title: Identification of the functional domain in the transcription factor RTEF-1 that mediates alpha 1-adrenergic signaling in hypertrophied cardiac myocytes.
abstract: Cardiac myocytes respond to alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor stimulation by a progressive hypertrophy accompanied by the activation of many fetal genes, including skeletal muscle alpha-actin. The skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene is activated by signaling through an MCAT element, the binding site of the transcription enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1) family of transcription factors. Previously, we showed that overexpression of the TEF-1-related factor (RTEF-1) increased the alpha(1)-adrenergic response of the skeletal muscle alpha-actin promoter, whereas TEF-1 overexpression did not. Here, we identified the functional domains and specific sequences in RTEF-1 that mediate the alpha(1)-adrenergic response. Chimeric TEF-1 and RTEF-1 expression constructs localized the region responsible for the alpha(1)-adrenergic response to the carboxyl-terminal domain of RTEF-1. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to inactivate eight serine residues of RTEF-1, not present in TEF-1, that are putative targets of alpha(1)-adrenergic-dependent kinases. Mutation of a single serine residue, Ser-322, reduced the alpha(1)-adrenergic activation of RTEF-1 by 70% without affecting protein stability, suggesting that phosphorylation at this serine residue accounts for most of the alpha(1)-adrenergic response. Thus, these results demonstrate that RTEF-1 is a direct target of alpha(1)-adrenergic signaling in hypertrophied cardiac myocytes.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. stewartaf@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueyama
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Suzow
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000091262:TEA Domain Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000091262:TEA Domain Transcription Factors; C057182:TEAD1 protein, human; C486309:TEAD4 protein, human; C101204:Tead4 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors