title: Interactions between the class II transactivator and CREB binding protein increase transcription of major histocompatibility complex class II genes.
abstract: Class II major histocompatibility (class II) genes are regulated in a B-cell-specific and gamma interferon-inducible fashion. The master switch for the expression of these genes is the class II transactivator (CIITA). In this report, we demonstrate that one of the functions of CIITA is to recruit the CREB binding protein (CBP) to class II promoters. Not only functional but also specific binding interactions between CIITA and CBP were demonstrated. Moreover, a dominant negative form of CBP decreased the activity of class II promoters and levels of class II determinants on the surface of cells. Finally, the inhibition of class II gene expression by the glucocorticoid hormone could be attributed to the squelching of CBP by the glucocorticoid receptor. We conclude that CBP, a histone acetyltransferase, plays an important role in the transcription of class II genes.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Medicine, Immunology, and Microbiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-0703, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Peterlin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D001665:Binding Sites; D019556:COS Cells; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; C083728:MHC class II transactivator protein; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D003907:Dexamethasone; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein; C494363:CREBBP protein, human