title: Octamer proteins inhibit IL-4 gene transcription in normal human CD4 T cells.
abstract: The balance of Th1 (eg, interleukin-2 (IL-2)) and Th2 (eg, IL-4) cytokines produced by CD4 T cells markedly influences the outcome of the adaptive immune response. Although octamer transcription factor proteins increase IL-2 transcription in T cells, their role in IL-4 gene transcription remains controversial. We have previously shown and now confirm that the proximal octamer binding site of the human IL-4 promoter, which separates the two most proximal NFAT binding sites, is bound prior to, but not after, activation in vivo. Since these two NFAT sites are essential for optimal IL-4 promoter activity, this suggested that prior engagement by octamer proteins might prevent adjacent NFAT binding and inhibit IL-4 gene transcription. In support of this hypothesis, here we show that NFAT proteins are unable to bind to a combined octamer/NFAT site unless the octamer proteins are competed away. Moreover, activity of an IL-4 reporter gene mutated in the proximal octamer binding site is increased compared to the wild-type promoter in human peripheral blood CD4 T cells. In addition, over-expression of either Oct-1 or Oct-2 decreased wild-type IL-4 promoter activity, while increasing IL-2 promoter activity. No decrease in promoter activity was seen when Oct-1 or Oct-2 was over-expressed with the octamer-mutant IL-4 reporter gene. Thus, octamer proteins are candidates to promote a Th1 rather than Th2 pattern of cytokine gene expression by activated CD4 T cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, USA. rqcron@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: R Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Cron
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Brunvand
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497692:HCFC1 protein, human; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; C494165:POU2F1 protein, human; C058435:POU2F2 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015847:Interleukin-4