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R Eckner

Publications and source records attributed to R Eckner.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A family of transcriptional adaptor proteins targeted by the E1A oncoprotein.

The cellular protein p300 is a target of the adenoviral E1A oncoprotein and is thought to participate in preventing the G0/G1 transition in the cell cycle, activating certain enhancers and stimulating differentiation pathways. CBP is a protein that is associated with and coactivates the transcription factor CREB, mediating the induction by cyclic AMP of certain responsive promoters. The sequences of p300 and CBP are highly related. We show here that p300, like CBP2, can stimulate transcription. This activity is directly and specifically inhibited by E1A. We also find that CBP exists in a DNA-bound complex containing a member of the CREB family and that E1A and CBP interact with one another in vivo. In keeping with the idea that E1A functionally targets CBP, cAMP-dependent transcription is repressed by E1A. Thus, p300 and CBP define a family of transcriptional adaptor proteins that are specifically targeted by the E1A oncoprotein.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the adenovirus E1A-associated 300-kD protein (p300) reveals a protein with properties of a transcriptional adaptor.

The growth-controlling functions of the adenovirus E1A oncoprotein depend on its ability ot interact with a set of cellular proteins. Among these are the retinoblastoma protein, p107, p130, and p300. We have isolated a cDNA encoding full-length human p300 and mapped the chromosomal location of the gene to chromosome 22q13. p300 contains three cysteine- and histidine-rich regions of which the most carboxy-terminal region interacts specifically with E1A. In its center, p300 contains a bromodomain, a hallmark of certain transcriptional coactivators. We have examined the ability of p300 to overcome the repressive effect of E1A on the SV40 enhancer. We show that p300 molecules lacking an intact E1A-binding site can bypass E1A repression and restore to a significant extent the activity of the SV40 enhancer, even in the presence of high levels of E1A protein. These results imply that p300 may function as a transcriptional adaptor protein for certain complex transcriptional regulatory elements.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Evolutionary conserved multiprotein complexes interact with the 3' untranslated region of histone transcripts.

The replication dependent histone transcripts terminate with a highly conserved stem-loop structure. This feature distinguishes them from most other eukaryotic mRNAs which end with a poly(A) tail. The 3' terminus of histone mRNA is a main determinant for rapid turnover of these transcripts. In this study, we report the identification of two cytoplasmic protein complexes that interact in a sequence specific fashion with 3' terminal sequences of a mouse histone H4 and a human histone H2A mRNA. The binding activities are conserved from frog to man. At least a fraction of one of the protein complexes appears to be specifically associated with polysomes. The evidence for an involvement of the observed protein complexes in turnover of histone transcripts is discussed.

3T3 Cells↗

Mature mRNA 3' end formation stimulates RNA export from the nucleus.

We have analysed nucleocytoplasmic export of mRNAs in primate cells with the aim of identifying signals promoting RNA transport. Our results demonstrate that sequences directing either histone mRNA 3' processing or cleavage/polyadenylation of mRNA stimulate nucleocytoplasmic RNA transport. To elucidate the nature of this stimulation, we engineered test gene transcripts which could obtain a mature histone 3' end by the RNA cleaving activity of a cis-acting ribozyme, thus circumventing the cellular 3' end processing machinery. However, such transcripts were found to be transport deficient and accumulated in the nuclear compartment. Our experiments provide genetic evidence that there is a linkage between 3' end formation and the export of RNA transcripts from the nucleus. Analysis of a similar series of histone mRNAs in which the mature 3' end was generated by means of ribozyme cleavage led to the discovery of a second export mechanism which relies on features specific for mature histone RNA and which can be uncoupled from the cellular processing machinery. The presence of histone mRNA sequences and of the highly conserved histone hairpin structure, positioned close to the 3' terminus, are critical determinants for this export mechanism.

Animals↗

Cloning of cDNAs coding for human HMG I and HMG Y proteins: both are capable of binding to the octamer sequence motif.

In human B lymphocytes and placenta HMG I and its smaller isoform HMG Y are encoded by two distinct but structurally highly similar mRNAs which arise most likely by alternative splicing of a single primary transcript. Both have been cloned as cDNAs. On Northern blots an abundant mRNA species 2000 nucleotides in length was detected in all cell lines examined. Exclusively in erythroid cells an additional rare 3800 nucleotides long mRNA species was noted. In quiescent cells the mRNA levels of HMG I/Y were not significantly down-regulated. Southern blot analysis indicated that at least four genes are present per haploid human genome. Both proteins when expressed in bacteria bind specifically to A-T rich stretches of DNA suggesting that no posttranslational modifications are necessary for specific DNA binding. Interestingly, HMG I as well as HMG Y are capable of binding to the octamer transcriptional regulatory sequence motif.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A signal regulating mouse histone H4 mRNA levels in a mammalian cell cycle mutant and sequences controlling RNA 3' processing are both contained within the same 80-bp fragment.

Fragments from the 3' end of a mouse histone H4 gene, when introduced into transcription units controlled by the SV40 early promoter, yield correctly processed RNA with histone-specific 3' ends, both in monkey and mouse cell lines. The processed RNA is regulated in parallel with endogenous H4 mRNAs in 21-Tb cells, a temperature-sensitive mouse mastocytoma cell cycle mutant that is specifically blocked in G1 phase at the non-permissive temperature. Mutational analyses of the H4 gene fragment indicate that the minimal sequences for this regulation and for RNA 3' processing are both contained within the same 80 bp. This fragment contains two histone-specific, highly conserved sequence elements that are located at the 3' end of histone mRNA and in the adjacent spacer region, respectively. Our data suggest that the observed cell cycle regulation is achieved either at RNA 3' processing or at some later step involving the conserved 3'-terminal sequence element of mature histone mRNA.

Animals↗