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Mutual cross-interference between glucocorticoid receptor and CREB inhibits transactivation in placental cells.

Transcription of the glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit gene in placental cells is repressed by glucocorticoids, an effect that is mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Although the DNA-binding domain of GR has been shown to be important, mutation of the previously identified GR-binding sites in the alpha-subunit promoter fails to abolish repression. Furthermore, mutant receptors in which the DNA-binding specificity is converted to ERE binding or in which the first zinc finger is substituted with that from thyroid receptor remain fully inhibitory, indicating that specific DNA binding to the alpha-subunit gene is not important for repression. Inhibition by GR is only effective when the alpha-subunit promoter is activated by CREB, implicating CREB as the target for GR-mediated repression. Reciprocally, overexpression of CREB interferes with GR-mediated transcriptional activation of MMTV. This activity is not affected by the phosphorylation state of CREB. Despite the mutual cross-interference with activation of gene expression, GR and CREB do not appear to have a high-affinity protein:protein interaction in vitro. Nonetheless, GR and CREB may interact directly in vivo possibly through a third protein or, more likely, may sequester a mutually required target protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Effect of chronic stress on PKA and P-CREB expression in hippocampus of rats and the antagonism of antidepressors].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of chronic unpredicted sequence of mild stress on the expression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A(PKA) and phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element binding protein (P-CREB) in hippocampus of rats and the antagonism of antidepressors (fluoxetine). METHODS: Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly and equally allocated to 3 groups: A normal control group, a model group, and a fluoxetine group. All rats except the control group were singly housed and exposed to an unpredicted sequence of mild stressors. The different distribution and expression of PKA and P-CREB in the hippocampus of rats in different groups were investigated with immunohistochemistry and Westernblot technique. RESULTS: The positive PKA and P-CREB cells in the hippocampus of normal controls were the pyramidal cells and the granule cells. The PKA and P-CREB protein expression levels in the hippocampus of model rats were significantly lower than those of the normal controls (P<0.05). The PKA and P-CREB protein expression levels in the hippocampus of the fluoxetine group were significantly higher than those of the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic unpredicted mild stress can affect the PKA and P-CREB expression in hippocampus of rats and fluoxetine has antagonism against it.

Animals↗

CREB represses transcription of fos promoter: role of phosphorylation.

We have studied the regulation of protooncogene fos following serum induction. We show that un- or hypo-phosphorylated form of transcription factor cyclic AMP response element binding (CREB) protein represses the transcription of fos promoter. The negative regulation by CREB is alleviated if it is phosphorylated at serine 133 by the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). A DNA binding mutant of CREB is unable to suppress transcription of the fos promoter. However, mutation in the cyclic AMP responsive element (CRE) at -60 or AP-1 binding site at -290, known to bind to CREB, does not appear to be involved in repression. Serum induction of dyad symmetry element (DSE) linked reporter gene is also repressed by unmodified CREB, which can be relieved following phosphorylation by PKA. We propose that posttranslational modification of CREB regulates serum inducibility of fos promoter.

3T3 Cells↗

Distinct activation domains within cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) mediate basal and cAMP-stimulated transcription.

Activation of protein kinase A (PKA) by cAMP results in phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and induction of specific gene expression. However, whether CREB participates directly in basal (PKA-independent) transcription is still an open question, and existing studies conflict over the identification of putative basal activation domains. In the present study, the activation domain of CREB, whether fused to the GAL4 DNA binding domain (CRG) or in native CREB, stimulated basal activity of the minimal tk promoter, but not the minimal SV40 early promoter. Cotransfection with PKI, a specific inhibitor of PKA, blocked PKA-induced expression of both promoters, but did not block CRG-mediated basal expression of the tk promoter. In addition, both CRG and a PKA phosphorylation site mutant provided comparable stimulation of basal tk promoter activity. Examination of a series of CREB deletion mutants mapped basal activity to interacting domains, located on either side of the previously identified PKA activation domain (amino acids 98-142). This PKA-independent activity mapped primarily to a bipartite COOH-terminal basal activation domain (amino acids 165-252). Its major component bears no obvious homology to previously identified activation domains, whereas a minor component is glutamine-rich. This COOH-terminal domain acts independently and provides the majority of basal activation but requires an NH2-terminal domain (amino acids 41-86) to provide full basal activity. A repressor domain (amino acids 142-165), deletion of which enhanced both basal and PKA-activated transcription, was also identified. This work establishes that CREB contains distinct basal and PKA-activated domains, that they operate independently for both loss of function and gain of function, and that they work on different promoters in different cell types.

Animals↗

Regulation of CREB expression: in vivo evidence for a functional role in morphine action in the nucleus accumbens.

Previous work has shown that chronic opiate administration regulates protein components of the cAMP signaling pathway, specifically in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region implicated in the reinforcing properties of opiates, and that such adaptations may contribute to changes in reinforcement mechanisms that characterize opiate addiction. In the present study, we examined a possible role for the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in mediating these long-term effects of opiates in the NAc. Chronic, but not acute, morphine administration was found to decrease levels of CREB immunoreactivity in the NAc, an effect not seen in other brain regions studied. The functional significance of this CREB down-regulation was then investigated by the use of an anti-sense oligonucleotide strategy that produces a specific and sustained decrease in CREB levels in the NAc, without detectable toxicity. It was found that the antisense oligonucleotide-induced reduction in CREB levels mimicked the effect of morphine on certain, but not all, cAMP pathway proteins in this brain region, whereas a large number of other signal transduction proteins tested were unaffected by this treatment. Our results support a role for CREB in autoregulation of the cAMP pathway in the nervous system, as well as in mediating some of the effects of morphine on this signaling pathway in the NAc.

Animals↗

Alternative splicing of CREB and CREM mRNAs in an immortalized germ cell line.

Alternative splicing of CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) and CREM (cAMP response element modulator) mRNAs in separated pachytene spermatocyte, round spermatid, and elongated spermatid fractions and the germ cell-derived immortalized cell line GC-2spd(ts) was studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Both primary germ cells and the GC-2spd(ts) cell line expressed the testis-specific CREB splice variant containing exon W. In the CREB C-E exon region, both primary germ cells and GC-2spd(ts) cells produced RT-PCR products that included exon Y. RT-PCR using CREM primers produced multiple bands in primary germ cells. The truncated CREAM deltaC-G form was found in all the germ cell fractions. The smaller splice forms of CREM were more prominent in the GC-2spd(ts) cells. GC-2spd(ts) cells resembled F9 teratocarcinoma cells more closely than primary germ cells with respect to the relative expression of both CREB and CREM alternative splice products. In Sertoli cells, RT-PCR products of CREB exon lacking W and the product corresponding to CREM delta C-G were most prominent. These data show that the GC-2spd(ts) cell line retains some qualitative characteristics of primary germ cells with respect to alternative splicing of CREB and CREM mRNA.

Alternative Splicing↗

The Neuron-Glia Signal beta Neuregulin Induces Sustained CREB Phosphorylation on Ser-133 in Cultured Rat Schwann Cells.

beta neuregulins (also called NDF, GGF, ARIA, and heregulins) are neuron-derived molecules that are likely to be responsible for Schwann cell precursor survival, proliferation, and maturation in vivo and in vitro. Although the receptors to which beta neuregulins bind have been defined, little is known about the transcription factors these important ligands activate. Using antibodies, quantitative imaging methods and Western blotting, we show that beta neuregulin induces a high level of phosphorylation of the transcription factor cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) on Ser-133 in cultured rat Schwann cells and that the phosphorylation is prolonged over several hours. In contrast, neurotrophins, CNTF, FGF-2, EGF, and TGFbeta induce little or no phosphorylation of CREB despite the fact that receptors for these factors are present on Schwann cells. As expected CREB phosphorylation was detected following cAMP elevation, and it was also induced by elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+, endothelin 1, and PDGF-BB. The signal was lower than that seen in response to beta neuregulin, and transient, unlike the sustained CREB activation induced by beta neuregulin. Our results suggest that the sustained phosphorylation of CREB on Ser-133 may contribute to the broad spectrum of effects that beta neuregulins have on cells of the Schwann cell lineage and that the CREB pathway may be important for transduction of neuregulin signals in Schwann cells. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

De Novo synthesis of CREB in a presynaptic neuron is required for synaptic enhancement involved in memory consolidation.

Interaction between the activator type of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB1) and the repressor type (CREB2) results in determining the emergence of long-lasting synaptic enhancement involved in memory consolidation. However, we still do not know whether the constitutively expressed forms of CREB are enough or the newly synthesized forms are required for the synaptic enhancement. In addition, if the newly synthesized forms are needed, we must determine the time for translation of CREB from its mRNA. We applied the methods of RNA interference and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to CREB in the cerebral giant cells of Lymnaea. The cerebral giant cells play an important role in associative learning and employ a CREB cascade for the synaptic enhancement to neurons such as the B1 motoneurons. We injected the small interfering RNA (siRNA) of CREB1 or CREB2 into the cerebral giant cells and examined the changes in amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) recorded in the B1 motoneurons. The changes in the amounts of CREB1 and CREB2 mRNAs were also examined in the cerebral giant cells. The EPSP amplitude was suppressed 15 min after injection of CREB1 siRNA, whereas that was augmented 60 min after injection of CREB2 siRNA. In the latter case, the decrease in the amount of CREB2 mRNA was confirmed by real-time PCR. Our results showed that the de novo synthesized forms of CREB are required within tens of minutes for the synaptic enhancement in memory consolidation.

Animals↗

Differential role for CBP and p300 CREB-binding domain in motor skill learning.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) binding protein (CBP) and E1A binding protein (p300) are highly homologous transcriptional coactivators with histone acetyltransferase activity. Although CBP and p300 have unique functions in vivo during embryogenesis and hematopoiesis, their functions within the nervous system remain poorly understood. The authors demonstrate that these coactivators have differential roles in motor skill learning. Mice with a mutation in the CREB-binding (KIX) domain of CBP exhibited motor learning deficits. However, mice with the analogous mutation in the KIX domain of p300 showed normal motor learning. Further, CREB knock-out mice exhibited a motor learning deficit similar to that of CBP-KIX mutant mice. These results suggest that the CREB-CBP interaction is more limiting or critical than the CREB-p300 interaction for motor skill learning. Thus, CBP and p300 are genetically distinct at the behavioral level.

Analysis of Variance↗

Nuclear protein CBP is a coactivator for the transcription factor CREB.

The transcription factor CREB binds to a DNA element known as the cAMP-regulated enhancer (CRE). CREB is activated through phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA), but precisely how phosphorylation stimulates CREB function is unknown. One model is that phosphorylation may allow the recruitment of coactivators which then interact with basal transcription factors. We have previously identified a nuclear protein of M(r)265K, CBP, that binds specifically to the PKA-phosphorylated form of CREB. We have used fluorescence anisotropy measurements to define the equilibrium binding parameters of the phosphoCREB:CBP interaction and report here that CBP can activate transcription through a region in its carboxy terminus. The activation domain of CBP interacts with the basal transcription factor TFIIB through a domain that is conserved in the yeast coactivator ADA-1 (ref. 8). Consistent with its role as a coactivator, CBP augments the activity of phosphorylated CREB to activate transcription of cAMP-responsive genes.

Animals↗

Control of cAMP-regulated enhancers by the viral transactivator Tax through CREB and the co-activator CBP.

The Tax protein of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1 activates expression of the HTLV-1 long terminal repeat through a DNA element that resembles the cellular cyclic AMP-regulated enhancer (CRE). Tax contains a transcriptional activation domain, but its ability to activate gene expression depends on interactions with cellular CRE-binding proteins such as CREB. Whether Tax can activate the expression of cellular CRE-containing genes has been controversial. Here we show that Tax can activate both the HTLV-1 and consensus cellular CREs, and propose that this activation may occur through mechanisms that are differentially dependent on CREB phosphorylation. Tax not only increases the binding of CREB to the viral CRE but also recruits the transcriptional co-activator CBP in a manner independent of CREB phosphorylation. In contrast, association of Tax with the cellular CRE occurs through CBP which, in turn, is recruited only in the presence of phosphorylated CREB.

Base Sequence↗

Cre recombinase-mediated inversion using lox66 and lox71: method to introduce conditional point mutations into the CREB-binding protein.

CREB-binding protein (CBP) is a multifunctional cofactor implicated in many intracellular signal transduction pathways. We aimed to investigate the involvement of CBP in the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-mediated pathway. The point mutation Tyr658Ala in the CREB-binding domain (CBD) was shown to abolish the binding activity of CBP to phospho-CREB, the activated form of CREB. By using a mutant Cre/loxP recombination system, this point mutation was aimed to be generated in the mouse genome in a tissue- and time-specific manner. A targeting construct in which CBD exon 5 and inverted exon 5* containing the point mutation flanked by two mutant loxP sites (lox66 and lox71) oriented in a head-to-head position was generated. When Cre recombinase is present, the DNA flanked by the two mutant loxP sites is inverted, forming one loxP and one double mutated loxP site. As the double mutated loxP site shows low affinity for Cre recombinase, the favorable reaction leads to a product where the mutated exon 5* is placed into the position to be correctly transcribed and spliced. Inversion was observed to be complete in both bacteria and mouse embryonic stem cells. Our results indicate that this Cre- mediated inversion method is a valuable tool to introduce point mutations in the mouse genome in a regulatable manner.

Animals↗

The Epstein-Barr virus BZLF1 protein interacts physically and functionally with the histone acetylase CREB-binding protein.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immediate-early protein BZLF1 (Z) is a key regulator of the EBV latent-to-lytic switch. Z is a transcriptional activator which induces EBV early gene expression. We demonstrate here that Z interacts with CREB-binding protein (CBP), a histone acetylase and transcriptional coactivator. This interaction requires the amino-terminal region of CBP as well as the transactivation and leucine zipper domains of Z. We show that CBP enhances Z-mediated transactivation of EBV early promoters, in reporter gene assays and in the context of the endogenous genome. We also demonstrate that Z decreases CREB transactivation function and that this inhibitory effect is reversed by overexpression of CBP. We show that Z also interacts directly with CREB. However, mutational analysis indicates that Z inhibition of CREB activity requires the direct interaction between Z and CBP but not the direct interaction between Z and CREB. We propose that Z interacts with CBP to enhance viral early gene transcription. In addition, the Z-CBP interaction may control host cellular transcription factor activity through competition for limiting amounts of cellular CBP.

Acetyltransferases↗

Chromatin-dependent cooperativity between constitutive and inducible activation domains in CREB.

The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-responsive factor CREB induces target gene expression via constitutive (Q2) and inducible (KID, for kinase-inducible domain) activation domains that function synergistically in response to cellular signals. KID stimulates transcription via a phospho (Ser133)-dependent interaction with the coactivator paralogs CREB binding protein and p300, whereas Q2 recruits the TFIID complex via a direct association with hTAF(II)130. Here we investigate the mechanism underlying cooperativity between the Q2 domain and KID in CREB by in vitro transcription assay with naked DNA and chromatin templates containing the cAMP-responsive somatostatin promoter. The Q2 domain was highly active on a naked DNA template, and Ser133 phosphorylation had no additional effect on transcriptional initiation in crude extracts. Q2 activity was repressed on a chromatin template, however, and this repression was relieved by the phospho (Ser133) KID-dependent recruitment of p300 histone acetyltransferase activity to the promoter. In chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of NIH 3T3 cells, cAMP-dependent recruitment of p300 to the somatostatin promoter stimulated acetylation of histone H4. Correspondingly, overexpression of hTAFII130 potentiated CREB activity in cells exposed to cAMP, but had no effect on reporter gene expression in unstimulated cells. We propose that cooperativity between the KID and Q2 domains proceeds via a chromatin-dependent mechanism in which recruitment of p300 facilitates subsequent interaction of CREB with TFIID.

Animals↗

NMDA and D1 receptors regulate the phosphorylation of CREB and the induction of c-fos in striatal neurons in primary culture.

Numerous in vivo studies have demonstrated that psychostimulant drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine can induce the expression of the immediate early gene c-fos in striatal neurons via the activation of D1 dopamine receptors. NMDA receptor activation is also known to induce c-fos in the striatum. In the present study we have used a primary striatal neuronal culture preparation to examine the mechanisms whereby these stimuli lead to changes in gene expression. Direct application of NMDA to striatal cells in culture caused a rapid increase in the expression of c-fos as well as an increase in the phosphorylation of the transcription factor CRE binding protein (CREB). This was prevented by NMDA receptor antagonists, and required extracellular calcium, but did not involve L-type calcium channels. The induction of c-fos and CREB phosphorylation following NMDA were unaffected by inhibition of protein kinase C; tyrosine kinases or nitric oxide synthase. However, the response to NMDA was blocked by KN62, a selective inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Application of the D1 agonist SKF 38393, or direct stimulation of adenylyl cyclase with forskolin, also resulted in the phosphorylation of CREB and the induction of c-fos in striatal neurons. These effects were blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of CREB induced by NMDA, or cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of CREB induced by D1 agonists, underlie the induction of c-fos seen following activation of these receptors in striatal neurons.

Animals↗

Role of CREB transcription factor in c-fos activation in natural killer cells.

In natural killer (NK) cells, interleukin-2 (IL-2) differentially regulates the expression of several transcription factors, including JunB and c-fos. The cAMP response element binding protein, CREB, is a key transcriptional regulator of a large number of genes containing the octanucleotide CRE consensus sequence in their upstream regulatory regions. We studied here the functional role of CREB in the IL-2-mediated transcriptional regulation of c-fos in human NK cells. Our results show that IL-2 activates CREB in human NK cells and that CREB activation hasa prominent regulatory role on the IL-2-induced expression of functional c-fos and AP-1 in NK cells. We identify two domains of the c-fos promoter, containing three CRE sites, which are critical for the transcriptional activity induced by IL-2. The first domain is located within the first 220 nucleotides of the c-fos promoter, while the second encompasses the nucleotides - 440 and - 220. Our results show that CREB has a relevant role in the cytokine-mediated activation of NK cells, and are particularly remarkable in the light of the several genes that are positively regulated by c-fos and AP-1, such as IFN-gamma, IL-2 and GM-CSF genes.

Cell Line↗

CREB function is required for normal thymic cellularity and post-irradiation recovery.

Recent generation of genetically modified Creb1 mutant mice has revealed an important role for CREB (cAMP responsive element binding protein) and the related proteins CREM (cAMP responsive element modulator) and ATF1 (activating transcription factor 1) in cell survival, in agreement with previous studies using overexpression of dominant-negative CREB (dnCREB). CREB and ATF1 are abundantly expressed in T cells and are rapidly activated by phosphorylation when T cells are stimulated through the T cell antigen receptor. We show that T cell-specific loss of CREB in mice, in combination with the loss of ATF1, results in reduced thymic cellularity and delayed thymic recovery following sublethal irradiation but no changes in T cell development or activation. These data show that loss of CREB function has specific effects on thymic T lymphocyte proliferation and homeostasis in vivo.

Activating Transcription Factor 1↗

Cyclic AMP mediated GSTP1 gene activation in tumor cells involves the interaction of activated CREB-1 with the GSTP1 CRE: a novel mechanism of cellular GSTP1 gene regulation.

The human GSTP1 gene is frequently over-expressed in many human cancers and the expression increases with tumor progression and is associated with a more aggressive biology, poor patient survival, and resistance to therapy. The molecular regulation of the human GSTP1 gene during malignancy is, however, still not well understood. Recently, we reported the presence of a cAMP response element (CRE) in the 5'-region of the human GSTP1 gene, raising the possibility that the cAMP signaling pathway, frequently aberrant in human cancers, may play an important role in the transcriptional activation of the GSTP1 gene in human tumors. In this study, we report that the GSTP1 gene is an early cAMP response gene. Treatment of cells of the human lung carcinoma cell line, Calu-6, with 25 microM forskolin to activate the cAMP pathway resulted in a rapid and significant (sevenfold after 30 min) increase in GSTP1 gene transcripts, which peaked at 12-fold after 4 h. The forskolin-activated GSTP1 transcription in Calu-6 cells was suppressed dose-dependently by a 2-h pre-treatment with 0.1, 1.0, and 10 microM of the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, 2', 5'-dideoxyadenosine. Western blot analysis showed a rapid, fivefold increase, in GSTP1 protein levels after treatment with 25 microM forskolin, with a peak at 2 h post-treatment. The levels of phosphorylated CRE (Ser133) binding protein-1 (CREB-1) increased rapidly, sevenfold at 30 min, and reached 10-fold at 4 h following forskolin treatment. Intracellular cAMP levels also increased rapidly reaching 12-fold at 30 min. Gel mobility shift and supershift assays and DNase/footprinting analyses demonstrated that CREB-1 bZIP and CREB-containing nuclear extracts recognized the GSTP1 CRE with high affinity and specificity. Binding of CREB-1 bZIP to the GSTP1 CRE was abolished when the GSTP1 CRE sequence 5'-CGTCA-3', was mutated at the core nucleotides. Finally, transfection studies using luciferase plasmid constructs showed the GSTP1 CRE to be required for the cAMP-activated gene expression. Together, these findings describe a novel cAMP- and CREB-1-mediated mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the GSTP1 gene and suggest that this may be an important mechanism underlying the increased GSTP1 expression observed in tumors with an aberrant cAMP signaling pathway and in normal cells under conditions of stress, associated with increased intracellular cAMP.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗