CRE DNA binding proteins bind to the AP-1 target sequence and suppress AP-1 transcriptional activity in mouse keratinocytes. (1/246)

Previously, we have shown that nuclear extracts from cultured mouse keratinocytes induced to differentiate by increasing the levels of extra-cellular calcium contain Fra-1, Fra-2, Jun B, Jun D and c-Jun proteins that bind to the AP-1 DNA binding sequence. Despite this DNA binding activity, AP-1 reporter activity was suppressed in these cells. Here, we have detected the CREB family proteins CREB and CREMalpha as additional participants in the AP-1 DNA binding complex in differentiating keratinocytes. AP-1 and CRE DNA binding activity correlated with the induction of CREB, CREMalpha and ATF-1 and CREB phosphorylation at ser133 (ser133 phospho-CREB) in the transition from basal to differentiating keratinocytes, but the activity of a CRE reporter remained unchanged. In contrast, the CRE reporter was activated in the presence of the dominant-negative (DN) CREB mutants, KCREB and A-CREB, proteins that dimerize with CREB family members and block their ability to bind to DNA. The increase in CRE reporter activity in the presence of these mutants suggests that CRE-mediated transcriptional activity is suppressed in keratinocytes through protein-protein interactions involving a factor that dimerizes with the CREB leucine zipper. In experiments where the A-CREB mutant was co-transfected with an AP-1 reporter construct, transcriptional activity was also increased indicating that a CREB family member binds AP-1 sites and represses AP-1 transcriptional activity as well. Exogenous expression of the transcriptional repressor CREMalpha down-regulated both CRE and AP-1 reporters in keratinocytes suggesting that this factor may contribute to the suppression of AP-1 transcriptional activity observed in differentiating keratinocytes.  (+info)

Regulation of cAMP responsive element binding modulator isoforms in cultured rat ovarian granulosa cells. (2/246)

A pituitary glycoprotein hormone FSH stimulates ovarian granulosa cells to induce ovarian follicular development. In this study we identified rat ovarian genes that were rapidly induced by FSH in the cultured rat granulosa cells by means of subtraction cloning. Complementary DNA clones encoding cAMP responsive element binding modulator (CREM) were identified as one of the FSH inducible genes. Northern blotting and reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses revealed that only the repressor type of CREM gene products, ICER (inducible cAMP early repressor) isoforms, were induced by FSH treatment in cultured rat granulosa cells. The induction of ICER by FSH was mimicked by reagents known to increase intracellular cAMP levels, indicating that the induction is through cAMP and protein kinase A signal transduction system. Induction of ICER was also confirmed as the protein levels. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay of granulosa cell extracts with a radiolabeled double stranded oligonucleotide corresponding to somatostatin cAMP responsive element also revealed that only the ICER proteins were induced by FSH treatment, whereas levels of CREM proteins were nearly constant regardless of the FSH treatment. Our present study demonstrates that FSH-induced and cAMP-mediated induction and attenuation of transcriptional responses by CREM gene products may be a key mechanistic component for the granulosa cell differentiation and proliferation.  (+info)

Transcription factors in neuroendocrine regulation: rhythmic changes in pCREB and ICER levels frame melatonin synthesis. (3/246)

Neurotransmitter-driven activation of transcription factors is important for control of neuronal and neuroendocrine functions. We show with an in vivo approach that the norepinephrine cAMP-dependent rhythmic hormone production in rat pineal gland is accompanied by a temporally regulated switch in the ratio of a transcriptional activator, phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (pCREB), and a transcriptional inhibitor, inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER). pCREB accumulates endogenously at the beginning of the dark period and declines during the second half of the night. Concomitant with this decline, the amount of ICER rises. The changing ratio between pCREB and ICER shapes the in vivo dynamics in mRNA and, thus, protein levels of arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme of melatonin synthesis. Consequently, a silenced ICER expression in pinealocytes leads to a disinhibited arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase transcription and a primarily enhanced melatonin synthesis.  (+info)

Human Cdc34 and Rad6B ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes target repressors of cyclic AMP-induced transcription for proteolysis. (4/246)

Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis controls diverse physiological processes in eukaryotes. However, few in vivo targets of the mammalian Cdc34 and Rad6 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes are known. A yeast-based genetic assay to identify proteins that interact with human Cdc34 resulted in three cDNAs encoding bZIP DNA binding motifs. Two of these interactants are repressors of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-induced transcription: hICERIIgamma, a product of the CREM gene, and hATF5, a novel ATF homolog. Transfection assays with mammalian cells demonstrate both hCdc34- and hRad6B-dependent ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of hICERIIgamma and hATF5. This degradation requires an active ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme and results in abrogation of ICERIIgamma- and ATF5-mediated repression of cAMP-induced transcription. Consistent with these results, the endogenous ICER protein is elevated in cells which are null for murine Rad6B (mHR6B-/-) or transfected with dominant negative and antisense constructs of human CDC34. Based on the requirement for CREM/ICER and Rad6B proteins in spermatogenesis, we determined expression of Cdc34, Rad6B, CREM/ICER isoforms, and the Skp1-Cullin-F-box ubiquitin protein ligase subunits Cul-1 and Cul-2, which are associated with Cdc34 activity during murine testicular development. Cdc34, Rad6B, and the Cullin proteins are expressed in a developmentally regulated manner, with distinctly different patterns for Cdc34 and the Cullin proteins in germ cells. The Cdc34 and Rad6B proteins are significantly elevated in meiotic and postmeiotic haploid germ cells when chromatin modifications occur. Thus, the stability of specific mammalian transcription factors is the result of complex targeting by multiple ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and may have an impact on cAMP-inducible gene regulation during both meiotic and mitotic cell cycles.  (+info)

Stress-induced stimulation of early growth response gene-1 by p38/stress-activated protein kinase 2 is mediated by a cAMP-responsive promoter element in a MAPKAP kinase 2-independent manner. (5/246)

The p38/stress-activated protein kinase2 (p38/SAPK2) is activated by cellular stress and proinflammatory cytokines. Several transcription factors have been reported to be regulated by p38/SAPK2, and this kinase is involved in the control of expression of various genes. In human Jurkat T-cells, induction of the early growth response gene-1 (egr-1) by anisomycin is completely inhibited by SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38/SAPK2a and -b. Northern blot and reporter gene experiments indicate that this block is at the level of mRNA biosynthesis. Using mutants of the egr-1 promoter, we demonstrate that a distal cAMP-responsive element (CRE; nucleotides -134 to -126) is necessary to control egr-1 induction by p38/SAPK2. Pull-down assays indicate that phospho-CRE binding protein (CREB) and phospho-activating transcription factor-1 (ATF1) bind to this element in a p38/SAPK2-dependent manner. In response to anisomycin, two known CREB kinases downstream to p38/SAPK2, MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2) and mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1), show increased activity. However, in MK2 -/- fibroblasts derived from mice carrying a disruption of the MK2 gene, the phosphorylation of CREB and ATF1 and the expression of egr-1 reach levels comparable with wild type cells. This finding excludes MK2 as an involved enzyme. We conclude that egr-1 induction by anisomycin is mediated by p38/SAPK2 and probably by MSK1. Phosphorylated CREB and ATF1 then bind to the CRE of the egr-1 promoter and cause a stress-dependent transcriptional activation of this gene.  (+info)

The cyclic AMP response element modulator family regulates the insulin gene transcription by interacting with transcription factor IID. (6/246)

We analyzed a mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the human insulin gene by cyclic AMP response element modulator (CREM) through four cyclic AMP response elements (CREs). We isolated two novel CREM isoforms (CREMDeltaQ1 and CREMDeltaQ2), which lack one of the glutamine-rich domains, Q1 and Q2 respectively, and six known isoforms (CREMtaualpha, CREMalpha, inducible cyclic AMP early repressor (ICER) I, ICER Igamma, CREM-17X, and CREM-17) from rat pancreatic islets and the RINm5F pancreatic beta-cell line. CREM isoforms functioned as efficient transcriptional activators or repressors to modulate insulin promoter activity by binding to all of the insulin CREs. The binding activity of repressors is higher than that of activators and suppressed not only basal activity but also activator-induced activities. Furthermore, CREM activator interacted directly with the transcription factor IID components hTAF(II)130 and TATA box-binding protein (TBP). These results suggest that the activation of the insulin gene transcription by CREM activator is mediated by not only direct binding to the CREs but also by recruiting transcription factor IID to the insulin promoter via its interaction with hTAF(II)130 and TBP. On the other hand, the CREM repressor ICER competitively interrupts the binding of the activators to CREs and does not interact with either TBP or hTAF(II)130; therefore, it might fail to stabilize the basal transcriptional machinery and repress transactivation.  (+info)

A novel 14-base-pair regulatory element is essential for in vivo expression of murine beta4-galactosyltransferase-I in late pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. (7/246)

During murine spermatogenesis, beginning in late pachytene spermatocytes, the beta4-galactosyltransferase-I (beta4GalT-I) gene is transcribed from a male germ cell-specific start site. We had shown previously that a 796-bp genomic fragment that flanks the germ cell start site and contains two putative CRE (cyclic AMP-responsive element)-like motifs directs correct male germ cell expression of the beta-galactosidase reporter gene in late pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids of transgenic mice (N. L. Shaper, A. Harduin-Lepers, and J. H. Shaper, J. Biol. Chem. 269:25165-25171, 1994). We now report that in vivo expression of beta4GalT-I in developing male germ cells requires an essential and previously undescribed 14-bp regulatory element (5'-GCCGGTTTCCTAGA-3') that is distinct from the two CRE-like sequences. This cis element is located 16 bp upstream of the germ cell-specific start site and binds a male germ cell protein that we have termed TASS-1 (transcriptional activator in late pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids 1). The presence of the Ets signature binding motif 5'-GGAA-3' on the bottom strand of the TASS-1 sequence (underlined sequence) suggests that TASS-1 is a novel member of the Ets family of transcription factors. Additional transgenic analyses established that an 87-bp genomic fragment containing the TASS-1 regulatory element was sufficient for correct germ cell-specific expression of the beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Furthermore, when the TASS-1 motif was mutated by transversion, within the context of the original 796-bp fragment, transgene expression was reduced 12- to 35-fold in vivo.  (+info)

Inducible cyclic AMP early repressor protein in rat pinealocytes: a highly sensitive natural reporter for regulated gene transcription. (8/246)

Rhythmic activity of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) determines melatonin synthesis in rat pineal gland. The transcriptional regulation of AANAT involves the activating and inhibiting transcription factors of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-signaling pathway, cAMP response element-binding protein and inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), respectively. Activation of this pathway is centered around norepinephrine, stimulating beta(1)-adrenergic receptors, but various other transmitters can modulate melatonin biosynthesis. To compare the transcriptional impact of norepinephrine with that of other neurotransmitters on melatonin synthesis, we determined ICER protein levels in pinealocytes and, in parallel, hormone secretion. The dose-dependent inductions of ICER protein by norepinephrine, the beta(1)-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol, vasoactive intestinal peptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, and adenosine are correlated to regulatory dynamics in melatonin production. Importantly, ICER protein induction required lower ligand concentrations than the induction of melatonin biosynthesis. Although neuropeptide Y, glutamate, and vasopressin altered norepinephrine-stimulated hormone production without affecting ICER levels, the activation of voltage-gated cation channels increased ICER without affecting hormone synthesis. Sensitivity and versatility of ICER induction in pinealocytes make these neuroendocrine cells a valuable model system in which to study molecular interactions determining a regulated gene expression.  (+info)

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10