erg, an ets-related gene, codes for sequence-specific transcriptional activators.
E26 is a replication-defective avian acute leukemia virus which causes erythroblastosis and myeloblastosis in chickens. It carries two distinct oncogenes, v-myb and v-ets, both of which contribute to its transforming properties. Several genes related to the ets oncogene (c-ets-1, ets-2, erg, elk-1, elk-2, PU.1/Spi-1, E74 and Fli-1) have been described. Previously we have shown that the erg gene (ets-related gene) codes for at least two proteins (erg-1 and erg-2) because of alternative splicing and alternative usage of the initiation codon. We have expressed erg-1 and erg-2 proteins in Escherichia coli and have used these recombinant proteins to show that they bind to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. erg proteins exhibited different sequence specificity and affinity for the oligonucleotides recognized by c-ets-1, ets-2, some of PU.1/Spi-1 and elk-1, suggesting that the DNA-binding specificities of erg and other members may overlap but are not necessarily identical. The erg gene was found to transactivate a reporter gene that was linked to erg target sequences. These results suggest that erg-1 and erg-2 are sequence-specific transcriptional activators like the other members of the ets oncogene superfamily which represent a distinct class of transcriptional activators.
Reddy
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Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140.
Rao
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D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D014162:Transfection
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497325:EGR1 protein, human; C072312:ERG protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG