title: Transactivation of the human papilloma virus 16 octamer motif by the octamer binding protein Oct-2 requires both the N and C terminal activation domains.
abstract: The upstream regulatory region (URR) of the human papillomaviruses HPV16 and 18 contains a sequence with a seven out of eight base match to the consensus binding site for octamer binding transcription factors. This motif acts as a target for repression by the Oct-1 transcription factor and therefore inhibits promoter activity in non-cervical cells expressing only Oct-1. In contrast the HPV octamer motif activates promoter activity in cervical cells. Here we show that cervical cells express the activating form of the Oct-2 transcription factor, Oct 2.1 and that this factor can transactivate promoter activity via the HPV16 octamer. This effect is dependent upon both the N and C-terminal activation domains of Oct-2. The expression of specific octamer binding proteins such as Oct-2 in cervical cells thus allows the HPV16 motif to produce opposite effects on gene expression in cervical and non-cervical cells suggesting that it may play a role in the cervical specificity of URR driven gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Pathology, University College London Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lillycrop
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Latchman
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; C058435:POU2F2 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors