title: c-Myc and Sp1/3 are required for transactivation of hamster telomerase catalytic subunit gene promoter.
abstract: The hamster and human TERT promoters share common critical protein binding sites, such as the GC-box or E-box, which is known to be a binding site for Sp1/Sp3 transcriptional factors and c-Myc, respectively. Our previous data demonstrated that Sp1/Sp3 synergistically transactivate the hamster TERT (hamTERT) promoter. In this study, we determined the role of c-Myc in the regulation of hamTERT, and analyzed the relative significance of GC-boxes and the E-box for transcriptional activation of hamster TERT. Wild-type, mutated E-box or mutated GC-box hamTERT core promoter reporter was introduced into 293T cells in combination with murine or human Myc expression vectors. The promoter activity was determined using the luciferase assay, and the transfection efficiency was normalized with CAT activity. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was done to prove the nuclear protein binding activity of the GC-box (region II) or E-box. Overexpression of murine or human Myc transactivated hamTERT core promoter activity. Inversion mutation in the E-box or substitution mutation in the GC-boxes abrogated endogenous or Myc induced hamTERT transactivation. Region II is the single most important Sp1/3 binding site in transcriptional activation, and multiple combined mutations in the GC-boxes abolished the hamTERT promoter activity. These results indicate that c-Myc and Sp1/3 are the major regulatory determinants of the hamTERT transcriptional activation. The mechanism of TERT gene activation during immortalization and carcinogenesis may be conserved among species.
authors.affiliation: Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1668, USA. npark@dent.ucla.edu
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051705:Sp3 Transcription Factor; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; C497121:SP3 protein, human; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; C497122:Sp3 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051705:Sp3 Transcription Factor; D008156:Luciferases; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase; C509187:Tert protein, mouse