title: Ras signaling and transcriptional synergy at a flexible Ets-1/Pit-1 composite DNA element is defined by the assembly of selective activation domains.
abstract: Pit-1 and Ets-1 binding to a composite element synergistically activates and targets Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling to the rat prolactin promoter. These transcriptional responses appear to depend on three molecular features: organization of the Ets-1/Pit-1 composite element, physical interaction of these two factors via the Pit-1 homeodomain (amino acids 199-291) and the Ets-1 regulatory III domain (amino acids 190-257), and assembly of their transcriptional activation domains (TADs). Here we show that the organization of the Ets-1/Pit-1 composite element tolerates significant flexibility with regard to Ras stimulation and synergy. Specifically, the putative monomeric Pit-1 binding site can be substituted with bona fide binding sites for either a Pit-1 monomer or dimer, and these sites tolerated a separation of 28 bp. Additionally, we show that the physical interaction of Ets-1 and Pit-1 is not required for Ras responsiveness or synergy because block mutations of the Pit-1 interaction surface in Ets-1, which reduced Ets-1/Pit-1 binding in vitro, did not significantly affect Ets-1 stimulation of Ras responsiveness or synergy. We also show differential use of distinct TAD subtypes and Pit-1 TAD subregions to mediate either synergy or Ras responsiveness. Specifically, TADs from Gal4, VP16, or Ets-2 regulatory III domain linked to Ets-1 DNA binding domain constructs restored synergy to these TAD/Ets-1 DNA binding domain fusions. Conversely, deletion of the defined Pit-1 TAD (amino acids 2-80) retained synergy, but not Ras responsiveness. Consequently, we further defined the Pit-1 amino-terminal TAD into region 1 (R1, amino acids 2-45) and region 2 (R2, amino acids 46-80). R1 appears to regulate basal and synergistic responses, whereas the Ras response was mapped to R2. In summary, Ras responsiveness and Pit-1/Ets-1 synergy are mediated through the assembly of distinct TADs at a flexible composite element, indicating that different mechanisms underlie these two transcriptional responses and that the Pit-1 R2 subregion represents a novel, tissue-specific Ras-responsive TAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. dawn.duval@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Dawn L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002645:Chickens; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D050817:Transcription Factor Pit-1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; C494043:Ets1 protein, rat; C494187:POU1F1 protein, human; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D050817:Transcription Factor Pit-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D018631:ras Proteins