title: Transcriptional activity of rel family proteins.
abstract: Our studies originally demonstrated that the v-rel oncoprotein repressed gene expression in chicken lymphoid cells, while it activated transcription in rodent fibroblasts. Here we report that the c-rel protein can activate expression of genes linked to kappa B motifs when low levels of endogenous kappa B-binding activity are present. In contrast v-rel, and to a lesser extent c-rel, inhibit NF-kappa B-mediated activation of the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat (HIV LTR) in phorbol ester-stimulated HeLa cells. Competition assays show that v-rel competitively inhibits both NF-kappa B and c-rel-mediated transcriptional activation. Analysis of mutant HIV LTR-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) constructs in which all Sp1 or both NF-kappa B elements have been deleted shows that NF-kappa B motifs are required for rel-mediated effects on gene expression. Transforming v-rel mutants compete efficiently with phorbol ester-activated kappa B factors, whereas a transformation-defective mutant of v-rel is impaired in this activity. Taken together, these results strengthen the hypothesis that v-rel functions as a dominant interfering member of rel family proteins. These results also suggest that the ability of v- and c-rel to activate or repress gene expression in specific cells may result from their capacity to compete with endogenous rel family proteins whose expression and/or activity are cell-specific.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-5638.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rabson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gélinas
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000235:genetics*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D025542:Neurofibromin 1; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D025542:Neurofibromin 1; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate