title: Independent and cooperative activation of chromosomal c-fos promoter by STAT3.
abstract: The c-fos gene was one of the earliest vertebrate genes shown to be transcriptionally induced by growth factors. Intensive study of the promoter of c-fos (-325 to -80) by transient or permanent transfections of synthetic DNA constructs has repeatedly shown the importance of several sequence elements and the resident nuclear proteins that bind them (e.g. ternary complex factor/ELK1; serum response factor, cAMP response element-binding protein/amino-terminal fragment/AP-1). However these studies have left unanswered numerous questions about the role of these proteins in the regulation of the native chromosomal gene. In particular, the role of a site in this enhancer that binds STATs has been controversial. We present evidence here that STAT3 and not STAT1 accumulates on the chromosomal c-fos promoter and provides a boost to transcription without the activation of resident nuclear proteins through serine kinases. Also, when resident nuclear proteins such as ELK1 are activated to varying extents by mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, STAT3 activation provides a 2-fold boost regardless of the final level of activated transcription. Thus the several proteins that interact with the c-fos enhancer apparently can act either in a cooperative or independent manner to achieve very different levels of transcription.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Besser
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Darnell
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D016762:Genes, fos; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494079:STAT1 protein, human; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004247:DNA; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases