title: The role of the transcription factor Sp1 in regulating the expression of the WAF1/CIP1 gene in U937 leukemic cells.
abstract: The Waf1/Cip1 protein induces cell cycle arrest through inhibition of the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Expression of the WAF1/CIP1 gene is induced in a p53-dependent manner in response to DNA damage but can also be induced in the absence of p53 by agents such as growth factors, phorbol esters, and okadaic acid. WAF1/CIP1 expression in U937 human leukemic cells is induced by both phorbol ester, a protein kinase C activator, and by okaidaic acid, an inhibitor of phosphatases 1 and 2A. Both of these agents induce the differentiation of these leukemic cells toward macrophages. We demonstrate that phorbol esters and okadaic acid stimulate transcription from the WAF1/CIP1 promoter in U937 cells. This transcription is mediated by a region of the promoter between -154 and +16, which contains two binding sites for the transcription factor Sp1. Deletion or mutation of these Sp1 sites reduces WAF1/CIP1 promoter response to phorbol ester and okadaic acid, while a reporter gene under the control of a promoter containing only multiple Sp1 binding sites and a TATA box is induced by phorbol ester and okadaic acid. The WAF1/CIP1 promoter is also highly induced by exogenous Sp1 in the Sp1-deficient Drosophila Schnieder SL 2 cell line. These results suggest that phorbol ester and okadaic acid activate transcription of the WAF1/CIP1 promoter through a complex of proteins that includes Sp1 and basal transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Biggs
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kudlow
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kraft
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D019319:Okadaic Acid