title: Transcription of a subset of human class II major histocompatibility complex genes is regulated by a nucleoprotein complex that contains c-fos or an antigenically related protein.
abstract: Transcriptional regulation of the human major histocompatibility complex class II genes requires at least two upstream elements, the X and Y boxes, located in the -50- to -150-base-pair region of all class II promoters. The DRA and DPB promoters contain phorbol ester-responsive elements overlapping the 3' side of their X boxes. Mutation of this sequence down-regulates the efficiency of the DRA promoter, suggesting that a positive regulator(s) binds to this site. In this report, anti-sense c-fos RNA and an anti-c-fos antibody were used to show that the product of the protooncogene c-fos or an antigenically related protein is a component of a complex that binds to the X box and is required for maximal transcription from the DRA and DPB promoters. As c-fos (or its related proteins) cannot bind alone to DNA, these results suggest that it may dimerize with other members of the JUN/AP-1 family, such as hXBP1, to participate in the activation of a subset of class II major histocompatibility complex genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bazil
authors.forename: B Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozato
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Strominger
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007106:Immune Sera; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D004247:DNA