PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W C Greene

Publications and source records attributed to W C Greene.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

HIV Rev-dependent binding of SF2/ASF to the Rev response element: possible role in Rev-mediated inhibition of HIV RNA splicing.

Production of the structural and enzymatic proteins of type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is controlled by the rev regulatory gene product. The 116-amino acid Rev protein acts by binding to the Rev response element (RRE), a complex RNA stem-loop structure located within the env gene of HIV. Rev exerts a series of posttranscriptional effects, including the inhibition of viral RNA splicing, the activation of nuclear export of incompletely spliced viral RNAs, and the enhancement of translation of RRE-containing RNAs. Our studies now demonstrate that at least one member of the SR family of splicing factors, SF2/ASF, specifically binds to a subregion of the RRE in vitro in a Rev-dependent manner. Furthermore, expression of high levels of SF2/ASF inhibits Rev function and impairs HIV replication in vivo. Both the in vitro binding of SF2/ASF to the Rev/RRE complex and the in vivo inhibition of Rev action by SF2/ASF are abrogated by mutation of the N-terminal RNA recognition motif but are not affected by mutation of the C-terminal arginine-serine-rich domain. These findings suggest that Rev inhibition of HIV splicing likely involves recruitment of the essential splicing factor SF2/ASF to the Rev/RRE complex. However, these inhibitory effects of Rev on viral RNA splicing are apparently overcome by augmenting the intracellular levels of SF2/ASF expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

c-rel regulation of IL-2 gene expression may be mediated through activation of AP-1.

T cell activation by antigen/MHC induces the expression of several genes critical to the immune response, including interleukin-2. T cells from mice deficient for the NF-kappa B family member c-rel cannot activate IL-2 gene expression. However, mutating the NF-kappa B site in the IL-2 promoter has only moderate effects. To investigate additional ways c-Rel could regulate IL-2 gene expression, we determined whether c-rel overexpression could increase the activity of other transcription factors involved in IL-2 promoter regulation: NF-AT, Oct/OAP (ARRE-1), and AP-1. In Jurkat TAg cells, overexpression of c-Rel increased AP-1 activation approximately 17-fold. Moreover, AP-1 activity stimulated by anti-TCR Abs or PMA/ionomycin was further increased by c-Rel overexpression. c-Rel overexpression did not affect NF-AT or ARRE-1 activity. Additionally, overexpression of c-Rel activated the nonconsensus AP-1 site from the IL-2 promoter (NF-IL-2B), although to a lesser extent, approximately sixfold. AP-1 activation required both the DNA binding and transactivation domains of c-Rel. Our results may provide an explanation for the effect on IL-2 gene activation in c-rel-deficient mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Distinct tyrosine residues within the interleukin-2 receptor beta chain drive signal transduction specificity, redundancy, and diversity.

To explore the basis for interleukin (IL)-2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling specificity, the roles of tyrosine-based sequences located within the cytoplasmic tails of the beta and gammac chains were examined in the murine helper T cell line HT-2. Activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway, cellular proliferation, and the induction of various genes were monitored. All four of the cytoplasmic tyrosine residues as well as the distal portion of the gammac proved dispensable for the entire spectrum of IL-2R signaling responses studied. Conversely, select tyrosine residues within the beta chain were essential and differentially required for various signaling events. Specifically, activation of c-fos gene expression was found to occur exclusively through the most membrane proximal tyrosine, Tyr-338, whereas proliferation and the activation of STAT-5 were induced either through Tyr-338 or through the two C-terminal tyrosine residues, Tyr-392 and Tyr-510. These tyrosine residues mediated the induction of two different STAT-5 isoforms, which were found to form heterodimers upon receptor activation. In contrast to the tyrosine dependence of c-fos and STAT-5 induction, bcl-2 gene induction proceeded independently of all IL-2Rbeta tyrosine residues. Thus, the tyrosine-based modules present within the IL-2Rbeta cytoplasmic tail play a critical role in IL-2R signaling, mediating specificity, redundancy, and multifunctionality.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of HIV replication by sense and antisense rev response elements in HIV-based retroviral vectors.

The life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is critically dependent on the transregulatory proteins Tat and Rev. Tat increases the production of HIV-specific mRNAs by direct binding to the transactivation response (TAR) element located at the 5' end of all HIV transcripts. In contrast, Rev uses a complex RNA stem loop structure, the Rev response element (RRE), which is found in full-length and singly spliced HIV transcripts. Rev is required for the cytoplasmic expression of full-length mRNAs encoding Gag, Pol, and Env structural proteins. The complex intracellular interactions between Tat, Rev, host cell factors, and their respective RNA response elements should be susceptible to interdiction by genetic therapies designed to introduce and express novel genetic information. We show that the expression of antisense RREs inhibited the cytoplasmic expression of RRE containing HIV-1 transcripts. HIV-based retroviral vectors containing either the antisense (-) or sense (+) RREs inhibited HIV replication in transient transfections. The production of full-length HIV mRNA was also decreased significantly by the expression of RREs in either orientation. Interestingly, there was a paradoxic increase in HIV p24 gag production at low levels of inhibitor; this effect may have been the result of encapsidation of RRE-containing HIV-based retroviral vectors. The data suggest that the introduction and inducible expression of RRE-containing, HIV-based retroviral vectors may have therapeutic value in HIV infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The molecular role of the common gamma c subunit in signal transduction reveals functional asymmetry within multimeric cytokine receptor complexes.

The specific signal transduction function of the gamma c subunit in the interleukin (IL) 2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15 receptor complexes remains undefined. The present structure-function analyses demonstrated that the entire cytoplasmic tail of gamma c could be functionally replaced in the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling complex by a severely truncated erythropoietin receptor cytoplasmic domain lacking tyrosine residues. Heterodimerization of IL-2R beta with either gamma c or the truncated erythropoietin receptor chain led to an array of specific signals normally derived from the native IL-2R despite the substitution of Janus kinase JAK2 for JAK3 in the receptor complex. These findings thus suggest a model in which the gamma c subunit serves as a common and generic "trigger" chain by providing a nonspecific Janus kinase for signaling program initiation, while signal specificity is determined by the unique "driver" subunit in each of the gamma c- containing receptor complexes. Furthermore, these results may have important functional implications for the asymmetric design of many cytokine receptor complexes and the evolutionary design of receptor subfamilies that share common trigger or driver subunits.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1996

The alpha chain of the IL-2 receptor determines the species specificity of high-affinity IL-2 binding.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) mediated signalling results from ligand binding and subsequent heterodimerization of IL-2r beta and gamma c. The high-affinity IL-2 receptor (IL-2r) is a heterotrimer comprised of the IL-2r alpha, IL-2r beta and gamma c subunits. Whereas human IL-2 effectively binds to either human or murine lymphocytes, murine IL-2 binds with markedly higher affinity to murine receptor complexes than to human complexes. Using cell lines stably expressing heterotrimeric IL-2r that vary in the species origin of individual subunits, we have demonstrated that IL-2r alpha is primarily responsible for the species specificity of IL-2 binding. Studies of ligand binding to the low affinity receptor demonstrated that IL-2r alpha displays a similar species preference to the heterotrimeric complex. Moreover, differences in ligand binding are reflected in differences in proliferation. A cell line expressing human IL-2r alpha and IL-2r beta along with murine gamma c vigorously proliferated only in response to human IL-2 at low doses, while both human and murine IL-2 stimulated proliferation of a cell line containing murine IL-2r alpha (as well as human IL-2r beta and murine gamma c). Therefore, IL-2r alpha is the chain primarily responsible for the species specificity of ligand binding.

Affinity Labels↗
PubMed1996

Interaction of HTLV-I Tax with the human proteasome: implications for NF-kappa B induction.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) has been etiologically associated with the development of the adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) as well as degenerative neurologic syndrome termed tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). HTLV-I encodes a potent transactivator protein termed Tax that appears to play an important role in the process of T-cell immortalization. Even though the mechanisms by which Tax induces transformation are still unknown, it seems likely that the ability of Tax to alter the expression of many cellular genes plays an important part in this process. Tax does not bind directly to DNA but rather deregulates the activity of cellular transcription factors. One family of host transcription factors whose activity is altered by Tax includes NF-kappa B/Rel. These transcription factors are post-transcriptionally regulated by their assembly with a second family of inhibitory proteins termed I kappa B that serve to sequester the NF-kappa B/Rel complexes in the cytoplasm. Upon cellular activation, I kappa B alpha is phosphorylated, polyubiquitinated, and degraded in the proteasome. This proteolytic event liberates NF-kappa B, permitting its rapid translocation into the nucleus where it binds to its cognate enhancer elements. Similarly, the p105 precursor of the NF-kappa B p50 subunit is also post-translationally processed in the proteasome. The mechanisms by which Tax activates NF-kappa B remain unclear, and findings presented in the literature are often controversial. We identified a physical interaction between Tax and the HsN3 subunit of the human proteasome. This raises the intriguing possibility that physical association of the HsN3 proteasome subunit with HTLV-I Tax coupled with the independent interaction of Tax with either p100 or p65-I kappa B alpha targets these cytoplasmic NF-kappa B/Rel complexes to the proteasome for processing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Interaction of the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 Tax dimer with CREB and the viral 21-base-pair repeat.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 Tax interacts specifically with the cellular transcription factor CREB and the viral 21-bp repeat element to form a Tax-CREB-DNA ternary complex which mediates activation of viral mRNA transcription. Analyses of Tax and Tax mutants indicate that, like CREB, Tax incorporates into the ternary complex as a dimer. The ability of Tax to form a dimer is necessary for its interaction with CREB and the 21-bp element. Analyses of several Tax mutants with amino acid substitutions spanning residues 123 to 204 indicate that intersubunit Tax dimerization correlates with its ability to assemble into the ternary complex and activate transcription. Tax also enhances the DNA binding activities of specific bZip domains in vitro. The ability of Tax to enhance DNA binding of bZip proteins can be explained in part by Tax dimerization. This activity alone is not sufficient for transactivation. A dual amino acid substitution mutant of Tax, M47 (L319R, L320S), completely abrogated for activation of the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 long terminal repeat as a result of a defect in the transactivation domain, continues to stimulate binding of bZip proteins to DNA.

Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors↗
PubMed1996

Both amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequences within I kappa B alpha regulate its inducible degradation.

Nuclear expression and consequent biological action of the eukaryotic NF-kappa B transcription factor complex are tightly regulated through its cytoplasmic retention by an ankyrin-rich inhibitory protein termed I kappa B alpha. I kappa B alpha specifically binds to and masks the nuclear localization signal of the RelA subunit of NF-kappa B, thereby effectively sequestering this transcription factor complex in the cytoplasm. Specific cellular activation signals lead to the rapid proteolytic degradation of I kappa B alpha and the concomitant nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B. However, the precise biochemical mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of I kappa B alpha on RelA and its inducible pattern of degradation remain unclear. By using HeLa cells transfected with various cDNAs end-coding epitope-tagged mutants of I kappa B alpha, our studies demonstrate the following: (i) sequences within the 72-amino-acid N-terminal region of I kappa B alpha are required for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced degradation but are fully dispensable for I kappa B alpha binding to and inhibition of RelA; (ii) serine residues located at positions 32 and 36 within the N-terminal region of I kappa B alpha represent major sites of induced phosphorylation (substitution of these serine residues with alanine abrogates TNF-alpha-induced degradation of I kappa B alpha); (iii) the C-terminal 40 residues of I kappa B alpha (amino acids 277 to 317), which include a PEST-like domain, are entirely dispensable for TNF-alpha-induced degradation and inhibition of RelA; (iv) a glutamine- and leucine-rich (QL) region of I kappa B alpha located between residues 263 and 277 and overlapping with the sixth ankyrin repeat is required for both inducible degradation and inhibition of RelA function; (v) regulation of I kappa B alpha degradation by this QL-rich region appears to occur independently of phosphorylation at serines 32 and 36. These findings thus indicate that I kappa B alpha is generally organized within distinct modular domains displaying different functional and regulatory properties. These studies have also led to the identification of a novel class of dominant-negative I kappa B alpha molecules that retain full inhibitory function on NF-kappa B yet fail to undergo stimulus-induced degradation. These molecules, which lack N-terminal sequences, potently inhibit TNF-alpha-induced activation of the human immune deficiency virus type 1 kappa B enhancer, thus indicating their possible use as general inhibitors of NF-kappa B.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Human T lymphotropic virus-I infection of human T lymphocytes induces expression of the beta-galactoside-binding lectin, galectin-3.

Animal lectins play important roles in a variety of biological processes via their recognition of glycoconjugates. Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding lectin previously designated as epsilon BP (IgE-binding protein), CBP35, Mac-2, L-29, and L-34, and its expression has been associated with various physiological and pathological processes, including cell growth, tumor transformation, and metastasis. Galectin-3 is widely distributed in various tissues and cell types and is expressed in many leukocytes, with the notable exception of B and T lymphocytes. We now report that galectin-3 is abundantly expressed in a number of human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-I-infected human T cell lines, including F6T, HUT 102, K3T, MT-2, and SLB-I, but is not expressed in non-HTLV-I-infected T cell lines such as Jurkat, CEM, and MOLT-4. In addition, the galectin-3 level was markedly increased in human thymocytes after infection with HTLV-I as compared with uninfected thymocytes. The up-regulation of galectin-3 expression appeared to correlate well with HTLV-I gene expression, as undetectable or very low levels of galectin-3 were found in the S1T and ATL-1K cell lines, which are nonproductively infected with HTLV-I. In co-transfection experiments, the galectin-3 promoter was significantly up-regulated by expression vectors encoding the 40-kd Tax protein, a potent transactivator in HTLV-I. Analysis of various Tax mutants suggested that galectin-3 promoter induction is dependent on activation of the cyclic-AMP-responsive element binding protein/activation transcription factor family of transcription factors and, to a lesser extent, nuclear factor-kappa B/Rel induction. Transfection of human promonocytic U-937 cells with an HTLV-I Tax expression vector induced galectin-3 expression in this cell line. Functionally, galectin-3 was shown to activate interleukin-2 production in Jurkat T cells. Together, these findings raise the possibility that HTLV-I Tax production induces the transcription and subsequent synthesis and secretion of galectin-3, which in turn may further activate these T cells and contribute to the altered properties of cell growth found in adult T cell leukemia induced by HTLV-I.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of interleukin-2-dependent signal transduction through the Shc/Grb2 adapter pathway. Interleukin-2-dependent mitogenesis does not require Shc phosphorylation or receptor association.

The interleukin (IL)-2 receptor system has previously been shown to signal through the association and tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc. This study demonstrates that the IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2R beta) chain is the critical receptor component required to mediate this effect. The use of IL-2R beta chain deletion mutants transfected into a Ba/F3 murine cell model describes a requirement for the IL-2R beta "acid-rich" domain between amino acids 315 and 384 for Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and receptor association. COS cell co-transfection studies of IL-2R beta chain constructs containing point mutations of tyrosine to phenylalanine along with the tyrosine kinase Jak-1 and a hemagglutinin-tagged Shc revealed that the motif surrounding phosphorylated tyrosine 338 within the acid-rich domain of the IL-2R beta is a binding site for Shc. Deletion of this domain has previously been shown to abrogate the ability of IL-2 to activate Ras but does not affect IL-2-dependent mitogenesis in the presence of serum. Proliferation assays of Ba/F3 cells containing IL-2R beta chain deletion mutants in serum-free medium with or without insulin shows that deletion of the acid-rich domain does not affect IL-2-driven mitogenesis regardless of the culture conditions. This study thus defines the critical domain within the IL-2R beta chain required to mediate Shc binding and Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and further shows that Shc binding and phosphorylation are not required for IL-2-dependent mitogenesis. Neither serum nor insulin is required to supplement the loss of induction of the Shc adapter or Ras pathways, which therefore suggests a novel mechanism for mitogenic signal transduction mediated by this hematopoietin receptor.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1995

Identification of a variable region within the cytoplasmic tail of the IL-2 receptor beta chain that is required for growth signal transduction.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) regulates numerous biological events, including T lymphocyte proliferation. Interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R)-mediated signaling is triggered by ligand-induced heterodimerization of the IL-2R beta and gamma c subunits, which results in the activation of signaling intermediates that are associated with either IL-2R beta or gamma c. Previous mutagenesis studies of the IL-2R beta cytoplasmic tail demonstrated that the partially conserved box 1 and box 2 motifs and specific tyrosine residues are critical for growth signaling. By deletion and alanine scanning mutagenesis, another set of residues that are critical for IL-2R-mediated signaling has now been identified. These residues lie within the divergent 35-amino acid "spacer" region separating box 1 and box 2. The role of this receptor subregion in early phases of IL-2R signaling was evaluated using BA/F3 stable cell lines expressing three functionally impaired mutants from this region. All three cell lines displayed substantially diminished growth responsiveness to IL-2. Receptor-mediated STAT factor activation, IL-2R beta phosphorylation, and Janus kinase activation were also markedly impaired. These findings indicate that this variable spacer region, which we have termed the V-box, is essential for the initiation of IL-2R-mediated signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Growth signal transduction by the human interleukin-2 receptor requires cytoplasmic tyrosines of the beta chain and non-tyrosine residues of the gamma c chain.

To evaluate the possible role for receptor-based tyrosine phosphorylation in growth signaling induced by interleukin-2 (IL-2), a series of substitution tyrosine mutants of the IL-2 receptor beta and gamma c chains was prepared and analyzed. Concurrent mutation of all six of the cytoplasmic tyrosines present in the beta chain markedly inhibited IL-2-induced growth signaling in both pro-B and T cell lines. Growth signaling in a pro-B cell line was substantially reconstituted when either of the two distal tyrosines (Tyr-392, Tyr-510) was selectively restored in the tyrosine-negative beta mutant, whereas reconstitution of the proximal tyrosines (Tyr-338, Tyr-355, Tyr-358, Tyr-361) did not restore this signaling function. Furthermore, at least one of the two cytoplasmic tyrosines that is required for beta chain function was found to serve as a phosphate acceptor site upon induction with IL-2. Studies employing a chimeric receptor system revealed that tyrosine residues of the beta chain likewise were important for growth signaling in T cells. In contrast, although the gamma c subunits is a target for tyrosine phosphorylation in vivo, concurrent substitution of all four cytoplasmic tyrosines of this chain produced no significant effect on growth signaling by chimeric IL-2 receptors. However, deletion of either the Box 1, Box 2, or intervening (V-Box) regions of gamma c abrogated receptor function. Therefore, tyrosine residues of beta but not of gamma c appear to play a pivotal role in regulating growth signal transduction through the IL-2 receptor, either by influencing cytoplasmic domain folding or by serving as sites for phosphorylation and subsequent association with signaling intermediates. These findings thus highlight a fundamental difference in the structural requirements for IL-2R beta and gamma c in receptor-mediated signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Signaling through the interleukin 2 receptor beta chain activates a STAT-5-like DNA-binding activity.

To explore the possible involvement of STAT factors ("signal transducers and activators of transcription") in the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling cascade, murine HT-2 cells expressing chimeric receptors composed of the extracellular domain of the erythropoietin receptor fused to the cytoplasmic domains of the IL-2R beta or -gamma c chains were prepared. Erythropoietin or IL-2 activation of these cells resulted in rapid nuclear expression of a DNA-binding activity that reacted with select STAT response elements. Based on reactivity with specific anti-STAT antibodies, this DNA-binding activity was identified as a murine homologue of STAT-5. Induction of nuclear expression of this STAT-5-like factor was blocked by the addition of herbimycin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but not by rapamycin, an immunophilin-binding antagonist of IL-2-induced proliferation. The IL-2R beta chain appeared critical for IL-2-induced activation of STAT-5, since a mutant beta chain lacking all cytoplasmic tyrosine residues was incapable of inducing this DNA binding. In contrast, a gamma c mutant lacking all of its cytoplasmic tyrosine residues proved fully competent for the induction of STAT-5. Physical binding of STAT-5 to functionally important tyrosine residues within IL-2R beta was supported by the finding that phosphorylated, but not nonphosphorylated, peptides corresponding to sequences spanning Y392 and Y510 of the IL-2R beta tail specifically inhibited STAT-5 DNA binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗