title: Activation of the interleukin-2 receptor alpha gene: regulatory role for DNA-protein interactions flanking the kappa B enhancer.
abstract: The human interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL2R alpha) gene is transcriptionally activated by both phorbol esters and the HTLV-I trans-activator (Tax) protein through a mechanism that involves the interaction of inducible DNA binding proteins with a kappa B-like enhancer element (-267 to -256). Using mutated IL2R alpha promoter constructs in transient transfection and DNA binding assays, we now demonstrate that sequences located immediately upstream and downstream of the kappa B enhancer also contribute to the regulation of IL2R alpha gene expression. One upstream sequence termed UE-1 is preferentially required for phorbol ester relative to Tax-induced activation and specifically interacts with a constitutively expressed 56-kD cellular factor. In contrast, two overlapping downstream elements between nucleotides -252 and -239 appear to be required for both phorbol ester and Tax-induced activation. One of these elements, an Sp1-like sequence, binds a constitutively expressed 100-kD T-cell protein consistent in size with Sp1 isolated from HeLa cells. The second element, located between the kappa B and Sp1 sites, resembles the decanucleotide core of the serum response element (SRE) from the c-fos gene and interacts with a constitutively expressed factor. Together, these findings implicate a functional role for multiple constitutively expressed DNA binding proteins, in addition to the inducible kappa B-specific factors, in the overall regulation of IL2R alpha gene activation.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Böhnlein
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Bogerd
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Franza
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Greene
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016356:Gene Products, tax; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate