title: Targeting protein inactivation through an oligomerization chain reaction.
abstract: A general strategy for inactivation of target proteins is presented, which we have termed "oligomerization chain reaction." This technique is based on the fusion of the self-associating coiled-coil (CC) domain of the nuclear factor promyelocytic leukemia (PML) to target proteins that are able to self-associate naturally. Oligomerization through the CC region of promyelocytic leukemia, and through the natural self-associating domain, triggers the oligomerization chain reaction, leading to formation of large molecular weight complexes and functional inactivation of the target. As a test case, we have chosen the oncosuppressor p53, naturally occurring as a tetramer. Fusion of the CC to p53 leads to formation of stable high molecular weight complexes-as shown by size exclusion chromatography-to which wild-type p53 is recruited with high efficiency. CC-p53 chimeras delocalize wild-type p53 to the cytoplasm and inhibit its transcriptional regulatory properties, resulting in a loss of p53 function. We propose that this strategy may be of general application to self-associating factors and represent a complementary approach to currently used functional inactivation-based strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Contegno
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cioce
authors.forename: Pier Giuseppe
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pelicci
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minucci
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000737:chemistry*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C513293:Pml protein, mouse; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C070576:PML protein, human