title: Oncogene jun encodes a sequence-specific trans-activator similar to AP-1.
abstract: Proto-oncogenes encode proteins with three main sites of action: the cell-surface membrane, the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Although the exact biochemical function of most proto-oncogene products is not understood, several of them are known to be involved in signal transduction. A role in gene regulation through DNA binding has been suggested for a recently isolated member of the group of oncogenes acting at the nucleus, v-jun. The C-terminus of the putative v-jun-encoded protein is similar in sequence to the C-terminus of the yeast transcriptional activator GCN4 (refs 8, 9), which forms its minimal DNA-binding domain. GCN4 binds to specific sites whose consensus sequence is highly similar to the recognition sequence of the mammalian transcriptional activator AP-1 (refs 12, 13). Like GCN4, AP-1 binds to promoter elements of specific genes and activates their transcription. Because of the similarity between the recognition sites for GCN4 and AP-1, we examined the possibility that AP-1 could be the product of the c-jun proto-oncogene. The experimental results reported here indicate that the JUN oncoprotein is a sequence-specific transcriptional activator similar to AP-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology M-036, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Allegretto
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Okino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karin
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009857:Oncogenes; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA