Both Oct-1 and Oct-2A contain domains which can activate the ubiquitously expressed U2 snRNA genes.
The U2 snRNA genes, which are transcribed by RNA polymerase II at high levels in all tissues examined, require both a distal and a proximal sequence element for efficient expression. The distal sequence element which has many properties in common with transcriptional enhancers contains, in addition to Sp1 binding sites, an octamer binding site which mediates activation through interactions with the ubiquitous transcription factor Oct-1. In the present study we have attempted to answer the question whether Oct-1 contains a unique activating domain which is required for activation of snRNA genes or whether ubiquitously expressed and lymphoid specific octamer binding factors both have the capacity to activate snRNA transcription. Our results show that in the presence of Oct-1, overexpression of Oct-2A in HeLa or COS1 cells neither inhibits nor stimulates transcription of U2 constructions which contain octamer binding sites with or without an adjacent Sp1 binding site. Moreover, an Oct-2A--GAL4 fusion protein in which the DNA binding domain of Oct-2A was substituted for by the one of the yeast transcription activator GAL4 activates transcription of a human U2 snRNA gene in which the octamer binding site was replaced by a GAL4 binding site. From the results it is concluded that both Oct-1 and Oct-2A contain domains which can activate the ubiquitously expressed U2 snRNA genes.
Yang
J
J
Department of Medical Genetics, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Müller-Immerglück
M M
MM
Seipel
K
K
Janson
L
L
Westin
G
G
Schaffner
W
W
Pettersson
U
U
D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006367:HeLa Cells; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497692:HCFC1 protein, human; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; C494165:POU2F1 protein, human; C058435:POU2F2 protein, human; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors