in the Drosophila brain control daily rhythms in locomotor activity. These pacemaker neurons can be subdivided into early or late groups depending on whether rhythms in period (per) and timeless (tim) expression are initiated at the first instar (L1) larval stage or during metamorphosis, respectively. Because CLOCK-CYCLE (CLK-CYC) heterodimers initiate circadian oscillator function by activating per and tim transcription, a Clk-GFP transgene was used to mark when late pacemaker neurons begin to develop. We were surprised to see that CLK-GFP was already expressed in four of five clusters of late pacemaker neurons during the third instar (L3) larval stage. CLK-GFP is only detected in postmitotic neurons from L3 larvae, suggesting that these four late pacemaker neuron clusters are formed before the L3 larval stage. A GFP-cyc transgene was used to show that CYC, like CLK, is also expressed exclusively in pacemaker neurons from L3 larval brains, demonstrating that CLK-CYC is not sufficient to activate per and tim in late pacemaker neurons at the L3 larval stage. These results suggest that most late pacemaker neurons develop days before novel factors activate circadian oscillator function during metamorphosis. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/358662-10$15.00/0.

An NAD+-dependent transcriptional program governs self-renewal and radiation resistance in glioblastoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gujar, Amit D; Le, Son; Mao, Diane D; Dadey, David Y A; Turski, Alice; Sasaki, Yo; Aum, Diane; Luo, Jingqin; Dahiya, Sonika; Yuan, Liya; Rich, Keith M; Milbrandt, Jeffrey; Hallahan, Dennis E; Yano, Hiroko; Tran, David D; Kim, Albert H

2016-12-20

Accumulating evidence suggests cancer cells exhibit a dependency on metabolic pathways regulated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ). Nevertheless, how the regulation of this metabolic cofactor interfaces with signal transduction networks remains poorly understood in glioblastoma. Here, we report nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting step in NAD + synthesis, is highly expressed in glioblastoma tumors and patient-derived glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). High NAMPT expression in tumors correlates with decreased patient survival. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of NAMPT decreased NAD + levels and GSC self-renewal capacity, and NAMPT knockdown inhibited the in vivo tumorigenicity of GSCs. Regulatory network analysis of RNA sequencing data using GSCs treated with NAMPT inhibitor identified transcription factor E2F2 as the center of a transcriptional hub in the NAD + -dependent network. Accordingly, we demonstrate E2F2 is required for GSC self-renewal. Downstream, E2F2 drives the transcription of members of the inhibitor of differentiation (ID) helix-loop-helix gene family. Finally, we find NAMPT mediates GSC radiation resistance. The identification of a NAMPT-E2F2-ID axis establishes a link between NAD + metabolism and a self-renewal transcriptional program in glioblastoma, with therapeutic implications for this formidable cancer.

Stimulation of Pol III-dependent 5S rRNA and U6 snRNA gene expression by AP-1 transcription factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahuja, Richa; Kumar, Vijay

2017-07-01

RNA polymerase III transcribes structurally diverse group of essential noncoding RNAs including 5S ribosomal RNA (5SrRNA) and U6 snRNA. These noncoding RNAs are involved in RNA processing and ribosome biogenesis, thus, coupling Pol III activity to the rate of protein synthesis, cell growth, and proliferation. Even though a few Pol II-associated transcription factors have been reported to participate in Pol III-dependent transcription, its activation by activator protein 1 (AP-1) factors, c-Fos and c-Jun, has remained unexplored. Here, we show that c-Fos and c-Jun bind to specific sites in the regulatory regions of 5S rRNA (type I) and U6 snRNA (type III) gene promoters and stimulate their transcription. Our chromatin immunoprecipitation studies suggested that endogenous AP-1 factors bind to their cognate promoter elements during the G1/S transition of cell cycle apparently synchronous with Pol III transcriptional activity. Furthermore, the interaction of c-Jun with histone acetyltransferase p300 promoted the recruitment of p300/CBP complex on the promoters and facilitated the occupancy of Pol III transcriptional machinery via histone acetylation and chromatin remodeling. The findings of our study, together, suggest that AP-1 factors are novel regulators of Pol III-driven 5S rRNA and U6 snRNA expression with a potential role in cell proliferation. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Leptin upregulates telomerase activity and transcription of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, He, E-mail: herenrh@yahoo.com.cn [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China); Zhao, Tiansuo; Wang, Xiuchao; Gao, Chuntao; Wang, Jian; Yu, Ming [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China); Hao, Jihui, E-mail: jihuihao@yahoo.com [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China)

2010-03-26

The aim was to analyze the mechanism of leptin-induced activity of telomerase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We found that leptin activated telomerase in a dose-dependent manner; leptin upregulated the expression of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) at mRNA and protein levels; blockade of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation significantly counteracted leptin-induced hTERT transcription and protein expression; chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that leptin enhanced the binding of STAT3 to the hTERT promoter. This study uncovers a new mechanism of the proliferative effect of leptin on breast cancer cells and provides a new explanation of obesity-related breast cancer.

Downregulated long non-coding RNA MEG3 in breast cancer regulates proliferation, migration and invasion by depending on p53’s transcriptional activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Lin [West Biostatistics and Cost-effectiveness Research Center, Medical Insurance Office, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Sichuan (China); Li, Yu [Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Sichuan (China); Yang, Bangxiang, E-mail: b19933009@qq.coom [Department of Pain Management, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Sichuan (China)

2016-09-09

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) was found to play critical roles in tumorigenesis, hence, screen of tumor-related lncRNAs, identification of their biological roles is important for understanding the processes of tumorigenesis. In this study, we identified the expressing difference of several tumor-related lncRNAs in breast cancer samples and found that, MEG3, which is downregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor tissues, is also downregulated in breast cancer samples compared with adjacent tissues. For figuring out the effect of MEG3 in breast cancer cells MCF7 and MB231, we overexpressed MEG3 in these cells, and found that it resulted the inhibition of proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion capacities by enhancing p53’s transcriptional activity on its target genes, including p21, Maspin and KAI1. MEG3 presented similar effects in MB157, which is a p53-null breast cancer cell line, when functional p53 but not p53R273H mutant, which lacks transcriptional activity, was introduced. Surprisingly, overexpression of MEG3 activates p53’s transcriptional activity by decreasing MDM2’s transcription level, and thus stabilizes and accumulates P53. Taken together, our findings indicate that MEG3 is downregulated in breast cancer tissues and affects breast cancer cells’ malignant behaviors, which indicate MEG3 a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. - Highlights: • MEG3 RNA is widely downregulated in breast tumor tissue. • MEG3 regulates P53 indirectly through transcriptional regulation of MDM2. • Under unstressed condition, MEG3-related P53 accumulation transcriptionally activates p53’s target genes. • MEG3 expression level tightly regulates proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in breast tumor cells.

Structural basis for the initiation of eukaryotic transcription-coupled DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jun; Lahiri, Indrajit; Wang, Wei; Wier, Adam; Cianfrocco, Michael A; Chong, Jenny; Hare, Alissa A; Dervan, Peter B; DiMaio, Frank; Leschziner, Andres E; Wang, Dong

2017-11-30

Eukaryotic transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is an important and well-conserved sub-pathway of nucleotide excision repair that preferentially removes DNA lesions from the template strand that block translocation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Cockayne syndrome group B (CSB, also known as ERCC6) protein in humans (or its yeast orthologues, Rad26 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhp26 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe) is among the first proteins to be recruited to the lesion-arrested Pol II during the initiation of eukaryotic TCR. Mutations in CSB are associated with the autosomal-recessive neurological disorder Cockayne syndrome, which is characterized by progeriod features, growth failure and photosensitivity. The molecular mechanism of eukaryotic TCR initiation remains unclear, with several long-standing unanswered questions. How cells distinguish DNA lesion-arrested Pol II from other forms of arrested Pol II, the role of CSB in TCR initiation, and how CSB interacts with the arrested Pol II complex are all unknown. The lack of structures of CSB or the Pol II-CSB complex has hindered our ability to address these questions. Here we report the structure of the S. cerevisiae Pol II-Rad26 complex solved by cryo-electron microscopy. The structure reveals that Rad26 binds to the DNA upstream of Pol II, where it markedly alters its path. Our structural and functional data suggest that the conserved Swi2/Snf2-family core ATPase domain promotes the forward movement of Pol II, and elucidate key roles for Rad26 in both TCR and transcription elongation.

Mediator facilitates transcriptional activation and dynamic long-range contacts at the IgH locus during class switch recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas-Claudepierre, Anne-Sophie; Robert, Isabelle; Rocha, Pedro P; Raviram, Ramya; Schiavo, Ebe; Heyer, Vincent; Bonneau, Richard; Luo, Vincent M; Reddy, Janardan K; Borggrefe, Tilman; Skok, Jane A; Reina-San-Martin, Bernardo

2016-03-07

Immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) is initiated by the transcription-coupled recruitment of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to Ig switch regions (S regions). During CSR, the IgH locus undergoes dynamic three-dimensional structural changes in which promoters, enhancers, and S regions are brought to close proximity. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we show that Med1 and Med12, two subunits of the mediator complex implicated in transcription initiation and long-range enhancer/promoter loop formation, are dynamically recruited to the IgH locus enhancers and the acceptor regions during CSR and that their knockdown in CH12 cells results in impaired CSR. Furthermore, we show that conditional inactivation of Med1 in B cells results in defective CSR and reduced acceptor S region transcription. Finally, we show that in B cells undergoing CSR, the dynamic long-range contacts between the IgH enhancers and the acceptor regions correlate with Med1 and Med12 binding and that they happen at a reduced frequency in Med1-deficient B cells. Our results implicate the mediator complex in the mechanism of CSR and are consistent with a model in which mediator facilitates the long-range contacts between S regions and the IgH locus enhancers during CSR and their transcriptional activation. © 2016 Thomas-Claudepierre et al.

Activating transcription factor 6 polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with impaired glucose homeostasis and type 2 diabetes in dutch Caucasians

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meex, Steven J. R.; van Greevenbroek, Marleen M. J.; Ayoubi, Torik A.; Vlietinck, Robert; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V.; Hofker, Martin H.; Vermeulen, Vicky M. M. -J.; Schalkwijk, Casper G.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Boer, Jolanda M. A.; Stehouwer, Coen D. A.; van der Kallen, Carla J. H.; de Bruin, Tjerk W. A.

Context: Activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) is critical for initiation and full activation of the unfolded protein response. An association between genetic variation in ATF6 and type 2 diabetes (DM2) was recently reported in Pima Indians. Objectives: To investigate the broader significance of

Use of prokaryotic transcriptional activators as metabolite biosensors in eukaryotic cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2018-01-01

The present invention relates to the use of transcriptional activators from prokaryotic organisms for use in eukaryotic cells, such as yeast as sensors of intracellular and extracellular accumulation of a ligand or metabolite specifically activating this transcriptional activator in a eukaryot...

Enterovirus type 71 2A protease functions as a transcriptional activator in yeast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Meng-Jiun

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Enterovirus type 71 (EV71 2A protease exhibited strong transcriptional activity in yeast cells. The transcriptional activity of 2A protease was independent of its protease activity. EV71 2A protease retained its transcriptional activity after truncation of 40 amino acids at the N-terminus but lost this activity after truncation of 60 amino acids at the N-terminus or deletion of 20 amino acids at the C-terminus. Thus, the acidic domain at the C-terminus of this protein is essential for its transcriptional activity. Indeed, deletion of amino acids from 146 to 149 (EAME in this acidic domain lost the transcriptional activity of EV71 2A protein though still retained its protease activity. EV71 2A protease was detected both in the cytoplasm and nucleus using confocal microscopy analysis. Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease also exhibited transcriptional activity in yeast cells. As expected, an acidic domain in the C-terminus of Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease was also identified. Truncation of this acidic domain resulted in the loss of transcriptional activity. Interestingly, this acidic region of poliovirus 2A protease is critical for viral RNA replication. The transcriptional activity of the EV71 or Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease should play a role in viral replication and/or pathogenesis.

Targeting GLI by GANT61 involves mechanisms dependent on inhibition of both transcription and DNA licensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruowen; Wu, Jiahui; Ferrandon, Sylvain; Glowacki, Katie J; Houghton, Janet A

2016-12-06

The GLI genes are transcription factors and in cancers are oncogenes, aberrantly and constitutively activated. GANT61, a specific GLI inhibitor, has induced extensive cytotoxicity in human models of colon cancer. The FOXM1 promoter was determined to be a transcriptional target of GLI1. In HT29 cells, inhibition of GLI1 binding at the GLI consensus sequence by GANT61 led to inhibited binding of Pol II, the pause-release factors DSIF, NELF and p-TEFb. The formation of R-loops (RNA:DNA hybrids, ssDNA), were reduced by GANT61 at the FOXM1 promoter. Pretreatment of HT29 cells with α-amanitin reduced GANT61-induced γH2AX foci. Co-localization of GLI1 and BrdU foci, inhibited by GANT61, indicated GLI1 and DNA replication to be linked. By co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy, GLI1 co-localized with the DNA licensing factors ORC4, CDT1, and MCM2. Significant co-localization of GLI1 and ORC4 was inhibited by GANT61, and enrichment of ORC4 occurred at the GLI binding site in the FOXM1 promoter. CDT1 was found to be a transcription target of GLI1. Overexpression of CDT1 in HT29 and SW480 cells reduced GANT61-induced cell death, gH2AX foci, and cleavage of caspase-3. Data demonstrate involvement of transcription and of DNA replication licensing factors by non-transcriptional and transcriptional mechanisms in the GLI-dependent mechanism of action of GANT61.

The Enzyme-Like Domain of Arabidopsis Nuclear β-Amylases Is Critical for DNA Sequence Recognition and Transcriptional Activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Soyk, Sebastian; Simková, Klára; Zürcher, Evelyne; Luginbühl, Leonie; Brand, Luise H; Vaughan, Cara K; Wanke, Dierk; Zeeman, Samuel C

2014-04-01

Plant BZR1-BAM transcription factors contain a β-amylase (BAM)-like domain, characteristic of proteins involved in starch breakdown. The enzyme-derived domains appear to be noncatalytic, but they determine the function of the two Arabidopsis thaliana BZR1-BAM isoforms (BAM7 and BAM8) during transcriptional initiation. Removal or swapping of the BAM domains demonstrates that the BAM7 BAM domain restricts DNA binding and transcriptional activation, while the BAM8 BAM domain allows both activities. Furthermore, we demonstrate that BAM7 and BAM8 interact on the protein level and cooperate during transcriptional regulation. Site-directed mutagenesis of residues in the BAM domain of BAM8 shows that its function as a transcriptional activator is independent of catalysis but requires an intact substrate binding site, suggesting it may bind a ligand. Microarray experiments with plants overexpressing truncated versions lacking the BAM domain indicate that the pseudo-enzymatic domain increases selectivity for the preferred cis-regulatory element BBRE (BZR1-BAM Responsive Element). Side specificity toward the G-box may allow crosstalk to other signaling networks. This work highlights the importance of the enzyme-derived domain of BZR1-BAMs, supporting their potential role as metabolic sensors. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Targeted deficiency of the transcriptional activator Hnf1alpha alters subnuclear positioning of its genomic targets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reini F Luco

2008-05-01

Full Text Available DNA binding transcriptional activators play a central role in gene-selective regulation. In part, this is mediated by targeting local covalent modifications of histone tails. Transcriptional regulation has also been associated with the positioning of genes within the nucleus. We have now examined the role of a transcriptional activator in regulating the positioning of target genes. This was carried out with primary beta-cells and hepatocytes freshly isolated from mice lacking Hnf1alpha, an activator encoded by the most frequently mutated gene in human monogenic diabetes (MODY3. We show that in Hnf1a-/- cells inactive endogenous Hnf1alpha-target genes exhibit increased trimethylated histone H3-Lys27 and reduced methylated H3-Lys4. Inactive Hnf1alpha-targets in Hnf1a-/- cells are also preferentially located in peripheral subnuclear domains enriched in trimethylated H3-Lys27, whereas active targets in wild-type cells are positioned in more central domains enriched in methylated H3-Lys4 and RNA polymerase II. We demonstrate that this differential positioning involves the decondensation of target chromatin, and show that it is spatially restricted rather than a reflection of non-specific changes in the nuclear organization of Hnf1a-deficient cells. This study, therefore, provides genetic evidence that a single transcriptional activator can influence the subnuclear location of its endogenous genomic targets in primary cells, and links activator-dependent changes in local chromatin structure to the spatial organization of the genome. We have also revealed a defect in subnuclear gene positioning in a model of a human transcription factor disease.

Alternate capping mechanisms for transcription of spring viremia of carp virus: evidence for independent mRNA initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, K C; Roy, P

1980-01-01

Two alternate mechanisms of mRNA capping for spring viremia of carp virus have been observed. Under normal reaction conditions, a ppG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a pA moiety of the 5' termini of mRNA transcripts. However, in reaction conditions where GppNHp is used instead of GTP, an alternate capping mechanism occurs whereby a pG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a ppA moiety of the transcripts. The first mechanism is identical to that described previously for vesicular stomatitis virus (G. Abraham, D. P. Rhodes, and A. K. Banerjee, Nature [London] 255:37-40, 1975; A. K. Banerjee, S. A. Moyer, and D. P. Rhodes, Virology 61:547-558, 1974), and thus appears to be a conserved function during the evolution of rhabdoviruses. The alternate mechanism of capping indicates not only that capping can take place by two procedures, but also that the substrate termini have di- or triphosphate 5' ends, indicating that they are probably independently initiated. An analog of ATP, AppNHp, has been found to completely inhibit the initiation of transcription by spring viremia of carp virus, suggesting that a cleavage between the beta and gamma phosphates of ATP is essential for the initiation of transcription. However, in the presence of GppNHp, uncapped (ppAp and pppAp), capped (GpppAp), and capped methylated (m7GpppAmpAp and GpppAmpAp) transcripts are detected. Size analyses of oligodeoxythymidylic acid-cellulose-bound transcripts resolved by formamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that full-size mRNA transcripts are synthesized as well as larger RNA species. The presence of GppNHp and S-adenosylhomocysteine in reaction mixtures did not have any effect on the type of unmethylated transcription products. Our results favor a transcription model postulated previously (D. H. L. Bishop, in H. Fraenkel-Conrat and R. R. Wagner, ed., Comprehensive Virology, vol. 10, Plenum Press, New York, 1977; D. H. L. Bishop and A. Flamand, in D. C. Burke and W. C. Russell

FOX-2 Dependent Splicing of Ataxin-2 Transcript Is Affected by Ataxin-1 Overexpression

Science.gov (United States)

Welzel, Franziska; Kaehler, Christian; Isau, Melanie; Hallen, Linda; Lehrach, Hans; Krobitsch, Sylvia

2012-01-01

Alternative splicing is a fundamental posttranscriptional mechanism for controlling gene expression, and splicing defects have been linked to various human disorders. The splicing factor FOX-2 is part of a main protein interaction hub in a network related to human inherited ataxias, however, its impact remains to be elucidated. Here, we focused on the reported interaction between FOX-2 and ataxin-1, the disease-causing protein in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. In this line, we further evaluated this interaction by yeast-2-hybrid analyses and co-immunoprecipitation experiments in mammalian cells. Interestingly, we discovered that FOX-2 localization and splicing activity is affected in the presence of nuclear ataxin-1 inclusions. Moreover, we observed that FOX-2 directly interacts with ataxin-2, a protein modulating spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 pathogenesis. Finally, we provide evidence that splicing of pre-mRNA of ataxin-2 depends on FOX-2 activity, since reduction of FOX-2 levels led to increased skipping of exon 18 in ataxin-2 transcripts. Most striking, we observed that ataxin-1 overexpression has an effect on this splicing event as well. Thus, our results demonstrate that FOX-2 is involved in splicing of ataxin-2 transcripts and that this splicing event is altered by overexpression of ataxin-1. PMID:22666429

Heme-dependent up-regulation of the α-globin gene expression by transcriptional repressor Bach1 in erythroid cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahara, Tsuyoshi; Sun Jiying; Igarashi, Kazuhiko; Taketani, Shigeru

2004-01-01

The transcriptional factor Bach1 forms a heterodimer with small Maf family, and functions as a repressor of the Maf recognition element (MARE) in vivo. To investigate the involvement of Bach1 in the heme-dependent regulation of the expression of the α-globin gene, human erythroleukemia K562 cells were cultured with succinylacetone (SA), a heme biosynthetic inhibitor, and the level of α-globin mRNA was examined. A decrease of α-globin mRNA was observed in SA-treated cells, which was restored by the addition of hemin. The heme-dependent expression of α-globin occurred at the transcriptional level since the expression of human α-globin gene promoter-reporter gene containing hypersensitive site-40 (HS-40) was decreased when K562 cells were cultured with SA. Hemin treatment restored the decrease of the promoter activity by SA. The regulation of the HS-40 activity by heme was dependent on the NF-E2/AP-1 (NA) site, which is similar to MARE. The NA site-binding activity of Bach1 in K562 increased upon SA-treatment, and the increase was diminished by the addition of hemin. The transient expression of Bach1 and mutated Bach1 lacking CP motifs suppressed the HS-40 activity, and cancellation of the repressor activity by hemin was observed when wild-type Bach1 was expressed. The expression of NF-E2 strengthened the restoration of the Bach1-effect by hemin. Interestingly, nuclear localization of Bach1 increased when cells were treated with SA, while hemin induced the nuclear export of Bach1. These results indicated that heme plays an important role in the induction of α-globin gene expression through disrupting the interaction of Bach1 and the NA site in HS-40 enhancer in erythroid cells

Promoter binding, initiation, and elongation by bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. A single-molecule view of the transcription cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Gary M; Baumann, Christoph G; Quinn, Diana M; Molloy, Justin E; Hoggett, James G

2004-01-30

A single-molecule transcription assay has been developed that allows, for the first time, the direct observation of promoter binding, initiation, and elongation by a single RNA polymerase (RNAP) molecule in real-time. To promote DNA binding and transcription initiation, a DNA molecule tethered between two optically trapped beads was held near a third immobile surface bead sparsely coated with RNAP. By driving the optical trap holding the upstream bead with a triangular oscillation while measuring the position of both trapped beads, we observed the onset of promoter binding, promoter escape (productive initiation), and processive elongation by individual RNAP molecules. After DNA template release, transcription re-initiation on the same DNA template is possible; thus, multiple enzymatic turnovers by an individual RNAP molecule can be observed. Using bacteriophage T7 RNAP, a commonly used RNAP paradigm, we observed the association and dissociation (k(off)= 2.9 s(-1)) of T7 RNAP and promoter DNA, the transition to the elongation mode (k(for) = 0.36 s(-1)), and the processive synthesis (k(pol) = 43 nt s(-1)) and release of a gene-length RNA transcript ( approximately 1200 nt). The transition from initiation to elongation is much longer than the mean lifetime of the binary T7 RNAP-promoter DNA complex (k(off) > k(for)), identifying a rate-limiting step between promoter DNA binding and promoter escape.

Inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent transcription by resveratrol or kaempferol is independent of estrogen receptor α expression in human breast cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

MacPherson, Laura; Matthews, Jason

2016-01-01

Resveratrol and kaempferol are natural chemopreventative agents that are also aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) antagonists and estrogen receptor (ER) agonists. In this study we evaluated the role of ERα in resveratrol- and kaempferol-mediated inhibition of AHR-dependent transcription. Kaempferol or resveratrol inhibited dioxin-induced cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and CYP1B1 expression levels and recruitment of AHR, ERα and co-activators to CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. Both phytochemicals induced the expression and recruitment of ERα to gene amplified in breast cancer 1 (GREB1). RNAi-mediated knockdown of ERα in T-47D cells did not affect the inhibitory action of either phytochemical on AHR activity. Both compounds also inhibited AHR-dependent transcription in ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 breast cancer cells. These data show that ERα does not contribute to the AHR-inhibitory activities of resveratrol and kaempferol. PMID:20846786

X-ray Crystal Structures Elucidate the Nucleotidyl Transfer Reaction of Transcript Initiation Using Two Nucleotides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M Gleghorn; E Davydova; R Basu; L Rothman-Denes; K Murakami

2011-12-31

We have determined the X-ray crystal structures of the pre- and postcatalytic forms of the initiation complex of bacteriophage N4 RNA polymerase that provide the complete set of atomic images depicting the process of transcript initiation by a single-subunit RNA polymerase. As observed during T7 RNA polymerase transcript elongation, substrate loading for the initiation process also drives a conformational change of the O helix, but only the correct base pairing between the +2 substrate and DNA base is able to complete the O-helix conformational transition. Substrate binding also facilitates catalytic metal binding that leads to alignment of the reactive groups of substrates for the nucleotidyl transfer reaction. Although all nucleic acid polymerases use two divalent metals for catalysis, they differ in the requirements and the timing of binding of each metal. In the case of bacteriophage RNA polymerase, we propose that catalytic metal binding is the last step before the nucleotidyl transfer reaction.

Characterization of a novel radiation-inducible transcript, uscA, and analysis of its transcriptional regulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Sang Yong; Kim, Dong Ho; Joe, Min Ho

2010-03-15

The transcriptional expression of the uscA promote (P{sub uscA}) only occurred under aerobic conditions and a dose of 2Gy maximally activated transcription of P{sub uscA}. However, various environmental stress including physical shocks (pH, temperature, osmotic shock), DNA damaging agents (UV and MMC) or oxidative stressagents (paraquat, menadione, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) didn't cause the transcriptional activationof P{sub uscA}. The transcription of uscA was initiated at 170 bp upstream of the cyoA start codon, and ended around the ampG stop codon. The size of uscA was determined through reverse transcription assay, approximately 250 bp. The deletion analysis of uscA promoter demonstrates that radiation inducibility of P{sub uscA} is mediated by sequences present between -20 and +111 relativeto +1 of P{sub uscA} and radiation causes P{sub uscA} activation thorough permitting the expression that is repressed under non-irradiated conditions

Characterization of a novel radiation-inducible transcript, uscA, and analysis of its transcriptional regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Sang Yong; Kim, Dong Ho; Joe, Min Ho

2010-03-01

The transcriptional expression of the uscA promote (P uscA ) only occurred under aerobic conditions and a dose of 2Gy maximally activated transcription of P uscA . However, various environmental stress including physical shocks (pH, temperature, osmotic shock), DNA damaging agents (UV and MMC) or oxidative stressagents (paraquat, menadione, and H 2 O 2 ) didn't cause the transcriptional activationof P uscA . The transcription of uscA was initiated at 170 bp upstream of the cyoA start codon, and ended around the ampG stop codon. The size of uscA was determined through reverse transcription assay, approximately 250 bp. The deletion analysis of uscA promoter demonstrates that radiation inducibility of P uscA is mediated by sequences present between -20 and +111 relativeto +1 of P uscA and radiation causes P uscA activation thorough permitting the expression that is repressed under non-irradiated conditions

The testosterone-dependent and independent transcriptional networks in the hypothalamus of Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout male mice are not fully equivalent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutcliffe Margaret

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Humans and mice with loss of function mutations in GPR54 (KISS1R or kisspeptin do not progress through puberty, caused by a failure to release GnRH. The transcriptional networks regulated by these proteins in the hypothalamus have yet to be explored by genome-wide methods. Results We show here, using 1 million exon mouse arrays (Exon 1.0 Affymetrix and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR validation to analyse microdissected hypothalamic tissue from Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout mice, the extent of transcriptional regulation in the hypothalamus. The sensitivity to detect important transcript differences in microdissected RNA was confirmed by the observation of counter-regulation of Kiss1 expression in Gpr54 knockouts and confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC. Since Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout animals are effectively pre-pubertal with low testosterone (T levels, we also determined which of the validated transcripts were T-responsive and which varied according to genotype alone. We observed four types of transcriptional regulation (i genotype only dependent regulation, (ii T only dependent regulation, (iii genotype and T-dependent regulation with interaction between these variables, (iv genotype and T-dependent regulation with no interaction between these variables. The results implicate for the first time several transcription factors (e.g. Npas4, Esr2, proteases (Klk1b22, and the orphan 10-transmembrane transporter TMEM144 in the biology of GPR54/kisspeptin function in the hypothalamus. We show for the neuronal activity regulated transcription factor NPAS4, that distinct protein over-expression is seen in the hypothalamus and hippocampus in Gpr54 knockout mice. This links for the first time the hypothalamic-gonadal axis with this important regulator of inhibitory synapse formation. Similarly we confirm TMEM144 up-regulation in the hypothalamus by RNA in situ hybridization and western blot. Conclusions Taken together, global

RNA Pol II promotes transcription of centromeric satellite DNA in beetles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeljka Pezer

Full Text Available Transcripts of centromeric satellite DNAs are known to play a role in heterochromatin formation as well as in establishment of the kinetochore. However, little is known about basic mechanisms of satellite DNA expression within constitutive heterochromatin and its regulation. Here we present comprehensive analysis of transcription of abundant centromeric satellite DNA, PRAT from beetle Palorus ratzeburgii (Coleoptera. This satellite is characterized by preservation and extreme sequence conservation among evolutionarily distant insect species. PRAT is expressed in all three developmental stages: larvae, pupae and adults at similar level. Transcripts are abundant comprising 0.033% of total RNA and are heterogeneous in size ranging from 0.5 kb up to more than 5 kb. Transcription proceeds from both strands but with 10 fold different expression intensity and transcripts are not processed into siRNAs. Most of the transcripts (80% are not polyadenylated and remain in the nucleus while a small portion is exported to the cytoplasm. Multiple, irregularly distributed transcription initiation sites as well as termination sites have been mapped within the PRAT sequence using primer extension and RLM-RACE. The presence of cap structure as well as poly(A tails in a portion of the transcripts indicate RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription and a putative polymerase II promoter site overlaps the most conserved part of the PRAT sequence. The treatment of larvae with alpha-amanitin decreases the level of PRAT transcripts at concentrations that selectively inhibit pol II activity. In conclusion, stable, RNA polymerase II dependant transcripts of abundant centromeric satellite DNA, not regulated by RNAi, have been identified and characterized. This study offers a basic understanding of expression of highly abundant heterochromatic DNA which in beetle species constitutes up to 50% of the genome.

Activating transcription factor 3 promotes loss of the acinar cell phenotype in response to cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazio, Elena N; Young, Claire C; Toma, Jelena; Levy, Michael; Berger, Kurt R; Johnson, Charis L; Mehmood, Rashid; Swan, Patrick; Chu, Alphonse; Cregan, Sean P; Dilworth, F Jeffrey; Howlett, Christopher J; Pin, Christopher L

2017-09-01

Pancreatitis is a debilitating disease of the exocrine pancreas that, under chronic conditions, is a major susceptibility factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although down-regulation of genes that promote the mature acinar cell fate is required to reduce injury associated with pancreatitis, the factors that promote this repression are unknown. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a key mediator of the unfolded protein response, a pathway rapidly activated during pancreatic insult. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing, we show that ATF3 is bound to the transcriptional regulatory regions of >30% of differentially expressed genes during the initiation of pancreatitis. Of importance, ATF3-dependent regulation of these genes was observed only upon induction of pancreatitis, with pathways involved in inflammation, acinar cell differentiation, and cell junctions being specifically targeted. Characterizing expression of transcription factors that affect acinar cell differentiation suggested that acinar cells lacking ATF3 maintain a mature cell phenotype during pancreatitis, a finding supported by maintenance of junctional proteins and polarity markers. As a result, Atf3 -/- pancreatic tissue displayed increased tissue damage and inflammatory cell infiltration at early time points during injury but, at later time points, showed reduced acinar-to-duct cell metaplasia. Thus our results reveal a critical role for ATF3 as a key regulator of the acinar cell transcriptional response during injury and may provide a link between chronic pancreatitis and PDAC. © 2017 Fazio et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Hippo, TGF-β, and Src-MAPK pathways regulate transcription of the upd3 cytokine in Drosophila enterocytes upon bacterial infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Houtz, Philip; Bonfini, Alessandro; Liu, Xi; Revah, Jonathan; Guillou, Aurélien; Poidevin, Mickael; Hens, Korneel; Huang, Hsin-Yi; Deplancke, Bart; Tsai, Yu-Chen; Buchon, Nicolas

2017-11-01

Cytokine signaling is responsible for coordinating conserved epithelial regeneration and immune responses in the digestive tract. In the Drosophila midgut, Upd3 is a major cytokine, which is induced in enterocytes (EC) and enteroblasts (EB) upon oral infection, and initiates intestinal stem cell (ISC) dependent tissue repair. To date, the genetic network directing upd3 transcription remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we have identified the key infection-responsive enhancers of the upd3 gene and show that distinct enhancers respond to various stresses. Furthermore, through functional genetic screening, bioinformatic analyses and yeast one-hybrid screening, we determined that the transcription factors Scalloped (Sd), Mothers against dpp (Mad), and D-Fos are principal regulators of upd3 expression. Our study demonstrates that upd3 transcription in the gut is regulated by the activation of multiple pathways, including the Hippo, TGF-β/Dpp, and Src, as well as p38-dependent MAPK pathways. Thus, these essential pathways, which are known to control ISC proliferation cell-autonomously, are also activated in ECs to promote tissue turnover the regulation of upd3 transcription.

A transcriptional coregulator, SPIN·DOC, attenuates the coactivator activity of Spindlin1.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Narkhyun; Gao, Min; Li, Xu; Premkumar, Tolkappiyan; Sbardella, Gianluca; Chen, Junjie; Bedford, Mark T

2017-12-22

Spindlin1 (SPIN1) is a transcriptional coactivator with critical functions in embryonic development and emerging roles in cancer. SPIN1 harbors three Tudor domains, two of which engage the tail of histone H3 by reading the H3-Lys-4 trimethylation and H3-Arg-8 asymmetric dimethylation marks. To gain mechanistic insight into how SPIN1 functions as a transcriptional coactivator, here we purified its interacting proteins. We identified an uncharacterized protein (C11orf84), which we renamed SPIN1 docking protein (SPIN·DOC), that directly binds SPIN1 and strongly disrupts its histone methylation reading ability, causing it to disassociate from chromatin. The Spindlin family of coactivators has five related members (SPIN1, 2A, 2B, 3, and 4), and we found that all of them bind SPIN·DOC. It has been reported previously that SPIN1 regulates gene expression in the Wnt signaling pathway by directly interacting with transcription factor 4 (TCF4). We observed here that SPIN·DOC associates with TCF4 in a SPIN1-dependent manner and dampens SPIN1 coactivator activity in TOPflash reporter assays. Furthermore, knockdown and overexpression experiments indicated that SPIN·DOC represses the expression of a number of SPIN1-regulated genes, including those encoding ribosomal RNA and the cytokine IL1B. In conclusion, we have identified SPIN·DOC as a transcriptional repressor that binds SPIN1 and masks its ability to engage the H3-Lys-4 trimethylation activation mark. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Enhanced oxygen consumption in Herbaspirillum seropedicae fnr mutants leads to increased NifA mediated transcriptional activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Batista, Marcelo Bueno; Wassem, Roseli; Pedrosa, Fábio de Oliveira; de Souza, Emanuel Maltempi; Dixon, Ray; Monteiro, Rose Adele

2015-05-07

Orthologous proteins of the Crp/Fnr family have been previously implicated in controlling expression and/or activity of the NifA transcriptional activator in some diazotrophs. This study aimed to address the role of three Fnr-like proteins from H. seropedicae SmR1 in controlling NifA activity and consequent NifA-mediated transcription activation. The activity of NifA-dependent transcriptional fusions (nifA::lacZ and nifB::lacZ) was analysed in a series of H. seropedicae fnr deletion mutant backgrounds. We found that combined deletions in both the fnr1 and fnr3 genes lead to higher expression of both the nifA and nifB genes and also an increased level of nifH transcripts. Expression profiles of nifB under different oxygen concentrations, together with oxygen consumption measurements suggest that the triple fnr mutant has higher respiratory activity when compared to the wild type, which we believe to be responsible for greater stability of the oxygen sensitive NifA protein. This conclusion was further substantiated by measuring the levels of NifA protein and its activity in fnr deletion strains in comparison with the wild-type. Fnr proteins are indirectly involved in controlling the activity of NifA in H. seropedicae, probably as a consequence of their influence on respiratory activity in relation to oxygen availability. Additionally we can suggest that there is some redundancy in the physiological function of the three Fnr paralogs in this organism, since altered respiration and effects on NifA activity are only observed in deletion strains lacking both fnr1 and fnr3.

Characterization of herpes simplex virus 2 primary microRNA Transcript regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shuang; Bosch-Marce, Marta; Patel, Amita; Margolis, Todd P; Krause, Philip R

2015-05-01

In order to understand factors that may influence latency-associated transcription and latency-associated transcript (LAT) phenotypes, we studied the expression of the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) LAT-associated microRNAs (miRNAs). We mapped the transcription initiation sites of all three primary miRNA transcripts and identified the ICP4-binding sequences at the transcription initiation sites of both HSV-2 LAT (pri-miRNA for miR-I and miR-II, which target ICP34.5, and miR-III, which targets ICP0) and L/ST (a pri-miRNA for miR-I and miR-II) but not at that of the primary miR-H6 (for which the target is unknown). We confirmed activity of the putative HSV-2 L/ST promoter and found that ICP4 trans-activates the L/ST promoter when the ICP4-binding site at its transcription initiation site is mutated, suggesting that ICP4 may play a dual role in regulating transcription of L/ST and, consequently, of miR-I and miR-II. LAT exon 1 (containing LAT enhancer sequences), together with the LAT promoter region, comprises a bidirectional promoter required for the expression of both LAT-encoded miRNAs and miR-H6 in latently infected mouse ganglia. The ability of ICP4 to suppress ICP34.5-targeting miRNAs and to activate lytic viral genes suggests that ICP4 could play a key role in the switch between latency and reactivation. The HSV-2 LAT and viral miRNAs expressed in the LAT region are the most abundant viral transcripts during HSV latency. The balance between the expression of LAT and LAT-associated miRNAs and the expression of lytic viral transcripts from the opposite strand appears to influence whether individual HSV-infected neurons will be latently or productively infected. The outcome of neuronal infection may thus depend on regulation of gene expression of the corresponding primary miRNAs. In the present study, we characterize promoter sequences responsible for miRNA expression, including identification of the primary miRNA 5' ends and evaluation of ICP4 response. These

Enhancer SINEs Link Pol III to Pol II Transcription in Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Policarpi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: Spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression depends on the cooperation of multiple mechanisms, including the functional interaction of promoters with distally located enhancers. Here, we show that, in cortical neurons, a subset of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs located in the proximity of activity-regulated genes bears features of enhancers. Enhancer SINEs (eSINEs recruit the Pol III cofactor complex TFIIIC in a stimulus-dependent manner and are transcribed by Pol III in response to neuronal depolarization. Characterization of an eSINE located in proximity to the Fos gene (FosRSINE1 indicated that the FosRSINE1-encoded transcript interacts with Pol II at the Fos promoter and mediates Fos relocation to Pol II factories, providing an unprecedented molecular link between Pol III and Pol II transcription. Strikingly, knockdown of the FosRSINE1 transcript induces defects of both cortical radial migration in vivo and activity-dependent dendritogenesis in vitro, demonstrating that FosRSINE1 acts as a strong enhancer of Fos expression in diverse physiological contexts. : Spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression requires the interaction between promoters and distally located enhancers. Policarpi et al. identify a subset of SINEs that functions as enhancers for activity-dependent neuronal genes. The enhancer SINE FosRSINE1 regulates Fos transcription and is necessary for both activity-dependent dendritogenesis and proper brain development. Keywords: neuroscience, epigenetics, transcription, enhancers, SINEs, neuronal activity, neuronal development

FATS is a transcriptional target of p53 and associated with antitumor activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Xifeng

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Frequent mutations of p53 in human cancers exemplify its crucial role as a tumor suppressor transcription factor, and p21, a transcriptional target of p53, plays a central role in surveillance of cell-cycle checkpoints. Our previous study has shown that FATS stabilize p21 to preserve genome integrity. In this study we identified a novel transcript variant of FATS (GenBank: GQ499374 through screening a cDNA library from mouse testis, which uncovered the promoter region of mouse FATS. Mouse FATS was highly expressed in testis. The p53-responsive elements existed in proximal region of both mouse and human FATS promoters. Functional study indicated that the transcription of FATS gene was activated by p53, whereas such effect was abolished by site-directed mutagenesis in the p53-RE of FATS promoter. Furthermore, the expression of FATS increased upon DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner. FATS expression was silent or downregulated in human cancers, and overexpression of FATS suppressed tumorigenicity in vivo independently of p53. Our results reveal FATS as a p53-regulated gene to monitor genomic stability.

Multiple 5' ends of human cytomegalovirus UL57 transcripts identify a complex, cycloheximide-resistant promoter region that activates oriLyt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiehl, Anita; Huang, Lili; Franchi, David; Anders, David G.

2003-01-01

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL57 gene lies adjacent to HCMV oriLyt, from which it is separated by an organizationally conserved, mostly noncoding region that is thought to both regulate UL57 expression and activate oriLyt function. However, the UL57 promoter has not been studied. We determined the 5' ends of UL57 transcripts toward an understanding of the potential relationship between UL57 expression and oriLyt activation. The results presented here identified three distinct 5' ends spread over 800 bp, at nt 90302, 90530, and 91138; use of these sites exhibited differential sensitivity to phosphonoformic acid treatment. Interestingly, a 10-kb UL57 transcript accumulated in cycloheximide-treated infected cells, even though other early transcripts were not detectable. However, the 10-kb transcript did not accumulate in cells treated with the more stringent translation inhibitor anisomycin. Consistent with the notion that the identified 5' ends arise from distinct transcription start sites, the sequences upstream of sites I and II functioned as promoters responsive to HCMV infection in transient assays. However, the origin-proximal promoter region III required downstream sequences for transcriptional activity. Mutation of candidate core promoter elements suggested that promoter III is regulated by an initiator region (Inr) and a downstream promoter element. Finally, a 42-bp sequence containing the candidate Inr activated a minimal oriLyt core construct in transient replication assays. Thus, these studies showed that a large, complex promoter region with novel features controls UL57 expression, and identified a sequence that regulates both UL57 transcription and oriLyt activation

Inhibition of FoxO transcriptional activity prevents muscle fiber atrophy during cachexia and induces hypertrophy

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Sarah A.; Sandesara, Pooja B.; Senf, Sarah M.; Judge, Andrew R.

2012-01-01

Cachexia is characterized by inexorable muscle wasting that significantly affects patient prognosis and increases mortality. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of this muscle wasting is of significant importance. Recent work showed that components of the forkhead box O (FoxO) pathway are increased in skeletal muscle during cachexia. In the current study, we tested the physiological significance of FoxO activation in the progression of muscle atrophy associated with cachexia. FoxO-DNA binding dependent transcription was blocked in the muscles of mice through injection of a dominant negative (DN) FoxO expression plasmid prior to inoculation with Lewis lung carcinoma cells or the induction of sepsis. Expression of DN FoxO inhibited the increased mRNA levels of atrogin-1, MuRF1, cathepsin L, and/or Bnip3 and inhibited muscle fiber atrophy during cancer cachexia and sepsis. Interestingly, during control conditions, expression of DN FoxO decreased myostatin expression, increased MyoD expression and satellite cell proliferation, and induced fiber hypertrophy, which required de novo protein synthesis. Collectively, these data show that FoxO-DNA binding-dependent transcription is necessary for normal muscle fiber atrophy during cancer cachexia and sepsis, and further suggest that basal levels of FoxO play an important role during normal conditions to depress satellite cell activation and limit muscle growth.—Reed, S. A., Sandesara, P. B., Senf, S. F., Judge, A. R. Inhibition of FoxO transcriptional activity prevents muscle fiber atrophy during cachexia and induces hypertrophy. PMID:22102632

AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 are master transcription factors that cooperatively regulate ABRE-dependent ABA signaling involved in drought stress tolerance and require ABA for full activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Takuya; Fujita, Yasunari; Sayama, Hiroko; Kidokoro, Satoshi; Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Mizoi, Junya; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2010-02-01

A myriad of drought stress-inducible genes have been reported, and many of these are activated by abscisic acid (ABA). In the promoter regions of such ABA-regulated genes, conserved cis-elements, designated ABA-responsive elements (ABREs), control gene expression via bZIP-type AREB/ABF transcription factors. Although all three members of the AREB/ABF subfamily, AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3, are upregulated by ABA and water stress, it remains unclear whether these are functional homologs. Here, we report that all three AREB/ABF transcription factors require ABA for full activation, can form hetero- or homodimers to function in nuclei, and can interact with SRK2D/SnRK2.2, an SnRK2 protein kinase that was identified as a regulator of AREB1. Along with the tissue-specific expression patterns of these genes and the subcellular localization of their encoded proteins, these findings clearly indicate that AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 have largely overlapping functions. To elucidate the role of these AREB/ABF transcription factors, we generated an areb1 areb2 abf3 triple mutant. Large-scale transcriptome analysis, which showed that stress-responsive gene expression is remarkably impaired in the triple mutant, revealed novel AREB/ABF downstream genes in response to water stress, including many LEA class and group-Ab PP2C genes and transcription factors. The areb1 areb2 abf3 triple mutant is more resistant to ABA than are the other single and double mutants with respect to primary root growth, and it displays reduced drought tolerance. Thus, these results indicate that AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 are master transcription factors that cooperatively regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression for ABA signaling under conditions of water stress.

Sea urchin akt activity is Runx-dependent and required for post-cleavage stage cell division

KAUST Repository

Robertson, Anthony J.

2013-03-25

In animal development following the initial cleavage stage of embryogenesis, the cell cycle becomes dependent on intercellular signaling and controlled by the genomically encoded ontogenetic program. Runx transcription factors are critical regulators of metazoan developmental signaling, and we have shown that the sea urchin Runx gene runt-1, which is globally expressed during early embryogenesis, functions in support of blastula stage cell proliferation and expression of the mitogenic genes pkc1, cyclinD, and several wnts. To obtain a more comprehensive list of early runt-1 regulatory targets, we screened a Strongylocentrotus purpuratus microarray to identify genes mis-expressed in mid-blastula stage runt-1 morphants. This analysis showed that loss of Runx function perturbs the expression of multiple genes involved in cell division, including the pro-growth and survival kinase Akt (PKB), which is significantly underexpressed in runt-1 morphants. Further genomic analysis revealed that Akt is encoded by two genes in the S. purpuratus genome, akt-1 and akt-2, both of which contain numerous canonical Runx target sequences. The transcripts of both genes accumulate several fold during blastula stage, contingent on runt-1 expression. Inhibiting Akt expression or activity causes blastula stage cell cycle arrest, whereas overexpression of akt-1 mRNA rescues cell proliferation in runt-1 morphants. These results indicate that post-cleavage stage cell division requires Runx-dependent expression of akt.

Sea urchin akt activity is Runx-dependent and required for post-cleavage stage cell division

KAUST Repository

Robertson, Anthony J.; Coluccio, Alison; Jensen, Sarah; Rydlizky, Katarina; Coffman, James A.

2013-01-01

In animal development following the initial cleavage stage of embryogenesis, the cell cycle becomes dependent on intercellular signaling and controlled by the genomically encoded ontogenetic program. Runx transcription factors are critical regulators of metazoan developmental signaling, and we have shown that the sea urchin Runx gene runt-1, which is globally expressed during early embryogenesis, functions in support of blastula stage cell proliferation and expression of the mitogenic genes pkc1, cyclinD, and several wnts. To obtain a more comprehensive list of early runt-1 regulatory targets, we screened a Strongylocentrotus purpuratus microarray to identify genes mis-expressed in mid-blastula stage runt-1 morphants. This analysis showed that loss of Runx function perturbs the expression of multiple genes involved in cell division, including the pro-growth and survival kinase Akt (PKB), which is significantly underexpressed in runt-1 morphants. Further genomic analysis revealed that Akt is encoded by two genes in the S. purpuratus genome, akt-1 and akt-2, both of which contain numerous canonical Runx target sequences. The transcripts of both genes accumulate several fold during blastula stage, contingent on runt-1 expression. Inhibiting Akt expression or activity causes blastula stage cell cycle arrest, whereas overexpression of akt-1 mRNA rescues cell proliferation in runt-1 morphants. These results indicate that post-cleavage stage cell division requires Runx-dependent expression of akt.

High-density transcriptional initiation signals underline genomic islands in bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qianli Huang

Full Text Available Genomic islands (GIs, frequently associated with the pathogenicity of bacteria and having a substantial influence on bacterial evolution, are groups of "alien" elements which probably undergo special temporal-spatial regulation in the host genome. Are there particular hallmark transcriptional signals for these "exotic" regions? We here explore the potential transcriptional signals that underline the GIs beyond the conventional views on basic sequence composition, such as codon usage and GC property bias. It showed that there is a significant enrichment of the transcription start positions (TSPs in the GI regions compared to the whole genome of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. There was up to a four-fold increase for the 70% GIs, implying high-density TSPs profile can potentially differentiate the GI regions. Based on this feature, we developed a new sliding window method GIST, Genomic-island Identification by Signals of Transcription, to identify these regions. Subsequently, we compared the known GI-associated features of the GIs detected by GIST and by the existing method Islandviewer to those of the whole genome. Our method demonstrates high sensitivity in detecting GIs harboring genes with biased GI-like function, preferred subcellular localization, skewed GC property, shorter gene length and biased "non-optimal" codon usage. The special transcriptional signals discovered here may contribute to the coordinate expression regulation of foreign genes. Finally, by using GIST, we detected many interesting GIs in the 2011 German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain TY-2482, including the microcin H47 system and gene cluster ycgXEFZ-ymgABC that activates the production of biofilm matrix. The aforesaid findings highlight the power of GIST to predict GIs with distinct intrinsic features to the genome. The heterogeneity of cumulative TSPs profiles may not only be a better identity for "alien" regions, but also provide hints to the special

Engineering prokaryotic transcriptional activators as metabolite biosensors in yeast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skjødt, Mette Louise; Snoek, Tim; Kildegaard, Kanchana Rueksomtawin

2016-01-01

,cis-muconic acid at different levels, and found that reporter gene output correlated with production. The transplantation of prokaryotic transcriptional activators into the eukaryotic chassis illustrates the potential of a hitherto untapped biosensor resource useful for biotechnological applications....... real-time monitoring of production has attracted attention. Here we applied systematic engineering of multiple parameters to search for a general biosensor design in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on small-molecule binding transcriptional activators from the prokaryote superfamily...

Epigenetic control of viral life-cycle by a DNA-methylation dependent transcription factor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsty Flower

Full Text Available Epstein-Barr virus (EBV encoded transcription factor Zta (BZLF1, ZEBRA, EB1 is the prototype of a class of transcription factor (including C/EBPalpha that interact with CpG-containing DNA response elements in a methylation-dependent manner. The EBV genome undergoes a biphasic methylation cycle; it is extensively methylated during viral latency but is reset to an unmethylated state following viral lytic replication. Zta is expressed transiently following infection and again during the switch between latency and lytic replication. The requirement for CpG-methylation at critical Zta response elements (ZREs has been proposed to regulate EBV replication, specifically it could aid the activation of viral lytic gene expression from silenced promoters on the methylated genome during latency in addition to preventing full lytic reactivation from the non-methylated EBV genome immediately following infection. We developed a computational approach to predict the location of ZREs which we experimentally assessed using in vitro and in vivo DNA association assays. A remarkably different binding motif is apparent for the CpG and non-CpG ZREs. Computational prediction of the location of these binding motifs in EBV revealed that the majority of lytic cycle genes have at least one and many have multiple copies of methylation-dependent CpG ZREs within their promoters. This suggests that the abundance of Zta protein coupled with the methylation status of the EBV genome act together to co-ordinate the expression of lytic cycle genes at the majority of EBV promoters.

The DnaA Cycle in Escherichia coli: Activation, Function and Inactivation of the Initiator Protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsutomu Katayama

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This review summarizes the mechanisms of the initiator protein DnaA in replication initiation and its regulation in Escherichia coli. The chromosomal origin (oriC DNA is unwound by the replication initiation complex to allow loading of DnaB helicases and replisome formation. The initiation complex consists of the DnaA protein, DnaA-initiator-associating protein DiaA, integration host factor (IHF, and oriC, which contains a duplex-unwinding element (DUE and a DnaA-oligomerization region (DOR containing DnaA-binding sites (DnaA boxes and a single IHF-binding site that induces sharp DNA bending. DiaA binds to DnaA and stimulates DnaA assembly at the DOR. DnaA binds tightly to ATP and ADP. ATP-DnaA constructs functionally different sub-complexes at DOR, and the DUE-proximal DnaA sub-complex contains IHF and promotes DUE unwinding. The first part of this review presents the structures and mechanisms of oriC-DnaA complexes involved in the regulation of replication initiation. During the cell cycle, the level of ATP-DnaA level, the active form for initiation, is strictly regulated by multiple systems, resulting in timely replication initiation. After initiation, regulatory inactivation of DnaA (RIDA intervenes to reduce ATP-DnaA level by hydrolyzing the DnaA-bound ATP to ADP to yield ADP-DnaA, the inactive form. RIDA involves the binding of the DNA polymerase clamp on newly synthesized DNA to the DnaA-inactivator Hda protein. In datA-dependent DnaA-ATP hydrolysis (DDAH, binding of IHF at the chromosomal locus datA, which contains a cluster of DnaA boxes, results in further hydrolysis of DnaA-bound ATP. SeqA protein inhibits untimely initiation at oriC by binding to newly synthesized oriC DNA and represses dnaA transcription in a cell cycle dependent manner. To reinitiate DNA replication, ADP-DnaA forms oligomers at DnaA-reactivating sequences (DARS1 and DARS2, resulting in the dissociation of ADP and the release of nucleotide-free apo-DnaA, which then

β-adrenergic receptor-dependent alterations in murine cardiac transcript expression are differentially regulated by gefitinib in vivo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer A Talarico

Full Text Available β-adrenergic receptor (βAR-mediated transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR has been shown to promote cardioprotection in a mouse model of heart failure and we recently showed that this mechanism leads to enhanced cell survival in part via regulation of apoptotic transcript expression in isolated primary rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Thus, we hypothesized that this process could regulate cardiac transcript expression in vivo. To comprehensively assess cardiac transcript alterations in response to acute βAR-dependent EGFR transactivation, we performed whole transcriptome analysis of hearts from C57BL/6 mice given i.p. injections of the βAR agonist isoproterenol in the presence or absence of the EGFR antagonist gefitinib for 1 hour. Total cardiac RNA from each treatment group underwent transcriptome analysis, revealing a substantial number of transcripts regulated by each treatment. Gefitinib alone significantly altered the expression of 405 transcripts, while isoproterenol either alone or in conjunction with gefitinib significantly altered 493 and 698 distinct transcripts, respectively. Further statistical analysis was performed, confirming 473 transcripts whose regulation by isoproterenol were significantly altered by gefitinib (isoproterenol-induced up/downregulation antagonized/promoted by gefinitib, including several known to be involved in the regulation of numerous processes including cell death and survival. Thus, βAR-dependent regulation of cardiac transcript expression in vivo can be modulated by the EGFR antagonist gefitinib.

Pokemon decreases the transcriptional activity of RARα in the absence of ligand.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yutao; Li, Yueting; Di, Fei; Cui, Jiajun; Wang, Yue; David Xu, Zhi-Qing

2016-12-20

Pokemon is a transcriptional repressor that belongs to the POZ and Krüppel (POK) protein family. In this study, we investigated the potential interaction between Pokemon and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) and determined the role of Pokemon in regulation of RARα transcriptional activity in the absence of ligand. We found that Pokemon could directly interact with RARα. Moreover, we demonstrated that Pokemon could decrease the transcriptional activity of RARα in the absence of ligand. Furthermore, we showed that Pokemon could repress the transcriptional activity of RARα by increasing the recruitment of nuclear receptor co-repressor (NCoR) and silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT) to the retinoic acid response element (RARE) element. Taken together, these data suggest that Pokemon is a novel partner of RARα that acts as a co-repressor to regulate RARα transcriptional activity in the absence of ligand.

Transcriptional corepressors HIPK1 and HIPK2 control angiogenesis via TGF-β-TAK1-dependent mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulei Shang

Full Text Available Several critical events dictate the successful establishment of nascent vasculature in yolk sac and in the developing embryos. These include aggregation of angioblasts to form the primitive vascular plexus, followed by the proliferation, differentiation, migration, and coalescence of endothelial cells. Although transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β is known to regulate various aspects of vascular development, the signaling mechanism of TGF-β remains unclear. Here we show that homeodomain interacting protein kinases, HIPK1 and HIPK2, are transcriptional corepressors that regulate TGF-β-dependent angiogenesis during embryonic development. Loss of HIPK1 and HIPK2 leads to marked up-regulations of several potent angiogenic genes, including Mmp10 and Vegf, which result in excessive endothelial proliferation and poor adherens junction formation. This robust phenotype can be recapitulated by siRNA knockdown of Hipk1 and Hipk2 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, as well as in endothelial cell-specific TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII conditional mutants. The effects of HIPK proteins are mediated through its interaction with MEF2C, and this interaction can be further enhanced by TGF-β in a TAK1-dependent manner. Remarkably, TGF-β-TAK1 signaling activates HIPK2 by phosphorylating a highly conserved tyrosine residue Y-361 within the kinase domain. Point mutation in this tyrosine completely eliminates the effect of HIPK2 as a transcriptional corepressor in luciferase assays. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized role of HIPK proteins in connecting TGF-β signaling pathway with the transcriptional programs critical for angiogenesis in early embryonic development.

Mutual interdependence of splicing and transcription elongation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brzyżek, Grzegorz; Świeżewski, Szymon

2015-01-01

Transcription and splicing are intrinsically linked, as splicing needs a pre-mRNA substrate to commence. The more nuanced view is that the rate of transcription contributes to splicing regulation. On the other hand there is accumulating evidence that splicing has an active role in controlling transcription elongation by DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (RNAP II). We briefly review those mechanisms and propose a unifying model where splicing controls transcription elongation to provide an optimal timing for successive rounds of splicing.

An allele of an ancestral transcription factor dependent on a horizontally acquired gene product.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H Deborah; Jewett, Mollie W; Groisman, Eduardo A

2012-01-01

Changes in gene regulatory circuits often give rise to phenotypic differences among closely related organisms. In bacteria, these changes can result from alterations in the ancestral genome and/or be brought about by genes acquired by horizontal transfer. Here, we identify an allele of the ancestral transcription factor PmrA that requires the horizontally acquired pmrD gene product to promote gene expression. We determined that a single amino acid difference between the PmrA proteins from the human adapted Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and the broad host range S. enterica serovar Typhimurium rendered transcription of PmrA-activated genes dependent on the PmrD protein in the former but not the latter serovar. Bacteria harboring the serovar Typhimurium allele exhibited polymyxin B resistance under PmrA- or under PmrA- and PmrD-inducing conditions. By contrast, isogenic strains with the serovar Paratyphi B allele displayed PmrA-regulated polymyxin B resistance only when experiencing activating conditions for both PmrA and PmrD. We establish that the two PmrA orthologs display quantitative differences in several biochemical properties. Strains harboring the serovar Paratyphi B allele showed enhanced biofilm formation, a property that might promote serovar Paratyphi B's chronic infection of the gallbladder. Our findings illustrate how subtle differences in ancestral genes can impact the ability of horizontally acquired genes to confer new properties.

Cancer-type dependent expression of CK2 transcripts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa M J Chua

Full Text Available A multitude of proteins are aberrantly expressed in cancer cells, including the oncogenic serine-threonine kinase CK2. In a previous report, we found increases in CK2 transcript expression that could explain the increased CK2 protein levels found in tumors from lung and bronchus, prostate, breast, colon and rectum, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. We also found that, contrary to the current notions about CK2, some CK2 transcripts were downregulated in several cancers. Here, we investigate all other cancers using Oncomine to determine whether they also display significant CK2 transcript dysregulation. As anticipated from our previous analysis, we found cancers with all CK2 transcripts upregulated (e.g. cervical, and cancers where there was a combination of upregulation and/or downregulation of the CK2 transcripts (e.g. sarcoma. Unexpectedly, we found some cancers with significant downregulation of all CK2 transcripts (e.g. testicular cancer. We also found that, in some cases, CK2 transcript levels were already dysregulated in benign lesions (e.g. Barrett's esophagus. We also found that CK2 transcript upregulation correlated with lower patient survival in most cases where data was significant. However, there were two cancer types, glioblastoma and renal cell carcinoma, where CK2 transcript upregulation correlated with higher survival. Overall, these data show that the expression levels of CK2 genes is highly variable in cancers and can lead to different patient outcomes.

Phorbol-ester-induced activation of the NF-κB transcription factor involves dissociation of an apparently cytoplasmic NF-κB/inhibitor complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeuerle, P.A.; Lenardo, M.; Pierce, J.W.; Baltimore, D.

1988-01-01

There is increasing evidence that inducible transcription of genes is mediated through the induction of the activity of trans-acting protein factors. The NF-κB transcription factor provides a model system to study the posttranslational activation of a phorbol-ester-inducible transcription factor. The finding that NF-κB activity is undectable in subcellular fractions from unstimulated cells suggests that NF-κB exists as an inactive precursor. The authors showed that NF-κB is detectable in two different forms. After selective removal of endogenous NF-κB, they demonstrate the existence of a protein inhibitor in cytosolic fractions of unstimulated cells that is able in vitro to convert NF-κB into an inactive desoxycholate-dependent form. The data are consistent with a molecular mechanism of inducible gene expression by which an apparently cytoplasmic transcription factor-inhibitor complex is dissociated by the action of TPA-activated protein kinase C

Bivariate Genomic Footprinting Detects Changes in Transcription Factor Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songjoon Baek

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In response to activating signals, transcription factors (TFs bind DNA and regulate gene expression. TF binding can be measured by protection of the bound sequence from DNase digestion (i.e., footprint. Here, we report that 80% of TF binding motifs do not show a measurable footprint, partly because of a variable cleavage pattern within the motif sequence. To more faithfully portray the effect of TFs on chromatin, we developed an algorithm that captures two TF-dependent effects on chromatin accessibility: footprinting and motif-flanking accessibility. The algorithm, termed bivariate genomic footprinting (BaGFoot, efficiently detects TF activity. BaGFoot is robust to different accessibility assays (DNase-seq, ATAC-seq, all examined peak-calling programs, and a variety of cut bias correction approaches. BaGFoot reliably predicts TF binding and provides valuable information regarding the TFs affecting chromatin accessibility in various biological systems and following various biological events, including in cases where an absolute footprint cannot be determined.

Characterization of DNA binding, transcriptional activation, and regulated nuclear association of recombinant human NFATp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seto Anita G

2000-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background NFATp is one member of a family of transcriptional activators whose nuclear accumulation and hence transcriptional activity is regulated in mammalian cells. Human NFATp exists as a phosphoprotein in the cytoplasm of naive T cells. Upon antigen stimulation, NFATp is dephosphorylated, accumulates in nuclei, and functions to regulate transcription of genes including those encoding cytokines. While the properties of the DNA binding domain of NFATp have been investigated in detail, biochemical studies of the transcriptional activation and regulated association with nuclei have remained unexplored because of a lack of full length, purified recombinant NFATp. Results We developed methods for expressing and purifying full length recombinant human NFATp that has all of the properties known to be associated with native NFATp. The recombinant NFATp binds DNA on its own and cooperatively with AP-1 proteins, activates transcription in vitro, is phosphorylated, can be dephosphorylated by calcineurin, and exhibits regulated association with nuclei in vitro. Importantly, activation by recombinant NFATp in a reconstituted transcription system required regions of the protein outside of the central DNA binding domain. Conclusions We conclude that NFATp is a bona fide transcriptional activator. Moreover, the reagents and methods that we developed will facilitate future studies on the mechanisms of transcriptional activation and nuclear accumulation by NFATp, a member of an important family of transcriptional regulatory proteins.

Arabidopsis basic leucine zipper transcription factors involved in an abscisic acid-dependent signal transduction pathway under drought and high-salinity conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Uno, Y; Furihata, T; Abe, H; Yoshida, R; Shinozaki, K; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K

2000-10-10

The induction of the dehydration-responsive Arabidopsis gene, rd29B, is mediated mainly by abscisic acid (ABA). Promoter analysis of rd29B indicated that two ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) are required for the dehydration-responsive expression of rd29B as cis-acting elements. Three cDNAs encoding basic leucine zipper (bZIP)-type ABRE-binding proteins were isolated by using the yeast one-hybrid system and were designated AREB1, AREB2, and AREB3 (ABA-responsive element binding protein). Transcription of the AREB1 and AREB2 genes is up-regulated by drought, NaCl, and ABA treatment in vegetative tissues. In a transient transactivation experiment using Arabidopsis leaf protoplasts, both the AREB1 and AREB2 proteins activated transcription of a reporter gene driven by ABRE. AREB1 and AREB2 required ABA for their activation, because their transactivation activities were repressed in aba2 and abi1 mutants and enhanced in an era1 mutant. Activation of AREBs by ABA was suppressed by protein kinase inhibitors. These results suggest that both AREB1 and AREB2 function as transcriptional activators in the ABA-inducible expression of rd29B, and further that ABA-dependent posttranscriptional activation of AREB1 and AREB2, probably by phosphorylation, is necessary for their maximum activation by ABA. Using cultured Arabidopsis cells, we demonstrated that a specific ABA-activated protein kinase of 42-kDa phosphorylated conserved N-terminal regions in the AREB proteins.

Transcriptional decomposition reveals active chromatin architectures and cell specific regulatory interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rennie, Sarah; Dalby, Maria; van Duin, Lucas

2018-01-01

Transcriptional regulation is tightly coupled with chromosomal positioning and three-dimensional chromatin architecture. However, it is unclear what proportion of transcriptional activity is reflecting such organisation, how much can be informed by RNA expression alone and how this impacts disease...... proportion of total levels and is highly informative of topological associating domain activities and organisation, revealing boundaries and chromatin compartments. Furthermore, expression data alone accurately predict individual enhancer-promoter interactions, drawing features from expression strength...... between transcription and chromatin architecture....

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling and histone binding by the Cockayne syndrome B DNA repair-transcription coupling factor.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. Citterio (Elisabetta); V. van den Boom (Vincent); G. Schnitzler; R. Kanaar (Roland); E. Bonte (Edgar); R.E. Kingston; J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); W. Vermeulen (Wim)

2000-01-01

textabstractThe Cockayne syndrome B protein (CSB) is required for coupling DNA excision repair to transcription in a process known as transcription-coupled repair (TCR). Cockayne syndrome patients show UV sensitivity and severe neurodevelopmental abnormalities. CSB is a DNA-dependent ATPase of the

Promoter polymorphisms in genes involved in porcine myogenesis influence their transcriptional activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bongiorni, Silvia; Tilesi, Francesca; Bicorgna, Silvia; Iacoponi, Francesca; Willems, Daniela; Gargani, Maria; D'Andrea, MariaSilvia; Pilla, Fabio; Valentini, Alessio

2014-11-07

Success of meat production and selection for improvement of meat quality is among the primary aims in animal production. Meat quality traits are economically important in swine; however, the underlying genetic nature is very complex. Therefore, an improved pork production strongly depends on identifying and studying how genetic variations contribute to modulate gene expression. Promoters are key regions in gene modulation as they harbour several binding motifs to transcription regulatory factors. Therefore, polymorphisms in these regions are likely to deeply affect RNA levels and consequently protein synthesis. In this study, we report the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in promoter regions of candidate genes involved in development, cellular differentiation and muscle growth in Sus scrofa. We identified SNPs in the promoter regions of genes belonging to the Myogenic Regulatory Factors (MRF) gene family (the Myogenic Differentiation gene, MYOD1) and to Growth and Differentiation Factors (GDF) gene family (Myostatin gene, MSTN, GDF8), in Casertana and Large White breeds. The purpose of this study was to investigate if polymorphisms in the promoters could affect the transcriptional activity of these genes. With this aim, we evaluated in vitro the functional activity of the luciferase reporter gene luc2 activity, driven by two constructs carrying different promoter haplotypes. We tested the effects of the G302A (U12574) transition on the promoter efficiency in MYOD1 gene. We ascertained a difference in transcription efficiency for the two variants. A stronger activity of the A-carrying construct is more evident in C2C12. The luciferase expression driven by the MYOD1-A allelic variant displayed a 3.8-fold increased transcriptional activity. We investigated the activity of two haplotype variants (AY527152) in the promoter of GDF8 gene. The haploptype-1 (A435-A447-A879) up-regulated the expression of the reporter gene by a two-fold increase, and

Epigenetic mediated transcriptional activation of WNT5A participates in arsenical-associated malignant transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, Taylor J.; Wozniak, Ryan J.; Eblin, Kylee E.; Wnek, Sean M.; Gandolfi, A. Jay; Futscher, Bernard W.

2009-01-01

Arsenic is a human carcinogen with exposure associated with cancer of the lung, skin, and bladder. Many potential mechanisms have been implicated as playing a role in the process of arsenical-induced malignancy including the perturbation of signaling pathways and aberrant epigenetic regulation. We initiated studies to examine the role of a member of the non-canonical WNT signaling pathway, WNT5A, in UROtsa cells and arsenite [URO-ASSC] and monomethylarsonous acid [URO-MSC] malignantly transformed variants. We present data herein that suggest that WNT5A is transcriptionally activated during arsenical-induced malignant transformation. This WNT5A transcriptional activation is correlated with the enrichment of permissive histone modifications and the reduction of repressive modifications in the WNT5A promoter region. The epigenetic activation of WNT5A expression and acetylation of its promoter remain after the removal of the arsenical, consistent with the maintenance of an anchorage independent growth phenotype in these cells. Additionally, treatment with epigenetic modifying drugs supports a functional role for these epigenetic marks in controlling gene expression. Reduction of WNT5A using lentiviral shRNA greatly attenuated the ability of these cells to grow in an anchorage independent fashion. Extension of our model into human bladder cancer cell lines indicates that each of the cell lines examined also express WNT5A. Taken together, these data suggest that the epigenetic remodeling of the WNT5A promoter is correlated with its transcriptional activation and this upregulation likely participates in arsenical-induced malignant transformation

One nuclear calcium transient induced by a single burst of action potentials represents the minimum signal strength in activity-dependent transcription in hippocampal neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yan; Oberlaender, Kristin; Bengtson, C Peter; Bading, Hilmar

2017-07-01

Neurons undergo dramatic changes in their gene expression profiles in response to synaptic stimulation. The coupling of neuronal excitation to gene transcription is well studied and is mediated by signaling pathways activated by cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium transients. Despite this, the minimum synaptic activity required to induce gene expression remains unknown. To address this, we used cultured hippocampal neurons and cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescence in situ hybridization (catFISH) that allows detection of nascent transcripts in the cell nucleus. We found that a single burst of action potentials, consisting of 24.4±5.1 action potentials during a 6.7±1.9s depolarization of 19.5±2.0mV causing a 9.3±0.9s somatic calcium transient, is sufficient to activate transcription of the immediate early gene arc (also known as Arg3.1). The total arc mRNA yield produced after a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient was very small and, compared to unstimulated control neurons, did not lead to a significant increase in arc mRNA levels measured using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) of cell lysates. Significantly increased arc mRNA levels became detectable in hippocampal neurons that had undergone 5-8 consecutive burst-induced nuclear calcium transients at 0.05-0.15Hz. These results indicate that a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient can activate gene expression and that transcription is rapidly shut off after synaptic stimulation has ceased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of the 26S proteasome blocks progesterone receptor-dependent transcription through failed recruitment of RNA polymerase II.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Andrew P; Lonard, David M; Nawaz, Zafar; O'Malley, Bert W

2005-03-01

In the present study, we investigated the involvement of protein degradation via the 26S proteasome during progesterone receptor (PR)-mediated transcription in T-47D cells containing a stably integrated MMTV-CAT reporter construct (CAT0 cells). Progesterone induced CAT and HSD11beta2 transcription while co-treatment with the proteasome inhibitor, MG132, blocked PR-induced transcription in a time-dependent fashion. MG132 treatment also inhibited transcription of beta-actin and cyclophilin, but not two proteasome subunit genes, PSMA1 and PSMC1, indicating that proteasome inhibition affects a subset of RNA polymerase II (RNAP(II))-regulated genes. Progesterone-mediated recruitment of RNAP(II) was blocked by MG132 treatment at time points later than 1 h that was not dependent on the continued presence of PR, associated cofactors, and components of the general transcription machinery, supporting the concept that proteasome-mediated degradation is needed for continued transcription. Surprisingly, progesterone-mediated acetylation of histone H4 was inhibited by MG132 with the concomitant recruitment of HDAC3, NCoR, and SMRT. We demonstrate that the steady-state protein levels of SMRT and NCoR are higher in the presence of MG132 in CAT0 cells, consistent with other reports that SMRT and NCoR are targets of the 26S proteasome. However, inhibition of histone deacetylation by trichostatin A (TSA) treatment or SMRT/NCoR knockdown by siRNA did not restore MG132-inhibited progesterone-dependent transcription. Therefore, events other than histone deacetylation and stability of SMRT and NCoR must also play a role in inhibition of PR-mediated transcription.

Comparison of pause predictions of two sequence-dependent transcription models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Lu; Wang, Michelle D

2010-01-01

Two recent theoretical models, Bai et al (2004, 2007) and Tadigotla et al (2006), formulated thermodynamic explanations of sequence-dependent transcription pausing by RNA polymerase (RNAP). The two models differ in some basic assumptions and therefore make different yet overlapping predictions for pause locations, and different predictions on pause kinetics and mechanisms. Here we present a comprehensive comparison of the two models. We show that while they have comparable predictive power of pause locations at low NTP concentrations, the Bai et al model is more accurate than Tadigotla et al at higher NTP concentrations. The pausing kinetics predicted by Bai et al is also consistent with time-course transcription reactions, while Tadigotla et al is unsuited for this type of kinetic prediction. More importantly, the two models in general predict different pausing mechanisms even for the same pausing sites, and the Bai et al model provides an explanation more consistent with recent single molecule observations

TALE activators regulate gene expression in a position- and strand-dependent manner in mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Uhde-Stone, Claudia; Cheung, Edna; Lu, Biao

2014-01-24

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are a class of transcription factors that are readily programmable to regulate gene expression. Despite their growing popularity, little is known about binding site parameters that influence TALE-mediated gene activation in mammalian cells. We demonstrate that TALE activators modulate gene expression in mammalian cells in a position- and strand-dependent manner. To study the effects of binding site location, we engineered TALEs customized to recognize specific DNA sequences located in either the promoter or the transcribed region of reporter genes. We found that TALE activators robustly activated reporter genes when their binding sites were located within the promoter region. In contrast, TALE activators inhibited the expression of reporter genes when their binding sites were located on the sense strand of the transcribed region. Notably, this repression was independent of the effector domain utilized, suggesting a simple blockage mechanism. We conclude that TALE activators in mammalian cells regulate genes in a position- and strand-dependent manner that is substantially different from gene activation by native TALEs in plants. These findings have implications for optimizing the design of custom TALEs for genetic manipulation in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human I-mfa domain proteins specifically interact with KSHV LANA and affect its regulation of Wnt signaling-dependent transcription

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kusano, Shuichi, E-mail: skusano@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp [Division of Persistent and Oncogenic Viruses, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544 (Japan); Eizuru, Yoshito [Division of Persistent and Oncogenic Viruses, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544 (Japan)

2010-06-04

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV)-encoded latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) protein has been reported to interact with glycogen synthase kinase 3{beta} (GSK-3{beta}) and to negatively regulate its activity, leading to stimulation of GSK-3{beta}-dependent {beta}-catenin degradation. We show here that the I-mfa domain proteins, HIC (human I-mfa domain-containing protein) and I-mfa (inhibitor of MyoD family a), interacted in vivo with LANA through their C-terminal I-mfa domains. This interaction affected the intracellular localization of HIC, inhibited the LANA-dependent transactivation of a {beta}-catenin-regulated reporter construct, and decreased the level of the LANA.GSK-3{beta} complex. These data reveal for the first time that I-mfa domain proteins interact with LANA and negatively regulate LANA-mediated activation of Wnt signaling-dependent transcription by inhibiting the formation of the LANA.GSK-3{beta} complex.

Butyrate transcriptionally enhances peptide transporter PepT1 expression and activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillaume Dalmasso

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: PepT1, an intestinal epithelial apical di/tripeptide transporter, is normally expressed in the small intestine and induced in colon during chronic inflammation. This study aimed at investigating PepT1 regulation by butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by commensal bacteria and accumulated inside inflamed colonocyte. RESULTS: We found that butyrate treatment of human intestinal epithelial Caco2-BBE cells increased human PepT1 (hPepT1 promoter activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with maximal activity observed in cells treated with 5 mM butyrate for 24 h. Under this condition, hPepT1 promoter activity, mRNA and protein expression levels were increased as assessed by luciferase assay, real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. hPepT1 transport activity was accordingly increased by approximately 2.5-fold. Butyrate did not alter hPepT1 mRNA half-life indicating that butyrate acts at the transcriptional level. Molecular analyses revealed that Cdx2 is the most important transcription factor for butyrate-induced increase of hPepT1 expression and activity in Caco2-BBE cells. Butyrate-activated Cdx2 binding to hPepT1 promoter was confirmed by gel shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Moreover, Caco2-BBE cells overexpressing Cdx2 exhibited greater hPepT1 expression level than wild-type cells. Finally, treatment of mice with 5 mM butyrate added to drinking water for 24 h increased colonic PepT1 mRNA and protein expression levels, as well as enhanced PepT1 transport activity in colonic apical membranes vesicles. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our results demonstrate that butyrate increases PepT1 expression and activity in colonic epithelial cells, which provides a new understanding of PepT1 regulation during chronic inflammation.

Bacteriophage T5 encodes a homolog of the eukaryotic transcription coactivator PC4 implicated in recombination-dependent DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Steigemann, Birthe; Schulz, Annina; Werten, Sebastiaan

2013-11-15

The RNA polymerase II cofactor PC4 globally regulates transcription of protein-encoding genes through interactions with unwinding DNA, the basal transcription machinery and transcription activators. Here, we report the surprising identification of PC4 homologs in all sequenced representatives of the T5 family of bacteriophages, as well as in an archaeon and seven phyla of eubacteria. We have solved the crystal structure of the full-length T5 protein at 1.9Å, revealing a striking resemblance to the characteristic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding core domain of PC4. Intriguing novel structural features include a potential regulatory region at the N-terminus and a C-terminal extension of the homodimerisation interface. The genome organisation of T5-related bacteriophages points at involvement of the PC4 homolog in recombination-dependent DNA replication, strongly suggesting that the protein corresponds to the hitherto elusive replicative ssDNA-binding protein of the T5 family. Our findings imply that PC4-like factors intervene in multiple unwinding-related processes by acting as versatile modifiers of nucleic acid conformation and raise the possibility that the eukaryotic transcription coactivator derives from ancestral DNA replication, recombination and repair factors. © 2013.

Rift Valley fever virus NSs inhibits host transcription independently of the degradation of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase PKR.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalveram, Birte; Lihoradova, Olga; Indran, Sabarish V; Lokugamage, Nandadeva; Head, Jennifer A; Ikegami, Tetsuro

2013-01-20

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) encodes one major virulence factor, the NSs protein. NSs suppresses host general transcription, including interferon (IFN)-β mRNA synthesis, and promotes degradation of the dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). We generated a novel RVFV mutant (rMP12-NSsR173A) specifically lacking the function to promote PKR degradation. rMP12-NSsR173A infection induces early phosphorylation of eIF2α through PKR activation, while retaining the function to inhibit host general transcription including IFN-β gene inhibition. MP-12 NSs but not R173A NSs binds to wt PKR. R173A NSs formed filamentous structure in nucleus in a mosaic pattern, which was distinct from MP-12 NSs filament pattern. Due to early phosphorylation of eIF2α, rMP12-NSsR173A could not efficiently accumulate viral proteins. Our results suggest that NSs-mediated host general transcription suppression occurs independently of PKR degradation, while the PKR degradation is important to inhibit the phosphorylation of eIF2α in infected cells undergoing host general transcription suppression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Induction of time-dependent oxidative stress and related transcriptional effects of perfluorododecanoic acid in zebrafish liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Yang [Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Beijing 100101 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (China); Wang Jianshe; Wei Yanhong; Zhang Hongxia; Xu Muqi [Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Beijing 100101 (China); Dai Jiayin [Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Beijing 100101 (China)], E-mail: daijy@ioz.ac.cn

2008-09-29

The effects of acute perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) exposure on the induction of oxidative stress and alteration of mitochondrial gene expression were studied in the livers of female zebrafish (Danio rerio). Female zebrafish were exposed to PFDoA via a single intraperitoneal injection (0, 20, 40, or 80 {mu}g PFDoA/g body weight) and were then sacrificed 48 h, 96 h, or seven days post-PFDoA administration. PFDoA-treated fish exhibited histopathological liver damage, including swollen hepatocytes, vacuolar degeneration, and nuclei pycnosis. Glutathione (GSH) content and catalase (CAT) activity decreased significantly at 48 h post-injection while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was initially decreased at 48 h post-injection but was then elevated by seven days post-injection. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased at 48 h and seven days compared to control fish, although the increased level at seven days post-injection was decreased compared to the level at 48 h post-injection. Lipid peroxidation levels were increased at seven days post-injection, while no apparent induction was observed at 48 h or 96 h post-injection. The mRNA expression of medium-chain fatty acid dehydrogenase (MCAD) was induced, while the transcriptional expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), peroxisome proliferating activating receptor {alpha} (PPAR{alpha}), carnitine palmitoyl-transferase I (CPT-I), uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2), and Bcl-2 were significantly inhibited. Furthermore, the transcriptional expression of peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX), very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD), long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) did not exhibit significant changes following PFDoA treatment. No significant changes were noted in the transcriptional expression of genes involved in mitochondrial respiratory chain and ATP synthesis, including cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI), NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (NDI), and ATP synthase F0 subunit 6

Induction of time-dependent oxidative stress and related transcriptional effects of perfluorododecanoic acid in zebrafish liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yang; Wang Jianshe; Wei Yanhong; Zhang Hongxia; Xu Muqi; Dai Jiayin

2008-01-01

The effects of acute perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) exposure on the induction of oxidative stress and alteration of mitochondrial gene expression were studied in the livers of female zebrafish (Danio rerio). Female zebrafish were exposed to PFDoA via a single intraperitoneal injection (0, 20, 40, or 80 μg PFDoA/g body weight) and were then sacrificed 48 h, 96 h, or seven days post-PFDoA administration. PFDoA-treated fish exhibited histopathological liver damage, including swollen hepatocytes, vacuolar degeneration, and nuclei pycnosis. Glutathione (GSH) content and catalase (CAT) activity decreased significantly at 48 h post-injection while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was initially decreased at 48 h post-injection but was then elevated by seven days post-injection. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased at 48 h and seven days compared to control fish, although the increased level at seven days post-injection was decreased compared to the level at 48 h post-injection. Lipid peroxidation levels were increased at seven days post-injection, while no apparent induction was observed at 48 h or 96 h post-injection. The mRNA expression of medium-chain fatty acid dehydrogenase (MCAD) was induced, while the transcriptional expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), peroxisome proliferating activating receptor α (PPARα), carnitine palmitoyl-transferase I (CPT-I), uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2), and Bcl-2 were significantly inhibited. Furthermore, the transcriptional expression of peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX), very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD), long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) did not exhibit significant changes following PFDoA treatment. No significant changes were noted in the transcriptional expression of genes involved in mitochondrial respiratory chain and ATP synthesis, including cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI), NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (NDI), and ATP synthase F0 subunit 6 (ATPo6). These

miR-17-5p targets the p300/CBP-associated factor and modulates androgen receptor transcriptional activity in cultured prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Ai-Yu; Eischeid, Alex N; Xiao, Jing; Zhao, Jian; Chen, Dongqing; Wang, Zhao-Yi; Young, Charles YF; Chen, Xian-Ming

2012-01-01

Androgen receptor (AR) signalling is critical to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Transcriptional activity of AR involves chromatin recruitment of co-activators, including the p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF). Distinct miRNA expression profiles have been identified in PCa cells during the development and progression of the disease. Whether miRNAs regulate PCAF expression in PCa cells to regulate AR transcriptional activity is still unclear. Expression of PCAF was investigated in several PCa cell lines by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry. The effects of PCAF expression on AR-regulated transcriptional activity and cell growth in PCa cells were determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation, reporter gene construct analysis, and MTS assay. Targeting of PCAF by miR-17-5p was evaluated using the luciferase reporter assay. PCAF was upregulated in several PCa cell lines. Upregulation of PCAF promoted AR transcriptional activation and cell growth in cultured PCa cells. Expression of PCAF in PCa cells was associated with the downregulation of miR-17-5p. Targeting of the 3’-untranslated region of PCAF mRNA by miR-17-5p caused translational suppression and RNA degradation, and, consequently, modulation of AR transcriptional activity in PCa cells. PCAF is upregulated in cultured PCa cells, and upregulation of PCAF is associated with the downregulation of miR-17-5p. Targeting of PCAF by miR-17-5p modulates AR transcriptional activity and cell growth in cultured PCa cells

Negative transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) by nuclear TFAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Jin; Kang, Young Cheol; Park, Wook-Ha; Jeong, Jae Hoon; Pak, Youngmi Kim

2014-01-01

Highlights: • TFAM localizes in nuclei and mitochondria of neuronal cells. • Nuclear TFAM does not bind the Tfam promoter. • Nuclear TFAM reduced the Tfam promoter activity via suppressing NRF-1 activity. • A novel self-negative feedback regulation of Tfam gene expression is explored. • FAM may play different roles depending on its subcellular localizations. - Abstract: The nuclear DNA-encoded mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is synthesized in cytoplasm and transported into mitochondria. TFAM enhances both transcription and replication of mitochondrial DNA. It is unclear, however, whether TFAM plays a role in regulating nuclear gene expression. Here, we demonstrated that TFAM was localized to the nucleus and mitochondria by immunostaining, subcellular fractionation, and TFAM-green fluorescent protein hybrid protein studies. In HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells, human TFAM (hTFAM) overexpression suppressed human Tfam promoter-mediated luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The mitochondria targeting sequence-deficient hTFAM also repressed Tfam promoter activity to the same degree as hTFAM. It indicated that nuclear hTFAM suppressed Tfam expression without modulating mitochondrial activity. The repression required for nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1), but hTFAM did not bind to the NRF-1 binding site of its promoter. TFAM was co-immunoprecipitated with NRF-1. Taken together, we suggest that nuclear TFAM down-regulate its own gene expression as a NRF-1 repressor, showing that TFAM may play different roles depending on its subcellular localizations

The roles of the catalytic and noncatalytic activities of Rpd3L and Rpd3S in the regulation of gene transcription in yeast.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniella Yeheskely-Hayon

Full Text Available In budding yeasts, the histone deacetylase Rpd3 resides in two different complexes called Rpd3L (large and Rpd3S (small that exert opposing effects on the transcription of meiosis-specific genes. By introducing mutations that disrupt the integrity and function of either Rpd3L or Rpd3S, we show here that Rpd3 function is determined by its association with either of these complexes. Specifically, the catalytic activity of Rpd3S activates the transcription of the two major positive regulators of meiosis, IME1 and IME2, under all growth conditions and activates the transcription of NDT80 only during vegetative growth. In contrast, the effects of Rpd3L depends on nutrients; it represses or activates transcription in the presence or absence of a nitrogen source, respectively. Further, we show that transcriptional activation does not correlate with histone H4 deacetylation, suggesting an effect on a nonhistone protein. Comparison of rpd3-null and catalytic-site point mutants revealed an inhibitory activity that is independent of either the catalytic activity of Rpd3 or the integrity of Rpd3L and Rpd3S.

The Roles of the Catalytic and Noncatalytic Activities of Rpd3L and Rpd3S in the Regulation of Gene Transcription in Yeast

Science.gov (United States)

Yeheskely-Hayon, Daniella; Kotler, Anat; Stark, Michal; Hashimshony, Tamar; Sagee, Shira; Kassir, Yona

2013-01-01

In budding yeasts, the histone deacetylase Rpd3 resides in two different complexes called Rpd3L (large) and Rpd3S (small) that exert opposing effects on the transcription of meiosis-specific genes. By introducing mutations that disrupt the integrity and function of either Rpd3L or Rpd3S, we show here that Rpd3 function is determined by its association with either of these complexes. Specifically, the catalytic activity of Rpd3S activates the transcription of the two major positive regulators of meiosis, IME1 and IME2, under all growth conditions and activates the transcription of NDT80 only during vegetative growth. In contrast, the effects of Rpd3L depends on nutrients; it represses or activates transcription in the presence or absence of a nitrogen source, respectively. Further, we show that transcriptional activation does not correlate with histone H4 deacetylation, suggesting an effect on a nonhistone protein. Comparison of rpd3-null and catalytic-site point mutants revealed an inhibitory activity that is independent of either the catalytic activity of Rpd3 or the integrity of Rpd3L and Rpd3S. PMID:24358376

Transcriptionally active LTR retrotransposons in Eucalyptus genus are differentially expressed and insertionally polymorphic.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcon, Helena Sanches; Domingues, Douglas Silva; Silva, Juliana Costa; Borges, Rafael Junqueira; Matioli, Fábio Filippi; Fontes, Marcos Roberto de Mattos; Marino, Celso Luis

2015-08-14

In Eucalyptus genus, studies on genome composition and transposable elements (TEs) are particularly scarce. Nearly half of the recently released Eucalyptus grandis genome is composed by retrotransposons and this data provides an important opportunity to understand TE dynamics in Eucalyptus genome and transcriptome. We characterized nine families of transcriptionally active LTR retrotransposons from Copia and Gypsy superfamilies in Eucalyptus grandis genome and we depicted genomic distribution and copy number in two Eucalyptus species. We also evaluated genomic polymorphism and transcriptional profile in three organs of five Eucalyptus species. We observed contrasting genomic and transcriptional behavior in the same family among different species. RLC_egMax_1 was the most prevalent family and RLC_egAngela_1 was the family with the lowest copy number. Most families of both superfamilies have their insertions occurring Eucalyptus species. Using EST analysis and qRT-PCRs, we observed transcriptional activity in several tissues and in all evaluated species. In some families, osmotic stress increases transcript values. Our strategy was successful in isolating transcriptionally active retrotransposons in Eucalyptus, and each family has a particular genomic and transcriptional pattern. Overall, our results show that retrotransposon activity have differentially affected genome and transcriptome among Eucalyptus species.

Transcriptional profile of genes involved in ascorbate glutathione cycle in senescing leaves for an early senescence leaf (esl) rice mutant.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhaowei; Su, Da; Lei, Bingting; Wang, Fubiao; Geng, Wei; Pan, Gang; Cheng, Fangmin

2015-03-15

To clarify the complex relationship between ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and H2O2-induced leaf senescence, the genotype-dependent difference in some senescence-related physiological parameters and the transcript levels and the temporal patterns of genes involved in the AsA-GSH cycle during leaf senescence were investigated using two rice genotypes, namely, the early senescence leaf (esl) mutant and its wild type. Meanwhile, the triggering effect of exogenous H2O2 on the expression of OsAPX genes was examined using detached leaves. The results showed that the esl mutant had higher H2O2 level than its wild type at the initial stage of leaf senescence. At transcriptional level, the association of expression of various genes involved in the AsA-GSH cycle with leaf senescence was isoform dependent. For OsAPXs, the transcripts of two cytosolic OsAPX genes (OsAPX1 and OsAPX2), thylakoid-bound OsAPX8, chloroplastic OsAPX7 and peroxisomal OsAPX4 exhibited remarkable genotype-dependent variation in their expression levels and temporal patterns during leaf senescence, there were significantly increasing transcripts of OsAXP1 and OsAPX7, severely repressed transcripts of OsAPX4 and OsAPX8 for the esl rice at the initial leaf senescence. In contrast, the repressing transcript of OsAPX8 was highly sensitive to the increasing H2O2 level in the senescing rice leaves, while higher H2O2 concentration resulted in the enhancing transcripts of two cytosolic OsAPX genes, OsAPX7 transcript was greatly variable with different H2O2 concentrations and incubating duration, suggesting that the different OsAPXs isoforms played a complementary role in perceiving and scavenging H2O2 accumulation at various H2O2 concentrations during leaf senescence. Higher H2O2 level, increased AsA level, higher activities of APX and glutathione reductase (GR), and relatively stable GSH content during the entire sampling period in the leaves of esl mutant implied that a close interrelationship existed

Bicarbonate-mediated transcriptional activation of divergent operons by the virulence regulatory protein, RegA, from Citrobacter rodentium.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ji; Hart, Emily; Tauschek, Marija; Price, G Dean; Hartland, Elizabeth L; Strugnell, Richard A; Robins-Browne, Roy M

2008-04-01

Regulation of virulence gene expression plays a central role in the pathogenesis of enteric bacteria as they encounter diverse environmental conditions in the gastrointestinal tract of their hosts. In this study, we investigated environmental regulation of two putative virulence determinants adcA and kfc by RegA, an AraC/XylS-like regulator, from Citrobacter rodentium, and identified bicarbonate as the environmental signal which induced transcription of adcA and kfc through RegA. Primer extension experiments showed that adcA and kfc were divergently transcribed from sigma(70) promoters. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that bicarbonate facilitated and stabilized the binding of RegA to an operator located between the two promoters. The interaction of RegA with its DNA target resulted in the formation of a nucleosome-like structure, which evidently displaced the histone-like proteins, H-NS and StpA, from the adcA and kfc promoter regions, leading to transcriptional derepression. In addition, our results indicated that RegA also behaved as a Class I activator by directly stimulating transcription initiation by RNA polymerase. This is the first report to describe the molecular mechanism by which an environmental chemical stimulates transcription of virulence-associated genes of an enteric pathogen through an AraC/XlyS-like activator.

ATF4- and CHOP-Dependent Induction of FGF21 through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-shan Wan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21 is an important endogenous regulator involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. FGF21 expression is strongly induced in animal and human subjects with metabolic diseases, but little is known about the molecular mechanism. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress plays an essential role in metabolic homeostasis and is observed in numerous pathological processes, including type 2 diabetes, overweight, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. In this study, we investigate the correlation between the expression of FGF21 and ER stress. We demonstrated that TG-induced ER stress directly regulated the expression and secretion of FGF21 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FGF21 is the target gene for activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4 and CCAAT enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP. Suppression of CHOP impaired the transcriptional activation of FGF21 by TG-induced ER stress in CHOP−/− mouse primary hepatocytes (MPH, and overexpression of ATF4 and CHOP resulted in FGF21 promoter activation to initiate the transcriptional programme. In mRNA stability assay, we indicated that ER stress increased the half-life of mRNA of FGF21 significantly. In conclusion, FGF21 expression is regulated by ER stress via ATF- and CHOP-dependent transcriptional mechanism and posttranscriptional mechanism, respectively.

Dual Regulation of Bacillus subtilis kinB Gene Encoding a Sporulation Trigger by SinR through Transcription Repression and Positive Stringent Transcription Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Yasutaro; Ogura, Mitsuo; Nii, Satomi; Hirooka, Kazutake

2017-01-01

It is known that transcription of kinB encoding a trigger for Bacillus subtilis sporulation is under repression by SinR, a master repressor of biofilm formation, and under positive stringent transcription control depending on the adenine species at the transcription initiation nucleotide (nt). Deletion and base substitution analyses of the kinB promoter (P kinB ) region using lacZ fusions indicated that either a 5-nt deletion (Δ5, nt -61/-57, +1 is the transcription initiation nt) or the substitution of G at nt -45 with A (G-45A) relieved kinB repression. Thus, we found a pair of SinR-binding consensus sequences (GTTCTYT; Y is T or C) in an inverted orientation (SinR-1) between nt -57/-42, which is most likely a SinR-binding site for kinB repression. This relief from SinR repression likely requires SinI, an antagonist of SinR. Surprisingly, we found that SinR is essential for positive stringent transcription control of P kinB . Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis indicated that SinR bound not only to SinR-1 but also to SinR-2 (nt -29/-8) consisting of another pair of SinR consensus sequences in a tandem repeat arrangement; the two sequences partially overlap the '-35' and '-10' regions of P kinB . Introduction of base substitutions (T-27C C-26T) in the upstream consensus sequence of SinR-2 affected positive stringent transcription control of P kinB , suggesting that SinR binding to SinR-2 likely causes this positive control. EMSA also implied that RNA polymerase and SinR are possibly bound together to SinR-2 to form a transcription initiation complex for kinB transcription. Thus, it was suggested in this work that derepression of kinB from SinR repression by SinI induced by Spo0A∼P and occurrence of SinR-dependent positive stringent transcription control of kinB might induce effective sporulation cooperatively, implying an intimate interplay by stringent response, sporulation, and biofilm formation.

Impact of the redox-cycling herbicide diquat on transcript expression and antioxidant enzymatic activities of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouetard, Anthony, E-mail: anthony.bouetard@rennes.inra.fr [INRA, UMR INRA-Agrocampus Ouest ESE 0985, Equipe Ecotoxicologie et Qualite des Milieux Aquatiques, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, 35042 Rennes cedex (France); Besnard, Anne-Laure; Vassaux, Daniele; Lagadic, Laurent; Coutellec, Marie-Agnes [INRA, UMR INRA-Agrocampus Ouest ESE 0985, Equipe Ecotoxicologie et Qualite des Milieux Aquatiques, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, 35042 Rennes cedex (France)

2013-01-15

The presence of pesticides in the environment results in potential unwanted effects on non-target species. Freshwater organisms inhabiting water bodies adjacent to agricultural areas, such as ditches, ponds and marshes, are good models to test such effects as various pesticides may reach these habitats through several ways, including aerial drift, run-off, and drainage. Diquat is a non-selective herbicide used for crop protection or for weed control in such water bodies. In this study, we investigated the effects of diquat on a widely spread aquatic invertebrate, the holarctic freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Due to the known redox-cycling properties of diquat, we studied transcript expression and enzymatic activities relative to oxidative and general stress in the haemolymph and gonado-digestive complex (GDC). As diquat is not persistent, snails were exposed for short times (5, 24, and 48 h) to ecologically relevant concentrations (22.2, 44.4, and 222.2 {mu}g l{sup -1}) of diquat dibromide. RT-qPCR was used to quantify the transcription of genes encoding catalase (cat), a cytosolic superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-sod), a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (gpx), a glutathione reductase (gred), the retinoid X receptor (rxr), two heat shock proteins (hsp40 and hsp70), cortactin (cor) and the two ribosomal genes r18S and r28s. Enzymatic activities of SOD, Gpx, Gred and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were investigated in the GDC using spectrophoto/fluorometric methods. Opposite trends were obtained in the haemolymph depending on the herbicide concentration. At the lowest concentration, effects were mainly observed after 24 h of exposure, with over-transcription of cor, hsp40, rxr, and sod, whereas higher concentrations down-regulated the expression of most of the studied transcripts, especially after 48 h of exposure. In the GDC, earlier responses were observed and the fold-change magnitude was generally much higher: transcription of all target genes increased

Structural insights into transcription complexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berger, I.; Blanco, A.G.; Boelens, R.; Cavarelli, J.; Coll, M.; Folkers, G.E.; Nie, Y.; Pogenberg, V.; Schultz, P.; Wilmanns, M.; Moras, D.; Poterszman, A.

2011-01-01

Control of transcription allows the regulation of cell activity in response to external stimuli and research in the field has greatly benefited from efforts in structural biology. In this review, based on specific examples from the European SPINE2-COMPLEXES initiative, we illustrate the impact of

IRF8 Transcription-Factor-Dependent Classical Dendritic Cells Are Essential for Intestinal T Cell Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Luda, Katarzyna M; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, Emma K; Rivollier, Aymeric; Demiri, Mimoza; Sitnik, Katarzyna M; Pool, Lieneke; Holm, Jacob B; Melo-Gonzalez, Felipe; Richter, Lisa; Lambrecht, Bart N; Kristiansen, Karsten; Travis, Mark A; Svensson-Frej, Marcus; Kotarsky, Knut; Agace, William W

2016-04-19

The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 transcription-factor-dependent DCs had reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence of SI CD8αβ(+) and CD4(+)CD8αα(+) T cells; the latter requiring β8 integrin expression by migratory IRF8 dependent CD103(+)CD11b(-) DCs. SI homing receptor induction was impaired during T cell priming in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), which correlated with a reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity by SI-derived MLN DCs, and inefficient T cell localization to the SI. These mice also lacked intestinal T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and failed to support Th1 cell differentiation in MLN and mount Th1 cell responses to Trichuris muris infection. Collectively these results highlight multiple non-redundant roles for IRF8 dependent DCs in the maintenance of intestinal T cell homeostasis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Large-scale transcriptome data reveals transcriptional activity of fission yeast LTR retrotransposons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mourier, Tobias; Willerslev, Eske

2010-01-01

of transcriptional activity are observed from both strands of solitary LTR sequences. Transcriptome data collected during meiosis suggests that transcription of solitary LTRs is correlated with the transcription of nearby protein-coding genes. CONCLUSIONS: Presumably, the host organism negatively regulates...

The Role of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in Activity-Dependent Neuronal Plasticity in the Visual Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulimood, Nisha S; Rodrigues, Wandilson Dos Santos; Atkinson, Devon A; Mooney, Sandra M; Medina, Alexandre E

2017-07-12

The transcription factors CREB (cAMP response element binding factor), SRF (serum response factor), and MEF2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2) play critical roles in the mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity. However, the role of the activation of these transcription factors in the different components of plasticity in vivo is not well known. In this study, we tested the role of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in ocular dominance plasticity (ODP), a paradigm of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity in the visual cortex. These three proteins bind to the synaptic activity response element (SARE), an enhancer sequence found upstream of many plasticity-related genes (Kawashima et al., 2009; Rodríguez-Tornos et al., 2013), and can act cooperatively to express Arc , a gene required for ODP (McCurry et al., 2010). We used viral-mediated gene transfer to block the transcription function of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in the visual cortex, and measured visually evoked potentials in awake male and female mice before and after a 7 d monocular deprivation, which allowed us to examine both the depression component (Dc-ODP) and potentiation component (Pc-ODP) of plasticity independently. We found that CREB, SRF, and MEF2 are all required for ODP, but have differential effects on Dc-ODP and Pc-ODP. CREB is necessary for both Dc-ODP and Pc-ODP, whereas SRF and MEF2 are only needed for Dc-ODP. This finding supports previous reports implicating SRF and MEF2 in long-term depression (required for Dc-ODP), and CREB in long-term potentiation (required for Pc-ODP). SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Activity-dependent neuronal plasticity is the cellular basis for learning and memory, and it is crucial for the refinement of neuronal circuits during development. Identifying the mechanisms of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity is crucial to finding therapeutic interventions in the myriad of disorders where it is disrupted, such as Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, epilepsy, major depressive disorder, and autism

Transcriptional switching by the MerR protein: Activation and repression mutants implicate distinct DNA and mercury(II) binding domains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shewchuk, L.M.; Helmann, J.D.; Ross, W.; Park, S.J.; Summers, A.O.; Walsh, C.T.

1989-01-01

Bacterial resistance to mercuric compounds is controlled by the MerR metalloregulatory protein. The MerR protein functions as both a transcriptional repressor and a mercuric ion dependent transcriptional activator. Chemical mutagenesis of the cloned merR structural gene has led to the identification of mutant proteins that are specifically deficient in transcriptional repression, activation, or both. Five mutant proteins have been overproduced, purified to homogeneity, and assayed for ability to dimerize, bind mer operator DNA, and bind mercuric ion. A mutation in the recognition helix of a proposed helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif (E22K) yields protein deficient in both activation and repression in vivo (a - r - ) and deficient in operator binding in vitro. In contrast, mutations in three of the four MerR cysteine residues are repression competent but activation deficient (a - r + ) in vivo. In vitro, the purified cysteine mutant proteins bind to the mer operator site with near wild-type affinity but are variable deficient in binding the in vivo inducer mercury(II) ion. A subset of the isolated proteins also appears compromised in their ability to form dimers at low protein concentrations. These data support a model in which DNA-bound MerR dimer binds one mercuric ion and transmits this occupancy information to a protein region involved in transcriptional activation

Transcription and activity of antioxidant proteins after ionization irradiation of radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardmeier, R.

1998-03-01

The involvernent of antioxidant proteins catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH px), and thioredoxin (TRX) in radiobiological processes has been described at the enzyme activity level. We were interested in examining the transcription of these proteins in a mammalian system following ionizing irradiation. In order to answer the question whether radiation effects in sensitive mice (Balb/c) (RS) showed differences at the transcriptional level from radiation effects in resistant mice (C3H) (RR). We exposed the whole body of these strains to X/rays doses of 2, 4, and 6 Gy and sacrificed the animals 5, 15, and 30 minutes after irradiation. The mRNA was isolated from liver and hybrized with probes for antioxidant enzymes and thioredoxin, β-actin was used as a housekeeping gene control. Antioxidant enzyme activities were determined by standard assays. Parameters for aromatic hydroxylation (o-Tyr) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were determined by HPLC methods. Antioxidant transcription was unchanged in contrast to antioxidant activities. SOD and CAT activities were elevated within 15 minutes in RR animals but not in RS at all radiation doses. Glutathione peroxidase activity was not different between RR and RS mice, and was only moderately elevated after irradiation. No significant differences were found between RR and RS animals at the oxidation level, although a radiation dose-dependent increase of oxidation products was detected in both groups. Quantification of thioredoxin mRNA revealed that RR mice transcribed this protein at a significantly higher level at an earlier time point (5 minutes) than did RS mice. This delay may well be responsible for the radioresistance although no quantitative differences were found. As unchanged transcription of antioxidant enzymes could not have been responsible for the increased antioxidant enzyme activities, preformed antioxidant enzymes may have been released by irradiation. This would be in agreement

Condensation of chromatin in transcriptional regions of an inactivated plant transgene: evidence for an active role of transcription in gene silencing.

Science.gov (United States)

van Blokland, R; ten Lohuis, M; Meyer, P

1997-12-01

The chromatin structures of two epigenetic alleles of a transgene were investigated by measuring the local accessibility of transgene chromatin to endonucleases. The two epialleles represented the active, hypomethylated state of a transgene in line 17-I of Petunia hybrida, and a transcriptionally inactive, hypermethylated derivative of the same transgene in line 17-IV. In nuclear preparations the inactive epiallele was significantly less sensitive to DNasel digestion and nuclease S7 digestion than the transcriptionally active epiallele, whereas no significant differences in accessibility were observed between naked DNA samples of the two epialleles. Our data suggest that a condensed chromatin structure is specifically imposed on transcribed regions of the construct in line 17-IV. In contrast, in both epialleles the plasmid region of the transgene, which is not transcriptionally active in plants, retains the same accessibility to endonucleases as the chromosomal integration site. These data suggest that transcriptional inactivation is linked to the process of transcription, and imply that control of transgene expression via the use of inducible or tissue-specific promoters might prevent transgene silencing and conserve the active state of transgenes during sexual propagation.

Concentration and length dependence of DNA looping in transcriptional regulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Han

2009-05-01

Full Text Available In many cases, transcriptional regulation involves the binding of transcription factors at sites on the DNA that are not immediately adjacent to the promoter of interest. This action at a distance is often mediated by the formation of DNA loops: Binding at two or more sites on the DNA results in the formation of a loop, which can bring the transcription factor into the immediate neighborhood of the relevant promoter. These processes are important in settings ranging from the historic bacterial examples (bacterial metabolism and the lytic-lysogeny decision in bacteriophage, to the modern concept of gene regulation to regulatory processes central to pattern formation during development of multicellular organisms. Though there have been a variety of insights into the combinatorial aspects of transcriptional control, the mechanism of DNA looping as an agent of combinatorial control in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes remains unclear. We use single-molecule techniques to dissect DNA looping in the lac operon. In particular, we measure the propensity for DNA looping by the Lac repressor as a function of the concentration of repressor protein and as a function of the distance between repressor binding sites. As with earlier single-molecule studies, we find (at least two distinct looped states and demonstrate that the presence of these two states depends both upon the concentration of repressor protein and the distance between the two repressor binding sites. We find that loops form even at interoperator spacings considerably shorter than the DNA persistence length, without the intervention of any other proteins to prebend the DNA. The concentration measurements also permit us to use a simple statistical mechanical model of DNA loop formation to determine the free energy of DNA looping, or equivalently, the for looping.

Transcriptional regulation of long-term memory in the marine snail Aplysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Yong-Seok

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Whereas the induction of short-term memory involves only covalent modifications of constitutively expressed preexisting proteins, the formation of long-term memory requires gene expression, new RNA, and new protein synthesis. On the cellular level, transcriptional regulation is thought to be the starting point for a series of molecular steps necessary for both the initiation and maintenance of long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF. The core molecular features of transcriptional regulation involved in the long-term process are evolutionally conserved in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mouse, and indicate that gene regulation by the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB acting in conjunction with different combinations of transcriptional factors is critical for the expression of many forms of long-term memory. In the marine snail Aplysia, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the storage of long-term memory have been extensively studied in the monosynaptic connections between identified sensory neuron and motor neurons of the gill-withdrawal reflex. One tail shock or one pulse of serotonin (5-HT, a modulatory transmitter released by tail shocks, produces a transient facilitation mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase leading to covalent modifications in the sensory neurons that results in an enhancement of transmitter release and a strengthening of synaptic connections lasting minutes. By contrast, repeated pulses of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT induce a transcription- and translation-dependent long-term facilitation (LTF lasting more than 24 h and trigger the activation of a family of transcription factors in the presynaptic sensory neurons including ApCREB1, ApCREB2 and ApC/EBP. In addition, we have recently identified novel transcription factors that modulate the expression of ApC/EBP and also are critically involved in LTF. In this review, we examine the roles of these transcription factors during consolidation of LTF induced

Transcriptional regulation of long-term memory in the marine snail Aplysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yong-Seok; Bailey, Craig H; Kandel, Eric R; Kaang, Bong-Kiun

2008-06-17

Whereas the induction of short-term memory involves only covalent modifications of constitutively expressed preexisting proteins, the formation of long-term memory requires gene expression, new RNA, and new protein synthesis. On the cellular level, transcriptional regulation is thought to be the starting point for a series of molecular steps necessary for both the initiation and maintenance of long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF). The core molecular features of transcriptional regulation involved in the long-term process are evolutionally conserved in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mouse, and indicate that gene regulation by the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) acting in conjunction with different combinations of transcriptional factors is critical for the expression of many forms of long-term memory. In the marine snail Aplysia, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the storage of long-term memory have been extensively studied in the monosynaptic connections between identified sensory neuron and motor neurons of the gill-withdrawal reflex. One tail shock or one pulse of serotonin (5-HT), a modulatory transmitter released by tail shocks, produces a transient facilitation mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase leading to covalent modifications in the sensory neurons that results in an enhancement of transmitter release and a strengthening of synaptic connections lasting minutes. By contrast, repeated pulses of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) induce a transcription- and translation-dependent long-term facilitation (LTF) lasting more than 24 h and trigger the activation of a family of transcription factors in the presynaptic sensory neurons including ApCREB1, ApCREB2 and ApC/EBP. In addition, we have recently identified novel transcription factors that modulate the expression of ApC/EBP and also are critically involved in LTF. In this review, we examine the roles of these transcription factors during consolidation of LTF induced by different

Linking Core Promoter Classes to Circadian Transcription.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pål O Westermark

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Circadian rhythms in transcription are generated by rhythmic abundances and DNA binding activities of transcription factors. Propagation of rhythms to transcriptional initiation involves the core promoter, its chromatin state, and the basal transcription machinery. Here, I characterize core promoters and chromatin states of genes transcribed in a circadian manner in mouse liver and in Drosophila. It is shown that the core promoter is a critical determinant of circadian mRNA expression in both species. A distinct core promoter class, strong circadian promoters (SCPs, is identified in mouse liver but not Drosophila. SCPs are defined by specific core promoter features, and are shown to drive circadian transcriptional activities with both high averages and high amplitudes. Data analysis and mathematical modeling further provided evidence for rhythmic regulation of both polymerase II recruitment and pause release at SCPs. The analysis provides a comprehensive and systematic view of core promoters and their link to circadian mRNA expression in mouse and Drosophila, and thus reveals a crucial role for the core promoter in regulated, dynamic transcription.

TFIIH with inactive XPD helicase functions in transcription initiation but is defective in DNA repair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G.S. Winkler (Sebastiaan); U. Fiedler; W. Vermeulen (Wim); F. Coin (Frédéric); R.D. Wood (Richard); H.T.M. Timmers (Marc); G. Weeda (Geert); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); S.J. Araú jo; J-M. Egly (Jean-Marc)

2000-01-01

textabstractTFIIH is a multisubunit protein complex involved in RNA polymerase II transcription and nucleotide excision repair, which removes a wide variety of DNA lesions including UV-induced photoproducts. Mutations in the DNA-dependent ATPase/helicase subunits of TFIIH, XPB and

An excited state underlies gene regulation of a transcriptional riboswitch

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bo; Guffy, Sharon L.; Williams, Benfeard; Zhang, Qi

2017-01-01

Riboswitches control gene expression through ligand-dependent structural rearrangements of the sensing aptamer domain. However, we found that the Bacillus cereus fluoride riboswitch aptamer adopts identical tertiary structures in solution with and without ligand. Using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) NMR spectroscopy, we revealed that the structured ligand-free aptamer transiently accesses a low-populated (~1%) and short-lived (~3 ms) excited conformational state that unravels a conserved ‘linchpin’ base pair to signal transcription termination. Upon fluoride binding, this highly localized fleeting process is allosterically suppressed to activate transcription. We demonstrated that this mechanism confers effective fluoride-dependent gene activation over a wide range of transcription rates, which is essential for robust toxicity response across diverse cellular conditions. These results unveil a novel switching mechanism that employs ligand-dependent suppression of an aptamer excited state to coordinate regulatory conformational transitions rather than adopting distinct aptamer ground-state tertiary architectures, exemplifying a new mode of ligand-dependent RNA regulation. PMID:28719589

Method to determine transcriptional regulation pathways in organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Timothy S.; Collins, James J.; Hayete, Boris; Faith, Jeremiah

2012-11-06

The invention relates to computer-implemented methods and systems for identifying regulatory relationships between expressed regulating polypeptides and targets of the regulatory activities of such regulating polypeptides. More specifically, the invention provides a new method for identifying regulatory dependencies between biochemical species in a cell. In particular embodiments, provided are computer-implemented methods for identifying a regulatory interaction between a transcription factor and a gene target of the transcription factor, or between a transcription factor and a set of gene targets of the transcription factor. Further provided are genome-scale methods for predicting regulatory interactions between a set of transcription factors and a corresponding set of transcriptional target substrates thereof.

Activity-Based Anorexia Alters the Expression of BDNF Transcripts in the Mesocorticolimbic Reward Circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Emily V; Klenotich, Stephanie J; McMurray, Matthew S; Dulawa, Stephanie C

2016-01-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex eating disorder with severe dysregulation of appetitive behavior. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) paradigm is an animal model in which rodents exposed to both running wheels and scheduled feeding develop aspects of AN including paradoxical hypophagia, dramatic weight loss, and hyperactivity, while animals exposed to only one condition maintain normal body weight. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an activity-dependent modulator of neuronal plasticity, is reduced in the serum of AN patients, and is a known regulator of feeding and weight maintenance. We assessed the effects of scheduled feeding, running wheel access, or both on the expression of BDNF transcripts within the mesocorticolimbic pathway. We also assessed the expression of neuronal cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) to explore the specificity of effects on BDNF within the mesocorticolimbic pathway. Scheduled feeding increased the levels of both transcripts in the hippocampus (HPC), increased NCAM1 mRNA expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and decreased BDNF mRNA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In addition, wheel running increased BDNF mRNA expression in the VTA. No changes in either transcript were observed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Furthermore, no changes in either transcript were induced by the combined scheduled feeding and wheel access condition. These data indicate that scheduled feeding or wheel running alter BDNF and NCAM1 expression levels in specific regions of the mesocorticolimbic pathway. These findings contribute to our current knowledge of the molecular alterations induced by ABA and may help elucidate possible mechanisms of AN pathology.

Cyclin-dependent kinase suppression by WEE1 kinase protects the genome through control of replication initiation and nucleotide consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck, Halfdan; Nähse-Kumpf, Viola; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo

2012-01-01

Activation of oncogenes or inhibition of WEE1 kinase deregulates Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity and leads to replication stress, however, the underlying mechanism is not understood. We now show that elevation of CDK activity by inhibiting WEE1 kinase rapidly increases initiation of replic......Activation of oncogenes or inhibition of WEE1 kinase deregulates Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity and leads to replication stress, however, the underlying mechanism is not understood. We now show that elevation of CDK activity by inhibiting WEE1 kinase rapidly increases initiation...... of replication. This leads to nucleotide shortage and reduces replication fork speed, which is followed by SLX4/MUS81-mediated DNA double-strand breakage. Fork speed is normalized and DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation is suppressed when CDT1, a key factor for replication initiation, is depleted...

Context dependent regulatory patterns of the androgen receptor and androgen receptor target genes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, Jan Roger; Azeem, Waqas; Hellem, Margrete Reime; Marvyin, Kristo; Hua, Yaping; Qu, Yi; Li, Lisha; Lin, Biaoyang; Ke, XI- Song; Øyan, Anne Margrete; Kalland, Karl- Henning

2016-01-01

inducing androgen-dependent transcription of AR target genes, suggesting the importance of missing cofactor(s). Regulatory mechanisms of AR and androgen-dependent AR target gene transcription are insufficiently understood and may be critical for prostate cancer initiation, progression and escape from standard therapy. The present model is useful for the study of context dependent activation of the AR and its transcriptome. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2453-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Kurarinol induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis through suppressing cellular signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, Guangwen; Yang, Jing; Zhao, Wenhao; Xu, Chan; Hong, Zongguo; Mei, Zhinan; Yang, Xinzhou

2014-01-01

Kurarinol is a flavonoid isolated from roots of the medical plant Sophora flavescens. However, its cytotoxic activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and toxic effects on mammalians remain largely unexplored. Here, the pro-apoptotic activities of kurarinol on HCC cells and its toxic impacts on tumor-bearing mice were evaluated. The molecular mechanisms underlying kurarinol-induced HCC cell apoptosis were also investigated. We found that kurarinol dose-dependently provoked HepG2, Huh-7 and H22 HCC cell apoptosis. In addition, kurarinol gave rise to a considerable decrease in the transcriptional activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in HCC cells. Suppression of STAT3 signaling is involved in kurarinol-induced HCC cell apoptosis. In vivo studies showed that kurarinol injection substantially induced transplanted H22 cell apoptosis with low toxic impacts on tumor-bearing mice. Similarly, the transcriptional activity of STAT3 in transplanted tumor tissues was significantly suppressed after kurarinol treatment. Collectively, our current research demonstrated that kurarinol has the capacity of inducing HCC cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo with undetectable toxic impacts on the host. Suppressing STAT3 signaling is implicated in kurarinol-mediated HCC cell apoptosis. - Highlights: • Kurarinol induces hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell apoptosis. • Kurarinol induces HCC cell apoptosis via inhibiting STAT3. • Kurarinol exhibits low toxic effects on tumor-bearing animals

Study of the variation of the nuclear transcriptional map during de initial development of Drosophyla melanogaster embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, C.E.V.

1987-01-01

The variation of nuclear transcriptional map during the initial development of Drosophyla melanogaster embryos were studied. Thermic treatment, chromatographic techniques and liquid scintilation in embryos inoculated with radioactive uridine were used. (L.J.C.)

IRF8 Transcription-Factor-Dependent Classical Dendritic Cells Are Essential for Intestinal T Cell Homeostasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luda, Katarzyna M.; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, Emma K.

2016-01-01

The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 transcription-factor-dependent DCs had reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence...... dependent DCs in the maintenance of intestinal T cell homeostasis....

In vivo bioimaging with tissue-specific transcription factor activated luciferase reporters.

OpenAIRE

Buckley, SM; Delhove, JM; Perocheau, DP; Karda, R; Rahim, AA; Howe, SJ; Ward, NJ; Birrell, MA; Belvisi, MG; Arbuthnot, P; Johnson, MR; Waddington, SN; McKay, TR

2015-01-01

The application of transcription factor activated luciferase reporter cassettes in vitro is widespread but potential for in vivo application has not yet been realized. Bioluminescence imaging enables non-invasive tracking of gene expression in transfected tissues of living rodents. However the mature immune response limits luciferase expression when delivered in adulthood. We present a novel approach of tissue-targeted delivery of transcription factor activated luciferase reporter lentiviruse...

Estrogen receptor α enhances the transcriptional activity of ETS-1 and promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of neuroblastoma cell in a ligand dependent manner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Peng; Feng, Fan; Dong, Guofu; Yu, Chunyong; Feng, Sizhe; Song, Erlin; Shi, Guobing; Liang, Yong; Liang, Guobiao

2015-01-01

It is well known that estrogen receptor α (ERα) participates in the pathogenic progress of breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In neuroblastoma cells and related cancer clinical specimens, moreover, the ectopic expression of ERα has been identified. However, the detailed function of ERα in the proliferation of neuroblastoma cell is yet unclear. The transcriptional activity of ETS-1 (E26 transformation specific sequence 1) was measured by luciferase analysis. Western blot assays and Real-time RT-PCR were used to examine the expression of ERα, ETS-1 and its targeted genes. The protein-protein interaction between ERα and ETS-1 was determined by co-IP and GST-Pull down assays. The accumulation of ETS-1 in nuclear was detected by western blot assays, and the recruitment of ETS-1 to its targeted gene’s promoter was tested by ChIP assays. Moreover, SH-SY5Y cells’ proliferation, anchor-independent growth, migration and invasion were quantified using the MTT, soft agar or Trans-well assay, respectively. The transcriptional activity of ETS-1 was significantly increased following estrogen treatment, and this effect was related to ligand-mediated activation of ERα. The interaction between the ERα and ETS-1 was identified, and enhancement of ERα activation would up-regulate the ETS-1 transcription factor activity via modulating its cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment of ETS-1 to its target gene’s promoter. Furthermore, treatment of estrogen increased proliferation, migration and invasion of neuroblastoma cells, whereas the antagonist of ERα reduced those effects. In this study, we provided evidences that activation of ERα promoted neuroblastoma cells proliferation and up-regulated the transcriptional activity of ETS-1. By investigating the role of ERα in the ETS-1 activity regulation, we demonstrated that ERα may be a novel ETS-1 co-activator and thus a potential therapeutic target in human

Transcriptional profiling of the dose response: a more powerful approach for characterizing drug activities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui-Ru Ji

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The dose response curve is the gold standard for measuring the effect of a drug treatment, but is rarely used in genomic scale transcriptional profiling due to perceived obstacles of cost and analysis. One barrier to examining transcriptional dose responses is that existing methods for microarray data analysis can identify patterns, but provide no quantitative pharmacological information. We developed analytical methods that identify transcripts responsive to dose, calculate classical pharmacological parameters such as the EC50, and enable an in-depth analysis of coordinated dose-dependent treatment effects. The approach was applied to a transcriptional profiling study that evaluated four kinase inhibitors (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib and PD0325901 across a six-logarithm dose range, using 12 arrays per compound. The transcript responses proved a powerful means to characterize and compare the compounds: the distribution of EC50 values for the transcriptome was linked to specific targets, dose-dependent effects on cellular processes were identified using automated pathway analysis, and a connection was seen between EC50s in standard cellular assays and transcriptional EC50s. Our approach greatly enriches the information that can be obtained from standard transcriptional profiling technology. Moreover, these methods are automated, robust to non-optimized assays, and could be applied to other sources of quantitative data.

Locked and proteolysis-based transcription activator-like effector (TALE) regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonzarić, Jan; Lebar, Tina; Majerle, Andreja; Manček-Keber, Mateja; Jerala, Roman

2016-02-18

Development of orthogonal, designable and adjustable transcriptional regulators is an important goal of synthetic biology. Their activity has been typically modulated through stimulus-induced oligomerization or interaction between the DNA-binding and activation/repression domain. We exploited a feature of the designable Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) DNA-binding domain that it winds around the DNA which allows to topologically prevent it from binding by intramolecular cyclization. This new approach was investigated through noncovalent ligand-induced cyclization or through a covalent split intein cyclization strategy, where the topological inhibition of DNA binding by cyclization and its restoration by a proteolytic release of the topologic constraint was expected. We show that locked TALEs indeed have diminished DNA binding and regain full transcriptional activity by stimulation with the rapamycin ligand or site-specific proteolysis of the peptide linker, with much higher level of activation than rapamycin-induced heterodimerization. Additionally, we demonstrated reversibility, activation of genomic targets and implemented logic gates based on combinations of protein cyclization, proteolytic cleavage and ligand-induced dimerization, where the strongest fold induction was achieved by the proteolytic cleavage of a repression domain from a linear TALE. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Cross-talk between an activator of nuclear receptors-mediated transcription and the D1 dopamine receptor signaling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Azriel; Vogel, Robert; Rutledge, Su Jane; Opas, Evan E; Rodan, Gideon A; Friedman, Eitan

2005-03-01

Nuclear receptors are transcription factors that usually interact, in a ligand-dependent manner, with specific DNA sequences located within promoters of target genes. The nuclear receptors can also be controlled in a ligand-independent manner via the action of membrane receptors and cellular signaling pathways. 5-Tetradecyloxy-2-furancarboxylic acid (TOFA) was shown to stimulate transcription from the MMTV promoter via chimeric receptors that consist of the DNA binding domain of GR and the ligand binding regions of the PPARbeta or LXRbeta nuclear receptors (GR/PPARbeta and GR/LXRbeta). TOFA and hydroxycholesterols also modulate transcription from NF-kappaB- and AP-1-controlled reporter genes and induce neurite differentiation in PC12 cells. In CV-1 cells that express D(1) dopamine receptors, D(1) dopamine receptor stimulation was found to inhibit TOFA-stimulated transcription from the MMTV promoter that is under the control of chimeric GR/PPARbeta and GR/LXRbeta receptors. Treatment with the D(1) dopamine receptor antagonist, SCH23390, prevented dopamine-mediated suppression of transcription, and by itself increased transcription controlled by GR/LXRbeta. Furthermore, combined treatment of CV-1 cells with TOFA and SCH23390 increased transcription controlled by the GR/LXRbeta chimeric receptor synergistically. The significance of this in vitro synergy was demonstrated in vivo, by the observation that SCH23390 (but not haloperidol)-mediated catalepsy in rats was potentiated by TOFA, thus showing that an agent that mimics the in vitro activities of compounds that activate members of the LXR and PPAR receptor families can influence D1 dopamine receptor elicited responses.

Genome-scale transcriptional activation by an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Konermann, Silvana; Brigham, Mark D; Trevino, Alexandro E; Joung, Julia; Abudayyeh, Omar O; Barcena, Clea; Hsu, Patrick D; Habib, Naomi; Gootenberg, Jonathan S; Nishimasu, Hiroshi; Nureki, Osamu; Zhang, Feng

2015-01-29

Systematic interrogation of gene function requires the ability to perturb gene expression in a robust and generalizable manner. Here we describe structure-guided engineering of a CRISPR-Cas9 complex to mediate efficient transcriptional activation at endogenous genomic loci. We used these engineered Cas9 activation complexes to investigate single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting rules for effective transcriptional activation, to demonstrate multiplexed activation of ten genes simultaneously, and to upregulate long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA) transcripts. We also synthesized a library consisting of 70,290 guides targeting all human RefSeq coding isoforms to screen for genes that, upon activation, confer resistance to a BRAF inhibitor. The top hits included genes previously shown to be able to confer resistance, and novel candidates were validated using individual sgRNA and complementary DNA overexpression. A gene expression signature based on the top screening hits correlated with markers of BRAF inhibitor resistance in cell lines and patient-derived samples. These results collectively demonstrate the potential of Cas9-based activators as a powerful genetic perturbation technology.

The transcription factor MEF2C mediates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by IGF-1 signaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, Juan Pablo; Collao, Andres; Chiong, Mario; Maldonado, Carola; Adasme, Tatiana; Carrasco, Loreto; Ocaranza, Paula; Bravo, Roberto; Gonzalez, Leticia; Diaz-Araya, Guillermo [Centro FONDAP Estudios Moleculares de la Celula, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas y Farmaceuticas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Hidalgo, Cecilia [Centro FONDAP Estudios Moleculares de la Celula, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Lavandero, Sergio, E-mail: slavander@uchile.cl [Centro FONDAP Estudios Moleculares de la Celula, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas y Farmaceuticas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile); Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380492 (Chile)

2009-10-09

Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) plays an important role in cardiovascular development and is a key transcription factor for cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we describe MEF2C regulation by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its role in IGF-1-induced cardiac hypertrophy. We found that IGF-1 addition to cultured rat cardiomyocytes activated MEF2C, as evidenced by its increased nuclear localization and DNA binding activity. IGF-1 stimulated MEF2 dependent-gene transcription in a time-dependent manner, as indicated by increased MEF2 promoter-driven reporter gene activity; IGF-1 also induced p38-MAPK phosphorylation, while an inhibitor of p38-MAPK decreased both effects. Additionally, inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and calcineurin prevented IGF-1-induced MEF2 transcriptional activity. Via MEF2C-dependent signaling, IGF-1 also stimulated transcription of atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal {alpha}-actin but not of fos-lux reporter genes. These novel data suggest that MEF2C activation by IGF-1 mediates the pro-hypertrophic effects of IGF-1 on cardiac gene expression.

The transcription factor MEF2C mediates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by IGF-1 signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munoz, Juan Pablo; Collao, Andres; Chiong, Mario; Maldonado, Carola; Adasme, Tatiana; Carrasco, Loreto; Ocaranza, Paula; Bravo, Roberto; Gonzalez, Leticia; Diaz-Araya, Guillermo; Hidalgo, Cecilia; Lavandero, Sergio

2009-01-01

Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) plays an important role in cardiovascular development and is a key transcription factor for cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we describe MEF2C regulation by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its role in IGF-1-induced cardiac hypertrophy. We found that IGF-1 addition to cultured rat cardiomyocytes activated MEF2C, as evidenced by its increased nuclear localization and DNA binding activity. IGF-1 stimulated MEF2 dependent-gene transcription in a time-dependent manner, as indicated by increased MEF2 promoter-driven reporter gene activity; IGF-1 also induced p38-MAPK phosphorylation, while an inhibitor of p38-MAPK decreased both effects. Additionally, inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and calcineurin prevented IGF-1-induced MEF2 transcriptional activity. Via MEF2C-dependent signaling, IGF-1 also stimulated transcription of atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal α-actin but not of fos-lux reporter genes. These novel data suggest that MEF2C activation by IGF-1 mediates the pro-hypertrophic effects of IGF-1 on cardiac gene expression.

Cross-Family Transcription Factor Interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bemer, Marian; Dijk, van Aalt-Jan; Immink, Richard G.H.; Angenent, Gerco C.

2017-01-01

Specific and dynamic gene expression strongly depends on transcription factor (TF) activity and most plant TFs function in a combinatorial fashion. They can bind to DNA and control the expression of the corresponding gene in an additive fashion or cooperate by physical interactions, forming larger

Heterochromatin protein 1 gamma and IκB kinase alpha interdependence during tumour necrosis factor gene transcription elongation in activated macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, James L; Ouboussad, Lylia; Lefevre, Pascal F

2012-09-01

IκB kinase α (IKKα) is part of the cytoplasmic IKK complex regulating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) release and translocation into the nucleus in response to pro-inflammatory signals. IKKα can also be recruited directly to the promoter of NF-κB-dependent genes by NF-κB where it phosphorylates histone H3 at serine 10, triggering recruitment of the bromodomain-containing protein 4 and the positive transcription elongation factor b. Herein, we report that IKKα travels with the elongating form of ribonucleic acid polymerase II together with heterochromatin protein 1 gamma (HP1γ) at NF-κB-dependent genes in activated macrophages. IKKα binds to and phosphorylates HP1γ, which in turn controls IKKα binding to chromatin and phosphorylation of the histone variant H3.3 at serine 31 within transcribing regions. Downstream of transcription end sites, IKKα accumulates with its inhibitor the CUE-domain containing protein 2, suggesting a link between IKKα inactivation and transcription termination.

Transcription initiation patterns indicate divergent strategies for gene regulation at the chromatin level.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth A Rach

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The application of deep sequencing to map 5' capped transcripts has confirmed the existence of at least two distinct promoter classes in metazoans: "focused" promoters with transcription start sites (TSSs that occur in a narrowly defined genomic span and "dispersed" promoters with TSSs that are spread over a larger window. Previous studies have explored the presence of genomic features, such as CpG islands and sequence motifs, in these promoter classes, but virtually no studies have directly investigated the relationship with chromatin features. Here, we show that promoter classes are significantly differentiated by nucleosome organization and chromatin structure. Dispersed promoters display higher associations with well-positioned nucleosomes downstream of the TSS and a more clearly defined nucleosome free region upstream, while focused promoters have a less organized nucleosome structure, yet higher presence of RNA polymerase II. These differences extend to histone variants (H2A.Z and marks (H3K4 methylation, as well as insulator binding (such as CTCF, independent of the expression levels of affected genes. Notably, differences are conserved across mammals and flies, and they provide for a clearer separation of promoter architectures than the presence and absence of CpG islands or the occurrence of stalled RNA polymerase. Computational models support the stronger contribution of chromatin features to the definition of dispersed promoters compared to focused start sites. Our results show that promoter classes defined from 5' capped transcripts not only reflect differences in the initiation process at the core promoter but also are indicative of divergent transcriptional programs established within gene-proximal nucleosome organization.

Control of light-dependent keto carotenoid biosynthesis in Nostoc 7120 by the transcription factor NtcA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandmann, Gerhard; Mautz, Jürgen; Breitenbach, Jürgen

2016-09-01

In Nostoc PCC 7120, two different ketolases, CrtW and CrtO are involved in the formation of keto carotenoids from β-carotene. In contrast to other cyanobacteria, CrtW catalyzes the formation of monoketo echinenone whereas CrtO is the only enzyme for the synthesis of diketo canthaxanthin. This is the major photo protective carotenoid in this cyanobacterium. Under high-light conditions, basic canthaxanthin formation was transcriptionally up-regulated. Upon transfer to high light, the transcript levels of all investigated carotenogenic genes including those coding for phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase and both ketolases were increased. These transcription changes proceeded via binding of the transcription factor NtcA to the promoter regions of the carotenogenic genes. The binding was absolutely dependent on the presence of reductants and oxo-glutarate. Light-stimulated transcript formation was inhibited by DCMU. Therefore, photosynthetic electron transport is proposed as the sensor for high-light and a changing redox state as a signal for NtcA binding.

How salicylic acid takes transcriptional control over jasmonic acid signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lotte eCaarls

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Transcriptional regulation is a central process in plant immunity. The induction or repression of defense genes is orchestrated by signaling networks that are directed by plant hormones of which salicylic acid (SA and jasmonic acid (JA are the major players. Extensive cross-communication between the hormone signaling pathways allows for fine tuning of transcriptional programs, determining resistance to invaders and trade-offs with plant development. Here, we give an overview of how SA can control transcriptional reprogramming of JA-induced genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. SA can influence activity and/or localization of transcriptional regulators by post-translational modifications of transcription factors and co-regulators. SA-induced redox changes, mediated by thioredoxins and glutaredoxins, modify transcriptional regulators that are involved in suppression of JA-dependent genes, such as NPR1 and TGA transcription factors, which affects their localization or DNA binding activity. Furthermore, SA can mediate sequestering of JA-responsive transcription factors away from their target genes by stalling them in the cytosol or in complexes with repressor proteins in the nucleus. SA also affects JA-induced transcription by inducing degradation of transcription factors with an activating role in JA signaling, as was shown for the ERF transcription factor ORA59. Additionally, SA can induce negative regulators, among which WRKY transcription factors, that can directly or indirectly inhibit JA-responsive gene expression. Finally, at the DNA level, modification of histones by SA-dependent factors can result in repression of JA-responsive genes. These diverse and complex regulatory mechanisms affect important signaling hubs in the integration of hormone signaling networks. Some pathogens have evolved effectors that highjack hormone crosstalk mechanisms for their own good, which are described in this review as well.

Regulation of the yeast metabolic cycle by transcription factors with periodic activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pellegrini Matteo

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background When growing budding yeast under continuous, nutrient-limited conditions, over half of yeast genes exhibit periodic expression patterns. Periodicity can also be observed in respiration, in the timing of cell division, as well as in various metabolite levels. Knowing the transcription factors involved in the yeast metabolic cycle is helpful for determining the cascade of regulatory events that cause these patterns. Results Transcription factor activities were estimated by linear regression using time series and genome-wide transcription factor binding data. Time-translation matrices were estimated using least squares and were used to model the interactions between the most significant transcription factors. The top transcription factors have functions involving respiration, cell cycle events, amino acid metabolism and glycolysis. Key regulators of transitions between phases of the yeast metabolic cycle appear to be Hap1, Hap4, Gcn4, Msn4, Swi6 and Adr1. Conclusions Analysis of the phases at which transcription factor activities peak supports previous findings suggesting that the various cellular functions occur during specific phases of the yeast metabolic cycle.

O-GlcNAc transferase regulates transcriptional activity of human Oct4.

Science.gov (United States)

Constable, Sandii; Lim, Jae-Min; Vaidyanathan, Krithika; Wells, Lance

2017-10-01

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a single sugar modification found on many different classes of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Addition of this modification, by the enzyme O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT), is dynamic and inducible. One major class of proteins modified by O-GlcNAc is transcription factors. O-GlcNAc regulates transcription factor properties through a variety of different mechanisms including localization, stability and transcriptional activation. Maintenance of embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency requires tight regulation of several key transcription factors, many of which are modified by O-GlcNAc. Octamer-binding protein 4 (Oct4) is one of the key transcription factors required for pluripotency of ES cells and more recently, the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The action of Oct4 is modulated by the addition of several post-translational modifications, including O-GlcNAc. Previous studies in mice found a single site of O-GlcNAc addition responsible for transcriptional regulation. This study was designed to determine if this mechanism is conserved in humans. We mapped 10 novel sites of O-GlcNAc attachment on human Oct4, and confirmed a role for OGT in transcriptional activation of Oct4 at a site distinct from that found in mouse that allows distinction between different Oct4 target promoters. Additionally, we uncovered a potential new role for OGT that does not include its catalytic function. These results confirm that human Oct4 activity is being regulated by OGT by a mechanism that is distinct from mouse Oct4. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Negative Correlation between the Diffusion Coefficient and Transcriptional Activity of the Glucocorticoid Receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikuni, Shintaro; Yamamoto, Johtaro; Horio, Takashi; Kinjo, Masataka

2017-08-25

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a transcription factor, which interacts with DNA and other cofactors to regulate gene transcription. Binding to other partners in the cell nucleus alters the diffusion properties of GR. Raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS) was applied to quantitatively characterize the diffusion properties of EGFP labeled human GR (EGFP-hGR) and its mutants in the cell nucleus. RICS is an image correlation technique that evaluates the spatial distribution of the diffusion coefficient as a diffusion map. Interestingly, we observed that the averaged diffusion coefficient of EGFP-hGR strongly and negatively correlated with its transcriptional activities in comparison to that of EGFP-hGR wild type and mutants with various transcriptional activities. This result suggests that the decreasing of the diffusion coefficient of hGR was reflected in the high-affinity binding to DNA. Moreover, the hyper-phosphorylation of hGR can enhance the transcriptional activity by reduction of the interaction between the hGR and the nuclear corepressors.

Measuring E-cigarette dependence: Initial guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bold, Krysten W; Sussman, Steve; O'Malley, Stephanie S; Grana, Rachel; Foulds, Jonathan; Fishbein, Howard; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

2018-04-01

E-cigarette use rates are increasing among youth and adults, despite limited knowledge about the safety, risks, and potential for this product in substituting for or reducing other tobacco use. Understanding how to characterize and assess e-cigarette dependence will be important for evaluating the public health impact of e-cigarettes and considering prevention and intervention strategies. To provide an initial review of constructs to consider when assessing e-cigarette dependence, a content expert group within the Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS) Measurement Workgroup engaged in a review of published manuscripts and 12 tobacco dependence measures, followed by review of suggested dependence domains by a 10-person external subject-matter expert panel. The final domains selected to be considered in the development of a measure of e-cigarette dependence included: 1) Quantity and frequency of use, 2) Tolerance, 3) Perceived benefits, 4) Withdrawal symptoms, 5) Craving/urge to use, 6) Use despite harm, 7) Impaired control, 8) Automaticity, 9) Preferred over competing rewards, and 10) Sensory dependence. Similarities and differences in potential features of e-cigarette dependence compared with dependence on other tobacco products is discussed. Future work will evaluate these dependence items and constructs in a sample of e-cigarette users with a goal of developing a valid, brief, standardized measure of e-cigarette dependence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Classical Mus musculus Igκ enhancers support transcription but not high level somatic hypermutation from a V-lambda promoter in chicken DT40 cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naga Rama Kothapalli

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Somatic hypermutation (SHM of immunoglobulin genes is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID in activated B cells. This process is strictly dependent on transcription. Hence, cis-acting transcriptional control elements have been proposed to target SHM to immunoglobulin loci. The Mus musculus Igκ locus is regulated by the intronic enhancer (iE/MAR and the 3' enhancer (3'E, and multiple studies using transgenic and knock-out approaches in mice and cell lines have reported somewhat contradictory results about the function of these enhancers in AID-mediated sequence diversification. Here we show that the M. musculus iE/MAR and 3'E elements are active solely as transcriptional enhancer when placed in the context of the IGL locus in Gallus gallus DT40 cells, but they are very inefficient in targeting AID-mediated mutation events to this locus. This suggests that either key components of the cis-regulatory targeting elements reside outside the murine Igκ transcriptional enhancer sequences, or that the targeting of AID activity to Ig loci occurs by largely species-specific mechanisms.

Rift Valley fever virus NSs inhibits host transcription independently of the degradation of dsRNA-dependent Protein Kinase PKR

OpenAIRE

Kalveram, Birte; Lihoradova, Olga; Indran, Sabarish V.; Lokugamage, Nandadeva; Head, Jennifer A.; Ikegami, Tetsuro

2012-01-01

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) encodes one major virulence factor, the NSs protein. NSs suppresses host general transcription, including interferon (IFN)-β mRNA synthesis, and promotes degradation of the dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). We generated a novel RVFV mutant (rMP12-NSsR173A) specifically lacking the function to promote PKR degradation. rMP12-NSsR173A infection induces early phosphorylation of eIF2α through PKR activation, while retaining the function to inhibit host general tr...

An activator of transcription regulates phage TP901-1 late gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøndsted, Lone; Pedersen, Margit; Hammer, Karin

2001-01-01

bp contains both the promoter and the region necessary for activation by ORF29. The transcriptional start site of the promoter was identified by primer extension to position 13073 on the TP901-1 genome, thus located 87 bp downstream of orf29 in a 580-bp intergenic region between orf29 and orf30....... Furthermore, the region located -85 to -61 bp upstream of the start site was shown to be necessary for promoter activity. During infection, the transcript arising from the late promoter is fully induced at 40 min postinfection, and our results suggest that a certain level of ORF29 must he reached in order...... to activate transcription of the promoter. Several lactococcal bacteriophages encode ORF29 homologous proteins, indicating that late transcription may be controlled by a similar mechanism in these phages. With the identification of this novel regulator, our results suggest that within the P335 group...

BRF1 mutations alter RNA polymerase III–dependent transcription and cause neurodevelopmental anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Hög, Friederike; Dentici, Maria Lisa; Tan, Perciliz L.; Sowada, Nadine; Medeira, Ana; Gueneau, Lucie; Thiele, Holger; Kousi, Maria; Lepri, Francesca; Wenzeck, Larissa; Blumenthal, Ian; Radicioni, Antonio; Schwarzenberg, Tito Livio; Mandriani, Barbara; Fischetto, Rita; Morris-Rosendahl, Deborah J.; Altmüller, Janine; Reymond, Alexandre; Nürnberg, Peter; Merla, Giuseppe; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Katsanis, Nicholas; Cramer, Patrick; Kubisch, Christian

2015-01-01

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) synthesizes tRNAs and other small noncoding RNAs to regulate protein synthesis. Dysregulation of Pol III transcription has been linked to cancer, and germline mutations in genes encoding Pol III subunits or tRNA processing factors cause neurogenetic disorders in humans, such as hypomyelinating leukodystrophies and pontocerebellar hypoplasia. Here we describe an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by cerebellar hypoplasia and intellectual disability, as well as facial dysmorphic features, short stature, microcephaly, and dental anomalies. Whole-exome sequencing revealed biallelic missense alterations of BRF1 in three families. In support of the pathogenic potential of the discovered alleles, suppression or CRISPR-mediated deletion of brf1 in zebrafish embryos recapitulated key neurodevelopmental phenotypes; in vivo complementation showed all four candidate mutations to be pathogenic in an apparent isoform-specific context. BRF1 associates with BDP1 and TBP to form the transcription factor IIIB (TFIIIB), which recruits Pol III to target genes. We show that disease-causing mutations reduce Brf1 occupancy at tRNA target genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and impair cell growth. Moreover, BRF1 mutations reduce Pol III–related transcription activity in vitro. Taken together, our data show that BRF1 mutations that reduce protein activity cause neurodevelopmental anomalies, suggesting that BRF1-mediated Pol III transcription is required for normal cerebellar and cognitive development. PMID:25561519

Protein kinase A activation enhances β-catenin transcriptional activity through nuclear localization to PML bodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei Zhang

Full Text Available The Protein Kinase A (PKA and Wnt signaling cascades are fundamental pathways involved in cellular development and maintenance. In the osteoblast lineage, these pathways have been demonstrated functionally to be essential for the production of mineralized bone. Evidence for PKA-Wnt crosstalk has been reported both during tumorigenesis and during organogenesis, and the nature of the interaction is thought to rely on tissue and cell context. In this manuscript, we analyzed bone tumors arising from mice with activated PKA caused by mutation of the PKA regulatory subunit Prkar1a. In primary cells from these tumors, we observed relocalization of β-catenin to intranuclear punctuate structures, which were identified as PML bodies. Cellular redistribution of β-catenin could be recapitulated by pharmacologic activation of PKA. Using 3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts as a model system, we found that PKA phosphorylation sites on β-catenin were required for nuclear re-localization. Further, β-catenin's transport to the nucleus was accompanied by an increase in canonical Wnt-dependent transcription, which also required the PKA sites. PKA-Wnt crosstalk in the cells was bi-directional, including enhanced interactions between β-catenin and the cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB and transcriptional crosstalk between the Wnt and PKA signaling pathways. Increases in canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling were associated with a decrease in the activity of the non-canonical Wnt/Ror2 pathway, which has been shown to antagonize canonical Wnt signaling. Taken together, this study provides a new understanding of the complex regulation of the subcellular distribution of β-catenin and its differential protein-protein interaction that can be modulated by PKA signaling.

Post-translational regulation of Oct4 transcriptional activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan P Saxe

Full Text Available Oct4 is a key component of the molecular circuitry which regulates embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation. It is essential for maintenance of undifferentiated, pluripotent cell populations, and accomplishes these tasks by binding DNA in multiple heterodimer and homodimer configurations. Very little is known about how formation of these complexes is regulated, or the mechanisms through which Oct4 proteins respond to complex extracellular stimuli which regulate pluripotency. Here, we provide evidence for a phosphorylation-based mechanism which regulates specific Oct4 homodimer conformations. Point mutations of a putative phosphorylation site can specifically abrogate transcriptional activity of a specific homodimer assembly, with little effect on other configurations. Moreover, we performed bioinformatic predictions to identify a subset of Oct4 target genes which may be regulated by this specific assembly, and show that altering Oct4 protein levels affects transcription of Oct4 target genes which are regulated by this assembly but not others. Finally, we identified several signaling pathways which may mediate this phosphorylation and act in combination to regulate Oct4 transcriptional activity and protein stability. These results provide a mechanism for rapid and reversible alteration of Oct4 transactivation potential in response to extracellular signals.

Global RNA association with the transcriptionally active chromosome of chloroplasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehniger, Marie-Kristin; Finster, Sabrina; Melonek, Joanna; Oetke, Svenja; Krupinska, Karin; Schmitz-Linneweber, Christian

2017-10-01

Processed chloroplast RNAs are co-enriched with preparations of the chloroplast transcriptionally active chromosome. Chloroplast genomes are organized as a polyploid DNA-protein structure called the nucleoid. Transcriptionally active chloroplast DNA together with tightly bound protein factors can be purified by gel filtration as a functional entity called the transcriptionally active chromosome (TAC). Previous proteomics analyses of nucleoids and of TACs demonstrated a considerable overlap in protein composition including RNA binding proteins. Therefore the RNA content of TAC preparations from Nicotiana tabacum was determined using whole genome tiling arrays. A large number of chloroplast RNAs was found to be associated with the TAC. The pattern of RNAs attached to the TAC consists of RNAs produced by different chloroplast RNA polymerases and differs from the pattern of RNA found in input controls. An analysis of RNA splicing and RNA editing of selected RNA species demonstrated that TAC-associated RNAs are processed to a similar extent as the RNA in input controls. Thus, TAC fractions contain a specific subset of the processed chloroplast transcriptome.

From DNA binding to transcriptional activation: Is the TALE complete?

Science.gov (United States)

Bobola, Nicoletta

2017-09-04

How transcription factors (TFs) control enhancer and promoter functions to effect changes in gene expression is an important question. In this issue, Hau et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201701154) show that the TALE TF MEIS recruits the histone modifier PARP1/ARTD1 at promoters to decompact chromatin and activate transcription. © 2017 Bobola.

Transcriptional co-activator PGC-1 alpha drives the formation of slow-twitch muscle fibres.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiandie; Wu, Hai; Tarr, Paul T; Zhang, Chen-Yu; Wu, Zhidan; Boss, Olivier; Michael, Laura F; Puigserver, Pere; Isotani, Eiji; Olson, Eric N; Lowell, Bradford B; Bassel-Duby, Rhonda; Spiegelman, Bruce M

2002-08-15

The biochemical basis for the regulation of fibre-type determination in skeletal muscle is not well understood. In addition to the expression of particular myofibrillar proteins, type I (slow-twitch) fibres are much higher in mitochondrial content and are more dependent on oxidative metabolism than type II (fast-twitch) fibres. We have previously identified a transcriptional co-activator, peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1 (PGC-1 alpha), which is expressed in several tissues including brown fat and skeletal muscle, and that activates mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. We show here that PGC-1 alpha is expressed preferentially in muscle enriched in type I fibres. When PGC-1 alpha is expressed at physiological levels in transgenic mice driven by a muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter, a fibre type conversion is observed: muscles normally rich in type II fibres are redder and activate genes of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Notably, putative type II muscles from PGC-1 alpha transgenic mice also express proteins characteristic of type I fibres, such as troponin I (slow) and myoglobin, and show a much greater resistance to electrically stimulated fatigue. Using fibre-type-specific promoters, we show in cultured muscle cells that PGC-1 alpha activates transcription in cooperation with Mef2 proteins and serves as a target for calcineurin signalling, which has been implicated in slow fibre gene expression. These data indicate that PGC-1 alpha is a principal factor regulating muscle fibre type determination.

Nuclear IL-33 is a transcriptional regulator of NF-{kappa}B p65 and induces endothelial cell activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yeon-Sook; Park, Jeong Ae; Kim, Jihye; Rho, Seung-Sik; Park, Hyojin [Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young-Myeong [Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Young-Guen, E-mail: ygkwon@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-04

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IL-33 as nuclear factor regulated expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nuclear IL-33 increased the transcription of NF-{kappa}B p65 by binding to the p65 promoter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nuclear IL-33 controls NF-{kappa}B-dependent inflammatory responses. -- Abstract: Interleukin (IL)-33, an IL-1 family member, acts as an extracellular cytokine by binding its cognate receptor, ST2. IL-33 is also a chromatin-binding transcriptional regulator highly expressed in the nuclei of endothelial cells. However, the function of IL-33 as a nuclear factor is poorly defined. Here, we show that IL-33 is a novel transcriptional regulator of the p65 subunit of the NF-{kappa}B complex and is involved in endothelial cell activation. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and Western blot analyses indicated that IL-33 mediates the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 in endothelial cells basally and in response to tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}-treatment. IL-33-induced ICAM-1/VCAM-1 expression was dependent on the regulatory effect of IL-33 on the nuclear factor (NF)-{kappa}B pathway; NF-{kappa}B p65 expression was enhanced by IL-33 overexpression and, conversely, reduced by IL-33 knockdown. Moreover, NF-{kappa}B p65 promoter activity and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that IL-33 binds to the p65 promoter region in the nucleus. Our data provide the first evidence that IL-33 in the nucleus of endothelial cells participates in inflammatory reactions as a transcriptional regulator of NF-{kappa}B p65.

Controlling cellular P-TEFb activity by the HIV-1 transcriptional transactivator Tat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Muniz

Full Text Available The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1 transcriptional transactivator (Tat is essential for synthesis of full-length transcripts from the integrated viral genome by RNA polymerase II (Pol II. Tat recruits the host positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb to the HIV-1 promoter through binding to the transactivator RNA (TAR at the 5'-end of the nascent HIV transcript. P-TEFb is a general Pol II transcription factor; its cellular activity is controlled by the 7SK small nuclear RNA (snRNA and the HEXIM1 protein, which sequester P-TEFb into transcriptionally inactive 7SK/HEXIM/P-TEFb snRNP. Besides targeting P-TEFb to HIV transcription, Tat also increases the nuclear level of active P-TEFb through promoting its dissociation from the 7SK/HEXIM/P-TEFb RNP by an unclear mechanism. In this study, by using in vitro and in vivo RNA-protein binding assays, we demonstrate that HIV-1 Tat binds with high specificity and efficiency to an evolutionarily highly conserved stem-bulge-stem motif of the 5'-hairpin of human 7SK snRNA. The newly discovered Tat-binding motif of 7SK is structurally and functionally indistinguishable from the extensively characterized Tat-binding site of HIV TAR and importantly, it is imbedded in the HEXIM-binding elements of 7SK snRNA. We show that Tat efficiently replaces HEXIM1 on the 7SK snRNA in vivo and therefore, it promotes the disassembly of the 7SK/HEXIM/P-TEFb negative transcriptional regulatory snRNP to augment the nuclear level of active P-TEFb. This is the first demonstration that HIV-1 specifically targets an important cellular regulatory RNA, most probably to promote viral transcription and replication. Demonstration that the human 7SK snRNA carries a TAR RNA-like Tat-binding element that is essential for the normal transcriptional regulatory function of 7SK questions the viability of HIV therapeutic approaches based on small drugs blocking the Tat-binding site of HIV TAR.

Novel isoforms of the TFIID subunit TAF4 modulate nuclear receptor-mediated transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunkhorst, Adrian; Neuman, Toomas; Hall, Anita; Arenas, Ernest; Bartfai, Tamas; Hermanson, Ola; Metsis, Madis

2004-01-01

The transcription factor TFIID consists of TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAFs). TAFs are essential for modulation of transcriptional activity but the regulation of TAFs is complex and many important aspects remain unclear. In this study, we have identified and characterized five novel truncated forms of the TFIID subunit TAF4 (TAF II 135). Analysis of the mouse gene structure revealed that all truncations were the results of alternative splicing and resulted in the loss of domains or parts of domains implicated in TAF4 functional interactions. Results from transcriptional assays showed that several of the TAF4 isoforms exerted dominant negative effects on TAF4 activity in nuclear receptor-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition, alternative TAF4 isoforms could be detected in specific cell types. Our results indicate an additional level of complexity in TAF4-mediated regulation of transcription and suggest context-specific roles for these new TAF4 isoforms in transcriptional regulation in vivo

Distinct structural features of TFAM drive mitochondrial DNA packaging versus transcriptional activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Huu B; Lovely, Geoffrey A; Phillips, Rob; Chan, David C

2014-01-01

TFAM (transcription factor A, mitochondrial) is a DNA-binding protein that activates transcription at the two major promoters of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)--the light strand promoter (LSP) and the heavy strand promoter 1 (HSP1). Equally important, it coats and packages the mitochondrial genome. TFAM has been shown to impose a U-turn on LSP DNA; however, whether this distortion is relevant at other sites is unknown. Here we present crystal structures of TFAM bound to HSP1 and to nonspecific DNA. In both, TFAM similarly distorts the DNA into a U-turn. Yet, TFAM binds to HSP1 in the opposite orientation from LSP explaining why transcription from LSP requires DNA bending, whereas transcription at HSP1 does not. Moreover, the crystal structures reveal dimerization of DNA-bound TFAM. This dimerization is dispensable for DNA bending and transcriptional activation but is important in DNA compaction. We propose that TFAM dimerization enhances mitochondrial DNA compaction by promoting looping of the DNA.

CDK11p58 represses vitamin D receptor-mediated transcriptional activation through promoting its ubiquitin-proteasome degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi, Yayun; Hong, Yi; Zong, Hongliang; Wang, Yanlin; Zou, Weiying; Yang, Junwu; Kong, Xiangfei; Yun, Xiaojing; Gu, Jianxin

2009-01-01

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and regulates transcription of target genes. In this study, we identified CDK11 p58 as a novel protein involved in the regulation of VDR. CDK11 p58 , a member of the large family of p34cdc2-related kinases, is associated with cell cycle progression, tumorigenesis, and apoptotic signaling. Our study demonstrated that CDK11 p58 interacted with VDR and repressed VDR-dependent transcriptional activation. Furthermore, overexpression of CDK11 p58 decreased the stability of VDR through promoting its ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation. Taken together, these results suggest that CDK11 p58 is involved in the negative regulation of VDR.

Ubiquitin ligase activity of TFIIH and the transcriptional response to DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Yuichiro; Masuda, Claudio A; Chang, Wei-Hau; Komori, Hirofumi; Wang, Dong; Hunter, Tony; Joazeiro, Claudio A P; Kornberg, Roger D

2005-04-15

Core transcription factor (TF) IIH purified from yeast possesses an E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase activity, which resides, at least in part, in a RING finger (RNF) domain of the Ssl1 subunit. Yeast strains mutated in the Ssl1 RNF domain are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light and to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). This increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents does not reflect a deficiency in nucleotide excision repair. Rather, it correlates with reduced transcriptional induction of genes involved in DNA repair, suggesting that the E3 Ub ligase activity of TFIIH mediates the transcriptional response to DNA damage.

A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Izhar, Lior; Adamson, Britt; Ciccia, Alberto; Lewis, Jedd; Pontano-Vaites, Laura; Leng, Yumei; Liang, Anthony C; Westbrook, Thomas F; Harper, J Wade; Elledge, Stephen J

2015-06-09

Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR) proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lior Izhar

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins.

An Elk transcription factor is required for Runx-dependent survival signaling in the sea urchin embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Francesca; Coffman, James A; Arnone, Maria Ina

2016-08-01

Elk proteins are Ets family transcription factors that regulate cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation in response to ERK (extracellular-signal regulated kinase)-mediated phosphorylation. Here we report the embryonic expression and function of Sp-Elk, the single Elk gene of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Sp-Elk is zygotically expressed throughout the embryo beginning at late cleavage stage, with peak expression occurring at blastula stage. Morpholino antisense-mediated knockdown of Sp-Elk causes blastula-stage developmental arrest and embryo disintegration due to apoptosis, a phenotype that is rescued by wild-type Elk mRNA. Development is also rescued by Elk mRNA encoding a serine to aspartic acid substitution (S402D) that mimics ERK-mediated phosphorylation of a conserved site that enhances DNA binding, but not by Elk mRNA encoding an alanine substitution at the same site (S402A). This demonstrates both that the apoptotic phenotype of the morphants is specifically caused by Elk depletion, and that phosphorylation of serine 402 of Sp-Elk is critical for its anti-apoptotic function. Knockdown of Sp-Elk results in under-expression of several regulatory genes involved in cell fate specification, cell cycle control, and survival signaling, including the transcriptional regulator Sp-Runt-1 and its target Sp-PKC1, both of which were shown previously to be required for cell survival during embryogenesis. Both Sp-Runt-1 and Sp-PKC1 have sequences upstream of their transcription start sites that specifically bind Sp-Elk. These results indicate that Sp-Elk is the signal-dependent activator of a feed-forward gene regulatory circuit, consisting also of Sp-Runt-1 and Sp-PKC1, which actively suppresses apoptosis in the early embryo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estrogen induced concentration dependent differential gene expression in human breast cancer (MCF7) cells: Role of transcription factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasekharan, Sabarinath; Kandasamy, Krishna Kumar; Dayalan, Pavithra; Ramamurthy, Viraragavan

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Estradiol (E2) at low dose induced cell proliferation in breast cancer cells. •E2 at high concentration induced cell stress in breast cancer cells. •Estrogen receptor physically interacts only with a few transcription factors. •Differential expression of genes with Oct-1 binding sites increased under stress. •Transcription factor binding sites showed distinct spatial distribution on genes. -- Abstract: Background: Breast cancer cells respond to estrogen in a concentration dependent fashion, resulting in proliferation or apoptosis. The mechanism of this concentration dependent differential outcome is not well understood yet. Methodology: Meta-analysis of the expression data of MCF7 cells treated with low (1 nM) or high (100 nM) dose of estradiol (E2) was performed. We identified genes differentially expressed at the low or the high dose, and examined the nature of regulatory elements in the vicinity of these genes. Specifically, we looked for the difference in the presence, abundance and spatial distribution of binding sites for estrogen receptor (ER) and selected transcription factors (TFs) in the genomic region up to 25 kb upstream and downstream from the transcription start site (TSS) of these genes. Results: It was observed that at high dose E2 induced the expression of stress responsive genes, while at low dose, genes involved in cell cycle were induced. We found that the occurrence of transcription factor binding regions (TFBRs) for certain factors such as Sp1 and SREBP1 were higher on regulatory regions of genes expressed at low dose. At high concentration of E2, genes with a higher frequency of Oct-1 binding regions were predominantly involved. In addition, there were differences in the spatial distribution pattern of the TFBRs in the genomic regions among the two sets of genes. Discussion: E2 induced predominantly proliferative/metabolic response at low concentrations; but at high concentration, stress–rescue responses were induced

Estrogen induced concentration dependent differential gene expression in human breast cancer (MCF7) cells: Role of transcription factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandrasekharan, Sabarinath, E-mail: csab@bio.psgtech.ac.in [Department of Biotechnology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641004 (India); Kandasamy, Krishna Kumar [Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne (Germany); Dayalan, Pavithra; Ramamurthy, Viraragavan [Department of Biotechnology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641004 (India)

2013-08-02

Highlights: •Estradiol (E2) at low dose induced cell proliferation in breast cancer cells. •E2 at high concentration induced cell stress in breast cancer cells. •Estrogen receptor physically interacts only with a few transcription factors. •Differential expression of genes with Oct-1 binding sites increased under stress. •Transcription factor binding sites showed distinct spatial distribution on genes. -- Abstract: Background: Breast cancer cells respond to estrogen in a concentration dependent fashion, resulting in proliferation or apoptosis. The mechanism of this concentration dependent differential outcome is not well understood yet. Methodology: Meta-analysis of the expression data of MCF7 cells treated with low (1 nM) or high (100 nM) dose of estradiol (E2) was performed. We identified genes differentially expressed at the low or the high dose, and examined the nature of regulatory elements in the vicinity of these genes. Specifically, we looked for the difference in the presence, abundance and spatial distribution of binding sites for estrogen receptor (ER) and selected transcription factors (TFs) in the genomic region up to 25 kb upstream and downstream from the transcription start site (TSS) of these genes. Results: It was observed that at high dose E2 induced the expression of stress responsive genes, while at low dose, genes involved in cell cycle were induced. We found that the occurrence of transcription factor binding regions (TFBRs) for certain factors such as Sp1 and SREBP1 were higher on regulatory regions of genes expressed at low dose. At high concentration of E2, genes with a higher frequency of Oct-1 binding regions were predominantly involved. In addition, there were differences in the spatial distribution pattern of the TFBRs in the genomic regions among the two sets of genes. Discussion: E2 induced predominantly proliferative/metabolic response at low concentrations; but at high concentration, stress–rescue responses were induced

Regulation of WRKY46 transcription factor function by mitogen-activated protein kinases in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arsheed Hussain Sheikh

2016-02-01

Full Text Available AbstractMitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK cascades are central signalling pathways activated in plants after sensing internal developmental and external stress cues. Knowledge about the downstream substrate proteins of MAPKs is still limited in plants. We screened Arabidopsis WRKY transcription factors as potential targets downstream of MAPKs, and concentrated on characterizing WRKY46 as a substrate of the MAPK, MPK3. Mass spectrometry revealed in vitro phosphorylation of WRKY46 at amino acid position S168 by MPK3. However, mutagenesis studies showed that a second phosphosite, S250, can also be phosphorylated. Elicitation with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs, such as the bacterial flagellin-derived flg22 peptide led to in vivo destabilization of WRKY46 in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Mutation of either phosphorylation site reduced the PAMP-induced degradation of WRKY46. Furthermore, the protein for the double phosphosite mutant is expressed at higher levels compared to wild-type proteins or single phosphosite mutants. In line with its nuclear localization and predicted function as a transcriptional activator, overexpression of WRKY46 in protoplasts raised basal plant defence as reflected by the increase in promoter activity of the PAMP-responsive gene, NHL10, in a MAPK-dependent manner. Thus, MAPK-mediated regulation of WRKY46 is a mechanism to control plant defence.

Tuning of Recombinant Protein Expression in Escherichia coli by Manipulating Transcription, Translation Initiation Rates, and Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlesinger, Orr; Chemla, Yonatan; Heltberg, Mathias; Ozer, Eden; Marshall, Ryan; Noireaux, Vincent; Jensen, Mogens Høgh; Alfonta, Lital

2017-06-16

Protein synthesis in cells has been thoroughly investigated and characterized over the past 60 years. However, some fundamental issues remain unresolved, including the reasons for genetic code redundancy and codon bias. In this study, we changed the kinetics of the Eschrichia coli transcription and translation processes by mutating the promoter and ribosome binding domains and by using genetic code expansion. The results expose a counterintuitive phenomenon, whereby an increase in the initiation rates of transcription and translation lead to a decrease in protein expression. This effect can be rescued by introducing slow translating codons into the beginning of the gene, by shortening gene length or by reducing initiation rates. On the basis of the results, we developed a biophysical model, which suggests that the density of co-transcriptional-translation plays a role in bacterial protein synthesis. These findings indicate how cells use codon bias to tune translation speed and protein synthesis.

The μ-opioid receptor gene and smoking initiation and nicotine dependence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kendler Kenneth S

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The gene encoding the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1 is reported to be associated with a range of substance dependence. Experiments in knockout mice indicate that the mu-opioid receptor may mediate reinforcing effects of nicotine. In humans, opioid antagonist naltrexone may reduce the reinforcing effects of tobacco smoking. Additionally, the OPRM1 gene is located in a region showing linkage to nicotine dependence. The OPRM1 is thus a plausible candidate gene for smoking behavior. To investigate whether OPRM1 contributes to the susceptibility of smoking initiation and nicotine dependence, we genotyped 11 SNPs in the gene for 688 Caucasian subjects of lifetime smokers and nonsmokers. Three SNPs showed nominal significance for smoking initiation and one reached significance for nicotine dependence. The global test for three-marker (rs9479757-rs2075572-rs10485057 haplotypes was significant for smoking initiation (p = 0.0022. The same three-marker haplotype test was marginal (p = 0.0514 for nicotine dependence. These results suggest that OPRM1 may be involved in smoking initiation and nicotine dependence.

Localizing potentially active post-transcriptional regulations in the Ewing's sarcoma gene regulatory network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delyon Bernard

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A wide range of techniques is now available for analyzing regulatory networks. Nonetheless, most of these techniques fail to interpret large-scale transcriptional data at the post-translational level. Results We address the question of using large-scale transcriptomic observation of a system perturbation to analyze a regulatory network which contained several types of interactions - transcriptional and post-translational. Our method consisted of post-processing the outputs of an open-source tool named BioQuali - an automatic constraint-based analysis mimicking biologist's local reasoning on a large scale. The post-processing relied on differences in the behavior of the transcriptional and post-translational levels in the network. As a case study, we analyzed a network representation of the genes and proteins controlled by an oncogene in the context of Ewing's sarcoma. The analysis allowed us to pinpoint active interactions specific to this cancer. We also identified the parts of the network which were incomplete and should be submitted for further investigation. Conclusions The proposed approach is effective for the qualitative analysis of cancer networks. It allows the integrative use of experimental data of various types in order to identify the specific information that should be considered a priority in the initial - and possibly very large - experimental dataset. Iteratively, new dataset can be introduced into the analysis to improve the network representation and make it more specific.

DhHP-6 extends lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by enhancing nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of DAF-16.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lei; Li, Pengfei; Wang, Guan; Guan, Shuwen; Sun, Xiaoli; Wang, Liping

2013-04-01

Earlier studies have demonstrated that Deuterohaemin-AlaHisThrValGluLys (DhHP-6), a novel porphyrin-peptide, increases lifespan and enhances stress resistance of Caenorhabditis elegans. To explore the possible mechanisms, in this study we investigated the roles of SIR-2.1 and DAF-16 in DhHP-6's function using wild-type and various other mutant strains of C. elegans. DhHP-6's effect was dependent upon DAF-16, and it did not extend the lifespan of the loss-of-function daf-16 mutant strain (daf-16(mu86) I). DhHP-6 enhanced DAF-16 translocation from cytoplasm to nuclei; and it increased DAF-16's transcriptional activity, likely by activating the SIR-2.1/DAF-16 complex. DhHP-6's effect was also dependent upon SIR-2.1, and it did not increase the lifespan of the worms with SIR-2.1 deacetylase activity inhibited by niacin amide (SIR-2.1 inhibitor) and SIR-2.1 RNA interference (RNAi). Niacin amide and RNAi increased DAF-16's nuclear localization; but they decreased DAF-16's transcriptional activity, likely by preventing the formation of the SIR-2.1/DAF-16 complex. These results suggest that DhHP-6 extends the lifespan of C. elegans via SIR 2.1 and DAF-16, and they provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of aging.

Control of neuropeptide expression by parallel activity-dependent pathways in caenorhabditis elegans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rojo Romanos, Teresa; Petersen, Jakob Gramstrup; Pocock, Roger

2017-01-01

Monitoring of neuronal activity within circuits facilitates integrated responses and rapid changes in behavior. We have identified a system in Caenorhabditis elegans where neuropeptide expression is dependent on the ability of the BAG neurons to sense carbon dioxide. In C. Elegans, CO 2 sensing...... is predominantly coordinated by the BAG-expressed receptor-type guanylate cyclase GCY-9. GCY-9 binding to CO 2 causes accumulation of cyclic GMP and opening of the cGMP-gated TAX-2/TAX-4 cation channels; provoking an integrated downstream cascade that enables C. Elegans to avoid high CO 2. Here we show that c...... that expression of flp-19::GFP is controlled in parallel to GCY-9 by the activity-dependent transcription factor CREB (CRH-1) and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (KIN-2) signaling pathway. We therefore show that two parallel pathways regulate neuropeptide gene expression in the BAG sensory neurons: the ability...

Cell cycle-dependent transcription factors control the expression of yeast telomerase RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Dionne, Isabelle; Larose, Stéphanie; Dandjinou, Alain T; Abou Elela, Sherif; Wellinger, Raymund J

2013-07-01

Telomerase is a specialized ribonucleoprotein that adds repeated DNA sequences to the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes to preserve genome integrity. Some secondary structure features of the telomerase RNA are very well conserved, and it serves as a central scaffold for the binding of associated proteins. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA, TLC1, is found in very low copy number in the cell and is the limiting component of the known telomerase holoenzyme constituents. The reasons for this low abundance are unclear, but given that the RNA is very stable, transcriptional control mechanisms must be extremely important. Here we define the sequences forming the TLC1 promoter and identify the elements required for its low expression level, including enhancer and repressor elements. Within an enhancer element, we found consensus sites for Mbp1/Swi4 association, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed the binding of Mbp1 and Swi4 to these sites of the TLC1 promoter. Furthermore, the enhancer element conferred cell cycle-dependent regulation to a reporter gene, and mutations in the Mbp1/Swi4 binding sites affected the levels of telomerase RNA and telomere length. Finally, ChIP experiments using a TLC1 RNA-binding protein as target showed cell cycle-dependent transcription of the TLC1 gene. These results indicate that the budding yeast TLC1 RNA is transcribed in a cell cycle-dependent fashion late in G1 and may be part of the S phase-regulated group of genes involved in DNA replication.

Acetylation-mediated suppression of transcription-independent memory: bidirectional modulation of memory by acetylation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katja Merschbaecher

Full Text Available Learning induced changes in protein acetylation, mediated by histone acetyl transferases (HATs, and the antagonistic histone deacetylases (HDACs play a critical role in memory formation. The status of histone acetylation affects the interaction between the transcription-complex and DNA and thus regulates transcription-dependent processes required for long-term memory (LTM. While the majority of studies report on the role of elevated acetylation in memory facilitation, we address the impact of both, increased and decreased acetylation on formation of appetitive olfactory memory in honeybees. We show that learning-induced changes in the acetylation of histone H3 at aminoacid-positions H3K9 and H3K18 exhibit distinct and different dynamics depending on the training strength. A strong training that induces LTM leads to an immediate increase in acetylation at H3K18 that stays elevated for hours. A weak training, not sufficient to trigger LTM, causes an initial increase in acetylation at H3K18, followed by a strong reduction in acetylation at H3K18 below the control group level. Acetylation at position H3K9 is not affected by associative conditioning, indicating specific learning-induced actions on the acetylation machinery. Elevating acetylation levels by blocking HDACs after conditioning leads to an improved memory. While memory after strong training is enhanced for at least 2 days, the enhancement after weak training is restricted to 1 day. Reducing acetylation levels by blocking HAT activity after strong training leads to a suppression of transcription-dependent LTM. The memory suppression is also observed in case of weak training, which does not require transcription processes. Thus, our findings demonstrate that acetylation-mediated processes act as bidirectional regulators of memory formation that facilitate or suppress memory independent of its transcription-requirement.

Menin and RNF20 recruitment is associated with dynamic histone modifications that regulate signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1-activated transcription of the interferon regulatory factor 1 gene (IRF1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buro Lauren J

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT activation of gene expression is both rapid and transient, and when properly executed it affects growth, differentiation, homeostasis and the immune response, but when dysregulated it contributes to human disease. Transcriptional activation is regulated by alterations to the chromatin template. However, the role of histone modification at gene loci that are activated for transcription in response to STAT signaling is poorly defined. Results Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we profiled several histone modifications during STAT1 activation of the interferon regulatory factor 1 gene (IRF1. Methylated lysine histone proteins H3K4me2, H3K4me3, H3K79me3, H3K36me3 and monoubiquitinated histone ubH2B are dynamic and correlate with interferon (IFNγ induction of STAT1 activity. Chemical inhibition of H3K4 methylation downregulates IRF1 transcription and decreases RNA polymerase II (Pol II occupancy at the IRF1 promoter. MEN1, a component of a complex proteins associated with Set1 (COMPASS-like complex and the hBRE1 component, RNF20, are localized to IRF1 in the uninduced state and are further recruited when IRF1 is activated. RNAi-mediated depletion of RNF20 lowers both ubH2B and H3K4me3, but surprisingly, upregulates IFNγ induced IRF1 transcription. The dynamics of phosphorylation in the C-terminal domain (CTD of Pol II are disrupted during gene activation as well. Conclusions H2B monoubiquitination promotes H3K4 methylation, but the E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF20, is repressive of inducible transcription at the IRF1 gene locus, suggesting that ubH2B can, directly or indirectly, affect Pol II CTD phosphorylation cycling to exert control on ongoing transcription.

A unified architecture of transcriptional regulatory elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Robin; Sandelin, Albin Gustav; Danko, Charles G.

2015-01-01

Gene expression is precisely controlled in time and space through the integration of signals that act at gene promoters and gene-distal enhancers. Classically, promoters and enhancers are considered separate classes of regulatory elements, often distinguished by histone modifications. However...... and enhancers are considered a single class of functional element, with a unified architecture for transcription initiation. The context of interacting regulatory elements and the surrounding sequences determine local transcriptional output as well as the enhancer and promoter activities of individual elements....

Commensal Streptococcus salivarius Modulates PPARγ Transcriptional Activity in Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benoît Couvigny

Full Text Available The impact of commensal bacteria in eukaryotic transcriptional regulation has increasingly been demonstrated over the last decades. A multitude of studies have shown direct effects of commensal bacteria from local transcriptional activity to systemic impact. The commensal bacterium Streptococcus salivarius is one of the early bacteria colonizing the oral and gut mucosal surfaces. It has been shown to down-regulate nuclear transcription factor (NF-кB in human intestinal cells, a central regulator of the host mucosal immune system response to the microbiota. In order to evaluate its impact on a further important transcription factor shown to link metabolism and inflammation in the intestine, namely PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, we used human intestinal epithelial cell-lines engineered to monitor PPARγ transcriptional activity in response to a wide range of S. salivarius strains. We demonstrated that different strains from this bacterial group share the property to inhibit PPARγ activation independently of the ligand used. First attempts to identify the nature of the active compounds showed that it is a low-molecular-weight, DNase-, proteases- and heat-resistant metabolite secreted by S. salivarius strains. Among PPARγ-targeted metabolic genes, I-FABP and Angptl4 expression levels were dramatically reduced in intestinal epithelial cells exposed to S. salivarius supernatant. Both gene products modulate lipid accumulation in cells and down-regulating their expression might consequently affect host health. Our study shows that species belonging to the salivarius group of streptococci impact both host inflammatory and metabolic regulation suggesting a possible role in the host homeostasis and health.

Zipper plot: visualizing transcriptional activity of genomic regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila Cobos, Francisco; Anckaert, Jasper; Volders, Pieter-Jan; Everaert, Celine; Rombaut, Dries; Vandesompele, Jo; De Preter, Katleen; Mestdagh, Pieter

2017-05-02