Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Basic region-leucine zipper (B-ZIP) proteins homo- or heterodimerize to bind sequence-specific double-stranded DNA. We present circular dichroism (CD) thermal denaturation data on vitellogenin promoter-binding protein (VBP), a member of the PAR subfamily of B-ZIP proteins that also includes thyroid embryonic factor, hepatocyte leukemia factor, and albumin site D-binding protein. VBP does not heterodimerize with B-ZIP domains from C/EBP alpha, JUND, or FOS. We describe a dominant negative protein, A-VBP, that contains the VBP leucine zipper and an acidic amphipathic protein sequence that replaces the basic region critical for DNA binding. The acidic extension forms a coiled coil structure with the VBP basic region in the VBP.A-VBP heterodimer. This new alpha-helical structure extends the leucine zipper N-terminally, stabilizing the complex by 2.0 kcal/mol. A-VBP abolishes DNA binding of VBP in an equimolar competition assay, but does not affect DNA binding even at 100-fold excess of CREB, C/EBP alpha, or FOS/JUND. Likewise, proteins containing the acidic extension appended to seven other leucine zippers do not inhibit VBP DNA binding. We show that conserved g <--> e' or i, i' +5 salt bridges are sufficient to confer specificity to VBP by mutating the C/EBPalpha leucine zipper to contain the g <--> e' salt bridges that characterize VBP. A-VBP heterodimerizes with this mutant C/EBP, preventing it from binding to DNA. These conserved g <--> e' electrostatic interactions define the specificity of the PAR subfamily of B-ZIP proteins and preclude interaction with other B-ZIP subfamilies.
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PMID:Attractive interhelical electrostatic interactions in the proline- and acidic-rich region (PAR) leucine zipper subfamily preclude heterodimerization with other basic leucine zipper subfamilies. 1094 64

The Tax protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) enhances viral gene expression through sequences in the U3 region of the viral long terminal repeat. These sequences consist of three imperfect 21-bp repeats (TRE-1s) and a region between the promoter-central and promoter-proximal 21-bp repeats (TRE-2). The TRE-1s contain a core cyclic AMP response element (CRE) motif and can be bound by CREB, ATF-1, ATF-2, and other members of the CREB-ATF superfamily of transcription factors. Tax enhances CREB binding to TRE-1 in vitro, and it promotes dimerization of CREB as well as other bZIP proteins. Using ligation-mediated PCR on in vivo dimethyl sulfate-treated HTLV-1-infected cell lines MT-2 and MT-4, we have compiled a profile of protein occupancy in the HTLV-1 enhancer sequences in the presence of high (MT-2) and low (MT-4) levels of biologically active Tax I. The in vivo footprinting showed that all three TRE-1s were bound by protein(s), but only in MT-2 cells. In MT-2 cells, all TRE-1s showed strong protection of the G residues in the central CRE, and the footprints extended to differing degrees into the GC-rich flanking sequences. This indicated Tax I-dependent loading of transcription factors onto the HTLV-1 TRE-1s in vivo. In vivo footprinting on TRE-2 indicated that this region was bound by proteins regardless of the Tax I status of the cell line. However, the presence of Tax I increased the extent and altered the profile of proteins binding TRE-2 in vivo.
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PMID:In vivo genomic footprinting of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) long terminal repeat enhancer sequences in HTLV-1-infected human T-cell lines with different levels of Tax I activity. 1095 25

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection causes adult T-cell leukemia and is characterized by long periods of clinical latency with low levels of viral production. Transcription of HTLV-1 is controlled through sequences in the promoter and enhancer regions of the long terminal repeat of the integrated provirus. Important among these sequences are three 21 bp imperfect repeats responsive to the viral oncogenic protein Tax (TRE). Members of the CREB/ATF-1/CREM family of transcription factors bind to TRE-1 and are critical for HTLV-1 transcription. Other less studied family members include the inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) proteins. ICER proteins lack phosphorylation and activation domains and are potent inhibitors of transcription. The ability of ICER to bind TRE-1 and its effects on HTLV-1 Tax mediated transcription have not been studied in the natural cell targets of the virus, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We show that ICER mRNA levels are low in quiescent PBMC, but rise and remain elevated for up to 18 hr after mitogenic stimulation of these cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using recombinant Tax and ICER demonstrate that ICER binds TRE-1 and that binding is increased in the presence of Tax. Furthermore, over expression of ICER IIgamma suppressed Tax-mediated transcription whereas an anti-sense ICER II plasmid designed to block endogenous ICER enhanced Tax-mediated transcription in activated PBMC. Together our data indicate that ICER inhibits Tax-mediated transcription in activated PBMC and suggest a role for ICER in maintenance of HTLV-1 persistence.
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PMID:Repression of tax-mediated human t-lymphotropic virus type 1 transcription by inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. 1100 60

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a complex retrovirus, causes adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia and is linked to a variety of immune-mediated disorders. The roles of proteins encoded in the pX open reading frame (ORF) II gene region in HTLV-1 replication or in mediating virus-associated diseases remain to be defined. A nucleus-localizing 30-kDa protein, p30(II), encoded within pX ORF II has limited homology with the POU family of transcription factors. Recently, we reported that selected mutations in pX ORF II diminish the ability of HTLV-1 to maintain high viral loads in infected rabbits. Herein we have tested the transcriptional ability of p30(II) in mammalian cells by using yeast Gal4 fusion protein vectors and transfection of luciferase reporter genes driven by CREB-responsive promoters. p30(II) as a Gal4 DNA-binding domain (DBD) fusion protein transactivates Gal4-driven luciferase reporter gene activity up to 25-fold in 293 and HeLa-tat cells. We confirmed nuclear localization of p30(II) and demonstrate dose-dependent binding of p30(II)-Gal4(DBD) to Gal4 DNA-binding sites. The transcriptional activity of p30(II)-Gal4(DBD) was independent of TATA box flanking sequences, as shown by using two different Gal4 reporter systems. Studies of selected p30(II) mutants indicated that domains that mediate transcription are restricted to a central core region of the protein between amino acids 62 and 220. Transfection of a p30(II)-expressing plasmid repressed cellular CRE-driven reporter gene activity, with or without Tax expression. In contrast, p30(II) at lower concentrations enhanced HTLV-1 long terminal repeat-driven reporter gene activity independent of Tax expression. These data are the first to demonstrate a transcriptional function for p30(II) and suggest a mechanism by which this nuclear protein may influence HTLV-1 replication or cellular gene expression in vivo.
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PMID:Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 p30(II) functions as a transcription factor and differentially modulates CREB-responsive promoters. 1107 26

Recent evidence from several investigators suggest that the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax oncoprotein represses the transcriptional activity of the tumor suppressor protein, p53. An examination of published findings reveals serious controversy as to the mechanism(s) utilized by Tax to inhibit p53 activity and whether the same mechanism is used by Tax in adherent and suspension cells. Here, we have investigated Tax-p53 interaction simultaneously in adherent epithelial (HeLa and Saos) and suspension T-lymphocyte (Jurkat) cells. Our results indicate that Tax activity through the CREB/CREB-binding protein (CBP), but not NF-kappaB, pathway is needed to repress the transcriptional activity of p53 in all tested cell lines. However, we did find that while CBP binding by Tax is necessary, it is not sufficient for inhibiting p53 function. Based on knockout cell studies, we correlated a strong genetic requirement for the ATM, but not protein kinase-dependent DNA, protein in conferring a Tax-p53-repressive phenotype.
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PMID:Genetic evidence of a role for ATM in functional interaction between human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax and p53. 1111 8

Expression of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) oncoprotein Tax is correlated with cellular transformation contributing to the development of adult T-cell leukemia. Tax has been shown to modulate the activities of several cellular promoters. Existing evidence suggests that Tax need not directly bind to DNA to accomplish these effects but rather that it can act through binding to cellular factors, including members of the CREB/ATF family. Exact mechanisms of HTLV-1 transformation of cells have yet to be fully defined, but the process is likely to include both activation of cellular-growth-promoting factors and repression of cellular tumor-suppressing functions. While transcriptional activation has been well studied, transcriptional repression by Tax, reported recently from several studies, remains less well understood. Here, we show that Tax represses the TATA-less cyclin A promoter. Repression of the cyclin A promoter was seen in both ts13 adherent cells and Jurkat T lymphocytes. Two other TATA-less promoters, cyclin D3 and DNA polymerase alpha, were also found to be repressed by Tax. Interestingly, all three promoters share a common feature of at least one conserved upstream CREB/ATF binding site. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we observed that Tax altered the formation of a complex(es) at the cyclin A promoter-derived ATF site. Functionally, we correlated removal of the CREB/ATF site from the promoter with loss of repression by Tax. Furthermore, since a Tax mutant protein which binds CREB repressed the cyclin A promoter while another mutant protein which does not bind CREB did not, we propose that this Tax repression occurs through protein-protein contact with CREB/ATF.
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PMID:CREB/ATF-dependent repression of cyclin a by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax protein. 1116 Jul 20

A fragment of the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene (Mll, HRX, ALL-1) was identified in a yeast genetic screen designed to isolate proteins that interact with the CREB-CREB-binding protein (CBP) complex. When tested for binding to CREB or CBP individually, this MLL fragment interacted directly with CBP, but not with CREB. In vitro binding experiments refined the minimal region of interaction to amino acids 2829 to 2883 of MLL, a potent transcriptional activation domain, and amino acids 581 to 687 of CBP (the CREB-binding or KIX domain). The transactivation activity of MLL was dependent on CBP, as either adenovirus E1A expression, which inhibits CBP activity, or alteration of MLL residues important for CBP interaction proved effective at inhibiting MLL-mediated transactivation. Single amino acid substitutions within the MLL activation domain revealed that five hydrophobic residues, potentially forming a hydrophobic face of an amphipathic helix, were critical for the interaction of MLL with CBP. Using purified components, we found that the MLL activation domain facilitated the binding of CBP to phosphorylated CREB. In contrast with paradigms in which factors compete for limiting quantities of CBP, these results reveal that two distinct transcription factor activation domains can cooperatively target the same motif on CBP.
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PMID:MLL and CREB bind cooperatively to the nuclear coactivator CREB-binding protein. 1125 75

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is the etiological agent for adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), as well as for tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) and HTLV-I associate myelopathy (HAM). A biological understanding of the involvement of HTLV-I and in ATL has focused significantly on the workings of the virally-encoded 40 kDa phospho-oncoprotein, Tax. Tax is a transcriptional activator. Its ability to modulate the expression and function of many cellular genes has been reasoned to be a major contributory mechanism explaining HTLV-I-mediated transformation of cells. In activating cellular gene expression, Tax impinges upon several cellular signal-transduction pathways, including those for CREB/ATF and NF-kappa B. In this paper, we review aspects of Tax's transcriptional potential with particular focus on recent evidence linking Tax to IKK (I kappa B-kinase)-complex and MAP3Ks (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases).
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PMID:Functional activities of the human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax oncoprotein: cellular signaling through NF-kappa B. 1132 3

Repression of viral expression is a major strategy developed by retroviruses to escape from the host immune response. The absence of viral proteins (or derived peptides) at the surface of an infected cell does not permit the establishment of an efficient immune attack. Such a strategy appears to have been adopted by animal oncoviruses such as bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV). In BLV-infected animals, only a small fraction of the infected lymphocytes (between 1 in 5,000 and 1 in 50,000) express large amounts of viral proteins; the vast majority of the proviruses are repressed at the transcriptional level. Induction of BLV transcription involves the interaction of the virus-encoded Tax protein with the CREB/ATF factors; the resulting complex is able to interact with three 21-bp Tax-responsive elements (TxRE) located in the 5' long terminal repeat (5' LTR). These TxRE contain cyclic AMP-responsive elements (CRE), but, remarkably, the "TGACGTCA" consensus is never strictly conserved in any viral strain (e.g.,AGACGTCA, TGACGGCA, TGACCTCA). To assess the role of these suboptimal CREs, we introduced a perfect consensus sequence within the TxRE and showed by gel retardation assays that the binding efficiency of the CREB/ATF proteins was increased. However, trans-activation of a luciferase-based reporter by Tax was not affected in transient transfection assays. Still, in the absence of Tax, the basal promoter activity of the mutated LTR was increased as much as 20-fold. In contrast, mutation of other regulatory elements within the LTR (the E box, NF-kappa B, and glucocorticoid- or interferon-responsive sites [GRE or IRF]) did not induce a similar alteration of the basal transcription levels. To evaluate the biological relevance of these observations made in vitro, the mutations were introduced into an infectious BLV molecular clone. After injection into sheep, it appeared that all the recombinants were infectious in vivo and did not revert into a wild-type virus. All of them, except one, propagated at wild-type levels, indicating that viral spread was not affected by the mutation. The sole exception was the CRE mutant; proviral loads were drastically reduced in sheep infected with this type of virus. We conclude that a series of sites (NF-kappa B, IRF, GRE, and the E box) are not required for efficient viral spread in the sheep model, although mutation of some of these motifs might induce a minor phenotype during transient transfection assays in vitro. Remarkably, a provirus (pBLV-Delta 21-bp) harboring only two TxRE was infectious and propagated at wild-type levels. And, most importantly, reconstitution of a consensus CRE, within the 21-bp enhancers increases binding of CREB/ATF proteins but abrogates basal repression of LTR-directed transcription in vitro. Suboptimal CREs are, however, essential for efficient viral spread within infected sheep, although these sites are dispensable for infectivity. These results suggest an evolutionary selection of suboptimal CREs that repress viral expression with escape from the host immune response. These observations, which were obtained in an animal model for HTLV-1, are of interest for oncovirus-induced pathogenesis in humans.
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PMID:Suboptimal enhancer sequences are required for efficient bovine leukemia virus propagation in vivo: implications for viral latency. 1143 78

Oncogenesis associated with human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) infection is directly linked to the virally encoded transcription factor Tax. To activate HTLV-1 transcription Tax interacts with the cellular protein CREB and the pleiotropic coactivators CBP and p300. While extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms of Tax transcription function and coactivator utilization are not fully understood. Previous studies have focused on Tax binding to the KIX domain of CBP, as this was believed to be the key step in recruiting the coactivator to the HTLV-1 promoter. In this study, we identify a carboxy-terminal region of CBP (and p300) that strongly interacts with Tax and mediates Tax transcription function. Through deletion mutagenesis, we identify amino acids 2003 to 2212 of CBP, which we call carboxy-terminal region 2 (CR2), as the minimal region for Tax interaction. Interestingly, this domain corresponds to the steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1)-interacting domain of CBP. We show that a double point mutant targeted to one of the putative alpha-helical motifs in this domain significantly compromises the interaction with Tax. We also characterize the region of Tax responsible for interaction with CR2 and show that the previously identified transactivation domain of Tax (amino acids 312 to 319) participates in CR2 binding. This region of Tax corresponds to a consensus amphipathic helix, and single point mutations targeted to amino acids on the face of this helix abolish interaction with CR2 and dramatically reduce Tax transcription function. Finally, we demonstrate that Tax and SRC-1 bind to CR2 in a mutually exclusive fashion. Together, these studies identify a novel Tax-interacting site on CBP/p300 and extend our understanding of the molecular mechanism of Tax transactivation.
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PMID:The oncoprotein Tax binds the SRC-1-interacting domain of CBP/p300 to mediate transcriptional activation. 1146 34


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