Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.1.21 (thymidine kinase)
 7,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Promoter elements that are important for the G1-S induction of the human thymidine kinase (htk) promoter reside within the core of the cell cycle regulatory unit, positioned between -110 and -84 upstream of the TATA element. Within this 27-bp region are three GC-rich motifs, which resemble the E2F binding site. By site-directed mutagenesis, we identified a 14-bp region, between -97 and -84, critical for the htk promoter transcriptional activity. Methylation interference studies indicate that the sequences between -97 and -84 are major protein contact points, correlating with the functional significance of this sequence in vivo. Although the core of the cell cycle regulatory unit contains three E2F-like sites and can form minor S-phase-specific complexes containing p107, cyclin A, and cdk2, the major complex that binds to this region is not competed by E2F binding sites. Through DNA affinity chromatography, we identified a set of protein species of approximately 40 kDa that copurified with the htk DNA binding activity. From gel shift assays and Western blot analysis, this protein species is antigenically distinct from E2F-1, E2F-2, E2F-3, and E2F-4. Our studies raise the possibility that other members of the E2F protein family or a novel protein(s) with preferred binding affinity for the htk promoter exert(s) control on the G1 to S regulation of the htk promoter through their interactions with cyclins and kinases.
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PMID:Identification of a set of protein species approximately 40 kDa as high-affinity DNA binding factor(s) to the cell cycle regulatory region of the human thymidine kinase promoter. 895 43

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene product (pRb) is involved in controlling cell cycle progression from G1 into S. pRb functions, in part, by regulating the activities of several transcription factors, making pRb involved in the transcriptional control of cellular genes. Transient-transfection assays have implicated pRb in the transcription of several genes, including c-fos, the interleukin-6 gene, c-myc, cdc-2, c-neu, and the transforming growth factor beta2 gene. However, these assays place the promoter in an artificial context and exclude the effects of far 5' upstream regions and chromosomal architecture on gene transcription. In these experiments, we have studied the role of pRb in the control of cell cycle-related genes within a chromosomal context and within the context of the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We have used adenovirus vectors to overexpress pRb in human osteosarcoma cells and breast cells synchronized in early G1. By RNase protection assays, we have assayed the effects of this virus-produced pRb on gene expression in these cells. These results indicate that pRb is involved in the transcriptional downregulation of the E2F-1, E2F-2, dihydrofolate reductase, thymidine kinase, c-myc, proliferating-cell nuclear antigen, p107, and p21/Cip1 genes. However, it has no effect on the transcription of the E2F-3, E2F-4, E2F-5, DP-1, DP-2, or p16/Ink4 genes. The results are consistent with the notion that pRb controls the transcription of genes involved in S-phase promotion. They also suggest that pRb negatively regulates the transcription of two of the transcription factors whose activity it also represses, E2F-1 and E2F-2, and that it plays a role in downregulating the immediate-early gene response to serum stimulation.
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PMID:Regulation of cellular genes in a chromosomal context by the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein. 967 66

E2F transcription factors play an essential role in cell proliferation and apoptosis and their activity is frequently deregulated in human cancers. In a yeast two-hybrid screen we identified a novel E2F-binding protein. Due to its strong phosphorylation we named it EAPP (e2F-associated phosphoprotein). EAPP is localized in the nucleus and interacts with E2F-1, E2F-2, and E2F-3, but not with E2F-4. Examination of a number of human cell lines revealed that EAPP levels are elevated in most transformed cells. Moreover, EAPP mRNA was detected in all investigated human tissues in varying amounts. EAPP is present throughout the cell cycle but disappears during mitosis. In transfection assays with reporters controlled by either an artificial E2F-dependent promoter or the murine thymidine kinase promoter, EAPP increased the activation caused by E2F-1 but not by E2F-4. Surprisingly, the promoter of the p14(ARF) gene, which was also activated by E2F-1, became repressed by EAPP. Overexpression of EAPP in U2OS cells resulted in a significant increase of cells in S-phase, whereas RNAi-mediated knock down of EAPP reduced the fraction of cells in S-phase. Taken together, these data suggest that EAPP modulates E2F-regulated transcription, stimulates proliferation, and may be involved in the malignant transformation of cells.
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PMID:EAPP, a novel E2F binding protein that modulates E2F-dependent transcription. 1571 52