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. 1993 Nov;13(11):7163–7169. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.11.7163

Ets proteins: new factors that regulate immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene expression.

R R Rivera 1, M H Stuiver 1, R Steenbergen 1, C Murre 1
PMCID: PMC364777  PMID: 8413305

Abstract

We used a DNA-protein interaction screening method to isolate a cDNA, Erg-3, whose product binds to a site, designated pi, present in the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy-chain gene enhancer. Erg-3 is an alternatively spliced product of the erg gene and contains an Ets DNA-binding domain. Fli-1 and PU.1, related Ets proteins, also bind to the same site. In addition, PU.1 binds to a second site, designated microB, in the Ig heavy-chain enhancer. We demonstrate that the pi binding site is crucial for Ig heavy-chain gene enhancer function. In addition, we show that Erg-3 and Fli.1, but not PU.1, can activate a reporter construct containing a multimer of protein-binding sites, synergistically with helix-loop-helix protein E12. We discuss how combinatorial interactions between members of the helix-loop-helix and Ets families may account for the tissue specificity of these proteins.

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Selected References

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