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PubMed1994

Isolation of three novel POU-domain containing cDNA clones from lactating mouse mammary gland.

Using a PCR-based cloning strategy to identify putative members of the POU-family of transcription factors from genomic mouse DNA or from cDNA derived from lactating or involuting mouse mammary gland 56 POU-domain containing DNA fragments were isolated. Within these 56 clones three cDNA clones seem to be novel putative members of this transcription factor family, referred to as mPit-1R, mBrn-3R and MM-POU-III-A. Expression pattern studies were performed using a reverse transcriptase-mediated PCR approach. For all three different clones distinct developmental and tissue specific transcript levels were obtained, suggesting a tissue specific function of these newly isolated putative members of the POU-family of transcription factors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Cloning, chromosomal localization and expression pattern of the POU domain gene Oct-11.

POU domain genes encode a family of highly conserved transacting factors that influence the transcriptional activity of several cell type-specific and ubiquitous genes. We have cloned and sequenced cDNAs encoding a novel mouse POU domain protein, Oct-11, that is closely related within the POU domain to the POU class II proteins, Oct-1 and Oct-2. Recombinant Oct-11 protein binds specifically to an octamer sequence in vitro. The Oct-11 gene is expressed during mouse embryogenesis and in the adult thymus and testis. In addition, it is abundant in the myeloma cell line P3/NS-1/1-Ag4.1. We describe the structure of Oct-11 and its chromosomal localization, and discuss the evidence that the POU class II gene family has evolved by duplication and divergence of a common ancestral gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

The tissue-specific transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1 binds to the c-fos serum response element and activates c-fos transcription.

Pit-1, a POU domain-containing transcription factor, is involved in two functions in the pituitary: PRL and GH tissue-specific expression and somatolactotroph cells expansion. To analyze the molecular basis of the latter function, we tested whether Pit-1 can directly transactivate expression of an early marker of cell cycle initiation, the c-fos gene. We show that Pit-1 overexpression in PC12 cells, which do not express Pit-1, increases c-fos expression. Moreover, cAMP-induced c-fos promoter activity is decreased in the somatolactotroph cell line GH3 when Pit-1 expression is reduced by hybrid arrest with an antisense sequence complementary to Pit-1 cDNA. In contrast to hormonal genes regulation, where it has been shown that any Pit-1 phosphorylation site is involved, we show that the Pit-1 phosphorylation sites are required to allow increase of c-fos promoter activity by Pit-1. We further show, by gel shift analyses, that Pit-1 is able to specifically bind the serum response element sequence present within the c-fos promoter but with a lesser affinity than the Pit-1 response element. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the tissue-specific transcription factor Pit-1 is able to enhance expression of genes involved in cell cycle initiation, suggesting that this mechanism allows Pit-1 to increase somato-lactotroph cell proliferation.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Structure, mRNA expression and linkage mapping of the brain-type fatty acid-binding protein gene (FABP7) from zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The brain fatty acid-binding protein (B-FABP) is involved in brain development and adult neurogenesis. We have determined the sequence of the gene encoding the B-FABP in zebrafish. The zebrafish B-FABP gene spans 2370 bp and contains four exons interrupted by three introns. The coding sequence of zebrafish B-FABP gene is identical to its cDNA sequence and the coding capacity of each exon is the same as that for the human and mouse B-FABP genes. A 1249 bp sequence 5' upstream of exon 1 of the zebrafish B-FABP gene was cloned and sequenced. Several brain development/growth-associated transcription factor binding elements, including POU-domain binding elements and the proposed lipogenic-associated transcription factor NF-Y elements, were found within the 5' region of the B-FABP gene. RT-PCR analysis using mRNA extracted from different tissues of adult zebrafish demonstrated that the zebrafish B-FABP mRNA was predominant in brain with lower levels in liver, testis and intestine, but not in ovary, skin, heart, kidney and muscle. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed a similar tissue-specific distribution for zebrafish B-FABP mRNA except that very low levels of B-FABP mRNA, normalized to beta-actin mRNA, were detected in the heart and muscle RNA, but not in liver RNA. Zebrafish B-FABP mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in embryos beyond 12 h postfertilization, suggesting a correlation of zebrafish B-FABP mRNA expression with early brain development. Radiation hybrid mapping assigned the zebrafish B-FABP gene to linkage group 17. Conserved syntenies of the zebrafish B-FABP gene and the human and mouse orthologous B-FABP genes were observed by comparative genomic analysis.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2002

Context-dependent utilization of Notch activity in Drosophila glial determination.

During Drosophila neurogenesis, glial differentiation depends on the expression of glial cells missing (gcm). Understanding how glial fate is achieved thus requires knowledge of the temporal and spatial control mechanisms directing gcm expression. A recent report showed that in the adult bristle lineage, gcm expression is negatively regulated by Notch signaling ( Van De Bor, V. and Giangrande, A. (2001). Development 128, 1381-1390). Here we show that the effect of Notch activation on gliogenesis is context-dependent. In the dorsal bipolar dendritic (dbd) sensory lineage in the embryonic peripheral nervous system (PNS), asymmetric cell division of the dbd precursor produces a neuron and a glial cell, where gcm expression is activated in the glial daughter. Within the dbd lineage, Notch is specifically activated in one of the daughter cells and is required for gcm expression and a glial fate. Thus Notch activity has opposite consequences on gcm expression in two PNS lineages. Ectopic Notch activation can direct gliogenesis in a subset of embryonic PNS lineages, suggesting that Notch-dependent gliogenesis is supported in certain developmental contexts. We present evidence that POU-domain protein Nubbin/PDM-1 is one of the factors that provide such context.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Selective constraints on the activation domain of transcription factor Pit-1.

The POU transcription factor Pit-1 activates members of the prolactin/growth hormone gene family in specific endocrine cell types of the pituitary gland. Although Pit-1 is structurally conserved among vertebrate species, evolutionary changes in the pattern of Pit-1 RNA splicing have led to a notable "contraction" of the transactivation domain in the mammalian lineage, relative to Pit-1 in salmonid fish. By site-directed mutagenesis we demonstrate that two splice insertions in salmon Pit-1, called beta (29 aa) and gamma (33 aa), are critical for cooperative activation of the salmon prolactin gene. Paradoxically, Pit-1-dependent activation of the prolactin gene in rat is enhanced in the absence of the homologous beta-insert sequence. This apparent divergence in the mechanism of activation of prolactin genes by Pit-1 is target gene specific, as activation of rat and salmon growth hormone genes by Pit-1 splice variants is entirely conserved. Our data suggest that efficient activation of the prolactin gene in the vertebrate pituitary has significantly constrained the pattern of splicing within the Pit-1 transactivation domain. Rapid evolutionary divergence of prolactin gene function may have demanded changes in Pit-1/protein interactions to accommodate new patterns of transcriptional control by developmental or physiological factors.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1999

Characterization of the regulatory domains of the human skn-1a/Epoc-1/Oct-11 POU transcription factor.

The Skn-1a POU transcription factor is primarily expressed in keratinocytes of murine embryonic and adult epidermis. Although some POU factors expressed in a tissue-specific manner are important for normal differentiation, the biological function of Skn-1a remains unknown. Previous in vitro studies indicate that Skn-1a has the ability to transactivate markers of keratinocyte differentiation. In this study, we have characterized Skn-1a's transactivation domain(s) and engineered a dominant negative protein that lacked this transactivation domain. Deletional analysis of the human homologue of Skn-1a with three target promoters revealed the presence of two functional domains: a primary C-terminal transactivation domain and a combined N-terminal inhibitory domain and transactivation domain. Skn-1a lacking the C-terminal region completely lost transactivation ability, irrespective of the promoter tested, and was able to block transactivation by normal Skn-1a in competition assays. Compared with full-length, Skn-1a lacking the N-terminal region demonstrated either increased transactivation (bovine cytokeratin 6 promoter), comparable transactivation (human papillomavirus type 1a long control region), or loss of transactivation (human papillomavirus type 18 long control region). The identification of a primary C-terminal transactivation domain enabled us to generate a dominant negative Skn-1a factor, which will be useful in the quest for a better understanding of this keratinocyte-specific gene regulator.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1999

Developmental effects of ectopic expression of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA binding domain are alleviated by an amino acid substitution that interferes with homeodomain binding.

Steroid hormone receptors are distinguished from other members of the nuclear hormone receptor family through their association with heat shock proteins and immunophilins in the absence of ligands. Heat shock protein association represses steroid receptor DNA binding and protein-protein interactions with other transcription factors and facilitates hormone binding. In this study, we investigated the hormone-dependent interaction between the DNA binding domain (DBD) of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the POU domains of octamer transcription factors 1 and 2 (Oct-1 and Oct-2, respectively). Our results indicate that the GR DBD binds directly, not only to the homeodomains of Oct-1 and Oct-2 but also to the homeodomains of several other homeodomain proteins. As these results suggest that the determinants for binding to the GR DBD are conserved within the homeodomain, we examined whether the ectopic expression of GR DBD peptides affected early embryonic development. The expression of GR DBD peptides in one-cell-stage zebra fish embryos severely affected their development, beginning with a delay in the epibolic movement during the blastula stage and followed by defects in convergence-extension movements during gastrulation, as revealed by the abnormal patterns of expression of several dorsal gene markers. In contrast, embryos injected with mRNA encoding a GR peptide with a point mutation that disrupted homeodomain binding or with mRNA encoding the DBD of the closely related mineralocorticoid receptor, which does not bind octamer factors, developed normally. Moreover, coinjection of mRNA encoding the homeodomain of Oct-2 completely rescued embryos from the effects of the GR DBD. These results highlight the potential of DNA-independent effects of GR in a whole-animal model and suggest that at least some of these effects may result from direct interactions with homeodomain proteins.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Human Oct3 gene family: cDNA sequences, alternative splicing, gene organization, chromosomal location, and expression at low levels in adult tissues.

Transcription factors containing the POU-domain have been shown to be important regulators of tissue-specific gene expression in the pituitary and lymphoid cells. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy, we have searched for similar factors that may be expressed in adult human pancreatic islets. This approach resulted in the amplification of sequences encoding the octamer binding proteins Oct1 and Oct3 (also called Oct4). The isolation of cDNAs encoding Oct3 revealed the expression of two isoforms of this transcription factor termed Oct3A and Oct3B that are generated by alternative splicing. Human Oct3A and Oct3B are composed of 360 and 265 amino acids, respectively, of which the 225 amino acids at the COOH-termini are identical. The sequence of human Oct3A shows 87% amino acid identity with mouse Oct3. Reverse-transcriptase PCR showed low levels of expression of both Oct3A and Oct3B mRNA in all adult human tissues examined. We also isolated and characterized the human Oct3 gene (OTF3) and a related gene, OTF3C. The human Oct3 gene, localized to human chromosome 6 in the region of the MHC complex, spans about 7 kb and consists of five exons. The Oct3-related gene, OTF3C, is a retroposon and has been localized to human chromosome 8. Southern blotting and PCR amplification of human DNA indicated the presence of other OTF3-related genes as has been previously noted in the mouse. Two polymorphisms which can be typed using PCR were identified in OTF3 which will facilitate genetic studies of this gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

The role of POU domain proteins in the regulation of mammalian pituitary and nervous system development.

POU domain proteins represent a subfamily of homeodomain-containing transcription factors that are expressed in many animal orders in a number of distinct regions in the developing and adult organism. In mammals, the expression profiles of these factors have suggested roles for class I, class III, and class IV POU domain proteins in the development, maintenance, and function of the endocrine and nervous systems. The genetic characterizations of the functions of these proteins during the generation, differentiation, and maturation of cells comprising these tissues have revealed a requirement for the individual actions of these transcription factors in the development of various elements of the anterior pituitary, the brain, and the somatosensory, vestibular/cochlear, and visual systems.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Gene structure and characterization of the murine homologue of the B cell-specific transcriptional coactivator OBF-1.

The B cell-specific activity of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene promoters is to a large extent mediated by the conserved octamer motif ATTTGCAT. This requires the DNA binding octamer factors Oct-1 and/or Oct-2, as well as an additional B cell-restricted non-DNA binding cofactor. We recently cloned such a coactivator specific for Oct-1 or Oct-2 from human B cells and called it OBF-1. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the murine homologue. Full-length cDNA clones as well as genomic clones were isolated and the gene structure was determined. The deduced protein sequence shows that the mouse protein has an identical length, is likewise proline rich and shows 89% overall identity to the human protein. The OBF-1 gene is expressed in a very highly B cell-specific manner and is transcribed in cells representative of all stages of B cell differentiation, including the earliest ones. We show that OBF-1 interacts in the absence of DNA with the POU domain of Oct-1 or Oct-2 and also with the general transcription factors TBP and TFIIB. Furthermore, we demonstrate that although OBF-1 efficiently activates promoter octamer sites, it does not activate enhancer octamer sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

The gene for the ubiquitous octamer-binding protein Oct-1 is on human chromosome 1, region cen-q32, and near Ly-22 and Ltw-4 on mouse chromosome 1.

Oct-1 is a sequence-specific transcription and DNA replication factor that recognizes the octameric sequence ATGCAAAT. This protein shares an extended region of sequence similarity, called the POU domain, with the lymphoid-specific transcription factor Oct-2, the pituitary-specific transcription factor Pit-1, and the Caenorhabditis elegans cell lineage gene product unc-86. Two subdomains, POU-related homeobox and POU-specific box, lie within the POU domain. Unlike other POU or homeodomain proteins, Oct-1 is ubiquitously expressed. A ubiquitous 95- to 100-kDa protein that has the same DNA-binding properties and is variously referred to as OTF-1, NFIII, or OBP100 is probably identical to Oct-1. The human gene was mapped by Southern blot analyses of human x rodent hybrid cell lines to chromosome 1, region cen-q32. In Chinese hamster x mouse hybrid cell lines the mouse locus was also mapped to chromosome 1. With the BXD (from progenitor strains C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) set of recombinant inbred strains of mice, the murine gene was localized on the linkage map of mouse chromosome 1. There were no recombinants among 26 strains with Ly-22 and 1 recombinant among 24 strains with Ltw-4. The gene symbol is OTF1 for humans and Oct-1 for mouse.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Structure and evolution of four POU domain genes expressed in mouse brain.

Four mouse POU domain genomic DNA clones--Brain-1, Brain-2, Brain-4, and Scip--and Brain-2 cDNA, which are expressed in adult brain, were cloned and the coding and noncoding regions of the genes were sequenced. The amino acid sequences of the four POU domains are highly conserved; sequences in other regions of the proteins also are conserved but to a lesser extent. The absence of introns from the coding regions of the four POU domain genes and the similarity of amino acid sequences of the corresponding proteins suggest that the coding region of the ancestral class III POU domain gene lacked introns and therefore may have originated by reverse transcription of a molecule of POU domain mRNA followed by insertion of the cDNA into germ cell genomic DNA. Additional duplications of the ancestral class III POU domain gene (or mRNA) would create the Brain-1, Brain-2, Brain-4, and Scip genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Crystallization of redox-insensitive Oct1 POU domain with different DNA-response elements.

The POU domain of the human Oct1 transcription factor has been crystallized with two different POU-dimer-binding DNA elements. Protein-DNA cocrystals suitable for structural analysis could be obtained only with a redox-insensitive version of the POU domain. The recombinant protein expression in a prokaryotic host was adjusted for fast purification. Optimized crystals were obtained by systematically varying the length of the oligonucleotide and by modifying cryofreezing procedures. These steps are generally applicable to the preparation of protein-DNA complexes for structural studies.

Crystallization↗

PubMed1998

Coactivator OBF-1 makes selective contacts with both the POU-specific domain and the POU homeodomain and acts as a molecular clamp on DNA.

The lymphoid-specific transcriptional coactivator OBF-1 (also known as OCA-B or Bob-1) is recruited to octamer site-containing promoters by interacting with Oct-1 or Oct-2 and thereby enhances the transactivation potential of these two Oct factors. For this interaction the POU domain is sufficient. By contrast, OBF-1 does not interact with the POU domains of other POU proteins, such as Oct-4, Oct-6, or Pit-1, even though these factors bind efficiently to the octamer motif. Here we examined the structural requirements for selective interaction between the POU domain and OBF-1. Previous data have shown that formation of a ternary complex among OBF-1, the POU domain, and the DNA is critically dependent on residues within the octamer site. By methylation interference analysis we identified bases that react differently in the presence of OBF-1 compared to the POU domain alone, and using phosphothioate backbone-modified probes in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we identified several positions influencing ternary complex formation. We then used Oct-1/Pit-1 POU domain chimeras to analyze the selectivity of the interaction between OBF-1 and the POU domain. This analysis indicated that both the POU specific domain (POUS) and the POU homeodomain (POUH) contribute to complex formation. Amino acids that are different in the Pit-1 and Oct-1 POU domains and are considered to be solvent accessible based on the Oct-1 POU domain/DNA cocrystal structure were replaced with alanine residues and analyzed for their influence on complex formation. Thereby, we identified residues L6 and E7 in the POUS and residues K155 and I159 in the POUH to be critical in vitro and in vivo for selective interaction with OBF-1. Furthermore, in an in vivo assay we could show that OBF-1 is able to functionally recruit two artificially separated halves of the POU domain to the promoter DNA, thereby leading to transactivation. These data allow us to propose a model of the interaction between OBF-1 and the POU domain, whereby OBF-1 acts as a molecular clamp holding together the two moieties of the POU domain and the DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Oct-6 transcription factor.

A variety of neurological disorders may have their origin during development of the central nervous system. Defects consistent with abnormal brain development have been reported in schizophrenia. These include faulty neuronal migration,altered spatial neuronal distribution, and the absence of significant gliosis. These abnormalities in the adult are allocated to developmental processes and thus indicate a developmental basis for schizophrenia. Our way toward understanding schizophrenia pathology has been to consider the genes that regulate normal brain development. One such family of genes is the POU family of homeobox transcription factors. This chapter reviews POU domain proteins, focusing on the POU III domain gene, Oct-6, along with its potential relevance to schizophrenia.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

The effects of Brn-3a on neuronal differentiation and apoptosis are differentially modulated by EWS and its oncogenic derivative EWS/Fli-1.

The Brn-3 family of POU (Pit-Oct-Unc) homeodomain transcription factors regulate differentiation of neuronal cell types. The transcriptional activator Brn-3a is expressed in Ewing's sarcomas, which also express characteristic chimaeric proteins as a consequence of fusion of the TET family gene EWS to one of several ETS genes. We have previously demonstrated a physical interaction between Brn-3a and EWS proteins, and show here that the C-terminal POU domain but not N-terminal activation domain of Brn-3a can interact in vitro with the RNA-binding domain of EWS. Likely due to POU domain homology, the related factor Brn-3b can also interact with EWS, but to a lesser extent than Brn-3a. Importantly, Brn-3a but not Brn-3b interacts in vitro with chimaeric EWS/Fli-1, EWS/ATF-1 and EWS/ERG proteins. Furthermore, overexpression of EWS/Fli-1 but not EWS or Fli-1 inhibits Brn-3a-associated growth arrest and neurite outgrowth in neuronal cells, and specifically inhibits Brn-3a-dependent activation of p21 and SNAP-25 transcription. In contrast, upregulation of Bcl-2 expression and inhibition of apoptosis by Brn-3a is antagonized more by EWS than by EWS/Fli-1. These data demonstrate that oncogenic rearrangement of EWS to produce EWS/Fli-1 may enhance the antiapoptotic effect of Brn-3a and inhibit its ability to promote neuronal differentiation.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Solution structure of the Oct-1 POU homeodomain determined by NMR and restrained molecular dynamics.

The POU homeodomain (POUhd), a divergent member of the well-studied class of homeodomain proteins, is the C-terminal part of the bipartite POU domain, the conserved DNA-binding domain of the POU proteins. In this paper we present the solution structure of POUhd of the human Oct-1 transcription factor. This fragment was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and studied by two- and three-dimensional homo- and heteronuclear NMR techniques, resulting in virtually complete 1H and 15N resonance assignments for residues 2-60. Using distance and dihedral constraints derived from the NMR data, 50 distance geometry structures were calculated, which were refined by means of restrained molecular dynamics. From this set a total of 31 refined structures were selected, having low constraint energy and few constraint violations. The ensemble of 31 structures displays a root-mean-square deviation of the coordinates of 0.59 A with respect to the average structure, calculated over the backbone atoms of residues 6 to 54. The fold of POUhd is very similar to that of the canonical homeodomains. Interestingly, the recognition helix of the free POUhd ends at residue 53, while in the cocrystal structure of the intact POU domain with the DNA octamer motif [Klemm, J.D., Rould, M.A., Aurora, R., Herr, W. and Pabo, C.O. (1994) Cell, 77, 21-32] this helix in the POUhd subdomain is extended as far as residue 60.

Amino Acid Sequence↗