The oncoprotein v‐Myb is a potent inducer of myeloid leukemias, and its cellular homolog c‐Myb plays a crucial role in the regulation of hematopoiesis. Both proteins function as transcriptional regulators. We demonstrate that this function is mediated at least in part by the nuclear co‐activator CREB binding protein (CBP). This protein interacts directly with both c‐Myb and v‐Myb and potentiates Myb‐specific transcription as measured on the mim‐1 promoter. In contrast, dominant negative mutants of CBP lead to repression, as does E1A, an antagonist of CBP function. Phosphorylation of c‐Myb does not appear to be required for interaction with CBP, thus indicating that the binding may be constitutive. Furthermore, the C/EBP family member NF‐M, which cooperates with c‐Myb in transactivating the mim‐1 promoter through an adjacent DNA binding site, is co‐activated by CBP in a Ras‐dependent manner. Not only the individual activities of c‐Myb and NF‐M are stimulated by CBP, but also their synergistic transcriptional function, while it is negatively regulated by dominant negative forms of CBP. These data suggest that CBP is recruited by both Myb proteins and NF‐M and potentiates their transcriptional activity. We suggest that CBP can bridge between c‐Myb and NF‐M, thus providing an explanation for the strong synergism between these two proteins.

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