scholarly journals Quantitative Proteomic Identification of MAZ as a Transcriptional Regulator of Muscle-Specific Genes in Skeletal and Cardiac Myocytes

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (20) ◽  
pp. 6521-6535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charis L. Himeda ◽  
Jeffrey A. Ranish ◽  
Stephen D. Hauschka

ABSTRACT We identified a conserved sequence within the Muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter that is critical for high-level activity in skeletal and cardiac myocytes (MCK Promoter Element X [MPEX]). After selectively enriching for MPEX-binding factor(s) (MPEX-BFs), ICAT-based quantitative proteomics was used to identify MPEX-BF candidates, one of which was MAZ (Myc-associated zinc finger protein). MAZ transactivates the MCK promoter and binds the MPEX site in vitro, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrates enrichment of MAZ at the endogenous MCK promoter and other muscle gene promoters (Skeletal α-actin, Desmin, and α-Myosin heavy chain) in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Consistent with its role in muscle gene transcription, MAZ transcripts and DNA-binding activity are upregulated during skeletal myocyte differentiation. Furthermore, MAZ was shown to bind numerous sequences (e.g., CTCCTCCC and CTCCACCC) that diverge from the GA box binding motif. Alternate motifs were identified in many muscle promoters, including Myogenin and MEF2C, and one motif was shown to be critical for Six4 promoter activity in both skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Interestingly, MAZ occupies and is able to transactivate the Six4 promoter in skeletal but not cardiac myocytes. Taken together, these findings are consistent with a previously unrecognized role for MAZ in muscle gene regulation.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 3989-3997 ◽  
Author(s):  
M L Phelan ◽  
I Rambaldi ◽  
M S Featherstone

Homeoprotein products of the Hox/HOM gene family pattern the animal embryo through the transcriptional regulation of target genes. We have previously shown that the labial group protein HOXA-1 has intrinsically weak DNA-binding activity due to residues in the N-terminal arm of its homeodomain (M. L. Phelan, R. Sadoul, and M. S. Featherstone, Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:5066-5075, 1994). This observation, among others, suggests that HOX and HOM proteins require cofactors for stable interactions with DNA. We have demonstrated that a putative HOX cofactor, PBX1A, participates in cooperative DNA binding with HOXA-1 and the Deformed group protein HOXD-4. Three Abdominal-B class HOX proteins failed to cooperate with PBX1A. We mapped the interacting domain of HOXD-4 to the YPWMK pentapeptide motif, a conserved sequence found N terminal to the homeodomain of HOXA-1 and many other homeoproteins but absent from the Abdominal-B class. The naturally occurring fusion of the transcriptional activation domain of E2A with PBX1 creates an oncoprotein implicated in human pre-B-cell leukemias (M. P. Kamps, C. Murre, X.-H. Sun, and D. Baltimore, Cell 60:547-555, 1990; J. Nourse, J. D. Mellentin, N. Galili, J. Wilkinson, E. Starbridge, S. D. Smith, and M. L. Cleary, Cell 60:535-545, 1990). A pentapeptide mutation that abolished cooperative interaction with PBX1A in vitro also abrogated synergistic transcriptional activation with the E2A/PBX oncoprotein. The direct contact of PBX family members by the HOX pentapeptide is likely to play an important role in developmental and oncogenic processes.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (6) ◽  
pp. 2025-2031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wises Namwat ◽  
Chang-Kwon Lee ◽  
Hiroshi Kinoshita ◽  
Yasuhiro Yamada ◽  
Takuya Nihira

ABSTRACT A gene designated varR (for virginiaeantibiotic resistance regulator) was identified in Streptomyces virginiae 89 bp downstream of a varS gene encoding a virginiamycin S (VS)-specific transporter. The deduced varRproduct showed high homology to repressors of the TetR family with a conserved helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif. Purified recombinant VarR protein was present as a dimer in vitro and showed clear DNA binding activity toward the varS promoter region. This binding was abolished by the presence of VS, suggesting that VarR regulates transcription of varS in a VS-dependent manner. Northern blot analysis revealed that varR was cotranscribed with upstream varS as a 2.4-kb transcript and that VS acted as an inducer of bicistronic transcription. Deletion analysis of thevarS promoter region clarified two adjacent VarR binding sites in the varS promoter.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 661-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Ting Yan ◽  
Stacey M. Stein ◽  
Jixiang Ding ◽  
Michael M. Shen ◽  
Cory Abate-Shen

ABSTRACT Despite their significance for mammalian embryogenesis, the molecular mechanisms that regulate placental growth and development have not been well defined. The Esx1 homeobox gene is of particular interest because it is among the few regulatory genes that have specific expression and function in the placenta during murine development. In addition, the ESX1 protein contains several notable features that are not often associated with homeoproteins, including an atypical homeodomain of the paired-like class, a proline-rich region that contains an SH3 binding motif, and a novel repeat region consisting of prolines alternating with phenylalanines or asparagines that we term the PF/PN motif. We have found that the ESX1 protein is expressed in the labyrinth layer of the placenta in vivo, where its subcellular localization is primarily cytoplasmic. Our results suggest that this unexpected subcellular localization is conferred by the PF/PN motif, which inhibits nuclear localization of ESX1 in cell culture, as well as its DNA binding activity in vitro. Finally, we show that the proline-rich region of ESX1 mediates interactions in vitro with the c-abl SH3 domain as well as with certain WW domains. We propose that the PF/PN motif provides a novel mechanism for regulating nuclear entry and that the essential function of ESX1 during placental development is mediated by its ability to couple cytoplasmic signal transduction events with transcriptional regulation in the nucleus.


2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (19) ◽  
pp. 19691-19697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nozomi Sugimoto ◽  
Yasutoshi Tatsumi ◽  
Tatsuya Tsurumi ◽  
Akio Matsukage ◽  
Tohru Kiyono ◽  
...  

The current concept regarding cell cycle regulation of DNA replication is that Cdt1, together with origin recognition complex and CDC6 proteins, constitutes the machinery that loads the minichromosome maintenance complex, a candidate replicative helicase, onto chromatin during the G1phase. The actions of origin recognition complex and CDC6 are suppressed through phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) after S phase to prohibit rereplication. It has been suggested in metazoan cells that the function of Cdt1 is blocked through binding to an inhibitor protein, geminin. However, the functional relationship between the Cdt1-geminin system and Cdks remains to be clarified. In this report, we demonstrate that human Cdt1 is phosphorylated by cyclin A-dependent kinases dependent on its cyclin-binding motif. Cdk phosphorylation resulted in the binding of Cdt1 to the F-box protein Skp2 and subsequent degradation. In contrast,in vitroDNA binding activity of Cdt1 was inhibited by the phosphorylation. However, geminin binding to Cdt1 was not affected by the phosphorylation. Finally we provide evidence that inactivation of Cdk1 results in Cdt1 dephosphorylation and rebinding to chromatin in murine FT210 cells synchronized around the G2/M phase. Taken together, these findings suggest that Cdt1 function is also negatively regulated by the Cdk phosphorylation independent of geminin binding.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi L Vogel ◽  
Vincent Geuskens ◽  
Lucie Desmet ◽  
N Patrick Higgins ◽  
Ariane Toussaint

Abstract Mutations in an N-terminal 70-amino acid domain of bacteriophage Mu's repressor cause temperature-sensitive DNA-binding activity. Surprisingly, amber mutations can conditionally correct the heat-sensitive defect in three mutant forms of the repressor gene, cts25 (D43-G), cts62 (R47-Q and cts71 (M28-I), and in the appropriate bacterial host produce a heat-stable Sts phenotype (for survival of temperature shifts). Sts repressor mutants are heat sensitive when in supE or supF hosts and heat resistant when in Sup° hosts. Mutants with an Sts phenotype have amber mutations at one of three codons, Q179, Q187, or Q190. The Sts phenotype relates to the repressor size: in Sup° hosts sts repressors are shorter by seven, 10, or 18 amino acids compared to repressors in supE or supF hosts. The truncated form of the sts62-1 repressor, which lacks 18 residues (Q179–V196), binds Mu operator DNA more stably at 42° in vitro compared to its full-length counterpart (cts62 repressor). In addition to influencing temperature sensitivity, the C-terminus appears to control the susceptibility to in vivo Clp proteolysis by influencing the multimeric structure of repressor.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 1056-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira T. Kassouf ◽  
Hedia Chagraoui ◽  
Paresh Vyas ◽  
Catherine Porcher

Abstract Dissecting the molecular mechanisms used by developmental regulators is essential to understand tissue specification/differentiation. SCL/TAL-1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor absolutely critical for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell specification and lineage maturation. Using in vitro and forced expression experimental systems, we previously suggested that SCL might have DNA-binding–independent functions. Here, to assess the requirements for SCL DNA-binding activity in vivo, we examined hematopoietic development in mice carrying a germline DNA-binding mutation. Remarkably, in contrast to complete absence of hematopoiesis and early lethality in scl-null embryos, specification of hematopoietic cells occurred in homozygous mutant embryos, indicating that direct DNA binding is dispensable for this process. Lethality was forestalled to later in development, although some mice survived to adulthood. Anemia was documented throughout development and in adulthood. Cellular and molecular studies showed requirements for SCL direct DNA binding in red cell maturation and indicated that scl expression is positively autoregulated in terminally differentiating erythroid cells. Thus, different mechanisms of SCL's action predominate depending on the developmental/cellular context: indirect DNA binding activities and/or sequestration of other nuclear regulators are sufficient in specification processes, whereas direct DNA binding functions with transcriptional autoregulation are critically required in terminal maturation processes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1547-1552
Author(s):  
D Leshkowitz ◽  
M D Walker

Insulin-producing cells and fibroblasts were fused to produce hybrid lines. In hybrids derived from both hamster and rat insulinoma cells, no insulin mRNA could be detected in any of seven lines examined by Northern (RNA) analysis despite the presence in each line of the insulin genes of both parental cells. Hybrid cells were transfected with recombinant chloramphenicol acetyltransferase plasmids containing defined segments of the rat insulin I gene 5' flank. We observed no transcriptional activity of the intact insulin enhancer or of IEB2, a critical cis-acting element of the insulin enhancer. IEB2 has previously been shown to interact in vitro with IEF1, a DNA-binding activity observed selectively in insulin-producing cells. Hybrid cells showed no detectable IEF1 activity. Furthermore, the insulin enhancer was unable to reduce transcription directed by the Moloney sarcoma virus enhancer in a double-enhancer construct. Thus, extinction of insulin gene expression in the hybrids apparently does not operate through a direct action of repressors on the insulin enhancer; rather, extinction is accompanied by, and may be caused by, reduced DNA-binding activity of the putative transcriptional activator IEF1.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 2018-2024
Author(s):  
D L Johnson ◽  
S L Wilson

The transcription in vitro of eucaryotic tRNA genes by RNA polymerase III requires two transcription factors, designated TFIIIB and TFIIIC. One of the critical functions of TFIIIC in the transcription of tRNA genes is that it interacts directly and specifically with the two internal promoter elements of these genes. We have partially purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae TFIIIC by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70, DEAE-cellulose, and phosphocellulose resins. A 150-kilodalton (kDa) DNA-binding polypeptide copurified with TFIIIC activity. This 150-kDa protein coeluted with the DNA-binding activity of TFIIIC after rechromatography of TFIIIC on phosphocellulose and its elution with a linear salt gradient. The stable and high-affinity interaction of this protein with tRNA genes was demonstrated by the maintenance of a protein-DNA complex under conditions of high ionic strength. Finally, we showed by two criteria that the interaction of this protein with tRNA genes was specific. First, the protein-DNA complex was competed with only by DNA-containing tRNA genes; second, the protein preferentially bound to DNA fragments containing a tRNA gene. These results strongly suggest that the DNA-binding domain of the yeast TFIIIC is contained within this 150-kDa polypeptide.


Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van Doren ◽  
H.M. Ellis ◽  
J.W. Posakony

In Drosophila, a group of regulatory proteins of the helix-loop-helix (HLH) class play an essential role in conferring upon cells in the developing adult epidermis the competence to give rise to sensory organs. Proteins encoded by the daughterless (da) gene and three genes of the achaete-scute complex (AS-C) act positively in the determination of the sensory organ precursor cell fate, while the extramacrochaetae (emc) and hairy (h) gene products act as negative regulators. In the region upstream of the achaete gene of the AS-C, we have identified three ‘E box’ consensus sequences that are bound specifically in vitro by hetero-oligomeric complexes consisting of the da protein and an AS-C protein. We have used this DNA-binding activity to investigate the biochemical basis of the negative regulatory function of emc. Under the conditions of our experiments, the emc protein, but not the h protein, is able to antagonize specifically the in vitro DNA-binding activity of da/AS-C and putative da/da protein complexes. We interpret these results as follows: the heterodimerization capacity of the emc protein (conferred by its HLH domain) allows it to act in vivo as a competitive inhibitor of the formation of functional DNA-binding protein complexes by the da and AS-C proteins, thereby reducing the effective level of their transcriptional regulatory activity within the cell.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document