title: The DNA binding domain of the A-MYB transcription factor is responsible for its B cell-specific activity and binds to a B cell 110-kDa nuclear protein.
abstract: Expression studies as well as the use of transgenic animals have demonstrated that the A-MYB transcription factor plays central and specific role in the regulation of mature B cell proliferation and/or differentiation. Furthermore, it is highly expressed in Burkitt's lymphoma cells and may participate in the pathogenesis of this disease. We have therefore investigated the transcriptional activity of A-MYB and its regulation in several human lymphoid cell lines using co-transfection assays and show that A-MYB is transcriptionally active in all the B cell lines studied, but not in T cells. In particular the best responder cell line was the Burkitt's cell line Namalwa. The activity of A-MYB in B and not T cells was observed when either an artificial construct or the c-MYC promoter was used as a reporter. Furthermore, the functional domains responsible for DNA binding, transactivation, and negative regulation, previously characterized in a fibroblast context, were found to have similar activity in B cells. The region of A-MYB responsible for the B cell specific activity was defined to be the N-terminal 218 amino acids containing the DNA binding domain. Finally, a 110-kDa protein has been identified in the nuclei of all the B, but not T, cell lines that specifically binds to this A-MYB N-terminal domain. We hypothesize that this 110-kDa protein may be a functionally important B cell-specific co-activator of A-MYB.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunohematology, Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Istituto Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri," via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arsura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Introna
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golay
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D001665:Binding Sites; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D007700:Kinetics; D008223:Lymphoma; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009101:Multiple Myeloma; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C088831:MYBL1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase