title: MAP kinase phosphorylation-dependent activation of Elk-1 leads to activation of the co-activator p300.
abstract: CBP/p300 recruitment to enhancer-bound complexes is a key determinant in promoter activation by many transcription factors. We present a novel mechanism of activating such complexes and show that pre-assembled Elk-1-p300 complexes become activated following Elk-1 phosphorylation by changes in Elk-1-p300 interactions rather than recruitment. It is known that Elk-1 binds to promoter in the absence of stimuli. However, it is unclear how activation of Elk-1 by mitogen-acivated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated phosphorylation leads to targeted gene transactivation. We show that Elk-1 can interact with p300 in vitro and in vivo in the absence of a stimulus through the Elk-1 C-terminus and the p300 N-terminus. Phosphorylation on Ser383 and Ser389 of Elk-1 by MAPK enhances this basal binding but, most importantly, Elk-1 exhibits new interactions with p300. These interaction changes render a strong histone acetyltransferase activity in the Elk-1-associated complex that could play a critical role in chromatin remodeling and gene activation. The pre-assembly mechanism may greatly accelerate transcription activation, which is important in regulation of expression of immediate-early response genes, in particular those involved in stress responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Qi-Jing
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shen-Hsi
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sladek
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sharrocks
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martins-Green
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D013917:Thrombin