Evidence for the involvement of a nuclear NF-kappa B inhibitor in global down-regulation of the major histocompatibility complex class I enhancer in adenovirus type 12-transformed cells.
Diminished expression of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens on the surface of adenovirus type 12 (Ad12)-transformed cells contributes to their high tumorigenic potential by enabling them to escape immune recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This low class I antigen expression is due to a block in class I transcription, which is mediated by Ad12 E1A. Genetic analysis has shown that the class I enhancer is the target for transcriptional down-regulation. In this study, we show that the ability of the R1 element of the class I enhancer to stimulate transcription is greatly reduced in Ad12-transformed cells. The loss of functional activity by the R1 element was attributed to loss of binding by the NF-kappa B p50-p65 heterodimer. NF-kappa B binding appears to be blocked within the nucleus rather than at the level of nuclear translocation. Significantly, NF-kappa B binding activity could be recovered from the nuclear extracts of Ad12-transformed cells following detergent treatment, suggesting that the block is mediated through a nuclear inhibitor present in the Ad12-transformed cells. These results, taken together with the fact that the R2 element of the class I enhancer exhibits strong binding to the transcriptional repressor COUP-TF, suggest that the class I enhancer is globally down-regulated in Ad12-transformed cells.
Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
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D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
D006183:H-2 Antigens; C032876:H-2Kb protein, mouse; D016328:NF-kappa B; D004247:DNA