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. 1992 Jul;12(7):3107–3116. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.7.3107

Oct2 transactivation from a remote enhancer position requires a B-cell-restricted activity.

A Annweiler 1, M Müller-Immerglück 1, T Wirth 1
PMCID: PMC364525  PMID: 1620119

Abstract

Previous cotransfection experiments had demonstrated that ectopic expression of the lymphocyte-specific transcription factor Oct2 could efficiently activate a promoter containing an octamer motif. Oct2 expression was unable to stimulate a multimerized octamer enhancer element in HeLa cells, however. We have tested a variety of Oct2 isoforms generated by alternative splicing for the capability to activate an octamer enhancer in nonlymphoid cells and a B-cell line. Our analyses show that several Oct2 isoforms can stimulate from a remote position but that this stimulation is restricted to B cells. This result indicates the involvement of either a B-cell-specific cofactor or a specific modification of a cofactor or the Oct2 protein in Oct2-mediated enhancer activation. Mutational analyses indicate that the carboxy-terminal domain of Oct2 is critical for enhancer activation. Moreover, this domain conferred enhancing activity when fused to the Oct1 protein, which by itself was unable to stimulate from a remote position. The glutamine-rich activation domain present in the amino-terminal portion of Oct2 and the POU domain contribute only marginally to the transactivation function from a distal position.

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