Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Nucleic Acids Research logoLink to Nucleic Acids Research
. 1990 Sep 11;18(17):5097–5106. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.17.5097

Identification of an estrogen response element upstream of the human c-fos gene that binds the estrogen receptor and the AP-1 transcription factor.

A Weisz 1, R Rosales 1
PMCID: PMC332129  PMID: 2119495

Abstract

Transcription of the proto-oncogene c-fos is stimulated by 17 beta-estradiol in estrogen responsive human and rat cells. To understand the molecular mechanisms of estrogen regulation of c-fos gene transcription, the human c-fos gene promoter, with 2.25 Kb of 5'-flanking DNA, was cloned upstream of the bacterial CAT gene and tested for estrogen regulation by transient transfection in HeLa cells. When an expression vector coding for the human estrogen receptor was co-transfected with the fos -CAT reporter, the promoter was found to respond to 17 beta-estradiol. An element responsible for estrogen induction was mapped in a 240 bp region localized 1060 to 1300 bases upstream of the startsite of transcription of the gene. Sequence analysis revealed, clustered in a 19 bp sub-region, a sequence corresponding to an imperfectly palindromic ERE: CGGCAGCGTGACC and two sequences: CTGAG and GTGAC, homologous to the core sequence of AP-1 transcription factor binding sites. A synthetic oligonucleotide reproducing this sub-region binds 'in vitro' both the estrogen receptor and AP-1 factor(s) and confers estrogen-responsivity to the HSV-tk gene promoter. Transcriptional activation by the estrogen receptor is prevented by mutations in the fos ERE that hamper binding of the receptor in vitro. Activation of the c-fos gene promoter in HeLa cells requires the DNA binding domain of the estrogen receptor, and can be achieved independently by the TAF-1 and the TAF-2 transcriptional activation functions of this molecule. A receptor mutant lacking the hormone binding domain can activate the c-fos gene promoter in the absence of estrogen.

Full text

PDF
5097

Images in this article

5099Image
on p.5099
5100Image
on p.5100
5101Image
on p.5101
5102Image
on p.5102
5102Image
on p.5102

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Angel P., Imagawa M., Chiu R., Stein B., Imbra R. J., Rahmsdorf H. J., Jonat C., Herrlich P., Karin M. Phorbol ester-inducible genes contain a common cis element recognized by a TPA-modulated trans-acting factor. Cell. 1987 Jun 19;49(6):729–739. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90611-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berry M., Nunez A. M., Chambon P. Estrogen-responsive element of the human pS2 gene is an imperfectly palindromic sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Feb;86(4):1218–1222. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.4.1218. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bohmann D., Bos T. J., Admon A., Nishimura T., Vogt P. K., Tjian R. Human proto-oncogene c-jun encodes a DNA binding protein with structural and functional properties of transcription factor AP-1. Science. 1987 Dec 4;238(4832):1386–1392. doi: 10.1126/science.2825349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chiu R., Angel P., Karin M. Jun-B differs in its biological properties from, and is a negative regulator of, c-Jun. Cell. 1989 Dec 22;59(6):979–986. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90754-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Curran T., Franza B. R., Jr Fos and Jun: the AP-1 connection. Cell. 1988 Nov 4;55(3):395–397. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90024-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Demay M. B., Gerardi J. M., DeLuca H. F., Kronenberg H. M. DNA sequences in the rat osteocalcin gene that bind the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor and confer responsiveness to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Jan;87(1):369–373. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.1.369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Deschamps J., Meijlink F., Verma I. M. Identification of a transcriptional enhancer element upstream from the proto-oncogene fos. Science. 1985 Dec 6;230(4730):1174–1177. doi: 10.1126/science.3865371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dony C., Gruss P. Expression of a murine homeobox gene precedes the induction of c-fos during mesodermal differentiation of P19 teratocarcinoma cells. Differentiation. 1988;37(2):115–122. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-0436.1988.tb00803.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Dubik D., Shiu R. P. Transcriptional regulation of c-myc oncogene expression by estrogen in hormone-responsive human breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 1988 Sep 5;263(25):12705–12708. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fisch T. M., Prywes R., Roeder R. G. An AP1-binding site in the c-fos gene can mediate induction by epidermal growth factor and 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Mar;9(3):1327–1331. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.3.1327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Glass C. K., Franco R., Weinberger C., Albert V. R., Evans R. M., Rosenfeld M. G. A c-erb-A binding site in rat growth hormone gene mediates trans-activation by thyroid hormone. Nature. 1987 Oct 22;329(6141):738–741. doi: 10.1038/329738a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Glass C. K., Holloway J. M., Devary O. V., Rosenfeld M. G. The thyroid hormone receptor binds with opposite transcriptional effects to a common sequence motif in thyroid hormone and estrogen response elements. Cell. 1988 Jul 29;54(3):313–323. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90194-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gorman C. M., Moffat L. F., Howard B. H. Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1982 Sep;2(9):1044–1051. doi: 10.1128/mcb.2.9.1044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Green S., Chambon P. Nuclear receptors enhance our understanding of transcription regulation. Trends Genet. 1988 Nov;4(11):309–314. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(88)90108-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Green S., Issemann I., Sheer E. A versatile in vivo and in vitro eukaryotic expression vector for protein engineering. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Jan 11;16(1):369–369. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.1.369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Horwitz K. B., McGuire W. L. Estrogen control of progesterone receptor in human breast cancer. Correlation with nuclear processing of estrogen receptor. J Biol Chem. 1978 Apr 10;253(7):2223–2228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Imler J. L., Schatz C., Wasylyk C., Chatton B., Wasylyk B. A Harvey-ras responsive transcription element is also responsive to a tumour-promoter and to serum. Nature. 1988 Mar 17;332(6161):275–278. doi: 10.1038/332275a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Imler J. L., Wasylyk B. AP1, a composite transcription factor implicated in abnormal growth control. Prog Growth Factor Res. 1989;1(2):69–77. doi: 10.1016/0955-2235(89)90001-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kageyama R., Pastan I. Molecular cloning and characterization of a human DNA binding factor that represses transcription. Cell. 1989 Dec 1;59(5):815–825. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90605-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Klein-Hitpass L., Schorpp M., Wagner U., Ryffel G. U. An estrogen-responsive element derived from the 5' flanking region of the Xenopus vitellogenin A2 gene functions in transfected human cells. Cell. 1986 Sep 26;46(7):1053–1061. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90705-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Klein-Hitpass L., Tsai S. Y., Greene G. L., Clark J. H., Tsai M. J., O'Malley B. W. Specific binding of estrogen receptor to the estrogen response element. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Jan;9(1):43–49. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.1.43. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Kumar V., Chambon P. The estrogen receptor binds tightly to its responsive element as a ligand-induced homodimer. Cell. 1988 Oct 7;55(1):145–156. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90017-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Kumar V., Green S., Stack G., Berry M., Jin J. R., Chambon P. Functional domains of the human estrogen receptor. Cell. 1987 Dec 24;51(6):941–951. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90581-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Loose-Mitchell D. S., Chiappetta C., Stancel G. M. Estrogen regulation of c-fos messenger ribonucleic acid. Mol Endocrinol. 1988 Oct;2(10):946–951. doi: 10.1210/mend-2-10-946. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Luckow B., Schütz G. CAT constructions with multiple unique restriction sites for the functional analysis of eukaryotic promoters and regulatory elements. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Jul 10;15(13):5490–5490. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.13.5490. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Martin L., Finn C. A., Trinder G. Hypertrophy and hyperplasia in the mouse uterus after oestrogen treatment: an autoradiographic study. J Endocrinol. 1973 Jan;56(1):133–144. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0560133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Martinez E., Givel F., Wahli W. The estrogen-responsive element as an inducible enhancer: DNA sequence requirements and conversion to a glucocorticoid-responsive element. EMBO J. 1987 Dec 1;6(12):3719–3727. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02706.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Mitchell R. L., Zokas L., Schreiber R. D., Verma I. M. Rapid induction of the expression of proto-oncogene fos during human monocytic differentiation. Cell. 1985 Jan;40(1):209–217. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90324-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Murphy L. J., Murphy L. C., Friesen H. G. Estrogen induction of N-myc and c-myc proto-oncogene expression in the rat uterus. Endocrinology. 1987 May;120(5):1882–1888. doi: 10.1210/endo-120-5-1882. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Nakabeppu Y., Ryder K., Nathans D. DNA binding activities of three murine Jun proteins: stimulation by Fos. Cell. 1988 Dec 2;55(5):907–915. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90146-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Nunez A. M., Berry M., Imler J. L., Chambon P. The 5' flanking region of the pS2 gene contains a complex enhancer region responsive to oestrogens, epidermal growth factor, a tumour promoter (TPA), the c-Ha-ras oncoprotein and the c-jun protein. EMBO J. 1989 Mar;8(3):823–829. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03443.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Santos G. F., Scott G. K., Lee W. M., Liu E., Benz C. Estrogen-induced post-transcriptional modulation of c-myc proto-oncogene expression in human breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 1988 Jul 15;263(20):9565–9568. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Sariban E., Mitchell T., Rambaldi A., Kufe D. W. c-sis but not c-fos gene expression is lineage specific in human myeloid cells. Blood. 1988 Feb;71(2):488–493. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Schüle R., Umesono K., Mangelsdorf D. J., Bolado J., Pike J. W., Evans R. M. Jun-Fos and receptors for vitamins A and D recognize a common response element in the human osteocalcin gene. Cell. 1990 May 4;61(3):497–504. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90531-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Schütte J., Viallet J., Nau M., Segal S., Fedorko J., Minna J. jun-B inhibits and c-fos stimulates the transforming and trans-activating activities of c-jun. Cell. 1989 Dec 22;59(6):987–997. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90755-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Sica V., Weisz A., Petrillo A., Armetta I., Puca G. A. Assay of total estradiol receptor in tissue homogenate and tissue fractions by exchange with sodium thiocyanate at low temperature. Biochemistry. 1981 Feb 17;20(4):686–693. doi: 10.1021/bi00507a003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Singh H., Sen R., Baltimore D., Sharp P. A. A nuclear factor that binds to a conserved sequence motif in transcriptional control elements of immunoglobulin genes. Nature. 1986 Jan 9;319(6049):154–158. doi: 10.1038/319154a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Strauss F., Varshavsky A. A protein binds to a satellite DNA repeat at three specific sites that would be brought into mutual proximity by DNA folding in the nucleosome. Cell. 1984 Jul;37(3):889–901. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90424-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Sutherland R. L., Reddel R. R., Green M. D. Effects of oestrogens on cell proliferation and cell cycle kinetics. A hypothesis on the cell cycle effects of antioestrogens. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1983 Mar;19(3):307–318. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(83)90127-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Tora L., Gaub M. P., Mader S., Dierich A., Bellard M., Chambon P. Cell-specific activity of a GGTCA half-palindromic oestrogen-responsive element in the chicken ovalbumin gene promoter. EMBO J. 1988 Dec 1;7(12):3771–3778. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03261.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Tora L., White J., Brou C., Tasset D., Webster N., Scheer E., Chambon P. The human estrogen receptor has two independent nonacidic transcriptional activation functions. Cell. 1989 Nov 3;59(3):477–487. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90031-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Travers M. T., Knowler J. T. Oestrogen-induced expression of oncogenes in the immature rat uterus. FEBS Lett. 1987 Jan 19;211(1):27–30. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(87)81267-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Umesono K., Giguere V., Glass C. K., Rosenfeld M. G., Evans R. M. Retinoic acid and thyroid hormone induce gene expression through a common responsive element. Nature. 1988 Nov 17;336(6196):262–265. doi: 10.1038/336262a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Vasios G. W., Gold J. D., Petkovich M., Chambon P., Gudas L. J. A retinoic acid-responsive element is present in the 5' flanking region of the laminin B1 gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Dec;86(23):9099–9103. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.23.9099. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Weisz A., Bresciani F. Estrogen induces expression of c-fos and c-myc protooncogenes in rat uterus. Mol Endocrinol. 1988 Sep;2(9):816–824. doi: 10.1210/mend-2-9-816. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Weisz A., Coppola L., Bresciani F. Specific binding of estrogen receptor to sites upstream and within the transcribed region of the chicken ovalbumin gene. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1986 Sep 14;139(2):396–402. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(86)80004-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Wilding G., Lippman M. E., Gelmann E. P. Effects of steroid hormones and peptide growth factors on protooncogene c-fos expression in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Res. 1988 Feb 15;48(4):802–805. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. van Straaten F., Müller R., Curran T., Van Beveren C., Verma I. M. Complete nucleotide sequence of a human c-onc gene: deduced amino acid sequence of the human c-fos protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Jun;80(11):3183–3187. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.11.3183. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Nucleic Acids Research are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES