title: GA-binding protein factors, in concert with the coactivator CREB binding protein/p300, control the induction of the interleukin 16 promoter in T lymphocytes.
abstract: Interleukin 16 (IL-16) is a chemotactic cytokine that binds to the CD4 receptor and affects the activation of T cells and replication of HIV. It is expressed as a large 67-kDa precursor protein (pro-IL-16) in lymphocytes, macrophages, and mast cells, as well as in airway epithelial cells from asthmatics after challenge with allergen. This pro-IL-16 is subsequently processed to the mature cytokine of 13 kDa. To study the expression of IL-16 at the transcriptional level, we cloned the human chromosomal IL-16 gene and analyzed its promoter. The human IL-16 gene consists of seven exons and six introns. The 5' sequences up to nucleotide -120 of the human and murine IL-16 genes share >84% sequence homology and harbor promoter elements for constitutive and inducible transcription in T cells. Although both promoters lack any TATA box, they contain two CAAT box-like motifs and three binding sites of GA-binding protein (GABP) transcription factors. Two of these motifs are part of a highly conserved and inducible dyad symmetry element shown previously to control a remote IL-2 enhancer and the CD18 promoter. In concert with the coactivator CREB binding protein/p300, which interacts with GABPalpha, the binding of GABPalpha and -beta to the dyad symmetry element controls the induction of IL-16 promoter in T cells. Supplementing the data on the processing of pro-IL-16, our results indicate the complexity of IL-16 expression, which is tightly controlled at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels in T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bannert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avots
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serfling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050881:E1A-Associated p300 Protein; D051268:GA-Binding Protein Transcription Factor; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*