Skip to main content
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1994 Jan;14(1):676–685. doi: 10.1128/mcb.14.1.676

Intragenic activating and repressing elements control transcription from the adenovirus IVa2 initiator.

H Chen 1, R Vinnakota 1, S J Flint 1
PMCID: PMC358417  PMID: 8264636

Abstract

The downstream stimulatory segment of the adenovirus type 2 IVa promoter includes a TA-rich sequence that binds recombinant TATA-binding proteins (TBP) in vitro. We now demonstrate that when placed upstream of the IVa2, initiator, this TA-rich sequence operated as a TATA element but exhibited significantly lower transcriptional and TBP-binding activities than did the TATA box of the adenovirus major late (ML) promoter. In sharp contrast, changing the IVa2 TA-rich sequence in its natural, intragenic context to the ML TATA sequence increased the activity of the IVa2 promoter only slightly. In view of this discrepancy, we examined the effects of single, double, and clustered point mutations in the downstream sequence on the activity of a minimal IVa2 promoter. Mutations between positions +21 and +29 inhibited IVa2 transcription, in some cases to the very low level directed by the IVa2 initiator alone. By contrast, substitutions within the TA-rich sequence increased the efficiency of IVa2 transcription. These results indicated that the downstream, TA-rich sequence does not function as an intragenic TFIID-binding site but rather is included within a negative regulatory element. Electrophoretic mobility shift and methylation interference assays using wild-type and mutated, intragenic promoter sequences identified a HeLa cell component whose binding to the sequence +11 to +27 correlated with repression of IVa2 transcription, suggesting that a negative regulatory element is superimposed upon the intragenic sequence required for efficient transcription from the IVa2 initiator.

Full text

PDF
676

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Beaupain D., Eléouët J. F., Roméo P. H. Initiation of transcription of the erythroid promoter of the porphobilinogen deaminase gene is regulated by a cis-acting sequence around the cap site. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Nov 25;18(22):6509–6515. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.22.6509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Carcamo J., Buckbinder L., Reinberg D. The initiator directs the assembly of a transcription factor IID-dependent transcription complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Sep 15;88(18):8052–8056. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.18.8052. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carcamo J., Maldonado E., Cortes P., Ahn M. H., Ha I., Kasai Y., Flint J., Reinberg D. A TATA-like sequence located downstream of the transcription initiation site is required for expression of an RNA polymerase II transcribed gene. Genes Dev. 1990 Sep;4(9):1611–1622. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.9.1611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen H., Flint S. J. Mutational analysis of the adenovirus 2 IVa2 initiator and downstream elements. J Biol Chem. 1992 Dec 15;267(35):25457–25465. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davison B. L., Egly J. M., Mulvihill E. R., Chambon P. Formation of stable preinitiation complexes between eukaryotic class B transcription factors and promoter sequences. Nature. 1983 Feb 24;301(5902):680–686. doi: 10.1038/301680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Du H., Roy A. L., Roeder R. G. Human transcription factor USF stimulates transcription through the initiator elements of the HIV-1 and the Ad-ML promoters. EMBO J. 1993 Feb;12(2):501–511. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05682.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dynan W. S., Tjian R. Isolation of transcription factors that discriminate between different promoters recognized by RNA polymerase II. Cell. 1983 Mar;32(3):669–680. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90053-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dynlacht B. D., Hoey T., Tjian R. Isolation of coactivators associated with the TATA-binding protein that mediate transcriptional activation. Cell. 1991 Aug 9;66(3):563–576. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90019-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Flint S. J. Regulation of adenovirus mRNA formation. Adv Virus Res. 1986;31:169–228. doi: 10.1016/s0065-3527(08)60264-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fried M., Crothers D. M. Equilibria and kinetics of lac repressor-operator interactions by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 Dec 11;9(23):6505–6525. doi: 10.1093/nar/9.23.6505. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Garner M. M., Revzin A. A gel electrophoresis method for quantifying the binding of proteins to specific DNA regions: application to components of the Escherichia coli lactose operon regulatory system. Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 Jul 10;9(13):3047–3060. doi: 10.1093/nar/9.13.3047. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hahn S., Buratowski S., Sharp P. A., Guarente L. Yeast TATA-binding protein TFIID binds to TATA elements with both consensus and nonconsensus DNA sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Aug;86(15):5718–5722. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.15.5718. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hariharan N., Perry R. P. Functional dissection of a mouse ribosomal protein promoter: significance of the polypyrimidine initiator and an element in the TATA-box region. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Feb;87(4):1526–1530. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.4.1526. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kasai Y., Chen H., Flint S. J. Anatomy of an unusual RNA polymerase II promoter containing a downstream TATA element. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Jun;12(6):2884–2897. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.6.2884. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Manley J. L., Fire A., Samuels M., Sharp P. A. In vitro transcription: whole-cell extract. Methods Enzymol. 1983;101:568–582. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(83)01038-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Matsui T. In vitro accurate initiation of transcription on the adenovirus type 2 IVa2 gene which does not contain a TATA box. Nucleic Acids Res. 1982 Nov 25;10(22):7089–7101. doi: 10.1093/nar/10.22.7089. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. A new method for sequencing DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Feb;74(2):560–564. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.2.560. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Means A. L., Farnham P. J. Transcription initiation from the dihydrofolate reductase promoter is positioned by HIP1 binding at the initiation site. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Feb;10(2):653–661. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.2.653. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Natarajan V., Madden M. J., Salzman N. P. Proximal and distal domains that control in vitro transcription of the adenovirus IVa2 gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Oct;81(20):6290–6294. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.20.6290. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. O'Shea-Greenfield A., Smale S. T. Roles of TATA and initiator elements in determining the start site location and direction of RNA polymerase II transcription. J Biol Chem. 1992 Jan 15;267(2):1391–1402. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pal S. K., Zinkel S. S., Kiessling A. A., Cooper G. M. c-mos expression in mouse oocytes is controlled by initiator-related sequences immediately downstream of the transcription initiation site. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Oct;11(10):5190–5196. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.10.5190. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Peterson M. G., Tanese N., Pugh B. F., Tjian R. Functional domains and upstream activation properties of cloned human TATA binding protein. Science. 1990 Jun 29;248(4963):1625–1630. doi: 10.1126/science.2363050. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Pugh B. F., Tjian R. Transcription from a TATA-less promoter requires a multisubunit TFIID complex. Genes Dev. 1991 Nov;5(11):1935–1945. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.11.1935. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Roeder R. G. The complexities of eukaryotic transcription initiation: regulation of preinitiation complex assembly. Trends Biochem Sci. 1991 Nov;16(11):402–408. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(91)90164-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Roy A. L., Meisterernst M., Pognonec P., Roeder R. G. Cooperative interaction of an initiator-binding transcription initiation factor and the helix-loop-helix activator USF. Nature. 1991 Nov 21;354(6350):245–248. doi: 10.1038/354245a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. 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]
  28. Sawadogo M., Sentenac A. RNA polymerase B (II) and general transcription factors. Annu Rev Biochem. 1990;59:711–754. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.59.070190.003431. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Seto E., Shi Y., Shenk T. YY1 is an initiator sequence-binding protein that directs and activates transcription in vitro. Nature. 1991 Nov 21;354(6350):241–245. doi: 10.1038/354241a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Shi Y., Seto E., Chang L. S., Shenk T. Transcriptional repression by YY1, a human GLI-Krüppel-related protein, and relief of repression by adenovirus E1A protein. Cell. 1991 Oct 18;67(2):377–388. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90189-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Singer V. L., Wobbe C. R., Struhl K. A wide variety of DNA sequences can functionally replace a yeast TATA element for transcriptional activation. Genes Dev. 1990 Apr;4(4):636–645. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.4.636. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Smale S. T., Baltimore D. The "initiator" as a transcription control element. Cell. 1989 Apr 7;57(1):103–113. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90176-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Smale S. T., Schmidt M. C., Berk A. J., Baltimore D. Transcriptional activation by Sp1 as directed through TATA or initiator: specific requirement for mammalian transcription factor IID. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Jun;87(12):4509–4513. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.12.4509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Studier F. W., Rosenberg A. H., Dunn J. J., Dubendorff J. W. Use of T7 RNA polymerase to direct expression of cloned genes. Methods Enzymol. 1990;185:60–89. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(90)85008-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Tanese N., Pugh B. F., Tjian R. Coactivators for a proline-rich activator purified from the multisubunit human TFIID complex. Genes Dev. 1991 Dec;5(12A):2212–2224. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.12a.2212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wobbe C. R., Struhl K. Yeast and human TATA-binding proteins have nearly identical DNA sequence requirements for transcription in vitro. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Aug;10(8):3859–3867. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.8.3859. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Zawel L., Reinberg D. Advances in RNA polymerase II transcription. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1992 Jun;4(3):488–495. doi: 10.1016/0955-0674(92)90016-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Zenzie-Gregory B., O'Shea-Greenfield A., Smale S. T. Similar mechanisms for transcription initiation mediated through a TATA box or an initiator element. J Biol Chem. 1992 Feb 5;267(4):2823–2830. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Zhou Q., Lieberman P. M., Boyer T. G., Berk A. J. Holo-TFIID supports transcriptional stimulation by diverse activators and from a TATA-less promoter. Genes Dev. 1992 Oct;6(10):1964–1974. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.10.1964. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES