title: Protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions affect the activity of lymphoid-specific IFN regulatory factors.
abstract: IFN regulatory factors (IRFs) constitute a family of transcription factors that are involved in IFN signaling and the development and differentiation of the immune system. Targeted gene disruption studies in mice assigned their primary role to the immune system. Two lymphoid-specific IRF members, IFN consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP) and IRF-4, bind target DNA with greater efficiency following interaction with two transcription factors, PU.1 and E47, leading to transcriptional synergy. PU.1 and E47 are essential for proper differentiation and maturation of lymphoid cells. In addition, ICSBP interacts with two IRF members, IRF-1 and IRF-2, which also have central roles in the regulation of cell-mediated immunity. Previously, we identified a region in ICSBP, termed the IRF association domain (IAD), that is conserved in all IRFs (excluding IRF-1 and IRF-2) and is essential for its interactions with other IRF proteins. Here we show that the IAD is an independent module used by ICSBP and IRF-4 for protein-protein interactions. In addition, an IAD of IRF-2 (IAD2), necessary for interaction with ICSBP, was identified and found to be conserved in IRF-1. The IAD2 shares similar characteristics with the PEST domain that is essential for the interaction of PU.1 with IRF-4. We also show that the ICSBP DNA binding domain is indispensable for the formation of DNA binding heterocomplexes and transcriptional activity. Therefore, our results shed light on the molecular mechanisms that affect IRF activities in the immune system via discrete functional domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meraro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashmueli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azriel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oumard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirchhoff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagulapalli
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.forename: B Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Levi
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016384:Consensus Sequence / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D007372:Interferons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000276:immunology; D000099185:Interferon Regulatory Factor-8; D000099232:Proto-Oncogene Protein Spi-1; D000099218:Interferon Regulatory Factor-4
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D007372:Interferons; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099185:Interferon Regulatory Factor-8; D000099232:Proto-Oncogene Protein Spi-1; D000099218:Interferon Regulatory Factor-4; C494230:Irf2 protein, mouse; C544913:Tcf7l1 protein, mouse