Assembly and function of a TCR alpha enhancer complex is dependent on LEF-1-induced DNA bending and multiple protein-protein interactions.
In this study we examine the molecular basis for the synergistic regulation of the minimal TCR alpha enhancer by multiple proteins. We find that reconstitution of TCR alpha enhancer function in nonlymphoid cells requires expression of the lymphoid-specific proteins LEF-1, Ets-1 and PEBP2 alpha (CBF alpha), and a specific arrangement of their binding sites in the enhancer. We show that Ets-1 cooperates with PEBP2 alpha to bind adjacent sites at one end of the enhancer, forming a ternary complex that is unstable by itself. Stable occupancy of the Ets-1- and PEBP2 alpha-binding sites in a DNase I protection assay was found to depend on both a specific helical phasing relationship with a nonadjacent ATF/CREB-binding site at the other end of the enhancer and on LEF-1. The HMG domain of LEF-1 was found previously to bend the DNA helix in the center of the TCR alpha enhancer. We now show that the HMG domain of the distantly related SRY protein, which also bends DNA, can partially replace LEF-1 in stimulating enhancer function in transfection assays. Taken together with the observation that Ets-1 and members of the ATF/CREB family have the potential to associate in vitro, these data suggest that LEF-1 can coordinate the assembly of a specific higher-order enhancer complex by facilitating interactions between proteins bound at nonadjacent sites.
Giese
K
K
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0414, USA.
Kingsley
C
C
Kirshner
J R
JR
Grosschedl
R
R
D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D050657:Core Binding Factor alpha Subunits; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011485:Protein Binding; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D050657:Core Binding Factor alpha Subunits; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; C497573:LEF1 protein, human; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2; D014157:Transcription Factors