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M R Stallcup

Publications and source records attributed to M R Stallcup.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of protein kinase A pathway and cAMP responsive element-binding protein in androgen receptor-mediated transcription at the prostate-specific antigen locus.

Androgen-independent prostate cancer is a lethal form of the disease that is marked by metastasis and rapid proliferation in its final stages. As no effective therapy for this aggressive tumor currently exists, it is imperative to elucidate and target the mechanisms involved in the progression to androgen independence. Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) via signal transduction pathways, AR gene mutation and/or amplification, and/or coregulator alterations may contribute to the progression of prostate cancer. In the present study, the effects of protein kinase A (PKA) signaling and its downstream factors on AR activity at the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene were tested. Activation of PKA by forskolin resulted in enhanced androgen-induced expression of the PSA gene, an effect that was blocked by the AR antagonist, bicalutamide. Interestingly, when either p300 or CBP was overexpressed, PKA activation was sufficient to stimulate PSA promoter-driven transcription in the absence of androgen, which was not inhibited by bicalutamide. PKA activation did not significantly alter AR protein levels but significantly increased the phosphorylated form of its downstream effector, cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB) in the presence of androgen. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that the combination of androgen and forskolin increased phosphorylated CREB occupancy, which was accompanied by histone acetylation, at the putative cAMP responsive element located in the 5' upstream regulatory region of the PSA gene. Remarkably, mammalian two-hybrid assay indicated that p300/CBP may bridge the interaction between AR and CREB, suggesting a novel enhanceosomal cooperation. These results demonstrate an intriguing interplay between a signal transduction pathway, coactivator overexpression and AR signaling as a possible combined mechanism of progression to androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Acetylation↗

Hormone-dependent, CARM1-directed, arginine-specific methylation of histone H3 on a steroid-regulated promoter.

Activation of gene transcription involves chromatin remodeling by coactivator proteins that are recruited by DNA-bound transcription factors. Local modification of chromatin structure at specific gene promoters by ATP-dependent processes and by posttranslational modifications of histone N-terminal tails provides access to RNA polymerase II and its accompanying transcription initiation complex. While the roles of lysine acetylation, serine phosphorylation, and lysine methylation of histones in chromatin remodeling are beginning to emerge, low levels of arginine methylation of histones have only recently been documented, and its physiological role is unknown. The coactivator CARM1 methylates histone H3 at Arg17 and Arg26 in vitro and cooperates synergistically with p160-type coactivators (e.g., GRIP1, SRC-1, ACTR) and coactivators with histone acetyltransferase activity (e.g., p300, CBP) to enhance gene activation by steroid and nuclear hormone receptors (NR) in transient transfection assays. In the current study, CARM1 cooperated with GRIP1 to enhance steroid hormone-dependent activation of stably integrated mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoters, and this coactivator function required the methyltransferase activity of CARM1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and immunofluorescence studies indicated that CARM1 and the CARM1-methylated form of histone H3 specifically associated with a large tandem array of MMTV promoters in a hormone-dependent manner. Thus, arginine-specific histone methylation by CARM1 is an important part of the transcriptional activation process.

Acetylation↗

Methylation of histone H4 at arginine 3 occurs in vivo and is mediated by the nuclear receptor coactivator PRMT1.

Posttranslational modifications of histone amino termini play an important role in modulating chromatin structure and function. Lysine methylation of histones has been well documented, and recently this modification has been linked to cellular processes involving gene transcription and heterochromatin assembly. However, the existence of arginine methylation on histones has remained unclear. Recent discoveries of protein arginine methyltransferases, CARM1 and PRMT1, as transcriptional coactivators for nuclear receptors suggest that histones may be physiological targets of these enzymes as part of a poorly defined transcriptional activation pathway. Here we show by using mass spectrometry that histone H4, isolated from asynchronously growing human 293T cells, is methylated at arginine 3 (Arg-3) in vivo. In support, a novel antibody directed against histone H4 methylated at Arg-3 independently demonstrates the in vivo occurrence of this modification and reveals that H4 Arg-3 methylation is highly conserved throughout eukaryotes. Finally, we show that PRMT1 is the major, if not exclusive, H4 Arg-3 methyltransfase in human 293T cells. These findings suggest a role for arginine methylation of histones in the transcription process.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Role of protein methylation in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation.

Recent findings suggest that lysine and arginine-specific methylation of histones may cooperate with other types of post-translational histone modification to regulate chromatin structure and gene transcription. Proteins that methylate histones on arginine residues can collaborate with other coactivators to enhance the activity of specific transcriptional activators such as nuclear receptors. Lysine methylation of histones is associated with transcriptionally active nuclei, regulates other types of histone modifications, and is necessary for proper mitotic cell divisions. The fact that some transcription factors and proteins involved in RNA processing can also be methylated suggests that protein methylation may also contribute in other ways to regulation of transcription and post-transcriptional steps in gene regulation. In future work, it will be important to develop methods for evaluating the precise roles of protein methylation in the regulation of native genes in physiological settings, e.g. by using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, differentiating cell culture systems, and genetically altered cells and animals. It will also be important to isolate additional protein methyltransferases by molecular cloning and to characterize new methyltransferase substrates, the regulation of methyltransferase activities, and the roles of new methyltransferases and substrates.

Animals↗

Methylation of histone H3 by coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1.

The preferential in vitro methylation of histone H3 by coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) has been proposed as a basis for its ability to enhance gene transcription [Chen, D., et al. (1999) Science 284, 2174-2177]. To further evaluate the significance of H3 methylation, we studied the kinetics and site specificity of its modification by CARM1. Affinity-purified CARM1 methylated recombinant chick H3, which is free of posttranslational modifications, and calf thymus H3, which is heterogeneous with regard to preexisting modifications, equally well, exhibiting a V(max) of 4500 pmol min(-1) (mg of enzyme)(-1) and an apparent K(m) for H3 of < or = 0.2 microM. The catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of CARM1 toward H3 was at least 1000 times that toward R1 (GGFGGRGGFGG-amide), a highly effective substrate for protein arginine methyltransferase 1. Peptide mapping of 3H-methyl-labeled H3 indicated methylation at Arg-2, Arg-17, and Arg-26 in the N-terminal region and at one or more of four arginines (128/129/131/134) at the C-terminus. Two of the N-terminal sites, Arg-17 and Arg-26, occur in the sequence KAXRK and appear to be more efficiently methylated than Arg-2. CARM1 catalyzed formation of N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine (asymmetric) but little or no N(G),N'(G)-dimethylarginine (symmetric) and no form of methyllysine. Amino acid analysis of untreated calf thymus H3 revealed that 3.7% of the molecules naturally contain asymmetric dimethylarginine and/or monomethylarginine. Our findings support the hypothesis that methylation of H3 may be involved in the mechanism of transcriptional coactivation by CARM1 of genes whose expression is under the control of nuclear receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Enhancement of p53-dependent gene activation by the transcriptional coactivator Zac1.

A recently discovered potential tumor suppressor protein, Zac1, was previously shown to promote cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and to act as a positive or negative transcriptional cofactor for nuclear receptors. Since these activities are common to Zac1 and p53, we tested for a functional interaction between these two proteins by investigating possible effects of Zac1 on the transcriptional activator function of p53. Zac1 specifically enhanced the activity of p53-responsive promoters in cells expressing wild type p53. The same promoters were not activated by Zac1 in cells lacking functional p53, but the Zac1 effect was restored by co-expression of p53. Zac1 bound to p53 and enhanced the activity of p53 or its N-terminal transcriptional activation domain fused to the DNA binding domain of Gal4. These results indicate that Zac1 served as a transcriptional coactivator for p53. The enhancement of p53 activity by Zac1 was much more dramatic in HeLa cells than in other cell lines tested. HeLa cells express human papillomavirus type 18 E6 protein which inactivates and causes the degradation of p53. Physical and functional interactions observed between Zac1 and E6 protein indicated that the dramatic activity of Zac1 in HeLa cells was due not only to Zac1's coactivator effect on p53, but also to the ability of Zac1 to reverse E6 inhibition of p53.

Animals↗

Growth factors signal to steroid receptors through mitogen-activated protein kinase regulation of p160 coactivator activity.

Promoter-bound steroid receptors activate gene expression by recruiting members of the p160 family of coactivators. Many steroid receptors, most notably the progesterone and estrogen receptors, are regulated both by cognate hormone and independently by growth factors. Here we show that epidermal growth factor regulates the activities of the p160 GRIP1 through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) family of mitogen-activated protein kinases. ERKs phosphorylate GRIP1 at a specific site, Ser-736, the integrity of which is required for full growth factor induction of GRIP1 transcriptional activation and coactivator function. We propose that growth factors signal to nuclear receptors in part by targeting the p160 coactivators.

Epidermal Growth Factor↗

Synergistic enhancement of nuclear receptor function by p160 coactivators and two coactivators with protein methyltransferase activities.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) activate gene transcription by binding to specific enhancer elements and recruiting coactivators of the p160 family to promoters of target genes. The p160 coactivators in turn enhance transcription by recruiting secondary coactivators, including histone acetyltransferases such as CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300/CBP-associated factor (p/CAF), as well as the recently identified protein methyltransferase, coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1). In the current study, protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), another arginine-specific protein methyltransferase that shares a region of high homology with CARM1, was also found to act as a coactivator for NRs. PRMT1, like CARM1, bound to the C-terminal AD2 activation domain of p160 coactivators and thereby enhanced the activity of NRs in transient transfection assays. The shape of the graphs of reporter gene activity versus the amounts of CARM1 or PRMT1 expression vector indicated a cooperative relationship between coactivator concentration and activity. Moreover, CARM1 and PRMT1 acted in a synergistic manner to enhance reporter gene activation by both hormone-dependent and orphan NRs. The synergy was most evident at low levels of transfected NR expression vectors, where activation of reporter genes was almost completely dependent on the presence of NR and all three exogenously supplied coactivators, i.e. GRIP1, CARM1, and PRMT1. In contrast, with the higher levels of NR expression vectors typically used in transient transfection assays, NR activity was much less dependent on the combination of coactivators, suggesting that target gene activation occurs by different mechanisms at high versus low cellular concentrations of NR. Because multiple coactivators are presumably required to mediate transcriptional activation of native genes in vivo, the low-NR conditions may provide a more physiologically relevant assay for coactivator function.

Animals↗

The glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) localizes in discrete nuclear foci that associate with ND10 bodies and are enriched in components of the 26S proteasome.

The glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein-1 (GRIP1) is a member of the steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) family of transcriptional regulators. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions were made to full-length GRIP1, and a series of GRIP1 mutants lacking the defined regulatory regions and the intracellular distribution of these proteins was studied in HeLa cells. The distribution of GRIP1 was complex, ranging from diffuse nucleoplasmic to discrete intranuclear foci. Formation of these foci was dependent on the C-terminal region of GRIP1, which contains the two characterized transcriptional activation domains, AD1 and AD2. A subpopulation of GRIP1 foci associate with ND10s, small nuclear bodies that contain several proteins including PML, SP100, DAXX, and CREB-binding protein (CBP). Association with the ND10s is dependent on the AD1 of GRIP1, a region of the protein previously described as a CBP-interacting domain. The GRIP1 foci are enriched in components of the 26S proteasome, including the core 20S proteasome, PA28alpha, and ubiquitin. In addition, the irreversible proteasome inhibitor lactacystin induced an increase in the total fluorescence intensity of the GFP-GRIP1 expressing cells, demonstrating that GRIP1 is degraded by the proteasome. These findings suggest the intriguing possibility that degradation of GRIP1 by the 26S proteasome may be a key component of its regulation.

Acetylcysteine↗

Synergistic, p160 coactivator-dependent enhancement of estrogen receptor function by CARM1 and p300.

Members of the p160 coactivator family (steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1), and activator of thyroid and retinoic acid receptors (ACTR)) mediate transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors. After being recruited to the promoter by nuclear receptors, the p160 coactivator transmits the activating signal via two C-terminal activation domains, AD1 and AD2. AD1 is a binding site for the related coactivators cAMP-response element binding protein binding protein (CBP) and p300, whereas AD2 binds to another coactivator, coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), a protein-arginine methyltransferase. The current study explored the cooperative functional and mechanistic relationships among GRIP1, CARM1, and p300 in transient transfection assays, where they enhanced the ability of the estrogen receptor (ER) to activate transcription of a reporter gene. The coactivator functions of p300 and CARM1 depended on the co-expression of GRIP1. Simultaneous co-expression of all three coactivators caused a synergistic enhancement of ER function. Deletion of the AD1 domain of GRIP1 abolished the ability of p300 to potentiate ER activity but had no effect on CARM1-mediated stimulation. In contrast, when the AD2 domain of GRIP1 was deleted, p300 still stimulated ER function through the mutant GRIP1, but CARM1 failed to do so. Thus, both binding of p300 to AD1 and binding of CARM1 to AD2 are required for their respective coactivator functions and for their synergy. Furthermore, CARM1 and p300 function independently through different activating domains of GRIP1, and their synergy suggests that they enhance transcription by different, complementary mechanisms.

Cell Line↗

Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCAI) is a coactivator of the androgen receptor.

In the present study, the role of BRCA1 in ligand-dependent androgen receptor (AR) signaling was assessed. In transfected prostate and breast cancer cell lines, BRCA1 enhanced AR-dependent transactivation of a probasin-derived reporter gene. The effects of BRCA1 were mediated through the NH2-terminal activation function (AF-1) of the receptor. Cotransfection of p160 coactivators markedly potentiated BRCA1-mediated enhancement of AR signaling. In addition, BRCA1 was shown to interact physically with both the AR and the p160 coactivator, glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1. These findings suggest that BRCA1 may directly modulate AR signaling and, therefore, may have implications regarding the proliferation of normal and malignant androgen-regulated tissues.

BRCA1 Protein↗

Inhibition of p160-mediated coactivation with increasing androgen receptor polyglutamine length.

Normal polymorphic size variation of the exon 1 CAG microsatellite of the androgen receptor (AR) is associated with prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia and male infertility. Furthermore, abnormal expansion of the satellite leads to Kennedy's disease. We have shown recently that the AR N-terminal domain (NTD), which contains the polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch (encoded by the CAG repeat), functionally interacts with the C-termini of p160 coactivators. In the present study we explored possible AR CAG size effects on the p160 coactivator-mediated transactivation activity of the receptor. First, we mapped the p160 coactivator interaction on the AR NTD and found an interaction surface between amino acids 351 and 537. Although this region is 'downstream' from the polyQ stretch, it is still within the AR NTD, is implicated in constitutive transactivation activity of the receptor, and thus might be subject to polyQ size modulation. Indeed, cotrans- fection experiments in cultured prostate epithelial cells, using AR constructs of varying CAG sizes and p160 coactivator expression vectors, revealed that increased polyQ length, up to a size of 42 repeats, inhibited both basal and coactivator-mediated AR transactivation activity. AR expression in these cells, on the other hand, was unaffected by the same increased CAG repeat size range. We conclude that the AR NTD contributes to AR transactivation activity via functional interactions with p160 coactivators and that increasing polyQ length negatively affects p160-mediated coactivation of the AR. This molecular mechanism thus might explain, at least in part, the observed phenotypic effects of the AR CAG size polymorphism.

Androgen Receptor Antagonists↗

Interaction of the tau2 transcriptional activation domain of glucocorticoid receptor with a novel steroid receptor coactivator, Hic-5, which localizes to both focal adhesions and the nuclear matrix.

Hic-5 (hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5) is a focal adhesion protein that is involved in cellular senescence. In the present study, a yeast two-hybrid screen identified Hic-5 as a protein that interacts with a region of the glucocorticoid receptor that includes a nuclear matrix-targeting signal and the tau2 transcriptional activation domain. In transiently transfected mammalian cells, overexpression of Hic-5 potentiated the activation of reporter genes by all steroid receptors, excluding the estrogen receptor. The activity of the estrogen receptor and the thyroid hormone receptor was stimulated by Hic-5 in the presence but not in the absence of coexpressed coactivator GRIP1. In biochemical fractionations and indirect immunofluorescence assays, a fraction of endogenous Hic-5 in REF-52 cells and transiently expressed Hic-5 in Cos-1 cells was associated with the nuclear matrix. The C-terminal region of Hic-5, which contains seven zinc fingers arranged in four LIM domains, was required for interaction with focal adhesions, the nuclear matrix, steroid receptors, and the tau2 domain of glucocorticoid receptor. The N-terminal region of Hic-5 possesses a transcriptional activation domain and was essential for the coactivator activity of Hic-5. Given the coexisting cytoplasmic and nuclear distributions of Hic-5 and its role in steroid receptor-mediated transcriptional activation, it is proposed that Hic-5 might transmit signals that emanate at cell attachment sites and regulate transcription factors, such as steroid receptors.

Animals↗

Mouse Zac1, a transcriptional coactivator and repressor for nuclear receptors.

Transcriptional activation by nuclear hormone receptors is mediated by the 160-kDa family of nuclear receptor coactivators. These coactivators associate with DNA-bound nuclear receptors and transmit activating signals to the transcription machinery through two activation domains. In screening for mammalian proteins that bind the C-terminal activation domain of the nuclear receptor coactivator GRIP1, we identified a new variant of mouse Zac1 which we call mZac1b. Zac1 was previously discovered as a putative transcriptional activator involved in regulation of apoptosis and the cell cycle. In yeast two-hybrid assays and in vitro, mZac1b bound to GRIP1, to CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300 (which are coactivators for nuclear receptors and other transcriptional activators), and to nuclear receptors themselves in a hormone-independent manner. In transient-transfection assays mZac1b exhibited a transcriptional activation activity when fused with the Gal4 DNA binding domain, and it enhanced transcriptional activation by the Gal4 DNA binding domain fused to GRIP1 or CBP fragments. More importantly, mZac1b was a powerful coactivator for the hormone-dependent activity of nuclear receptors, including androgen, estrogen, glucocorticoid, and thyroid hormone receptors. However, with some reporter genes and in some cell lines mZac1b acted as a repressor rather than a coactivator of nuclear receptor activity. Thus, mZac1b can interact with nuclear receptors and their coactivators and play both positive and negative roles in regulating nuclear receptor function.

Animals↗

Co-operation between protein-acetylating and protein-methylating co-activators in transcriptional activation.

Nuclear hormone receptors (NRs) activate transcription by binding to specific enhancer elements associated with target genes. Transcriptional activation is accomplished with the help of complexes of co-activator proteins that bind to NRs. p160 co-activators, a family of three related 160 kDa proteins, serve as primary co-activators by binding directly to NRs and recruiting additional secondary co-activators. Some of these (CBP/p300 and p/CAF) can acetylate histones and other proteins in the transcription complex, thus helping to modify chromatin structure and form an active transcription initiation complex. We recently discovered co-activator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), which binds to p160 co-activators and thereby enhances transcriptional activation by NRs on transiently transfected reporter genes. CARM1 also methylates specific arginine residues in the N-terminal tail of histone H3 in vitro. A related arginine-specific protein methyltransferase, PRMT1, also binds p160 co-activators and enhances NR function. PRMT1 methylates histone H4 in vitro. The enhancement of NR function by CARM1, PRMT1 and p300 depends on their interactions with p160 co-activators. In the presence of p160 co-activators, some pairs of these three secondary co-activators provide a highly synergistic enhancement of NR function on transiently transfected reporter genes. We have also observed an enhancement of NR function on stably integrated reporter genes by these co-activators. We propose that the synergy of co-activator function between p300, CARM1 and PRMT1 is due to their different but complementary protein modification activities.

Acetylation↗

Hormone-independent transcriptional activation and coactivator binding by novel orphan nuclear receptor ERR3.

Orphan nuclear receptors share sequence homology with members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, but ligands are unknown or unnecessary. A novel orphan receptor, estrogen receptor-related protein 3 (ERR3), was identified by yeast two-hybrid screening, using the transcriptional coactivator glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) as bait. The putative full-length mouse ERR3 contains 458 amino acids and is closely related to two known orphan receptors ERR1 and ERR2. All the ERR family members share an almost identical DNA-binding domain, which has 68% amino acid identity with that of estrogen receptor. ERR3 bound specifically to an estrogen response element and activated reporter genes controlled by estrogen response elements, both in yeast and in mammalian cells, in the absence of any added ligand. A conserved AF-2 activation domain located in the hormone-binding domain of ERR3 was primarily responsible for transcriptional activation. The ERR3 AF-2 domain bound GRIP1 in a ligand-independent manner both in vitro and in vivo, through the LXXLL motifs of GRIP1, and GRIP1 functioned as a transcriptional coactivator for ERR3 in both yeast and mammalian cells. Expression of ERR3 in adult mouse was restricted; highest expression was observed in heart, kidney, and brain. In the mouse embryo no expression was observed at day 7, and highest expression occurred around the 11-15 day stages. Although ERR3 is much more closely related to ERR2 than to ERR1, the expression pattern for ERR3 was similar to that of ERR1 and distinct from that for ERR2, suggesting a unique role for ERR3 in development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Regulation of transcription by a protein methyltransferase.

The p160 family of coactivators, SRC-1, GRIP1/TIF2, and p/CIP, mediate transcriptional activation by nuclear hormone receptors. Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), a previously unidentified protein that binds to the carboxyl-terminal region of p160 coactivators, enhanced transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors, but only when GRIP1 or SRC-1a was coexpressed. Thus, CARM1 functions as a secondary coactivator through its association with p160 coactivators. CARM1 can methylate histone H3 in vitro, and a mutation in the putative S-adenosylmethionine binding domain of CARM1 substantially reduced both methyltransferase and coactivator activities. Thus, coactivator-mediated methylation of proteins in the transcription machinery may contribute to transcriptional regulation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

An additional region of coactivator GRIP1 required for interaction with the hormone-binding domains of a subset of nuclear receptors.

Transcriptional coactivators of the p160 family (SRC-1, GRIP1, and p/CIP) associate with DNA-bound nuclear receptors (NRs) and help the NRs to recruit an active transcription initiation complex to the promoters of target genes. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the NR interaction domain (NID) of p160 proteins containing three NR box motifs (LXXLL) for the interaction with the hormone-binding domains of NRs. Here we report that, in addition to NID, another region of coactivator GRIP1 (amino acids 1011-1121), called the auxiliary NID (NIDaux), is required in vitro and in vivo for efficient interaction with a subset of NRs, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), androgen receptor, and retinoic acid receptor alpha. A second group of NRs, which includes the progesterone receptor, retinoid X receptor alpha, thyroid hormone receptor beta1, and vitamin D receptor, required only NID for efficient interaction. For binding to GR, the NID and NIDaux of GRIP1 must act in cis, but deletion of up to 144 amino acids between the two regions did not reduce binding efficiency. Amino acids 1011-1121 of GRIP1 also contain a p300 interaction domain, but mutational analysis indicated that the p300 interaction function within this region is separable from the ability to contribute to GR hormone-binding domain binding. SRC-1 lacks an NIDaux activity equivalent to that in GRIP1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗