title: Yin yang 1 regulates the expression of snail through a distal enhancer.
abstract: Expression of the Snail gene is required for the epithelial-mesenchymal transitions that accompany mammalian gastrulation, neural crest migration, and organ formation. Pathologic expression of Snail contributes to the migratory capacity of invasive tumors, including melanomas. To investigate the mechanism of Snail up-regulation in human melanoma cells, a conserved enhancer located 3' of the Snail gene was analyzed. An overlapping Ets and yin yang 1 (YY1) consensus sequence, in addition to a SOX consensus sequence, was required for full enhancer activity. Proteins specifically binding these sequences were detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The Ets/YY1 binding activity was purified by DNA-affinity chromatography and identified as YY1. Although ubiquitously expressed, YY1 was bound at the Snail 3' enhancer in vivo in Snail-expressing cells but not in cells that did not express Snail. Knockdown of YY1 in A375 cells led to decreased Snail expression. These results identify a role for YY1 in regulating transcription of Snail in melanoma cells through binding to the Snail 3' enhancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Parimal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Majumder
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Hyesuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boss
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D055747:SOX Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D050986:YY1 Transcription Factor / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D055747:SOX Transcription Factors; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050986:YY1 Transcription Factor; C494698:YY1 protein, human