The SWI/SNF complex is required for the transcription of several genes and has been shown to alter nucleosome structure in an ATP-dependent manner. The tumor suppressor protein p53 displays growth and transformation suppression functions that are frequently lost in mutant p53 proteins detected in various cancers. Using genetic and biochemical approaches, we show that several subunits of the human SWI/SNF complex bind to the tumor suppressor protein p53 in vivo and in vitro. The transactivation function of p53 is stimulated by overexpression of hSNF5 and BRG-1 and dominant forms of hSNF5 and BRG-1 repress p53-dependent transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay shows that hSNF5 and BRG-1 are recruited to a p53-dependent promoter in vivo. Overexpression of dominant negative forms of either hSNF5 or BRG-1 inhibited p53-mediated cell growth suppression and apoptosis. Molecular connection between p53 and the SWI/SNF complex implicates that (i) the SWI/SNF complex is necessary for p53-driven transcriptional activation, and (ii) the SWI/ SNF complex plays an important role in p53-mediated cell cycle control.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 oncoprotein can immortalize primary human cells and induce tumor formation. These properties of E7 depend on its ability to inhibit the activity of retinoblastoma protein (pRB), which in turn affects E2F function. E2F proteins control the expression of genes involved in differentiation, development, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. By using genetic and biochemical approaches, the present study shows that E7 binds to E2F1 in vivo and in vitro and that both proteins co-localize in the nucleus. Importantly, the binding of the high risk group HPV E7 to E2F1 is tighter than the binding of the low risk group HPV E7 to E2F1. Although E7 of the high risk group HPVs activates E2F1-dependent transcription strongly in C33A or 293T cells, E7 of the low risk group HPVs activates transcription only weakly. By using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we also showed that E7 binds to E2F1-DNA complexes. Furthermore, we show that these activities of E7 are independent of pRB by using E7 and E2F1 mutants that cannot bind to pRB. Taken together, these data suggest that E7 contributes to the deregulation of pRBdependent E2F1 repression and to the further activation of E2F1 independently of pRB.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is related to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma. Open reading frame K9 of KSHV encodes viral interferon regulatory factor 1 (vIRF1), which functions as a repressor of interferon-and IRF1-mediated signal transduction. In addition, vIRF1 acts as an oncogene to induce cellular transformation. Here we show that vIRF1 directly associates with the tumor suppressor p53 and represses its functions. The vIRF1 interaction domains of p53 are the DNA binding domain (amino acids [aa] 100 to 300) and the tetramerization domain (aa 300 to 393). p53 interacts with the central region (aa 152 to 360) of vIRF1. vIRF1 suppresses p53-dependent transcription and deregulates its apoptotic activity. These results suggest that vIRF1 may regulate cellular function by inhibiting p53.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays important roles in the differentiation of multiple cell types, including mesenchymal stem cells. Using a cell-based chemical screening assay with a synthetic chemical library of 270 000 compounds, we identified the compound SKL2001 as a novel agonist of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and uncovered its molecular mechanism of action. SKL2001 upregulated β-catenin responsive transcription by increasing the intracellular β-catenin protein level and inhibited the phosphorylation of β-catenin at residues Ser33/37/Thr41 and Ser45, which would mark it for proteasomal degradation, without affecting CK1 and GSK-3β enzyme activities. Biochemical analysis revealed that SKL2001 disrupted the Axin/β-catenin interaction, which is a critical step for CK1-and GSK-3β-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin at Ser33/37/Thr41 and Ser45. The treatment of mesenchymal stem cells with SKL2001 promoted osteoblastogenesis and suppressed adipocyte differentiation, both of which were accompanied by the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings provide a new strategy to regulate mesenchymal stem cell differentiation by modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.