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Impaired cotranslational processing of the calcium-sensing receptor due to signal peptide missense mutations in familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia.

The CASR, a cell surface glycoprotein expressed in parathyroid gland and kidney, is critical for maintaining extracellular calcium homeostasis. The inherited disorders, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT), are caused by inactivating mutations in the CASR gene. The CASR has an N-terminal, 19 amino acid signal peptide that is predicted to direct the nascent polypeptide chain, as it emerges from the ribosome, into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we report the functional characterization of three CASR mutations identified in hypercalcemic/hyperparathyroid patients. The mutations, L11S, L13P and T14A, lie within the signal peptide hydrophobic core. When transiently transfected into kidney cells, L11S and L13P mutants demonstrated reduced intracellular and plasma membrane expression and signaling to the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in response to extracellular calcium relative to wild-type CASR and the T14A mutant. All mutant CASR RNAs translated into protein normally. In cotranslational processing assays, which test the functionality of the signal peptide in the early secretory pathway, the wild-type CASR and mutant T14A nascent polypeptides were targeted to microsomal vesicles, representing the ER, translocated into the vesicular lumen and underwent core N-glycosylation. In contrast, the L11S and L13P mutants failed to be inserted in the microsomes and undergo glycosylation. This is the first study examining the function of the CASR signal sequence and reveals that both L11S and L13P mutants are markedly impaired with respect to cotranslational processing, accounting for the observed parathyroid dysfunction.

Adult↗

Activation of oncogenes in human oral cancer cells: a novel codon 13 mutation of c-H-ras-1 and concurrent amplifications of c-erbB-1 and c-myc.

By NIH3T3 transfection assay in conjunction with in vitro transient neomycin selection, activated c-H-ras-1 oncogenes were detected in two squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, ZA and HOC-313, newly established from human oral cancer patients. ZA had a point mutational activation at the 13th codon, this activation of c-H-ras-1 being novel in human cancer cells, while HOC-313 appeared to have an activation at the 12th codon. In ZA, 16- to 32-fold amplification of the EGF receptor gene, c-erbB-1 and a few-fold amplification of c-myc were detected. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to multistep carcinogenesis in human cells.

Aged↗

The molecular basis of mucolipidosis type IV.

Mucolipidosis Type IV (MLIV) is a lysosomal storage disorder that is characterized by severe neurologic and ophthalmologic abnormalities. It is a progressive disease that usually presents during the first year of life with mental retardation, corneal opacities, and delayed motor milestones. First described in 1974, MLIV is a rare autosomal recessive disease and the majority of patients diagnosed to date are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. MLIV was originally classified as a lysosomal storage disorder due to the abnormal accumulation of mucopolysaccharides and lipids. Extensive studies in MLIV cells, however, have shown that the abnormal storage is due to a defect in the late endocytic pathway. Positional cloning led to the recent discovery of a novel gene on human chromosome 19, MCOLN1, that is mutated in MLIV. To date 14 independent mutations have been reported in MCOLN1, with two mutations accounting for 95% of the Ashkenazi Jewish MLIV alleles. The identification of the MLIV gene has led to a simple tool for definitive diagnosis and will permit carrier screening in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. MCOLN1 is a new member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel gene family. The protein encoded by MCOLN1, mucolipin-1, has six predicted transmembrane domains and a putative channel pore. The identification of mutations in MCOLN1 represents the first example of a neurological disease caused by a TRP-related channel. While the function of mucolipin-1 is currently unknown, homology to the TRP superfamily and the recent description of the C. elegans mucolipin-1 homolog allow us to begin to speculate about the role of mucolipin-1 in diverse cellular processes.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19↗

The Alexander disease-causing glial fibrillary acidic protein mutant, R416W, accumulates into Rosenthal fibers by a pathway that involves filament aggregation and the association of alpha B-crystallin and HSP27.

Here, we describe the early events in the disease pathogenesis of Alexander disease. This is a rare and usually fatal neurodegenerative disorder whose pathological hallmark is the abundance of protein aggregates in astrocytes. These aggregates, termed "Rosenthal fibers," contain the protein chaperones alpha B-crystallin and HSP27 as well as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an intermediate filament (IF) protein found almost exclusively in astrocytes. Heterozygous, missense GFAP mutations that usually arise spontaneously during spermatogenesis have recently been found in the majority of patients with Alexander disease. In this study, we show that one of the more frequently observed mutations, R416W, significantly perturbs in vitro filament assembly. The filamentous structures formed resemble assembly intermediates but aggregate more strongly. Consistent with the heterozygosity of the mutation, this effect is dominant over wild-type GFAP in coassembly experiments. Transient transfection studies demonstrate that R416W GFAP induces the formation of GFAP-containing cytoplasmic aggregates in a wide range of different cell types, including astrocytes. The aggregates have several important features in common with Rosenthal fibers, including the association of alpha B-crystallin and HSP27. This association occurs simultaneously with the formation of protein aggregates containing R416W GFAP and is also specific, since HSP70 does not partition with them. Monoclonal antibodies specific for R416W GFAP reveal, for the first time for any IF-based disease, the presence of the mutant protein in the characteristic histopathological feature of the disease, namely Rosenthal fibers. Collectively, these data confirm that the effects of the R416W GFAP are dominant, changing the assembly process in a way that encourages aberrant filament-filament interactions that then lead to protein aggregation and chaperone sequestration as early events in Alexander disease.

Alexander Disease↗

Effects of mutations in plastocyanin on the kinetics of the protein rearrangement gating the electron-transfer reaction with zinc cytochrome c. Analysis of the rearrangement pathway.

We study, by flash kinetic spectrophotometry on the microsecond time scale, the effects of ionic strength and viscosity on the kinetics of oxidative quenching of the triplet state of zinc cytochrome c (3Zncyt) by the wild-type form and the following nine mutants of cupriplastocyanin: Leu12Glu, Leu12Asn, Phe35Tyr, Gln88Glu, Tyr83Phe, Tyr83His, Asp42Asn, Glu43Asn, and the double mutant Glu59Lys/Glu60Gln. The unimolecular rate constants for the quenching reactions within the persistent diprotein complex, which predominates at low ionic strengths, and within the transient diprotein complex, which is involved at higher ionic strengths, are equal irrespective of the mutation. Evidently, the two complexes are the same. In both reactions, the rate-limiting step is rearrangement of the diprotein complex from a configuration optimal for docking to the one optimal for the subsequent electron-transfer step, which is fast. We investigate the effects of plastocyanin mutations on this rearrangement, which gates the overall electron-transfer reaction. Conversion of the carboxylate anions into amide groups in the lower acidic cluster (residues 42 and 43), replacement of Tyr83 with other aromatic residues, and mutations in the hydrophobic patch in plastocyanin do not significantly affect the rearrangement. Conversion of a pair of carboxylate anions into a cationic and a neutral residue in the upper acidic cluster (residues 59 and 60) impedes the rearrangement. Creation of an anion at position 88, between the upper acidic cluster and the hydrophobic patch, facilitates the rearrangement. The rate constant for the rearrangement smoothly decreases as the solution viscosity increases, irrespective of the mutation. Fittings of this dependence to the modified Kramers's equation and to an empirical equation show that zinc cytochrome c follows the same trajectory on the surfaces of all the plastocyanin mutants but that the obstacles along the way vary as mutations alter the electrostatic potential. Mutations that affect protein association (i.e., change the binding constant) do not necessarily affect the reaction between the associated proteins (i.e., the rate constant) and vice versa. All of the kinetic and thermodynamic effects and noneffects of mutations consistently indicate that in the protein rearrangement the basic patch of zinc cytochrome c moves from a position between the two acidic clusters to a position at or near the upper acidic cluster.

Animals↗

Postirradiation growth in HAT medium fails to eliminate the delayed appearance of 6-thioguanine-resistant clones in EJ30 human epithelial cells.

The latent effects of radiation-induced damage include "delayed" mutations that arise de novo in the progeny of nonmutant cells. We investigated the early stages of delayed mutagenesis at the HPRT locus of EJ30 human epithelial cells that were exposed to 4 Gy of 137Cs gamma rays. To eliminate directly induced "prompt" HPRT- mutants, cultures were grown in HAT medium before selection in 6-thioguanine was applied. Although irradiated cells were grown in HAT medium throughout the phenotypic expression period, mutant fractions some tenfold above spontaneous levels were observed subsequently; incubation in HAT medium did not cause an increase in mutations in unirradiated cells. We conclude that, in our experimental system, a significant proportion of induced mutation is of a delayed type. We speculate that the delayed induction is caused by an instability process that is a frequent and (typically) transient consequence of exposure of cells to ionizing radiation. The connection, if any, between this process and other manifestations of instability, including the acquisition of a "mutator phenotype," remains to be established.

Cesium Radioisotopes↗

Mutations in a potential phospholipid binding loop in the C2 domain of factor V affecting the assembly of the prothrombinase complex.

Activated factor V (FVa) serves as a cofactor to activated factor X in the prothrombinase complex. FVa is homologous to activated factor VIII (FVIIIa), the light chains of both proteins being formed by similar domains (A3-C1-C2). Interaction of FVa and FVIIIa with negatively charged phospholipid membranes is crucial for the function of both cofactors. In both proteins, the C2 domains are important for membrane binding but a detailed understanding of the binding mechanisms is missing. Recently, knowledge has been gained into the three-dimensional structures of the C domains facilitating studies of structure-function relationships. Structural analysis of the C2 domain in FVa predicted a surface-exposed loop (K2060, K2061, S2062, W2063, W2064) to be involved in membrane binding. Three double mutants were created, K2060Q-K2061Q, W2063Y-W2064Y and W2063A-W2064A, and expressed in a transient expression system. In addition, a FV variant in which all four residues were mutated, K2060Q-K2061Q-W2063A-W2064A, was produced. Mutagenesis of the two lysines showed no functional consequences, whereas mutagenesis of the two tryptophanes yielded FVa with impaired ability to interact with the phospholipid, as demonstrated by a poor functional activity at limiting phospholipid concentrations. A molecular model of FVa, anchored at the surface of a phospholipid membrane, was developed and used as a template for the interpretation of the mutagenesis experiments.

Animals↗

Molecular insights from a novel cardiac troponin I mouse model of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Gene mutations in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) account for up to 5% of genotyped families with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). Little is known about how cTnI mutations cause disease. Five lines of transgenic mice were generated which overexpress the human disease-causing cTnI gene mutation, Gly203Ser (designated cTnI-G203S), in a cardiac-specific manner. Mice were compared to transgenic mice that overexpress normal cTnI (cTnI-wt) and non-transgenic littermates (NTG). cTnI-G203S mice developed all the characteristic features of FHC by age 21 weeks. Left ventricular hypertrophy was observed on echocardiography (1.25+/-0.05 mm vs. 0.86+/-0.02 mm in cTnI-wt, P<0.01), associated with a significant 4-fold increase in RNA markers of hypertrophy, ANF and BNP. Myocyte hypertrophy, myofiber disarray and interstitial fibrosis were observed in cTnI-G203S mice. Expression of the cTnI-G203S mutation in neonatal cardiomyocytes resulted in a significant increase in myocyte volume, and reduced interactions with both troponins T and C. Ca2+ cycling was abnormal in adult cardiomyocytes extracted from cTnI-G203S mice, with a prolonged decay constant in Ca2+ transients and a reduced decay constant in response to caffeine treatment. Mice with the cTnI-G203S gene mutation develop all the phenotypic features of human FHC. The cTnI-G203S mutation disrupts interactions with partner proteins, and results in intracellular Ca2+ dysregulation early in life, suggesting a pathogenic role in development of FHC.

Animals↗

The Moloney leukemia retroviral long terminal repeat trans-activates AP-1-inducible genes and AP-1 transcription factor binding.

Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV) is a thymotropic and leukemogenic retrovirus which causes T lymphomas. The long terminal repeat (LTR) of Mo-MuLV affects the regulation of a number of cellular genes, including collagenase IV, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and c-jun genes, all of which contain 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-responsive element consensus sites within their promoters. We report here that Mo-MuLV stimulates the collagenase IV gene through transcription factor AP-1, and that the expression of a subgenomic portion of Mo-MuLV LTR alone is sufficient for this effect. Transient or stable expression of the viral LTR increases cellular AP-1 DNA binding activity. The collagenase IV 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-responsive element consensus sequence was shown to be required for this trans-activation. Deletions or mutations of this consensus site which abolished AP-1 binding also abolished trans-activation by the LTR. Transient or stable transfection of the viral LTR into cells stimulated c-jun gene expression, suggesting one mechanism whereby the viral LTR may induce cellular AP-1 activity. Thus, the Mo-MuLV LTR, through activation of the transcription factor AP-1, is capable of regulating cellular gene expression, including the induction of proto-oncogenes. This activity may be relevant to the mechanisms whereby retroviruses which do not contain oncogenes induce neoplasia.

3T3 Cells↗

Intensification of background antiretroviral therapy with abacavir during low-level failure may restore optimal suppression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiviral activity of abacavir added to stable background therapy. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 27 subjects with detectable plasma viraemia during stable treatment abacavir was added as the only agent. Patients were pre-treated for 180 weeks (mean) with regimens containing zidovudine (102 weeks) and lamivudine (88 weeks). Results were analysed in two groups: group 1, > 400 HIV RNA copies/ml; group 2, 25-399 copies/ml. In 7/13 group 1 patients genotypic resistance analysis was performed prior to abacavir. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 28 weeks, median HIV RNA load at baseline 2.48 log10 copies/ml (3.52 and 1.66 log10 copies/ml in groups 1 and 2, respectively). Plasma viraemia was reduced to less than 400 HIV RNA copies/ml in 2/13 subjects in group 1 and 11/11 in group 2 (week 24). Only one patient in group 1 responded transiently to less than 25 HIV RNA copies/ml. In contrast, 10/14 and 11/11 in group 2 reached values below this threshold at weeks 12 and 24, respectively. Overall, 7/13 group 1 patients were found with > or = 2 zidovudine resistance-associated mutations. The lamivudine resistance-associated mutation M184V was present in four of seven cases. All of these patients showed only a moderate and transient reduction of plasma viraemia (medium peak reduction of 0.73 log10 after 20 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of abacavir during low-level treatment failure may restore or achieve suppression to levels below the cut-off of the ultrasensitive PCR.

Adult↗

Decreased levels of internalized thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors after uncoupling from guanine nucleotide-binding protein and phospholipase-C.

Internalization of TRH receptor (TRH-R) is dependent on sequences/structures in the receptor carboxyl-terminal tail. Here, we studied whether coupling to guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein) and phospholipase-C (PLC) is involved in internalization. We constructed two mutant TRH-Rs: delta 218-263 TRH-R, in which most of the residues that form the putative third intracellular loop were deleted, and D71A TRH-R, in which an Asp in the putative second transmembrane helix was mutated to Ala; these TRH-Rs did not activate PLC when expressed transiently in COS-1 cells. In contrast to wild-type (WT) TRH-Rs, approximately 60% of which were internalized at steady state after binding methyl-HisTRH, only approximately 15% of delta 218-263 and D71A TRH-Rs were internalized. Thus, mutant TRH-Rs that do not activate PLC, most likely because they are uncoupled from G-proteins, are internalized to lesser extents than WT TRH-Rs. We also studied the effects of U73122 (1-[6-[[17 beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino] hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione), an amino steroid that inhibits receptor-mediated activation of PLC. In COS-1 and AtT-20 cells transfected with WT TRH-Rs and in GH3 cells, U73122 virtually abolished TRH activation of PLC and partially reduced the fraction of WT TRH-Rs internalized. Thus, uncoupling WT TRH-Rs from PLC decreases internalization. We conclude that TRH-R coupling to G-protein and PLC increases the number of TRH-Rs internalized at steady state even though the primary signals for agonist-induced internalization are present in the receptor. These data support the idea that a quaternary complex of TRH/TRH-R/G protein/PLC is normally internalized.

Animals↗

Results of cochlear implantation in two children with mutations in the OTOF gene.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to present the results of cochlear implantation in case of deafness involving mutations in the OTOF gene. This form of deafness is characterized by the presence of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE). In cases of profound deafness with preserved TEOAE, two main etiologies should be considered: either an auditory neuropathy (a retrocochlear lesion) or an endocochlear lesion. It is essential to differentiate these two entities with regards to therapy and screening. PATIENTS: We report two children who presented with profound prelingual deafness, confirmed by the absence of detectable responses to auditory evoked potentials (AEP), associated with the presence of bilateral TEOAE. Genetic testing revealed mutations in OTOF, confirming DFNB9 deafness. Both patients have been successfully implanted (with a follow-up of 18 and 36 months, respectively). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical (oral production, closed and open-set words and sentences list, meaningful auditory integration scale), audiometric evaluation (TEOAE, AEP) before and after implantation, and neural response telemetry (NRT). RESULTS: Both patients present a good quality of clinical responses and electrophysiological tests after implantation, indicating satisfactory functioning of the auditory nerve. This confirms the endocochlear origin of DFNB9 and suggests that these mutations in OTOF lead to functional alteration of inner hair cells. CONCLUSION: In the absence of a context of neurological syndrome, the combination of absent AEP and positive TEOAE should lead to a genetic screening for mutations in OTOF, in order to undertake the appropriate management.

Audiometry↗

Mutations in the Newcastle disease virus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein that interfere with its ability to interact with the homologous F protein in the promotion of fusion.

Recent evidence suggests that the attachment (HN) and fusion (F) glycoproteins of Newcastle disease virus interact at the cell surface in a virus-specific manner to promote syncytium formation. Consistent with the existence of such an interaction, we have shown that it is possible to coimmunoprecipitate (co-IP) the two proteins from the surface of transiently expressing cells using a monoclonal antibody to either protein. Further, we show that a point mutation in the globular domain of HN that abolishes its receptor recognition and neuraminidase (NA) and fusion activities also abolishes its ability to interact with F in the co-IP assay. The mechanism by which this mutation might interfere with the interaction between the two proteins is discussed in terms of the postulate that recognition by HN of cellular receptors triggers its interaction with F and the apparently conflicting evidence for an interaction between the two proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Also, characterization of a set of chimeric HN proteins, having short overlapping sequences from a heterologous HN protein in the F-specific domain in the protein stalk, reveals that a weakened interaction between HN and F is still sufficient to trigger fusion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In vivo hepatic gene therapy: complete albeit transient correction of factor IX deficiency in hemophilia B dogs.

Hemophilia B is a bleeding disorder caused by mutations in the factor IX gene. The disorder is X-linked recessive with a prevalence of about 1 in 30,000 Caucasian males. Factor IX is naturally synthesized in the liver and secreted into blood. Here we report the construction of recombinant adenoviral vectors containing the canine factor IX cDNA that are capable of transducing hepatocytes in mice at high efficiencies in vivo without partial hepatectomy. The recombinant viral vector was used to treat hemophilia B dogs by direct vector infusion into the portal vasculature of deficient animals. Plasma factor IX concentrations in the treated hemophilia B dogs increased from 0 to 300% of the level present in normal dogs, resulting in complete amelioration of the disease as demonstrated by normal blood coagulation and hemostatic measurements. Although plasma factor IX concentration started to decline after a few days, therapeutic levels of factor IX persisted for 1-2 months in the treated animals. The results validate the principle of in vivo hepatic gene delivery to reconstitute the genetic deficiency in a large animal model and suggest that gene therapy is achievable when long-acting vectors are developed.

Adenoviridae↗

Mutational analysis of Hsp90 alpha dimerization and subcellular localization: dimer disruption does not impede "in vivo' interaction with estrogen receptor.

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 has been found ubiquitously as a predominantly cytoplasmic dimer. By interacting with cytoplasmic or nuclear proteins such as pp60v-src or steroid receptors, Hsp90 helps its targets to become competent for full biological activity. Mutational deletion analysis of some properties of chicken Hsp90 alpha was undertaken after transient transfection of the constructs in COS7 cells. First, Hsp90 mutants were analyzed for their ability to behave as cytosolic dimers. We confirmed that the C-terminal Hsp90 region (amino acids 446-728) was sufficient for dimerization, and found that deletion of three small subregions in the 200 C-terminal residues precluded Hsp90 dimer formation. Moreover, we demonstrated that the N-terminal region of the protein (1-442) was not involved in dimerization. Second, the subcellular localization of the wild-type (WT) protein and mutants was analyzed by specific immunodetection and confocal microscopy. Most of the mutants were cytoplasmic like Hsp90WT, a nuclear localization being barely detectable in the WT protein or in mutants with a C-terminal truncation equal to or shorter than 286 residues. Surprisingly a mutant encoding the N-terminal region (1-285) was nuclear localized. In addition, the in vivo interaction between the cytoplasmic Hsp90 and the nuclear ER was documented after coexpression of both proteins in the same cells: some Hsp90 was shifted into the nucleus via its interaction with ER. From an analysis of dimeric or monomeric cytoplasmic Hsp90 mutants, we found that disruption of Hsp90 dimer did not systematically impede its interaction with ER. Finally, Hsp90WT and cytoplasmic mutants were tested for their ability to rescue from lethality a yeast strain deleted of both Hsp90 genes. Interestingly, the delta 661-677 mutant that showed an impaired dimerization but interacted with ER was able to confer viability, while the mutant deleted of the 30 C-terminal residues (NC6) was monomeric, did not confer viability and did not interact with ER. We therefore suggest that Hsp90 properties analyzed here are not necessarily interdependent.

Animals↗

Manganese oxidation site in Pleurotus eryngii versatile peroxidase: a site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic, and crystallographic study.

The molecular architecture of versatile peroxidase (VP) includes an exposed tryptophan responsible for aromatic substrate oxidation and a putative Mn2+ oxidation site. The crystal structures (solved up to 1.3 A) of wild-type and recombinant Pleurotus eryngii VP, before and after exposure to Mn2+, showed a variable orientation of the Glu36 and Glu40 side chains that, together with Asp175, contribute to Mn2+ coordination. To evaluate the involvement of these residues, site-directed mutagenesis was performed. The E36A, E40A, and D175A mutations caused a 60-85-fold decrease in Mn2+ affinity and a decrease in the Mn2+ oxidation activity. Transient-state kinetic constants showed that reduction of both compounds I and II was affected (80-325-fold lower k2app and 103-104-fold lower k3app, respectively). The single mutants retained partial Mn2+ oxidation activity, and a triple mutation (E36A/E40A/D175A) was required to completely suppress the activity (<1% kcat). The affinity for Mn2+ also decreased ( approximately 25-fold) with the shorter carboxylate side chain in the E36D and E40D variants, which nevertheless retained 30-50% of the maximal activity, whereas similar mutations caused a 50-100-fold decrease in kcat in the case of the Phanerochaete chrysosporium manganese peroxidase (MnP). Additional mutations showed that introduction of a basic residue near Asp175 did not improve Mn2+ oxidation as found for MnP and ruled out an involvement of the C-terminal tail of the protein in low-efficiency oxidation of Mn2+. The structural and kinetic data obtained highlighted significant differences in the Mn2+ oxidation site of the new versatile enzyme compared to P. chrysosporium MnP.

Binding Sites↗

Effect of intron A from human cytomegalovirus (Towne) immediate-early gene on heterologous expression in mammalian cells.

A 2.4 kb fragment of hCMV (Towne strain), containing the 5' end of the major immediate-early gene, has been cloned, sequenced, and used to construct a series of mammalian cell expression plasmids. The effects of regulatory regions present on this fragment were assessed using human glycoproteins as reporter molecules. We compared secreted levels of Factor VIII, t-PA, and HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins in cells transfected with plasmids in which intron A of the immediate-early gene was present or absent. Secretion of several glycoproteins was significantly higher when cells were transfected with intron A-containing plasmids. Mutation of three basepairs in the strong nuclear factor 1 (NF1) binding site in intron A led to reduced transient expression levels, but not to the level observed in the absence of intron A. Reduced expression from NF1 mutant plasmids was roughly correlated with reduced binding in vitro of NF1 proteins to a synthetic oligonucleotide containing the mutation. The evidence indicates that sequences in intron A positively regulate expression from the hCMV immediate-early enhancer/promoter in transformed monkey kidney cells.

Animals↗

Involvement of RFX1 protein in the regulation of the human proliferating cell nuclear antigen promoter.

The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is an essential eukaryotic DNA replication factor that is transcriptionally regulated by the adenovirus oncoprotein E1A 243R. Inducibility of the human PCNA promoter by E1A 243R is conferred by the cis-acting PCNA E1A-responsive element (PERE), which associates with the ATF-1, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and RFX1 transcription factors and is modulated by cellular proteins such as the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) and tumor suppressor p107 (Labrie, C., Lee, B. H., and Mathews, M. B. (1995) Nucleic Acids Res. 23, 3732-3741; Lee, B. H., and Mathews, M. B. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 94, 4481-4486; Lee, B. H., Liu, M., and Mathews, M. B. (1998) J. Virol. 72, 1138-1145). RFX1 also forms a complex with sequences in the PCNA promoter of mouse and rat that share homology with the RFX1 consensus site. To explore the role of RFX1 in regulating the PCNA promoter, we examined the effects of mutations in the human PERE on RFX1 binding and gene expression. Mutations within the RFX1 consensus binding site reduced RFX1 binding, whereas mutations upstream of the site, or on its border, increased RFX1 binding. These mutations also affected the transcriptional activity of PCNA-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter constructs in transient expression assays. The relative transcriptional activity of mutant PCNA promoters, both in the presence and absence of E1A 243R, was inversely related to their ability to complex with RFX1. These findings suggest that the binding of RFX1 is influenced by sequences outside its consensus binding site and that this transcription factor plays an inhibitory role in the regulation of PCNA gene expression.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗