title: Transcriptional autorepression of the stress-inducible gene ATF3.
abstract: Previously, we demonstrated that ATF3 (activating transcription factor-3) is a stress-inducible gene, and the protein it encodes is a transcriptional repressor. In this report, we present evidence suggesting that ATF3 represses the transcription of its own gene. Interestingly, efficient repression requires a consensus ATF/cAMP-responsive element site in the promoter and a previously unidentified ATF3-binding site immediately downstream from the TATA box. Although this new site resembles the known ATF/cAMP-responsive element sequences at the flanking sequence, it differs from them at the center key residues. These observations indicate that ATF3 can tolerate variations in the center of the binding sites if the flanking sequences are favorable. The repression of the ATF3 promoter by its own gene product provides a mechanistic explanation, at least in part, for the transient expression pattern of the ATF3 gene upon stress induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ohio State Neurobiotechnology Center and the Ohio State Biochemistry Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wolfgang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hai
mesh_terms: D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004247:DNA; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016385:TATA Box; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA