Evi9 encodes a novel zinc finger protein that physically interacts with BCL6, a known human B-cell proto-oncogene product.
Evi9 is a common site of retroviral integration in BXH2 murine myeloid leukemias. Here we show that Evi9 encodes a novel zinc finger protein with three tissue-specific isoforms: Evi9a (773 amino acids [aa]) contains two C(2)H(2)-type zinc finger motifs, a proline-rich region, and an acidic domain; Evi9b (486 aa) lacks the first zinc finger motif and part of the proline-rich region; Evi9c (239 aa) lacks all but the first zinc finger motif. Proviral integration sites are located in the first intron of the gene and lead to increased gene expression. Evi9a and Evi9c, but not Evi9b, show transforming activity for NIH 3T3 cells, suggesting that Evi9 is a dominantly acting proto-oncogene. Immunolocalization studies show that Evi9c is restricted to the cytoplasm whereas Evi9a and Evi9b are located in the nucleus, where they form a speckled localization pattern identical to that observed for BCL6, a human B-cell proto-oncogene product. Coimmunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments show that Evi9a and Evi9b, but not Evi9c, physically interact with BCL6, while deletion mutagenesis localized the interaction domains in or near the second zinc finger and POZ domains of Evi9 and BCL6, respectively. These results suggest that Evi9 is a leukemia disease gene that functions, in part, through its interaction with BCL6.
Nakamura
T
T
The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8455, Japan. takuro-ind@umin.u-tokyo,ac.jp
Yamazaki
Y
Y
Saiki
Y
Y
Moriyama
M
M
Largaespada
D A
DA
Jenkins
N A
NA
Copeland
N G
NG
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010957:Plasmids; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016335:Zinc Fingers
C486563:BCL11A protein, human; C407733:Bcl11a protein, mouse; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors