Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:1.5.1.3 (dihydrofolate reductase)
 5,819 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Adenovirus E1A dependent trans-activation of transcription involves the utilization of cellular promoter specific transcription factors. One such factor termed E2F is important for the transcription of the viral E2 gene and appears to be a rate limiting component targeted during the trans-activation event. Since E2F is of cellular origin and likely to be involved in cellular gene control, we have identified E2F binding sites in cellular genes. Examples include the c-myc, c-myb and N-myc protoncogenes, the DHFR gene and the EGF receptor gene. The transcription of these genes is regulated by cell proliferation signals and each falls into the so-called immediate early class: genes that are activated independent of new protein synthesis. Because of these common properties of regulation, we have addressed the possible role of E2F in growth factor dependent activation of transcription. Expression of a c-myc promoter driven CAT gene, transfected into quiescent 3T3 cells, is stimulated by serum addition whereas an identical gene containing mutations in the E2F binding sites is not responsive. The DNA binding activity of E2F is increased 4-fold upon serum stimulation and the kinetics of activation parallel activation of c-myc transcription. Furthermore, this increase in E2F activity is independent of new protein synthesis indicating that serum stimulation results in an activation of a pre-existing factor. These results thus provide strong evidence linking E2F and proliferation dependent control of transcription. We also believe that the E2F transcription factor is the first example of a regulator of the class of immediate early genes that is slowly activated by stimulation of cell proliferation.
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PMID:A role for the adenovirus inducible E2F transcription factor in a proliferation dependent signal transduction pathway. 214 65

A full-length human c-myb cDNA clone has been isolated from a CCRF-CEM leukemia cell cDNA library. The plasmid vector contains simian virus 40-derived promotor, splice, and polyadenylation sequences as well as a transcription unit for a dihydrofolate reductase cDNA. We have introduced this construct into Friend erythroleukemia (F-MEL) cells and have isolated a number of clones which contain intact and transcriptionally active human c-myb sequences. F-MEL clones expressing the highest levels of the human c-myb mRNA differentiate poorly in response to dimethyl sulfoxide. Two clones which initially expressed low levels of human c-myb transcripts and which differentiated normally were subsequently inhibited in their ability to differentiate when grown in successively higher concentrations of methotrexate, due to amplification and enhanced expression of plasmid sequences. The inhibitory effect on F-MEL differentiation appeared to be independent of the early decline in c-myc transcripts which were normally regulated in all cases examined. Our results indicate that constitutive expression of a nontruncated human c-myb cDNA can exert profound effects on erythroid differentiation and argue for a causal role of c-myb in the F-MEL differentiation process.
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PMID:Constitutive expression of a c-myb cDNA blocks Friend murine erythroleukemia cell differentiation. 283 42

Regulation of gene expression in mammals through methylation of cytosine residues at CpG dinucleotides is involved in the development and progression of tumors. Because many genes that are involved in the control of cell proliferation are regulated by members of the E2F family of transcription factors and because some E2F DNA-binding sites are methylated in vivo, we have investigated whether CpG methylation can regulate E2F functions. We show here that methylation of E2F elements derived from the dihydrofolate reductase, E2F1, and cdc2 promoters prevents the binding of all E2F family members tested (E2F1 through E2F5). In contrast, methylation of the E2F elements derived from the c-myc and c-myb promoters minimally affects the binding of E2F2, E2F3, E2F4, and E2F5 but significantly inhibits the binding of E2F1. Consistent with these studies, E2F3, but not E2F1, activates transcription through methylated E2F sites derived from the c-myb and c-myc genes whereas both E2F1 and E2F3 fail to transactivate a reporter gene that is under the control of a methylated dihydrofolate reductase E2F site. Together, these data illustrate a means through which E2F activity can be controlled.
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PMID:CpG methylation as a mechanism for the regulation of E2F activity. 1082 96