Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1991 Apr;10(4):959–969. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb08030.x

Activation of polyomavirus DNA replication by yeast GAL4 is dependent on its transcriptional activation domains.

E R Bennett-Cook 1, J A Hassell 1
PMCID: PMC452740  PMID: 1849079

Abstract

The polyomavirus replication origin contains transcriptional regulatory sequences. To determine how these elements function in DNA replication, and to learn whether a common mechanism underlies the activation of transcription and DNA replication, we tested whether a well-characterized transcriptional activator, yeast GAL4, was capable of stimulating DNA replication and transcription in the same mammalian cell line. We observed that GAL4 activated polyomavirus DNA replication in mouse cells when its binding site was juxtaposed to the late border of the polyomavirus origin core. Synergistic activation of DNA replication was achieved by multimerization of the GAL4 binding site. Analysis of GAL4 mutant proteins, GAL4 hybrid proteins and mutants of the latter revealed that the activation domains of these transcriptional activators were required to stimulate DNA replication. In agreement with previously published data, the activation domains of GAL4 were also required to enhance transcription in the same mouse cell line. These observations implicate transcriptional activators in Py DNA replication and suggest that similar mechanisms govern the activation of transcription and DNA replication.

Full text

PDF
959

Images in this article

961Image
on p.961
962Image
on p.962
964Image
on p.964
965Image
on p.965
966Image
on p.966

Selected References

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

  1. Abmayr S. M., Workman J. L., Roeder R. G. The pseudorabies immediate early protein stimulates in vitro transcription by facilitating TFIID: promoter interactions. Genes Dev. 1988 May;2(5):542–553. doi: 10.1101/gad.2.5.542. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bennett E. R., Naujokas M., Hassell J. A. Requirements for species-specific papovavirus DNA replication. J Virol. 1989 Dec;63(12):5371–5385. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.12.5371-5385.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berger S. L., Cress W. D., Cress A., Triezenberg S. J., Guarente L. Selective inhibition of activated but not basal transcription by the acidic activation domain of VP16: evidence for transcriptional adaptors. Cell. 1990 Jun 29;61(7):1199–1208. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90684-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergsma D. J., Olive D. M., Hartzell S. W., Subramanian K. N. Territorial limits and functional anatomy of the simian virus 40 replication origin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jan;79(2):381–385. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.2.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Borowiec J. A., Dean F. B., Bullock P. A., Hurwitz J. Binding and unwinding--how T antigen engages the SV40 origin of DNA replication. Cell. 1990 Jan 26;60(2):181–184. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90730-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bram R. J., Lue N. F., Kornberg R. D. A GAL family of upstream activating sequences in yeast: roles in both induction and repression of transcription. EMBO J. 1986 Mar;5(3):603–608. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04253.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brent R., Ptashne M. A eukaryotic transcriptional activator bearing the DNA specificity of a prokaryotic repressor. Cell. 1985 Dec;43(3 Pt 2):729–736. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90246-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Carey M., Kakidani H., Leatherwood J., Mostashari F., Ptashne M. An amino-terminal fragment of GAL4 binds DNA as a dimer. J Mol Biol. 1989 Oct 5;209(3):423–432. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(89)90007-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Carey M., Lin Y. S., Green M. R., Ptashne M. A mechanism for synergistic activation of a mammalian gene by GAL4 derivatives. Nature. 1990 May 24;345(6273):361–364. doi: 10.1038/345361a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Challberg M. D., Kelly T. J. Animal virus DNA replication. Annu Rev Biochem. 1989;58:671–717. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.58.070189.003323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Cheng L., Kelly T. J. Transcriptional activator nuclear factor I stimulates the replication of SV40 minichromosomes in vivo and in vitro. Cell. 1989 Nov 3;59(3):541–551. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90037-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Courey A. J., Tjian R. Analysis of Sp1 in vivo reveals multiple transcriptional domains, including a novel glutamine-rich activation motif. Cell. 1988 Dec 2;55(5):887–898. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90144-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. DeLucia A. L., Deb S., Partin K., Tegtmeyer P. Functional interactions of the simian virus 40 core origin of replication with flanking regulatory sequences. J Virol. 1986 Jan;57(1):138–144. doi: 10.1128/jvi.57.1.138-144.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. DePamphilis M. L. Transcriptional elements as components of eukaryotic origins of DNA replication. Cell. 1988 Mar 11;52(5):635–638. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90398-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fischer J. A., Giniger E., Maniatis T., Ptashne M. GAL4 activates transcription in Drosophila. Nature. 1988 Apr 28;332(6167):853–856. doi: 10.1038/332853a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Fujimura F. K., Deininger P. L., Friedmann T., Linney E. Mutation near the polyoma DNA replication origin permits productive infection of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells. Cell. 1981 Mar;23(3):809–814. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90445-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Fujimura F. K., Linney E. Polyoma mutants that productively infect F9 embryonal carcinoma cells do not rescue wild-type polyoma in F9 cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Mar;79(5):1479–1483. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.5.1479. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Giniger E., Ptashne M. Transcription in yeast activated by a putative amphipathic alpha helix linked to a DNA binding unit. Nature. 1987 Dec 17;330(6149):670–672. doi: 10.1038/330670a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Giniger E., Varnum S. M., Ptashne M. Specific DNA binding of GAL4, a positive regulatory protein of yeast. Cell. 1985 Apr;40(4):767–774. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90336-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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]
  21. Guarente L., Nye J. S., Hochschild A., Ptashne M. Mutant lambda phage repressor with a specific defect in its positive control function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Apr;79(7):2236–2239. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.7.2236. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hertz G. Z., Mertz J. E. Bidirectional promoter elements of simian virus 40 are required for efficient replication of the viral DNA. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Oct;6(10):3513–3522. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.10.3513. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Horikoshi M., Hai T., Lin Y. S., Green M. R., Roeder R. G. Transcription factor ATF interacts with the TATA factor to facilitate establishment of a preinitiation complex. Cell. 1988 Sep 23;54(7):1033–1042. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90118-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Innis J. W., Scott W. A. DNA replication and chromatin structure of simian virus 40 insertion mutants. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 Aug;4(8):1499–1507. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.8.1499. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Johnson P. F., McKnight S. L. Eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory proteins. Annu Rev Biochem. 1989;58:799–839. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.58.070189.004055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Jones K. A., Kadonaga J. T., Rosenfeld P. J., Kelly T. J., Tjian R. A cellular DNA-binding protein that activates eukaryotic transcription and DNA replication. Cell. 1987 Jan 16;48(1):79–89. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90358-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Jones K. A., Yamamoto K. R., Tjian R. Two distinct transcription factors bind to the HSV thymidine kinase promoter in vitro. Cell. 1985 Sep;42(2):559–572. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90113-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Kakidani H., Ptashne M. GAL4 activates gene expression in mammalian cells. Cell. 1988 Jan 29;52(2):161–167. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90504-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Keegan L., Gill G., Ptashne M. Separation of DNA binding from the transcription-activating function of a eukaryotic regulatory protein. Science. 1986 Feb 14;231(4739):699–704. doi: 10.1126/science.3080805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Kelleher R. J., 3rd, Flanagan P. M., Kornberg R. D. A novel mediator between activator proteins and the RNA polymerase II transcription apparatus. Cell. 1990 Jun 29;61(7):1209–1215. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90685-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Lee-Chen G. J., Woodworth-Gutai M. Simian virus 40 DNA replication: functional organization of regulatory elements. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Sep;6(9):3086–3093. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.9.3086. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Lillie J. W., Green M. R. Transcription activation by the adenovirus E1a protein. Nature. 1989 Mar 2;338(6210):39–44. doi: 10.1038/338039a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Lin Y. S., Carey M. F., Ptashne M., Green M. R. GAL4 derivatives function alone and synergistically with mammalian activators in vitro. Cell. 1988 Aug 26;54(5):659–664. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(88)80010-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Lusky M., Botchan M. Inhibition of SV40 replication in simian cells by specific pBR322 DNA sequences. Nature. 1981 Sep 3;293(5827):79–81. doi: 10.1038/293079a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Ma J., Przibilla E., Hu J., Bogorad L., Ptashne M. Yeast activators stimulate plant gene expression. Nature. 1988 Aug 18;334(6183):631–633. doi: 10.1038/334631a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Ma J., Ptashne M. Deletion analysis of GAL4 defines two transcriptional activating segments. Cell. 1987 Mar 13;48(5):847–853. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90081-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Mermod N., O'Neill E. A., Kelly T. J., Tjian R. The proline-rich transcriptional activator of CTF/NF-I is distinct from the replication and DNA binding domain. Cell. 1989 Aug 25;58(4):741–753. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90108-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Mitchell P. J., Tjian R. Transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells by sequence-specific DNA binding proteins. Science. 1989 Jul 28;245(4916):371–378. doi: 10.1126/science.2667136. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Mitchell P. J., Wang C., Tjian R. Positive and negative regulation of transcription in vitro: enhancer-binding protein AP-2 is inhibited by SV40 T antigen. Cell. 1987 Sep 11;50(6):847–861. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90512-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Mueller C. R., Muller W. J., Hassell J. A. The polyomavirus enhancer comprises multiple functional elements. J Virol. 1988 May;62(5):1667–1678. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.5.1667-1678.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Muller W. J., Dufort D., Hassell J. A. Multiple subelements within the polyomavirus enhancer function synergistically to activate DNA replication. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Nov;8(11):5000–5015. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.11.5000. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Muller W. J., Mueller C. R., Mes A. M., Hassell J. A. Polyomavirus origin for DNA replication comprises multiple genetic elements. J Virol. 1983 Sep;47(3):586–599. doi: 10.1128/jvi.47.3.586-599.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Muller W. J., Naujokas M. A., Hassell J. A. Isolation of large T antigen-producing mouse cell lines capable of supporting replication of polyomavirus-plasmid recombinants. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 Nov;4(11):2406–2412. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.11.2406. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Peden K. W., Pipas J. M., Pearson-White S., Nathans D. Isolation of mutants of an animal virus in bacteria. Science. 1980 Sep 19;209(4463):1392–1396. doi: 10.1126/science.6251547. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. 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]
  46. Pruijn G. J., van Driel W., van der Vliet P. C. Nuclear factor III, a novel sequence-specific DNA-binding protein from HeLa cells stimulating adenovirus DNA replication. Nature. 1986 Aug 14;322(6080):656–659. doi: 10.1038/322656a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Ptashne M., Gann A. A. Activators and targets. Nature. 1990 Jul 26;346(6282):329–331. doi: 10.1038/346329a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Ptashne M. How eukaryotic transcriptional activators work. Nature. 1988 Oct 20;335(6192):683–689. doi: 10.1038/335683a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Pugh B. F., Tjian R. Mechanism of transcriptional activation by Sp1: evidence for coactivators. Cell. 1990 Jun 29;61(7):1187–1197. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90683-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Rosenfeld P. J., O'Neill E. A., Wides R. J., Kelly T. J. Sequence-specific interactions between cellular DNA-binding proteins and the adenovirus origin of DNA replication. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Feb;7(2):875–886. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.2.875. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Sadowski I., Ma J., Triezenberg S., Ptashne M. GAL4-VP16 is an unusually potent transcriptional activator. Nature. 1988 Oct 6;335(6190):563–564. doi: 10.1038/335563a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Santoro C., Mermod N., Andrews P. C., Tjian R. A family of human CCAAT-box-binding proteins active in transcription and DNA replication: cloning and expression of multiple cDNAs. Nature. 1988 Jul 21;334(6179):218–224. doi: 10.1038/334218a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Sawadogo M., Roeder R. G. Interaction of a gene-specific transcription factor with the adenovirus major late promoter upstream of the TATA box region. Cell. 1985 Nov;43(1):165–175. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90021-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Soeda E., Arrand J. R., Smolar N., Walsh J. E., Griffin B. E. Coding potential and regulatory signals of the polyoma virus genome. Nature. 1980 Jan 31;283(5746):445–453. doi: 10.1038/283445a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Stillman B. Initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication in vitro. Annu Rev Cell Biol. 1989;5:197–245. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cb.05.110189.001213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Stringer K. F., Ingles C. J., Greenblatt J. Direct and selective binding of an acidic transcriptional activation domain to the TATA-box factor TFIID. Nature. 1990 Jun 28;345(6278):783–786. doi: 10.1038/345783a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Struhl K. Molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in yeast. Annu Rev Biochem. 1989;58:1051–1077. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.58.070189.005155. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  58. Tang W. J., Berger S. L., Triezenberg S. J., Folk W. R. Nucleotides in the polyomavirus enhancer that control viral transcription and DNA replication. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 May;7(5):1681–1690. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.5.1681. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  59. Tyndall C., La Mantia G., Thacker C. M., Favaloro J., Kamen R. A region of the polyoma virus genome between the replication origin and late protein coding sequences is required in cis for both early gene expression and viral DNA replication. Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 Dec 11;9(23):6231–6250. doi: 10.1093/nar/9.23.6231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Veldman G. M., Lupton S., Kamen R. Polyomavirus enhancer contains multiple redundant sequence elements that activate both DNA replication and gene expression. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Apr;5(4):649–658. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.4.649. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  61. Verrijzer C. P., Kal A. J., Van der Vliet P. C. The DNA binding domain (POU domain) of transcription factor oct-1 suffices for stimulation of DNA replication. EMBO J. 1990 Jun;9(6):1883–1888. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08314.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  62. Vlcek C., Paces V., Schwyzer M. Nucleotide sequence of the pseudorabies virus immediate early gene, encoding a strong transactivator protein. Virus Genes. 1989 Aug;2(4):335–346. doi: 10.1007/BF00684041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  63. Webster N., Jin J. R., Green S., Hollis M., Chambon P. The yeast UASG is a transcriptional enhancer in human HeLa cells in the presence of the GAL4 trans-activator. Cell. 1988 Jan 29;52(2):169–178. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90505-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  64. West R. W., Jr, Yocum R. R., Ptashne M. Saccharomyces cerevisiae GAL1-GAL10 divergent promoter region: location and function of the upstream activating sequence UASG. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 Nov;4(11):2467–2478. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.11.2467. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  65. Yocum R. R., Hanley S., West R., Jr, Ptashne M. Use of lacZ fusions to delimit regulatory elements of the inducible divergent GAL1-GAL10 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 Oct;4(10):1985–1998. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.10.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  66. de Villiers J., Schaffner W., Tyndall C., Lupton S., Kamen R. Polyoma virus DNA replication requires an enhancer. Nature. 1984 Nov 15;312(5991):242–246. doi: 10.1038/312242a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES