title: Identification of a complex that binds to the CD154 3' untranslated region: implications for a role in message stability during T cell activation.
abstract: CD154 expression is regulated throughout a time course of CD3-dependent T cell activation by differential mRNA decay. To understand the molecular basis of the "stability" phase of this pathway, experiments were conducted to identify sequences and specific complexes important in this regulation. Gel retardation assays using extracts from both Jurkat T cells and CD3-activated CD4(+) T cells revealed a major complex (complex I) that bound a 65-bp highly CU-rich region of the CD154 3' untranslated region. The specificity of the CU-rich element for complex-I formation was confirmed by disruption of this complex by oligo(dCT) competition. Formation of complex I strongly correlated with CD154 mRNA stability across a time course of T cell activation. UV cross-linking identified a major oligo(dCT)-sensitive species at approximately 90 kDa that showed induced and increased expression in extracts from 24- and 48-hr anti-CD3-activated T cells, respectively. This protein was absent in equivalent extracts from resting or 2-h-activated T cells. Using an in vitro decay assay, we found that a CD154-specific transcript was more rapidly degraded in 2-h-activated extract and stabilized in the 24- and 48-h extracts compared to extracts from resting T cells. Disruption of complex I resulted in the rapid decay of a CD154-specific transcript demonstrating a functional role for complex I in mRNA stabilization in vitro. These studies support a model of posttranscriptional regulation of CD154 expression being controlled in part by the interaction of a poly(CU)-binding complex with a specific sequence in the 3' untranslated region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barnhart
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kosinski
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiledjian
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Covey
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000494:pharmacology; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002999:Clone Cells; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D017252:CD3 Complex; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D023201:CD40 Ligand